My Hero Academia may tell the tale of heroes, but not every heroic act is being done by the good guys. In one of My Hero Academia's biggest thematic arguments, the story has been showing how the current hero system has a few cracks that have left a few choice people in society slip by, and these limitations and the greater hypocrisy overall have utterly shattered My Hero Academia's society in the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War.
While the villains are far from being totally good people, they've had their heroic moments across the story where they've either helped bystanders or each other. Though they may look scary, My Hero Academia's villains have given the heroes a run for their money on a few occasions.
Stain Saving Deku
Stain may be known as the "Hero Killer," but he's not going around every hero willy-nilly with a knife. He became disgusted with the hero system during his youth, and, in an effort to draw out society's real heroes while getting rid of the "fake" ones, he became a serial killer. He specifically stalked and targeted heroes that he viewed weren't good enough for society, at least in comparison to the greater altruism in All Might.
While he may have given Deku and his friends the fight of their life, he was still able to recognize Deku's own natural hero abilities, and, when the young hero found himself in trouble, Stain was the first one on the scene to save him—and that's despite him being apprehended. In one fell swoop, MHA's Stain managed to redeem himself to the fans while upstaging the heroes.
Lady Nagant Helping Deku
Lady Nagant was an ex-hero who, before Hawks, was an undercover agent for the heroes who took on the backdoor missions that more marketable heroes wouldn't do. Disillusioned by her own work, Lady Nagant killed the President of the Public Safety Commission and joined All for One's side after he liberated Tartarus.
When she was tasked with kidnapping Deku, his and Hawks' resilience changed her and gave her hope that the hero world she envisioned when she was little still existed. As soon as she showed her willingness to join Deku, All for One quickly tried to dispose of her. However, Nagant managed to summon the last of her strength to tell the heroes where All for One wanted her to take Deku.
Black Mist/Oboro Giving The Heroes Information
For a time, no one suspected that the well-spoken bartender and faithful aid to All for One and Shigaraki was ever a nomu, let alone one who had ties to Aizawa and Present Mic. In one of My Hero Academia's most surprising and saddest twists, the story revealed that Black Mist was actually the resurrected and mutated, former friend to U.A.'s best friend teachers, Oboro Shirakumo.
Given that the heroes were having a hard time interrogating Black Mist, they brought in Aizawa and Present Mic to see if they could draw out their old friend; and with tears in his eyes, Aizawa was able to do just that. In an all too short moment of lucidity, Oboro was able to talk for himself and gave the heroes a hint at the League of Villain's plans.
Himiko And Twice Helping The Heroes Defeat The Shie Hassaikai
To be fair, it's not as if Himiko and Twice actually cared about the Shie Hassaikai's effect on society or even what they were doing to Eri. In the heat of the moment, the two decided to do what they felt was right and betrayed the Shie Hassaikai to get them out of the League's way.
They first helped the heroes arrest one of the Yakuza's most annoying fighters, Mimic, as well as help show them the way to Overhaul. While the heroes and Yakuza didn't wipe each other out the way that Himiko and Twice hoped, it's arguably a positive that they helped take the criminal organization done, albeit selfishly.
Twice Saving Himiko
Shigaraki and the League of Villains may be manipulated by All for One's deceitful and vengeful machinations, but it's not as if they haven't had some good memories along the way. For a couple of its members, the League of Villains was a safe haven to society's most disenfranchised, and it helped its members form a family.
When that family came under attack from the Meta Liberation Army, they were more than willing to fight back for each other. One of the best instances of this was when Twice was able to work through his identity crisis and summoned an entire tsunami of clones to help save Himiko.
Gentle Criminal Being La Brava's Friend
No one really gets to decide how their heart feels. They walk and exist through life's passages and follow the road that most pleases them. For La Brava, it didn't matter that Gentle Criminal was on the wrong side of the law. During a harsh and lonely period of her life, she found purpose after stumbling upon one of Gentle Criminal's videos.
When La Brava first knocked at his door, Gentle didn't dismiss her. He saw someone who shared the same isolating pain that he did and helped give her a purpose that got her out of bed in the morning. Though that purpose involved a lot of petty theft, Gentle Criminal did save a life that the hero world wasn't very concerned with saving on their own.
Gentle Criminal Taking All The Blame
Even though he has taken on the moniker, "Gentle Criminal," Donjuro Tobita knows that the villain's life is a dangerous one. While he certainly enjoyed and found use in La Brava's company, he always knew that La Brava was just a young girl.
In one of My Hero Academia's best, villain storylines, Gentle Criminal kept La Brava from getting arrested after Deku defeated him. In his most recent attempt at being a hero again, Gentle Criminal spared La Brava from getting arrested and was able to get Midoriya to respect his wishes in one of Deku's nicest moments.
The League Giving Outcasts A Home
The League of Villains isn't exactly a social club, but any organization that can bring people together is bound to form some close ties. The modern iteration of the League brought in a variety of lonely, discarded individuals who connected with the League's greater message—or, at least, Stain's.
It gave Himiko Toga friends who weren't just terrified of her bloodlust but helped facilitate it, Twice a home where he could finally feel like himself, and a platform for Mr. Compress, a generational villain who wished to continue his great, great grandfather's legacy. Though he may work against society, the League isn't just an outright, arch organization. They care and fight for one another in a world that never fought for them.