Ando Masahashi

James Kyson, who portrays Ando, had to audition several times for the role, and recounted the entire process of his being selected in an interview with BuddyTV:

The whole audition process was a little over a year ago, February last year, and it was a long process and I had to audition five times. You know, the first audition and the initial callback with the producers and then they do what’s called a work session in which they basically prepare you for going before the executives. Mine felt just like another audition. And then we had to go before Universal Studios to do a screen test, and finally it was at the network, at NBC.

Kyson explained that he, a Korean American, had to learn the Japanese language from scratch with the aid of a coach[4] because the role was written as Japanese.[5] As Japanese was grammatically similar to Korean, which he was already fluent in, he did not find the process difficult.[6][7]

In a discussion about his characters presence in Season 1, Kyson commented on how he felt the relationship between Hiro and Ando had become that of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo respectively, and talked about Ando's progression as a character:

Maybe the writers did, but Ando is one of the characters that’s really gone through some of the biggest character growths during this season and he started out as sort of a realist, and sort of a reluctant participant in this journey, and he’s grown to a point where he’s really accepted his role in this quest and sort of become a hero.

He also mentioned his belief that Ando embodied the “everyman,” and that Hiro's assertion that “You don’t have to have superpowers to be a hero” was true of the character.[4]

In an interview with TV Guide, Kyson spoke about the character in Season 2, and his promotion from a recurring character to series regular. He also spoke about the possibility of Ando obtaining a power, saying that, “I fully embrace him as an ordinary mortal,” but mentioned that, “I do want to get in the mix a little bit. To get in there and do some action.”[5]

Regarding Season 3, Kyson expressed the belief that Ando's role would be important, and that his background story would be explored:

I think you’re going to see a side of him that you’ve never seen before […] I think he’s a big part of the season just like everybody else […] they spent a lot of time in the first two seasons sort of exploring Hiro’s background and whatnot, but there’s still a lot about Ando that we don’t know about, so I think this season is going to be a big part of it.[8]

Ando first appeared to the audience as a friend of Heroes protagonist Hiro Nakamura, watching an internet video of online stripper Niki Sanders. Ando did not believe that Hiro could manipulate space and time, even after Hiro teleported into the women's bathroom of a bar. After the incident, he told Hiro to stop trying to be different and accept his lot in life. When Hiro returned from the future in "One Giant Leap," he convinced Ando of his powers and Ando then traveled with Hiro to America to prevent the explosion from occurring. Following an issue of a “9th Wonders!” comic book they went to Las Vegas and visited a casino, where Hiro used his powers to cheat at gambling. After being thrown out, they were attacked by some men that lost money to them. They argued in the next episode and Ando left Hiro to find Niki Sanders at her home, where he was apprehended by a group of police. He then reunited with Hiro in their journey to find Isaac Mendez.

Every hero is on a journey to find his place in the world. But it's a journey. You don't start at the end, otherwise they can't make a movie about it later

— Ando to Hiro in "Better Halves"

After contacting Peter Petrelli, Ando and Hiro learnt about the latters future self. They were again confronted by the men they defeated in the poker game, and forced to play another round. Ando panicked during the game and rushed with Hiro to the bathroom. While in there, their opponents were killed and they fled. Ando later consoled Hiro, telling him he could perhaps change their deaths by time travel after their mission. While on the road, they happened upon a burning car, and helped D.L. Hawkins save the life of the passengers. Ando called the police, which forced D.L. to flee with his son Micah. Further along in their journey they stopped at a Diner in Odessa, Texas, where they met a waitress named Charlie Andrews, who had the ability to instantly memorize things. When Charlie was killed in the storage room of the diner by an unknown man Hiro, despite Ando's pleading, traveled back in time to prevent her death. He failed to return within five seconds as he promised, leaving Ando alone. Later in the diner, Ando noticed a picture of Charlie and Hiro together, taken six months ago, and realized Hiro had traveled back there. Peter Petrelli called, and later met Ando at the diner. Ando protested against Peter going to find “the cheerleader” without the presence of someone with abilities, but Peter left.

