Hiro Hamada

**Hiro Hamada** is the protagonist and one of the titular characters of the *Big Hero 6* film and the television series. Hiro is a fourteen-year-old prodigy and the founder and leader of the superhero team, Big Hero 6 that consists of his best friends, Baymax, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, Fred, and Go Go Tamago.

## Background

### Official Biography

*Robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada has the mind of a genius—and the heart of a 14-year old: his state-of-the-art battle-bots dominate the underground bot fights held in the dark corners of San Fransokyo. Fortunately, his big brother Tadashi redirects Hiro's brilliance, inspiring him to put his brain to the test in a quest to gain admission to the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. When a tragic event changes everything, Hiro turns to a robot named Baymax, and they form an unbreakable bond—and two-sixths of a band of high-tech heroes on a very important mission.*

## Biography

Hiro is born the second-son of Mr. and Mrs. Hamada. He has one sibling, an older brother named Tadashi, whom Hiro looks up to. When Hiro is three years old, his parents pass away under mysterious circumstances. Their aunt, Cass, takes the children in and raises them as her own sons. ("Big Hero 6 (film)")

At the age of thirteen, Hiro graduates high school, but dedicates his post-high school years as a bot fighter, often getting in trouble with the law and often upsets his aunt and brother ("Big Hero 6 (film)", "The Bot-Fighter")

### Big Hero 6: The Series

After the defeat of Callaghan, Hiro watches footage of his brother teaching him how to ride a bike with aunt Cass cheering Hiro on. Modern-day Hiro stops the video and tells his brother that today's the first day of "nerd school," especially thanks to Tadashi. As he is leaving his room, Hiro accidentally stubs his foot in a nearby table. He looks back, expecting for Baymax to emerge from his charging station but Hiro is meant with disappointment, remembering Baymax's sacrifice from days earlier. He goes down stairs to join his friends, who decide to walk together to school. However, before they leave, Hiro's aunt Cass gives her nephew his lunch. Though she is reluctant in giving it too him, Cass asks Hiro if kids in college still pack their lunchs, but he accepts it from his aunt. Before leaving, Hiro gives his aunt one more hug before going to join his friends. ("Big Hero 6 (film)", "Baymax Returns")

As they approach school, Hiro's friends ask if he is nervous on his first day bu tinstead of admiting it, asks why he'd be nervous, not helping that Go Go points out he is fourteen on campus, that Tadashi has a big legacy thanks to Fred and that the new dean is strict from Wasabi. After getting his ID photo taken, Hiro's friends give him a tour of campus. However, as they come across Tadashi's lab, Hiro begins thinking about his brother and Baymax. Wasabi comforts Hiro, saying that they all miss Tadashi and Baymax too. The teen stays behind and goes into his brother's lab, where he sees one of Baymax's gauntlets in a box and lays it out to give it a fist bump while adding Baymax's version of "the explosion" However, Hiro notices that Tadashi's chip is within the glove due to Baymax putting it in there before sacrificing himself to save Hiro and Abigail. Realizing Baymax can be revived, the boy genius uses his skills to begin in rebuilding his robot companion. However, Hiro is interrupted by Professor Granville, who chides the Hamada boy for being in a lab, which is unavailable for first semester freshmen. Hiro tells her he is attempting to re-create Baymax, his brother's health companion project. Granville acknowledges that Hiro's brother was a gifted young man and expresses hope that Hiro will follow his brother's legacy and tells him to get to class on time and warns him that his professor is firm but fair. To Hiro's surprise, Granville is the professor. When he begins wondering how she go tthere, Granville tells him that while she can take shortcuts, he cannot and tells Hiro to sit down as class begins. ("Baymax Returns")

