The Hero Public Safety Commission (HPSC) in My Hero Academia is a pivotal organization responsible for overseeing hero society in Japan, managing hero licenses, and maintaining public trust in heroes. The two presidents discussed in the document—the unnamed male president killed by Lady Nagant and Madam President—represent different facets of the HPSC’s leadership, each marked by morally complex and often corrupt actions. Below is a thorough analysis of both presidents, covering their roles, personalities, actions, and impacts on the HPSC and the broader narrative, based on the provided document.
The First President (Unnamed Male President)
Position: President of the HPSC before Madam President, killed by Lady Nagant.
Affiliation: Head of the HPSC, overseeing hero-related matters, criminal investigations, and maintaining societal order.
Status: Deceased, killed by Lady Nagant after threatening her when she attempted to resign.
The first president is depicted as cold, authoritarian, and ruthless, prioritizing the HPSC’s agenda over individual lives or morality. His leadership style reflects a belief in "Utopia Justifies the Means," where maintaining the image of hero society excuses extreme measures.
He treated HPSC agents, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds like Lady Nagant, as disposable assets, showing a lack of empathy for their psychological well-being.
His implied threat to eliminate Lady Nagant when she expressed a desire to resign highlights his manipulative and coercive nature, willing to silence dissent to protect the HPSC’s secrets.
Use of Lady Nagant as an Assassin: The president recruited a young Kaina Tsutsumi (Lady Nagant) during her middle school years, exploiting her powerful rifle Quirk to serve as an assassin. He ordered her to eliminate "stains" in society, including terrorists, corrupt heroes, and even protesters, without due process. This was done to preserve the public’s trust in heroes and maintain social order.
Covert Operations: Under his leadership, the HPSC operated as a shadowy organization, using illegal tactics like assassinations to eliminate perceived threats before they could disrupt hero society. This included preemptive killings of individuals who had not yet committed crimes, undermining justice and fairness.
Response to Lady Nagant’s Dissent: When Lady Nagant, burdened by the psychological toll of her assassinations, questioned the morality of her actions and suggested transparency, the president threatened her life, implying that resignation was not an option. This led to her snapping and killing him with her rifle.
On Lady Nagant: His actions profoundly damaged Lady Nagant’s mental health, as the constant bloodshed and need to maintain a heroic public facade led to her depression and disillusionment. Her eventual rebellion against him marked a turning point, exposing the HPSC’s corruption.
On the HPSC: His death created a leadership vacuum, allowing his vice-president (Madam President) to take over. The cover-up of his death—framing Lady Nagant’s actions as an argument with another hero—demonstrates the HPSC’s ability to manipulate narratives to protect its image.
On Hero Society: His ruthless policies set a precedent for the HPSC’s morally dubious methods, which continued under his successor. The use of child soldiers and assassins under his tenure laid the groundwork for the HPSC’s eventual downfall, as these actions fueled distrust when exposed.
The first president serves as a symbol of the HPSC’s corruption at its peak, embodying the organization’s willingness to sacrifice morality for control. His death at Lady Nagant’s hands is a pivotal moment, highlighting the consequences of pushing individuals to their breaking point and foreshadowing the HPSC’s fragility when its secrets are revealed.
Position: Vice-president under the first president, later promoted to president after his death. Head of the HPSC until her death during the Paranormal Liberation War.
Affiliation: Hero Public Safety Commission, responsible for hero licensing, criminal investigations, and managing hero-society interactions.
Status: Deceased, killed by a clone of Re-Destro during the Paranormal Liberation War.
Appearance: A middle-aged woman with ash blonde hair, turquoise eyes, and a formal black suit, projecting a stoical and professional demeanor.
Voice Actors: Sayaka Kinoshita (Japanese), Meli Grant (English).
Debut: Manga Chapter 185, Anime Episode 87.
Madam President is described as calm and reassuring in public, as seen during her announcement of the Hero Billboard Chart JP, where she emphasized unity and the strength of the new top heroes post-All Might’s retirement. However, this public persona masks her willingness to make morally questionable decisions.
While she disagreed with her predecessor’s extreme methods (e.g., widespread assassinations), she did not fully reform the HPSC’s corrupt practices, suggesting either complicity or pragmatism in maintaining the status quo.
She showed a slightly more merciful side by choosing to imprison rather than execute Lady Nagant, though this was partly to prevent information leaks and to use her as an example to deter hero conflicts. This indicates a calculated approach, balancing self-preservation with strategic control.
Her decisions, such as mandating Hero Work-Studies for high school students and ordering Hawks to infiltrate the League of Villains, reflect a pragmatic but ethically dubious mindset, prioritizing societal stability over individual safety.
Handling Lady Nagant’s Betrayal: After Lady Nagant killed the first president, Madam President orchestrated her imprisonment in Tartarus, creating a false narrative that Nagant killed a hero in an argument. This cover-up protected the HPSC’s reputation while ensuring Nagant could not expose their secrets.
Recruitment of Hawks: She scouted a young Keigo Takami (Hawks) at age six after he used his Quirk to stop a car crash. Recognizing his potential, she offered to train him and support his impoverished family, effectively buying their loyalty. Hawks was groomed to replace Lady Nagant as a loyal HPSC agent, trained in espionage and tasked with morally questionable missions, such as infiltrating the League of Villains.
