Anime like Haikyuu!! and My Hero Academia are bound to have things in common when the show is built around an underdog main character with endless motivation to achieve a seemingly impossible goal. Haikyuu!! focuses on Karasuno High School's volleyball club and how much work it will take for the team to reach and win Spring Nationals. My Hero Academia focuses on Class 1-A at UA High and their journey to become heroes.
Friends, enemies, sportsmanship, training camps, and amazing character development are shared characteristics of the shows. Each of the main characters from these shows shares distinct personality traits, journeys, and/or backgrounds that make them parallels for each other.
Shoyo Hinata & Izuku Midoriya
This is likely the most obvious character parallel between MHA and Haikyuu. Hinata and Midoriya both start as young, aspirational, and determined main characters that have a life goal in mind. They're also both severely passionate.
Hinata's goal is to become the new "Tiny Giant" and Midoriya's is to become the World's Best Hero, and fans get to see what gets them to that point. They are both surrounded by mentors, peers (friendly and otherwise), and are constantly challenged but have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to pushing themselves.
Tobio Kageyama & Shoto Todoroki/Katsuki Bakugo
While Kageyama's personality and drive make him most like Todoroki, he also carries some of Bakugo's characteristics whether it's his push to make Hinata better, therein making himself better, or from his angry outbursts. Like Todoroki and Bakugo, Kageyama faces some difficult obstacles in his skill and personality development.
Kageyama is most like Todoroki though because they are both prodigies, both aiming for the number one spot with someone they consider to be in their way until they became good friends and battle partners with their person, and as the series powers on, they both become their best selves.
Kiyoko Shimizu & Momo Yaoyarozou
Kiyoko is the Karasuno High Volleyball Club's 3rd-year manager. She exemplifies excellent leadership skills when she decides to speak up but she isn't without a little anxiety. When she first presents the team with their "Fly" banner she is a bit nervous but wants to make sure the team knows she is there for them.
Kiyoko is most like Momo in these ways because Momo also exemplifies leadership qualities as the class deputy and she maintains calmness even in her moments of insecurity.
[Young] Coach Ukai & Shota Aizawa
Calm for the most part but also intense, Coach Ukai wants to avoid annoying interactions and people but actually cares a lot about his players and even Coach Takeda. He also couldn't be bothered in the beginning and Aizawa keeps that mindset periodically as well.
He's similar to Shota Aizawa in those ways because Aizawa would rather train qualified students and avoid interacting with expressive personalities. But at the end of the day, his best friend is Present Mic, he warms up to All Might, and his expectations are exceeded by the students he doubted.
Daichi Sawamura & Tenya Iida
Daichi is the third-year Karasuno team captain that keeps team meetings inspirational and productive, while also making sure his friends and teammates know that he wants the best for them.
Another leader who cares about those he teaches but is intense in battle is Tenya Iida. Tenya is Class 1-A's representative and constantly makes sure his classmates are aware of right and wrong but never fails to back them up or keep them safe.
Kei Tsukishima & Fumikage Tokoyami
Kei Tsukishima is blunt, wants to do his best, and is a little standoff-ish to most people he doesn't know. But he also is one that is there to get his job done, like Tokoyami. They both take a little time to warm up to people and when they finally entrust in someone they do it to the fullest extent, even if it doesn't seem like it.
Tokoyami has his demons when it comes to Dark Shadow and Tsukishima plays volleyball even though he doesn't seem to truly care for the sport. Having these obstacles is also what shows fans their growth because when Tokoyami understands and controls Dark Shadow fans get to see his excitement and power and when Tsukishima blocks Ushijima's spike, fans get to see his excitement for the game.
Ryunosuke Tanaka & Eijiro Kirishima
Tanaka is a loud and endlessly supportive friend. His MHA counterpart is Kirishima because they both want the best for their friends, never give up on them, and are always ready to "man up" for a battle.
Tanaka also is protective and as Kirishima warms up to Bakugo, he also starts to stand up to him for others while also making sure he is safe and knows that he is cared for. Tanaka does the same for Nishinoya and his teammates before and after the first-years arrive.
Yū Nishinoya & Denki Kaminari
The Karasuno High libero, Nishinoya, is a loud, passionate, and dedicated volleyball player and friend. Denki is a loud, passionate, and slightly over-exerted hero student that never wants to let his friends down.
Nishinoya doesn't want to rejoin the volleyball club without his best friend Asahi and constantly wants to learn more about how he can help his team win games, eventually even picking up setting skills. Denki is similar to Noya because when he learns of his own potential but doesn't want to hurt his friends, he practices endlessly until he nails it.
Hitoka Yachi & Ochaco Uraraka
Yachi and Uraraka are both alike in their unannounced infatuation with other characters and the way they continuously deny it. They are also both respectful and somewhat hesitant when it comes to working with their teammates.
Uraraka does have a bit more confidence than Yachi from the start but they both build their confidence when they are around those that inspire them.
Kotaro Bokuto & Mirio Togata
Every main character has a mentor at one point or another and sometimes more than one. Bokuto meets Hinata at the training camp and is surprised to see such talent and determination in a kid who seemingly wouldn't play volleyball. He immediately warms up to him and wants to be his mentor once he sees Hinata's talent and attitude.
Mirio Togata is one of the most heroic characters and mentors in MHA. Much like Bokuto, Mirio doubted Midoriya but latched on to being a mentor for him after he saw his true potential and must-go-for-it attitude.