Eventually, Hiro returned, having failed to save Charlie, and they continued onwards to Union Wells High School . When it became clear they had arrived too late, Hiro felt the world was doomed. As they left, they received a phone call from Isaac Mendez, whom they met back at the diner, with Isaac telling them of his prophetic paintings. Later, he painted another of Hiro. In “Godsend,” Ando and Hiro finally arrived at New York, and visited the Museum of Natural History looking for a sword like the one in Isaac's painting, and they find the Blade of Takezo Kensei, a legendary samurai. They stole it, but it transpired that the sword was a replica, with the original belonging to a Mr. Linderman. They went to Isaac's loft seeking his help, and met Simone Deveaux, who told them that Linderman resided in Las Vegas. When Ando and Hiro were kidnapped and brought to Hiro's father in “The Fix”, Ando became attracted to Hiro's sister, Kimiko in the next episode. In “Run!”, Ando became infatuated with a woman named Hope, who convinced Ando to obtain a bag of hers from her ‘ex-boyfriend’. When he returned with it, Hope convinces Ando to give her a ride. Hiro, who had been locked up by Hope, pursued them with her ‘ex-boyfriend’, a gaming commission officer. This led to a shoot-out between Hope and the officer, and afterwards, Hiro told Ando to go home. Ando nonetheless followed Hiro, and saved him from arrest when Hiro was discovered stealing Takezo Kensei's sword from Linderman's casino. Hiro teleported them away. In “.07%,” it is revealed to the audience that Hiro has teleported them both five years into the future, were they encounter Hiro's future self. With “Five Years Gone,” New York has been devastated by the atomic explosion predicted by Isaac. When Hiro is captured by Homeland Security, Ando and Future Hiro escaped, and plotted to free him so he and Ando could return to their time and stop the bomb. Ando learned from Future Peter that he was killed in the explosion. They eventually manage to free Hiro, but Future Hiro was killed by Matt Parkman. As he died, he handed to Ando a page of a “9th Wonders!” comic book.

Ando and Hiro returned to the present, and traveled to Isaac's loft to consult him. They found him dead, killed by Sylar, and hid as the killer detected them. They escaped him and then followed him to his mother's. Hiro did not want to kill Sylar, but Ando showed Hiro the “9th Wonders!” comic page which shows him dead. Hiro unsuccessfully attempts to kill Sylar. He and Ando teleport to safety, where they discovered that the sword has been broken. They try to have the sword repaired, and Ando and Hiro encountered Hiro's father once more. Kaito and Hiro spoke alone, and Ando, impatient, decided to seek out and kill Sylar himself. In the season finale, Ando went to Isaac's loft and found Sylar. The superhuman villain overpowered him and prepared to kill him. Ando dropped the “9th Wonders!” comic book in the process, revealing to Sylar that Hiro would kill him. When he started to kill Ando, Hiro arrived and teleported himself and Ando to the offices of Yamagato industries back in Tokyo, where their journey started. Hiro gives Ando Kensei's sword, promised to return, before he finally teleported to Kirby Plaza to kill Sylar with Ando's sword.

In the graphic novel "Heroism is Found in the Heart," after Hiro was teleported back to Japan, Ando was reassigned by Kaito Nakamura to Hiro's former position. Ando became infatuated with Kimiko Nakamura and sought her affections. One night, he walked her home and they were confronted by a group of bikers. Ando learned that the leader, Fukazawa, was also pursuing Kimiko. Ando and Kimiko ran, but were eventually cornered. Ando promised to protect Kimiko and confronted the gang. When they ran away, Ando kissed Kimiko. Neither were aware that Kaito had scared the pursuers away.

In "Four Months Later...," Ando has returned to New York City following Hiro's disappearance, waiting for his friend's return with Kaito Nakamura. Kaito receives a death threat and Ando leaves to get a sword for protection. He returns to see Kaito killed by Adam Monroe, though Ando does not see the killer's face.

Following Kaito's death, Ando is questioned by Matt Parkman about the incident, but, besides telling him the meaning of the helix symbol, Ando is unable to answer his questions. In the episode "Kindred," Ando discovers that Hiro has left messages for him, stored within the hilt of Takezo Kensei's sword. The messages, written while he was in the year 1671, detail Hiro's adventures with Takezo Kensei.

