Izuku Midoriya Wiki
It is said that writing a protagonist is the hardest job for an author, as this character has to shoulder not only all the story development but also the criticism if the overall quality drops. My Hero Academia is probably the most known classic superhero-themed anime out there, and thus it couldn’t avoid the controversy.
Many people think of Izuku Midoriya, or shortly Deku, that he is a very plain shonen protagonist while being a crybaby and is not worthy of leading the story. While it’s true that there are a crazy amount of interesting characters from this show, Deku also showed his devotion to becoming the greatest hero.
Table of Contents
Table of Content
Background
In a world where almost everyone has superhuman abilities, being born quirkless, the foundation for a tragic future. From the very beginning of his life, Izuku wanted to become a hero, just like his idol, All Might. When Izuku turned out to be quirkless, even his mother gave up on their dreams.
Izuku never stopped believing in himself, despite the judging reactions reflected by his peers. He formed a weird friendship with Katsuki Bakugo, a young boy who possessed a great power with his quirk, Explosion. This relationship wasn’t balanced, and Katsuki always looked at Izuku as a subordinate.
Izuku only faced laughter when he stated that he applied to U.A. [1], the most prominent school that offers a hero course. Being quirkless, getting accepted there seemed like an impossible dream. That was of course the thought of everyone until Izuku met All Might in person.
All Might believed that Deku is capable of becoming the greatest hero, as he wasn’t afraid to risk his life to save Katsuki when being kidnapped by a villain[2]. All Might reveals his secret, that his quirk, One For All is inheritable, and that he isn’t able to keep his muscular form up for a long time anymore. He gave his strength to Deku after a long time of training, thus Deku was able to compete in the U.A. ‘s entrance exam.
Deku faced a big problem during the entrance exam: he didn’t know how to use One For All. Because of this, he couldn’t rack up points by defeating robots at the practical part of the exam. When a giant robot showed up that didn’t count any points and threatened the well-being of another student, Deku decided to intervene[3]. He unleashed a massive force and destroyed the robot, but broke his arm. For prioritizing others over his future education, he was accepted into the school.
Izuku Midoriya
Gang information
Character Info
Profile
Appearances in ANIME
Plot
After joining U.A., Deku was in a difficult spot. He had to prove his worth to his homeroom teacher, Shota Aizawa. Also known as Eraserhead, this teacher ruthlessly expelled students who didn’t fit his criteria, and Deku almost received this fate as well. Aizawa gave him a second chance[4], which was a good decision in retrospect.
Deku took part in the first battle practice, the USJ training[5], and the Tournament, which all left him in pieces. He was told many times to take a step back because fracturing his limbs would only mean that he won’t be able to fight anymore. He tried to be cautious for a while.
He became the primary target of the League of Villains after the USJ Arc, as their leader, All For One knew about his relationship with All Might. He didn’t get kidnapped during the summer camp, but his friend Katsuki did[6]. They went on a secret mission with his classmates to save him. The fight between All Might and All For One after Katsuki’s rescue marked an end for not only the hero society but for Deku as well.
He was broken by the fact that now he has to bear the weight of solely having the One For All. Despite this, he went on to save the little girl kept as a hostage for the yakuza gang, Shie Hassaikai. Their leader, Chisaki used Eri’s power to make drugs that would deactivate a quirk upon consumption. Deku surpassed his limits to defeat Chisaki[7] and saved Eri with her help.
Deku joined the Endeavor Agency to improve himself. They eventually were summoned to fight against Shigaraki, the new leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front. This squad was the combination of many famous villains, some of who came from the League of Villains. Deku wasn’t able to defeat them all, even with the help of his friends and pro heroes.
The media learned about One For All as Shigaraki shouted about stealing it from Deku along with the fight, and Deku chose to abandon U.A. in order to keep his friends out of danger. He wrote long letters to all of them explaining his power and went on to hunt villains by himself[8].
Appearance
Deku is slightly shorter than his class average. As his name suggests, his hair and his eyes are both green. He always had a smile on his face when saving others, remembering what All Might taught him. His shy personality can be noticed by his stance, as Deku is usually nervous, and has a hard time figuring out body language.
The mangaka, Horikoshi deliberately wanted to draw Deku to be dull looking. Although being small and weak at the beginning, Deku grew to be a strong and muscular teenager. Deku suffered critical damage during some of his fights and got permanent scars on his right arm.
Deku usually wears baggy or sporty clothing when outside of school. His appearance at U.A. is the basic uniform, but Deku likes to tuck his necktie into his shirt. He wears red boots with black laces, which makes a good combination with his red necktie.
His hero costume went through many changes over time. The first one, Costume Alpha mostly resembles All Might through the ears being similar to All Might’s hair, as well as his teeth when smiling.
After this costume was destroyed at the USJ center, the Costume Beta improved his combat ability, as it was designed by professionals. Deku received better gloves, more functional size adjustments, and many more.
Costume Gamma was designed by Mei Hatsume, a talented engineer from the Support Class. She added iron soles to Deku’s boots, to strengthen his new fighting technique, the Shoot Style. The costume also received improvements in the form of arm braces and knee pads.
After he left the U.A., Deku implemented new arm equipment called the Mid-Gauntlet, which would allow him to use punches more effectively. He also added Gran Torino’s scarf to his appearance.
Personality
Deku is a very honest boy. He serves justice and believes that everyone is worth saving. He isn’t afraid to risk his life for others, and during his life or death fight, he seriously damaged himself. His doctor, Recovery Girl, constantly told him to be more careful[9], or Deku might even be able to recover after a time.