That night, Fred invites Hiro and their other friends to the Frederickson Manor. However, Hiro declines saying he has to do something after school. In reality, he is working on Baymax without telling his other friends. Alone in his brother's lab once again, Hiro inserts Baymax's chip into the computer that is present there. Preying for it to work, Baymax's personality is able to function. Though they cannot hug appropriately, Hiro says this is what will work for now as he tries to work on Baymax's body for the past days. Despite all this, Hiro still keeps up good work in his other classes, which also impresses Professor Granville. When he finally completes Baymax's body, Hiro hopes to suit his friend up but Baymax via the computer warns Hiro to do testing, which could take up to seven to ten days. Hiro ignores his best friend and proceeds in activating the body but it ends up escaping. Hiro goes to chase after it but is stopped by Granville, who orders him to follow her into her office. Granville reveals she knows about Hiro's past as a bot fighter. Initially feeling ashamed, Granville instead praises him for not falling into his own agenda. However, Hiro notices Baymax's body is about to crash into Granville's office and yells "no" in an alarmed voice, causing his professor to halt in her praises. Hiro covers it up by telling her to stop complimenting him so he doesn't develop a "big head." Granville tells him to keep up the good work as Hiro wishes her goodnight to chase after Baymax's body.

Unaware of his friends scouting for the night, Hiro tries finding Baymax's body but finds himself cornered by Yama, who still blames Hiro for getting himself locked up in jail and orders for his men to teach Hiro the unfinished "lesson" that wasn't finished from a few weeks ago. However, before Hiro is thrown from the top of the building, Yama sees his student ID and asks if the boy goes to the nerd school, and Hiro confirms he does, causing Yama to strike a new deal: that if Hiro brings him the paper weight on Granville's desk, he will give the boy Baymax's body back. However, he actually intends to double cross Hiro once he gets it. After this, Hiro turns to Fred for help by going to his friend's house, asking Heathcliff where Fred is at. The butler gestures that he is right on the roof. Hiro reveals to Fred that he needs to steal Granville's paperweight and promises that he will steal it back from Yama and return it to Granville's desk without her noticing. But first, he needs to put her ID security into his own. He does this by giving her a hug and is able to get it thanks to Fred's help. Though Hiro and Fred deliver the amplifier, Yama double crosses them and has them imprisoned in a top notch security prison. Althoug Hiro is able to free him and Fred, they are re-captured and brought before Yama, who orders for them to be disposed of. However, Go Go, Honey Lemon and Go Go in their Big Hero 6 uniforms rescue the boys in time. Hiro goes to free Baymax's body but is suddenly caught by Yama. However, Honey Lemon uses one of her Chem Balls and freezes Yama and it allows Hiro to escape and grab his robot companion's body before they are carried off. However, before he leaves, Hiro steals back the amplifier. Back in Tadashi's lab, Hiro is met with anger and disappointment by his other teammates for re-creating Baymax and putting himself and Fred in danger. As Wasabi chides Hiro for stealing from Granville and worse of all, seeking  help from Fred, Hiro reveals he actually stole the paper weight back. Though Go Go is impressed she punches Hiro in the arm and tells him to never put himself in danger again. ("Baymax Returns")

Eventually, Hiro is able to finally wake up Baymax. He goes to joyously hug him as Baymax accepts the embrace. With Baymax finally complete, Hiro works on a chip that will enact Baymax as a superhero with multiple moves. Fred reveals the name of the team he chose: Big Hero 6. However, before going any further, they suddenly  see the lights come on and hide behind Baymax, who disguises himself as a chair. However, Granville is aware that the boys are there and tells for Hiro to come out of hiding. She teaches him about balance and warns Hiro that he can either  follow his brother's footsteps by following the rules or become someone like Fred. Motivated by Granville's words, Hiro turns away Fred's attempts of reforming Big Hero 6. However, after seeing an army full of evil Baymaxes, thanks to Yama, Hiro and his friends decide to reform Big Hero 6 after all. Hiro goes back to Tadashi's lab to work on Baymax's armor but they find that Yama is there to take the paper weight. He notifies his teammates who try to hurry back as the fight the robots. After one of the lookouts rips Baymax up, Hiro sends him to take the paperweight before the other Baymaxes do.However, they unfortuantely lose it to Yama, who takes it to his employer. Hiro and his teammates continue fighting Yama as they save civillians, including Hiro's aunt Cass on the electric train station. Finally accepting that the city needs protecting, Hiro decides to join Fred's cause and joins his teammates in a hand pile chanting, "To the power of six." The next day, Hiro feigns ignorance of what happened in Granville's office when he visits her. Impressed by Hiro convincing her that he is not Tadashi and will make mistakes along the way, Granville finally gives Hiro his brother's lab but refueses another hug from him as he goes to embrace her again.   ("Baymax Returns")