Hiro returns in "Out of Time," to Ando's delight. While both are happy about the reunion, Ando sorrowfully tells Hiro about his father's death. At Kaito's funeral, Ando is dismayed at Hiro's decision to go back and time to save his father, but is unable to dissuade him. However, Hiro realizes that Ando is right and does not change history, instead using the opportunity to discover that Adam Monroe, who he knows as Takezo Kensei, was responsible. Hiro makes it his mission to stop Adam and confronts him at the Primatech Paper Facility. He returns to Ando with the assurance that Adam can never hurt anyone again.

In "The Second Coming," Hiro, resigned to working in his father's office at Yamagato Industries, told Ando that he was bored without a quest. Suddenly Kaito's lawyer turned up with a recorded message from Kaito to Hiro. It instructed him to guard the contents of a safe, and never open it. Hiro curiously opened the safe and found one half of a molecular formula, which was stolen by an unidentified person with the ability of super speed. When Hiro travelled to the future to learn more about the formula, he saw himself be killed by Ando, who had a power. Ando then took the formula before Tokyo was devastated by an unexplained disaster. After that in "The Butterfly Effect," they travelled to Paris in search of the thief, identified as Daphne Millbrook, and Hiro explained to Ando that in the future he saw Ando kill him. Ando was shocked and told Hiro he could never do that when Daphne arrived. Events led to Hiro freezing time while Daphne held a knife at Ando's throat. Hiro saved Ando by allowing her to leave with the formula. They continued to follow Daphne in the next episode, and she tried to drive Hiro and Ando apart by undermining Ando. Hiro and Ando noticed the Haitian, and discovered he was in possession of the other half of the formula. Ando knocked the Haitian out.

Daphne managed to steal the other half from them, and before they can give chase, the Haitian awoke and apprehended them both, taking them to the Level 2 prisons of the Primatech Facility. The next episode showed Hiro and Ando arguing, with Ando claiming that Hiro did not value him as a partner. While trying to escape, Hiro realized he did need Ando. They almost escape, but are caught by the Haitian. He takes them to Angela Petrelli, who claims that Hiro has the "key" to solving the whole issue of the formula. Ando then helped Hiro dig up the key: Adam Monroe. In "Angels and Monsters," Adam begrudgingly took Ando and Hiro to a bar that was a gathering place for "specials for hire," and caused a fight. This led to Hiro being knocked out, and Adam escaping. Ando proclaimed them "the worst heroes ever," before Daphne and Knox entered the bar, wanting to recruit Hiro to the Pinehearst Company. Knox said that to prove himself, Hiro had to kill Ando, handing him a sabre sword.

Hiro appeared to do so, but in the next episode it was revealed that Hiro froze time. After that, he acquired a collapsible sword and fake blood, then traveled slightly back in time to tell Ando that, when the time came, he had to pretend to be dead. He returned to the correct moment, and stabbed Ando. When Daphne and Knox left, Ando stood up again. They travelled to Africa on their first assignment in search of Usutu, a man who could paint the future. Ando expressed doubt over their situation, saying they were working for the bad guys. Hiro reassured him it was simply to infiltrate Pinehearst. They were unable to capture Usutu through Hiro's time traveling abilities, so they tried to do it by hiding and waiting for him. He congratulates them for using their heads as opposed to Hiro's power, and in "Eris Quod Sum", offers Hiro and Ando the chance to take a spirit walk for guidance. Ando refused, and watched over Hiro as he slept in "Villains." In "It's Coming," he tried to save Hiro from Arthur Petrelli, but was tossed aside by Arthur's telekinesis. When Arthur became distracted, he and Hiro escaped.

