Friends#
Nana Shimura#
Sorahiko and Nana were allies and close friends. She trusted him enough to tell him about everything related to the One For All.[1] He also served as Nana's emotional support after she had to leave her son Kotaro with a foster family, in an attempt to get him to safety after her husband's murder.[2]
He became a teacher in U.A. High School in order to train Toshinori solely because of a promise he had made to her.[3] Sorahiko and Nana collaborated to bring down All For One, and when Toshinori became the new user, the three tried to defeat the villain. However, All For One was still too powerful for them and Nana had to sacrifice herself so he and Toshinori could escape with their lives, trusting in her old friend the safety of her successor. Her death greatly saddened him, and he shed tears as he left her during their fight with All For One to save All Might.[4]
Pro Heroes#
Toshinori Yagi#
Gran Torino taught Toshinori (better known as All Might) as a teacher in U.A. and knows Toshinori's secrets. He seems to have left Toshinori nervous from his past training with his mentor to the point he shook when talking of him to Izuku and his reaction to being told that he doesn't visit. Also, he has a habit of calling All Might by his given name when they converse.
He is shown to be very cautious of his pupil, going as far as to warn him of the possibility of All For One returning and telling him to tell Izuku everything about him and One For All to prepare him. He also expressed his pride in his pupil for defeating All For One a second time while being the Symbol of Peace one last time.
After All Might discovered Tomura Shigaraki was Nana's grandson, Sorahiko stopped him from going after him as it would be fruitless to try in reasoning with a criminal and All Might accepted his teacher's words.
Sir Nighteye#
Since he knew about One For All and was All Might's sidekick, Nighteye is acquainted with All Might's mentor. Nighteye seems familiar with Gran Torino enough to perceive his signature erratic jumping that Izuku copied.
Gran Torino was present during All Might and Nighteye's falling out. He decided to use Izuku as a means of mediating the relationship between the two, showing he cares about Nighteye. The two later spoke and Nighteye asked him if the reason he directed Izuku towards him was to mediate his relationship with All Might. Gran Torino denies it and says it was just a thought that crossed his mind and asks what he thinks. Sir says they are both similar including the madness in their core that he could never understand.[5]
Class 1-A#
Izuku Midoriya#
Gran Torino had learned Izuku was All Might’s successor and requested Izuku to be his sidekick so that he can teach Izuku about the One for All Quirk. Gran Torino and Izuku were off to a bad start when they first met, with Gran Torino putting up a façade of being senile and Izuku being disappointed with having to train with someone who was no longer functional. But right after Gran Torino dropped his façade and showing Izuku what he was capable of, Izuku started to gain respect for Gran Torino, politely calling the elderly hero "Mr. Torino".[6][7][8]
Gran Torino has shown to be impressed with Izuku, stating that All Might chose a fine successor, due to Izuku's quick thinking and potential. Gran Torino also protected Izuku from a Nomu while Izuku was worried for him. As they parted ways, Gran Torino asked him his and Izuku replied it was Deku, with Torino becoming the second person to make Izuku proud of his nickname.
Izuku greatly respected Gran Torino. During the Paranormal Liberation War, when Tomura Shigaraki severely injured Gran Torino, Izuku was greatly infuriated. A few days later, Izuku visits Gran Torino at the hospital and informs him of his discussion with Nana Shimura as well as his own decisions. Gran Torino supports Izuku but warns him (with regards to Tomura) that sometimes the best way to save someone is to kill them. Gran Torino bequeaths his cape to Izuku before sending him off.[9]
League of Villains#
All For One#
Gran Torino holds a grudge against the user of All For One for murdering Nana Shimura, his close friend. He became part of the Hideout Raid Team in order to find out more about All For One's whereabouts, joining Toshinori when he started fighting the villain.
Tomura Shigaraki#
Despite the fact that Tomura is Nana Shimura's grandson, Gran Torino did not appear to hold any personal affection or sympathy towards him, as he urged Toshinori to understand that he is still a criminal and must be treated as such.[10] Furthermore, when he confronted Tomura during the Paranormal Liberation Raid, he told him that he's trampling over Nana's memory and that his very existence has made everyone suffer.[11]
Even so, after hearing how Kotaro Shimura viewed heroes as people who hurt their families just to help complete strangers, he questioned whether or not he and Nana made the right choice in abandoning Nana's child, showing a small sense of regret for his actions.[2]