With the reformed team, Hiro joins his friends in exploring San Fransokyo while riding Baymax as well, each unaware that a mysterious figure is watching them.  ("Big Hero 6 (film)")

At an unspecified amount of time, Granville pairs Hiro up with another young genius, Karmi due to them being the youngest members at SFIT. However, Karmi takes an immediate dislike towards him. During a superhero night, Hiro begins wondering what Karmi's problem with him is, as Go Go answers because Hiro took her spot as the youngest genius at SFIT, but instead of dwelling on it Hiro goes to do his "thing" by fighting a supervillain team, High Voltage, a mother-daughter duo named Barb andJuniper. They are easily defeated by High Voldatge's electric powers. Hiro, in anger the next morning voices how he cannot believe thatthe bad guys were able to beat them. He then attempts to talk to Karmi, and tries to be nice to her. However, she rebuffs him again when Hiro sees Karmi drawing the superhero aspect of him on her notebook and tells him to mind his own business before storming off. That night, Hiro and his friends face High Voltage again, but the bad guys defeat them yet again. Hiro saves Karmi from a falling light post, resulting in her taking a picture of him with her cell phone.  ("Issue 188")

## Relationships

### Family

* Father
* Mother
* Tadashi Hamada - Brother, deceased
* Aunt Cass - Aunt

### Allies

* Big Hero 6 - Teammates and friends
	+ Baymax
	+ Honey Lemon
	+ Fred
		- Mini-Max - Creation
		- Skymax - Creations
	+ Wasabi
	+ Go Go Tomago
* Dibs/Globby - Former Enemy
* Sycorax
	+ Liv Amara - Savior
* Felony Carl

### Enemies

* Professor Callaghan/Yokai - Former Professor turned Enemy and Attempted Killer
* Obake - Archenemy
	+ Noodle Burger Boy
	+ Trina
	+ Buddy Guards
* High Voltage
	+ Barb
	+ Juniper
* Mr. Yama
	+ Yama's lackeys
	+ Baymax Duplicates
* Baron Von Steamer
* Momakase
* Mole family
	+ Beverly Samantha Mole
	+ Richardson Mole - Former Teammate (via Coerce), Blackmailer, and Idolizer
* Sycorax
	+ Mayoi
	+ Di Amara - Former Captor and Attempted Killer
	+ Chris - Burglar
* Mr. Sparkle
* Nega-Globby
* Supersonic Sue
* Supersonic Stu
* El Fuengo

## Relationships with other characters

### Tadashi Hamada

Hiro was very close with his older brother, as they were each other's best friends and confidantes. Tadashi often protected and supported Hiro, being the only one who could truly understand what Hiro was feeling.

Though their friends got to Hiro when he was still mourning Tadashi's death, Hiro's older brother continues to be an inspiration to Hiro, as he learned to help people in his brother's honor and that vengeance won't solve anything.

### Aunt Cass

Aunt Cass is Hiro's aunt and guardian. For the last ten years after their parents' deaths, Aunt Cass took care of both of her nephews, giving them love, care and support. Without a mother, Hiro comes to see her as such. Sometimes, he causes her to "stress eat" because of his bot fighting activity. She was glad when he began using his high-level intellect and when Hiro was accepted into SFIT (San Fransokyo Institute of Technology). After Tadashi's death, Cass helped Hiro mourn for the loss of his brother, often bringing up food to his room and attempting to get him to sign up for SFIT.