Hiro though, had regressed back into his 10-year-old self, and Ando tried to help him reclaim his memories in a bowling alley. Hiro then teleported them to a comic book store, where Ando spotted a new issue of "9th Wonders!" and saw an opportunity to help Hiro become normal again. In the first part of "The Eclipse," Ando was taken by Hiro to Mohinder Suresh's apartment to meet Matt Parkman, and the three followed the speedster after she fled to her childhood home. Hiro and Matt were shocked to discover their powers gone. While Matt attempted to talk to Daphne, Ando and Hiro left, with Hiro claiming to know a way to regain his power. Hiro takes him to a comic book store, and with the help of two comic book geeks Sam and Frack, the four search through copies of 9th Wonders! to learn of Hiro's fate and any possible way to repair his memory. After Frack discovers a scene depicting Hiro and Claire Bennet hiding as Kaito Nakamura gives baby Claire to her father Noah Bennet, Hiro teleports away without Ando.

Parkman and Daphne find Ando in the comic book store, and they try to figure out how to follow Hiro's adventure. Sam tells them that there is only one last copy of 9th Wonders!, given by Isaac Mendez to a bike courier before his death. Daphne takes Ando and Parkman to New York in "Our Father" to track the comic book down. They find the last copy, and discover that Hiro is stuck 16 years in the past as Arthur Petrelli has taken Hiro's powers. The three come to the conclusion that the only way to save Hiro is to find another time-traveler. Ando volunteers himself to take an experimental formula to give him the ability to manipulate space and time so he can save Hiro. In "Dual," Daphne steals a dose of the formula from Mohinder, and gives it to Ando. Ando manifests the ability to "super charge" the abilities of others, which he uses on Daphne to allow her to run faster than the speed of light, enabling time travel per Einstein's Theory of Relativity. They rescue Hiro from the past, saving Hiro from death at the hands of his father but likewise preventing Hiro from destroying the formula. Nevertheless, Hiro is able to steal the formula in the present with Daphne's help and the group celebrates as he destroys it.

Ando uses his ability on an agent in "Cold Snap".

In "A Clear and Present Danger" Hiro and Ando are back in Japan. Hiro has bought an abandoned fire station as their headquarters. Ando leaves Hiro frustrated after he's injected with a GPS device and feels that Hiro is trying to live through him since he has lost his powers. Later, Ando hears Hiro being kidnapped by Nathan's agents through the phone.

In "Trust and Blood," using the GPS device Hiro injected himself with, Ando figures out that Hiro is in Arkansas. Daphne arrives in Japan to find Hiro and Ando to talk about Matt's disappearance. Daphne and Ando go to Arkansas and see the plane's crash site. After Daphne appears to have been killed and Claire uses herself as a shield, Ando, Mohinder, Matt, and Hiro escape and meet up with Peter. Then he and Hiro realize that they must travel to India as seen in one of Matt's paintings.

In "Building 26," once in India, Hiro and Ando realize that they must save a local girl, Annapoora, from being married against her will. At first Ando uses his red glow as the sign she was looking for, but he "steals" Hiro's chance to recover his powers and also he ends up being kidnapped by the groom to force Annapoora into marriage. Finally, Hiro realizes that he does not need powers to be a hero, as he saved the girl without them, getting Ando back too. Later, Annapoora gives them a message "Rebel" sent them: to find Matt Parkman in LA.

As seen in "Shades of Gray" and continued in "Cold Snap," Hiro and Ando arrive Los Angeles where they find that the Matt Parkman "Rebel" was referring to was only a baby, also named Matt Parkman. Later they discover that this is actually the son of the Matt Parkman they know, and also discover the baby possesses the ability to touch things and make them "go." While Hiro and Ando are convincing Janice that Matt Sr. is not a terrorist and that his baby is in danger, agents take Janice away and break into the house. Ando shows that his acquired ability can also be used as an offensive weapon when he channels the energy outward to hit one of the pursuing agents, before Hiro manages to stop time with his partially restored ability (Matt Jr. used his powers to restore part of Hiro's). Hiro carries baby Matt and a paralyzed Ando to safety as he is unable to teleport, having only regained the ability to stop time.

In "Turn and Face the Strange," Hiro and Ando have the mission to take baby Matt to Matt Sr., but Matt Jr. keeps inactivating any vehicle they are on due to the noise they make, until Ando comes with a funny face to entertain the baby, so Hiro convinces him to keep it so the "cube" can go. They finally manage to track down Matt Sr. who has gone to confront Danko. Hiro ends up saving Matt, and then he meets his son for the first time, giving Matt a reason to live again.