Policy Changes Post-All Might’s Retirement: To compensate for All Might’s absence, Madam President relaxed hero licensing requirements, increasing pass rates and allowing younger students (as young as 15) to obtain provisional licenses. She also mandated Hero Work-Studies, putting students in dangerous situations, such as the raid against the Paranormal Liberation Front, despite objections from pro heroes like Snipe and Cementoss.
Infiltration of the League of Villains: She personally requested Hawks to act as a double agent within the League, a high-risk mission requiring him to commit crimes (e.g., conspiring with Dabi, kidnapping Best Jeanist) to gain trust. This decision underscores her willingness to sacrifice individual morality for strategic gains.
Attempted Arrest of Rikiya Yotsubashi: During the Paranormal Liberation War, Madam President planned to arrest Rikiya Yotsubashi (Re-Destro) under the guise of a business meeting. This backfired when a clone of Re-Destro attacked the HPSC office, leading to her death and significant damage to the organization.
On Lady Nagant: By imprisoning rather than executing Nagant, Madam President preserved her life but ensured her silence, using her as a cautionary tale to deter other heroes from defying the HPSC. This decision later backfired when Nagant escaped Tartarus and exposed the HPSC’s actions.
On Hawks: Her grooming of Hawks created a loyal but conflicted agent who carried out the HPSC’s dirty work while struggling with his own moral compass. Hawks’ eventual drift away from the HPSC after her death reflects his liberation from her influence, allowing him to act on his personal ideals.
On the HPSC: Madam President’s leadership maintained the HPSC’s power but failed to address its underlying corruption, contributing to its collapse during the Paranormal Liberation War. Her death, combined with the exposure of the HPSC’s actions by Dabi and others, left the organization in disarray, with Yokumiru Mera as a temporary leader and Hawks later taking over.
On Hero Society: Her policies, particularly the mobilization of high school students, endangered young heroes and eroded trust in the HPSC when these actions were criticized by pro heroes and villains alike. The public exposure of the HPSC’s tactics by Dabi further damaged its credibility, weakening hero society’s foundation.
Madam President is a complex antagonist, representing a more pragmatic but still flawed continuation of the HPSC’s corrupt legacy. Her calm public demeanor contrasts with her willingness to uphold questionable practices, making her a foil to both the first president’s overt ruthlessness and Hawks’ conflicted loyalty. Her death marks a turning point, signaling the HPSC’s decline and paving the way for Hawks to reform the organization as its new president.
Both presidents prioritized maintaining the public image of hero society over ethical considerations, using illegal tactics like assassinations and child recruitment to achieve their goals.
They treated agents like Lady Nagant and Hawks as tools, exploiting their Quirks and loyalty to serve the HPSC’s agenda.
Both engaged in cover-ups to protect the HPSC’s reputation. The first president hid the true nature of Lady Nagant’s assassinations, while Madam President fabricated a story about Nagant’s crime to justify her imprisonment.
Utopia Justifies the Means:
Both believed that extreme measures were necessary to preserve societal order, reflecting the HPSC’s ethos of sacrificing individual rights for perceived stability.
Their actions caused significant psychological harm to their agents. Lady Nagant’s depression and Hawks’ moral conflicts stem from the pressures imposed by both presidents.
The first president was overtly authoritarian, using threats to enforce compliance, as seen in his interaction with Lady Nagant. Madam President, while still manipulative, adopted a calmer, more diplomatic approach, projecting reassurance in public while making calculated decisions behind closed doors.
The first president fully embraced the HPSC’s sordid methods, ordering widespread assassinations without apparent remorse. Madam President disagreed with some of her predecessor’s tactics (e.g., excessive assassinations) and showed slight mercy by imprisoning rather than executing Nagant, though her motives were partly self-serving.
The first president’s focus was on covert assassinations to eliminate threats preemptively. Madam President expanded the HPSC’s influence through policy changes, such as relaxing licensing requirements and mobilizing students, reflecting a broader but equally risky approach to maintaining control.
The first president was killed by Lady Nagant, a direct consequence of his coercive tactics. Madam President died during an external attack by Re-Destro’s clone, highlighting the HPSC’s vulnerability to its enemies rather than internal rebellion.
First President: His legacy is one of unchecked corruption, setting a precedent for the HPSC’s darkest practices. His death exposed the organization’s fragility and the risks of pushing agents too far.
Madam President: Her leadership attempted to stabilize hero society post-All Might but failed to address the HPSC’s systemic issues. Her death and the subsequent exposure of the HPSC’s actions marked the organization’s collapse, though her recruitment of Hawks allowed for its eventual reformation under his leadership.
Both presidents embody the moral decay within the HPSC, illustrating how institutions meant to protect society can become corrupt when prioritizing image over justice. The first president represents the HPSC’s descent into extremism, while Madam President reflects an attempt to maintain control through pragmatism, only to perpetuate the same flaws. Their actions highlight the cost of their methods on individuals like Lady Nagant and Hawks, as well as the broader societal consequences when their corruption is exposed. The transition from their leadership to Hawks’ presidency suggests a potential for reform, but the HPSC’s dark history remains a cautionary tale about power and accountability in hero society.