She is unaware of Hiro's identity as a superhero and he keeps it from her because when Cass figures it out, then she will never let him continue it.

## Friends

### Baymax

 File:BaymaxgivesHiroahug.png  Their relationship started out basic, as Hiro was impressed with Baymax when first introduced, but when they reunited, he was less than thrilled as Baymax served as a reminder of Tadashi's death. However, because Hiro unintentionally summoned Baymax when the former expressed pain, the robot viewed Hiro as his patient, becoming solely devoted to him and unable to dismiss himself until the boy was satisfied with his care, vocally expressing that fact. This led Baymax to carry out every small order given by Hiro, no matter how literal or sarcastic, in hopes of improving the boy's health, as a result of his programming.

As time went on, however, Baymax's treatment towards Hiro began to change. As the robot began learning and understanding the basics of human emotion, a personal bond with Hiro began to form. His dedication towards his "patient" was no longer due to programming alone, but also because of a mutual love. In turn, Hiro grew to love Baymax, who served as his ultimate form of comfort, a loving reminder of Tadashi and a nurturing companion. This is powerfully showcased when the duo found themselves trapped within Yokai's portal while trying to save Abigail. While Baymax was willing to sacrifice himself, Hiro strongly refused, as he didn't have the strength to lose him too. Nevertheless, he fought through his emotions using Baymax's lesson of overcoming loss, but not forgetting, allowing him to bid farewell to his companion, in addition to expressing his love for the first time through a hug.

Following these events and Baymax's eventual revival, the duo remains as close as ever, forming a brotherly relationship and spending their days beside one another through all events, including their mission to protect the world in Tadashi's honor.

Honey Lemon, Go Go, Fred, and Wasabi can be somewhat overprotective of Hiro because they were seen trailing him after Obake kidnapped him and fearing Liv might try something.

### Honey Lemon

```
Along with Fred, Honey Lemon acts as an enthusiastic supporter to Hiro in his multiple times of need. They first met at the beginning of the film, when Tadashi introduced her to Hiro. After Tadashi's death, Honey Lemon continued to give Hiro love and support, even promising him that they weren't going to leave him alone in his grieving estate. In the television series, Honey and Hiro continued having an older sister/younger brother relationship.

```

Honey sometimes acts as a mother figure, as she is also protective of Hiro, as she saved him from Mr. Yama by freezing the criminal mastermind. Significantly in "Rivalry Weak," Hiro admits he has known that Honey Lemon was an artist and a student at SFAI and accepted her for who she was: an artist and a talented scientist.  Hiro often particpates in her group selfies as well.

Honey Lemon, Go Go, Fred, and Wasabi can be somewhat overprotective of Hiro because they were seen trailing him after Obake kidnapped him and fearing Liv might try something.

### Go Go

Out of all the members of Big Hero 6 (apart from Baymax), Hiro seems the closest with Go Go. He first met her when Tadashi introduced Hiro to his other friends. Acting as an older sister figure, Go Go is very protective of Hiro, possibly due to him being younger than them. After returning to San Fransokyo after Hiro left his teammates on an abandoned island, instead of being angry, Go Go instead gave him a hug, showing sympathy for a boy who lost his brother. She promised they would stop Callaghan, no matter what.

During the television series, Go Go and the others continue to give Hiro love and support. She usually does show a softer side to Hiro and even comforted him at one point when he suffered from "Inventors Block and said Obake crossed the line when pretending to be Tadashi.

### Fred

Along with Honey Lemon, Fred acts as an enthusiastic supporter to Hiro in his multiple times of need. He took an immediate liking to Hiro when they met each other for the first time and also supported the teenager after his brother's death. Throughout the televsion series, they often get into trouble together, being captured by Yama and getting stranded in the woods and being chased by a madman as examples.