In "I Am Sylar," after failing to convince Matt to join them, Hiro and Ando go to Reed Street Laboratories to set up a trap for HLS agents, using Ando as bait. Although he refuses, as Hiro manages to not freeze him, Hiro still keeps his plan going on, unfreezing the agents so they can take down Ando, and then freezing everybody again so he can take an agent's place as they carry Ando to the "Building 26." Once in motion, Ando is awoken by Hiro so he can be ready for action, but when an agent realizes Hiro is not one of them, Ando shoots a big blast of red lightning, affecting everyone and saving Hiro. As plan B, they use the GPS signal of the agents to track the place, and once they are ready to fight, Hiro tries to freeze time, but instead he receives a strong headache and nosebleed as they realize he cannot use his ability anymore. Ando is then seen aiding Hiro.

In "An Invisible Thread," because of Hiro's condition, Ando plans to enter "Building 26" by himself, but Hiro recovers and insists on continuing with the plan despite the danger. Hiro stops time and both break in to free the trapped prisoners, including Mohinder, Noah and Danko, and replace the drugged evolved humans with all of the "Building 26" staff. Once time is going, Hiro and Ando show the freed prisoners the way out. Ando asks Mohinder to check out Hiro, finding out his body is rejecting his powers and he should stop using them. As Hiro faints after saving Noah from Danko, is apparently taken to a hospital by Ando and Mohinder. Later, Ando, along with Hiro, witness the burning of Sylar's (really James Martin) body and then both decide to return home.

In "Orientation," Ando and Hiro have opened a hired hero business called Dial-A-Hero settled in a conference room at the Yamagato Building, which enrages Kimiko. On Ando insistence to visit a doctor, Hiro reveals that his headaches are caused by a terminal illness, and he is dying. Attending their first mission, saving a girl's cat, both Ando and Hiro realize their abilities are not fitted to the situation, but still Ando is forced by Hiro to help the cat. Once he catches the cat, Ando loses balance and falls. Hiro stops time saving him, but Ando notices Hiro remains frozen while time is resumed. Ando then takes Hiro to Yamagato where he unfreezes. While talking, they remember the carnival they attended 14 years before, where a fortune teller directed Hiro on his path to being a hero. Ando remembers as he accidentally spilled a drink over Kimiko, causing her to hate him despite he was in love with her. While remembering this, Hiro's time travel manifests teleporting him to the carnival 14 years in the past.

In "Jump, Push, Fall," while Hiro is at the carnival in the past, a young Ando is seen together with a young Kimiko in the carnival. The young Hiro rushes into them making Ando spill a Slushy in Kimiko's direction, but Samuel Sullivan pushes adult Hiro in the way to show him past can be changed, so he gets wet instead of Kimiko. This event avoids Ando to be hated by Kimiko, and when adult Hiro teleports back to the present, he finds out the two of them felt in love at the carnival and have dated since.

In "Acceptance," Kimiko reveals to Hiro that she and Ando have gotten engaged. Ando is concerned about Kimiko wanting Hiro to give her away in the wedding a year from now, knowing that he may not be alive by that time, so he talks Hiro into confessing the truth to Kimiko. Hiro's ever-lasting mission to save a man makes him hear this speech from Ando over and over again, and finally understands the picture. Ultimately, Hiro tells Kimiko the truth about his illness, and then suffers a headache; Ando rushes in the office to help him, but Hiro teleports away in front of Ando and Kimiko, leaving her extremely shocked.

In "Once Upon a Time in Texas," as Hiro travels back in time 3 years to Midland, Texas to save Charlie, he meets past-Ando waiting for past-Hiro to teleport back (Seven Minutes to Midnight timeline). Hiro convinces past-Ando to stay at the diner to avoid making too many changes and preserve history.

In "Upon This Rock," a brain-addled Hiro is brought to Ando by the police after they find a business card on him. Ando reveals that Hiro has been missing for six weeks and figures that Hiro's referring to himself and everything else as fictional characters (with Ando being Sancho Panza) is a side-effect of his brain tumor. Ando does not understand what Hiro means by they have to save "Doctor Watson" at "Arkham" in the land of the "swamp dragons," but decides to check Hiro's comics to try to figure it out. Ando eventually realizes that Hiro is referring to Florida when Hiro mentions Curt Connors and realizes that the "swamp dragons" are alligators and that Arkham refers to an insane asylum though he still does not understand the Doctor Watson reference. Ando searches on the web and finds that there's an asylum on Arkham Road in Florida and realizes that Hiro means Ando is his sidekick when he refers to him as Sancho Panza. Ando admits this, but Hiro refers to him as the best sidekick he knows.

Ando gives an ECT to fix Hiro's mind.

In "Close to You," Ando checks Hiro into the asylum Hiro keeps referring to, but is reluctant as Hiro in his addled state cannot stop time or use his powers. Hiro points Ando to "Watson's" room as he's led away, and after Ando uses his power to bypass a lock, he finds out "Watson" is Mohinder Suresh and realizes that Hiro wants to save him. Ando, realizing that Mohinder cannot use his powers due to the drugs the orderlies are giving him, switches Mohinder's pills with aspirin to stop that, but accidentally swallows Mohinder's pills and enters into a drug-induced daze. Hiro hides him in a closet and later that night frees Mohinder, but the two are forced to wheel Ando out in a wheelchair as he's still in a daze. As the three are found by orderlies, Ando snaps out of it and uses his powers to blast open a door leading out, creating enough of a distraction that Mohinder is able to overpower the orderlies and allow the three to escape. Running through a swamp chased by orderlies and dogs, the three are forced to hide behind a tree and Mohinder suggests Ando use his power like electro-shock therapy to restore Hiro's mind so he can teleport them away. Ando is reluctant as his future self killed Hiro using that power, but Mohinder convinces him to try. Ando shocks Hiro and it does work, restoring Hiro's mind back to normal. With Hiro back to normal, he teleports himself, Mohinder and Ando to Noah Bennet's apartment, seconds before orderlies and dogs find their hiding place. When the three teleport in, they interrupt Noah and Lauren Gilmore kissing and Hiro asks the two for their help.

In "Pass/Fail," Ando and Hiro watch as Mohinder creates a compass for Noah to use and suggests Ando or Hiro as the ones that use it as only someone with powers can use it. After Mohinder leaves, Hiro collapses due to his brain tumor and Ando has him rushed to the hospital. There, Ando watches worried as the doctors prepare to perform brain surgery to try to remove the tumor and save Hiro's life. In Hiro's hallucination, Ando acts as his lawyer during his trial and his young self acts as a witness for the prosecution. In the real world, Ando watches the surgery and when Hiro crashes makes a rousing speech that gives Hiro strength in his hallucination. The doctors manage to revive Hiro and remove the tumor. Ando later visits Hiro as he recovers from the surgery.

In "Brave New World," Ando is happy to see Hiro awake and has him test his powers which Hiro now has full control of after his tumor was removed. Ando and Hiro are shocked when Hiro receives a note from Charlie and Ando watches as a now old Charlie and Hiro reunite. When Hiro plans to travel back in time to get Charlie after she arrived in the past, Ando thinks Hiro is being selfish to try to do that as Charlie is clearly happy and leaves the room. He receives a call from Noah Bennet who wants him and Hiro to come to the Carnival in Central Park and Ando goes to get Hiro. Hiro has changed his mind about going back in time after talking to Charlie and now feels he has lost his purpose and has finished all of his missions, but Ando reminds him of Samuel and informs him of Noah's call. Hiro teleports himself and Ando to the Carnival where Claire asks Hiro to teleport all of the carnies away. Hiro tells them all to hold hands, but is unsure if he can teleport them all as there are over a dozen, so Ando offers to use his powers to supercharge Hiro's to teleport everyone. Hiro agrees to try and thanks to Ando supercharging his power, Hiro successfully teleports everyone away which results in Samuel's defeat as the removal of all the special reduces Samuel's power significantly.

Hiro and Ando walk through the Carnival after everything is over and plan to go home. The two witness Claire climbing up the Ferris Wheel and jumping off to reveal her power to the world.