However, though they get along and have a brother relationship, Hiro did not want to succumb to Fred's attempts in reforming Big Hero 6 until they saved the whole city from Mr. Yama and his entire team of Baymaxes. They sometimes share a "fist bump." Sometimes, Hiro and the other members cannot help Fred in his fighting the villains and in response to his recklessness, Hiro created Mini-Max to "babysit" Fred.

### Wasabi

One of Hiro's best friend, Wasabi often looks out for Hiro's health. During the testing process, Wasabi meets Hiro, the younger brother of his friend, Tadashi. Wasabi takes the time to demonstrate his creation, as well as introducing Hiro to his method of organization, only to be thrown off by Go Go.

During the television series, they get along swimmingly. However, when they had to work together after being assigned by Professor Granville, they found it hard to work together because of their different personalities and styles . Their fighting almost ended in catastrophe because while Wasabi and Hiro were arguing, Noodle Burger Boy got a hand on holding Baymax hostage. Both boys learned the error of their ways and decided that Baymax was right: that they should not have fought with each other. They both worked together against NBB by switching suits and understanding one another from then on and learned how to work together better in the near future. They did manage to finish creating their invention for Granville's assignment and recieved praise after completing it.

Other than their squabble, Wasabi and Hiro get along rather well in the rest of the series. Wasabi showed disgust in Obake after he was pretending to be Tadashi in front of Hiro and said it was "crossing the line." And after Momakase threatens to kidnap Hiro for Obake a second time, Wasabi was infuriated and fought off Momakase in retaliation.

### Professor Granville

Granville helps teach Hiro about self-restraint, as she doesn't want him to end up like one of her former students. Hiro holds respect for their new dean but was suspicious when he learned Granville taught at SFIT twenty-years prior to attending.  Granville knows Hiro is capable of great things, one of the reasons why she gave Tadashi's lab and knew he would learn along the way. However, he still respects Granville even learning the truth about her: that she revealed what happened to her former student.

In the penultimate episode of season 1. Hiro tells the hallucination of Tadashi that while she can be a bit stern and upset saying he needs limits, Hiro admits that h thinks its good for him that she sets limits for him. Granville always calls remains formal with Hiro, calling him "Mr. Hamada" until the last episode, where she finally calls him by his first name and asks if he learned what became of Obake.

### Globby

Globby and Hiro were enemies throughout all of the first season. They usually fight with each other both through conversation and physically hitting one each other.  However, during their fight in "Failure Mode," Globby gave Hiro a chocolate bare before disappearing for unknown reasons. He also was the one who put doubt in Hiro's mind but this was due to Obake making Globby put it in Hiro that he was nothing without his teammates' help.

Their relationship changed after Globby rescued Hiro from Obake after learning that the latter wanted to destroy San Fransokyo. They became allies from then on.

## Trivia

### Etymology

* The surname, Hamada, means "seashore rice paddy" in Japanese, usually found in the islands of Shikoku and in the Ryuku Islands.
	+ In the original comics, his last name was **Takachiho**

### Character Notes

* Hiro was the youngest genius at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, something Karmi resents him for because *she* was the youngest at the age of sixteen. ("Issue 188")
* Hiro lost parents at the age of three (Big Hero 6 film)
* Tadashi used to take Hiro to haunted houses.
* Hiro's SFIT ID is #20348509. (Baymax Returns)
* According to Hiro, he has never been outside of San Fransokyo. ("Muirhara Woods")

## References

1. ↑ Emily Brandon (2014). Six Reasons We Can't Wait to See Big Hero 6. Retrieved on 13 February 2019.
2. ↑ Ancestry.com. Hamada Family History (English). Retrieved on 17 February, 2019. “apanese: ‘seashore rice paddy’; found in the island of Shikoku and in the Ryukyu Islands. Several unrelated families bearing this name descend from the Fujiwara, Taira, Kikuchi, Arakida, and other clans.”