Deku is shy. He had a hard time presenting himself in front of audiences, and also in front of new people. He was flattered by the fact that he barely got to talk to girls during the first few seasons, despite being an actual chick magnet. He easily made friends by helping those in need and made everyone respect him for these noble actions.
Deku is a major All Might fan. He doesn’t just respect the number one hero, but extensively researches his life, collects merchandise[10], and knows an infinite number of facts about him. This knowledge came in handy during his meeting with Sir Nighteye, who basically challenged Deku to an All Might quiz[11], deciding whether or not to take Deku in his team.
Deku is a great student, not only in the U.A. but also in life. He studied pro heroes and gathered insane information about their strengths and weaknesses. He often mumbles when thinking about stuff or trying to communicate, making others around him get frightened.
Deku is very emotional, which makes him forgive even his most dire enemies. He believes that everyone has a good side, and goes on to lecture the villains. He sometimes gets overcome by his rage but refuses to kill anyone, no matter how big of a threat they are.
Strengths and Skills
One For All
Deku was originally quirkless, but his fact didn’t stop him from wanting to become the greatest hero. His selflessness was picked up by the number one, All Might. Although All Might originally wanted to give his immense strength, the One For All, to someone else, he chose Deku[12], as he believed it was better in his hands.
Receiving One For All, Deku had to train for an extended time to get in shape for the buff. He didn’t know how to control the quirk, but All Might always stood by his side to effectively guide him. Deku was later sent to Gran Torino, All Might’s former teacher, who helped Deku bring out even greater potential.
One For All originally was only a powerup quirk. It would allow Deku to strengthen his body, initially only with his punches. He would unleash an immense force that cut through the air, blowing enemies away on impact. He used this technique of punching and using up fingers during the first two seasons. Upon activating One For All, Deku’s body parts would break[13], meaning he only had one shot with every body part he used.
After getting coached by Gran Torino[14], Deku was able to use other methods as well. Deku continuously grew, always finding new methods to fight. But as time passed, he discovered something new about his quirk.
It turned out that One For All wasn’t just the quirk that All Might used, but it also contained the abilities the previous owners cultivated. As Deku is the ninth user of this power, it means that he eventually will be able to control every other power that lies inside One For All.
These would include Fa Jin of the third-, Danger Sense of the fourth-, Blackwhip of the fifth-[15], Smokescreen of the sixth- and Float of the seventh user. Blackwhip was the second quirk manifesting in Deku and is the second most used by him as of now.
Moves
Deku uses many abilities that are similar to All Might’s style. He had no idea how to use One For All, and just wanted to copy the working formula. It wasn’t a working formula though, as Deku broke his body parts that were empowered.
After his training with Gran Torino, they developed the technique of Full Cowling[16], meaning that Deku would let the power of One For All flow through his body, increasing his overall force and speed. He initially could only use 5 percent of the power, but later developed it to 8, 20, 30, and 45%.
He used super moves like All Might’s Detroit Smash, and Delaware Smash. He also used the Texas– and Wyoming Smashes during the fight against Shigaraki. Deku developed his method, the Shoot Style[17], which involved using his legs as primary weapons.
He later also used the Manchester Smash and the Froppy Style Blackwhip[18]. Deku was able to draw out 100% of his power during the fight against Overhaul without breaking his bones due to Eri’s help.
Facts
- Deku’s original design suggests that he was planned to be an adult, under the name Mikumo Akatani. He would have had curly black hair with bangs and would rely simply on gadgets.
- Deku’s favorite food is katsudon[23].
- His surname, Midoriya is made up of midori (緑), which means ”green”, and ya (谷), which stands for ”valley”.
- Deku was the nickname Katsuki gave Izuku and it’s a different reading of Izuku’s first name. With different kanji, it also means ”puppet”. Ochaco was the one who gave the word Deku the meaning of „I can do it”, as it sounds like the phrase dekiru. Deku ranked fourth during the Class 1-A midterms.
- He shares his birthday with Mirio Togata.
Relationships
All Might
All Might had the biggest influence on Deku’s life right from the start. He was his idol, a great hero who always prioritized saving others. Deku collected All Might’s merchandise but never would have thought that they would once meet in person.
When the Mud Villain attacked the city[19], Deku was saved by All Might. Deku followed the hero by hugging his leg as he wanted to leave, and All Might had to safely put him down on the top of a building. He had the misfortune of losing his strength right in front of him and had to share his secrets with Deku.
Deku proved his worth when he tried to save Katsuki from the villain, and All Might decided to choose him as his successor. He gave One For All to Deku and trained him for months. They stayed as close friends at U.A. as well, but they had to keep their relationship a secret.
After All Might lost the last bits of his power against All For One, Deku had a hard time accepting the end of the number one hero. They had many secret meetings, discussed new fighting methods, and All Might continued to stay by his side to the end. All Might always be someone to look up to for Deku, and he might have gone overboard with being obsessed with the former Symbol of Peace.
Katsuki Bakugo
Deku’s first friend and rival, Katsuki always viewed him as someone inferior to the child prodigy of the Bakugo family. Deku followed him through everything, and even tried to help him when minor accidents happened. Katsuki took these actions as a demonstration of power, and looked at Deku with distrust, although it was only an act of good nature.
Deku called him Kacchan throughout their friendship, which angered Katsuki even more. He tried to make a competition out of everything, as he knew that Deku had no chance of winning against him. He even burned Deku’s notebook that had all the pro hero details written in it.
After Deku tried to save him from the villain during middle school, he didn’t even want to talk to him anymore. In their high school years, Katsuki once again wanted to beat Deku over and over again, as he felt like Deku finally started to become a threat to him and his pride.
Katsuki mindlessly wanted to fight Deku during the Tournament Arc, and he was furious that the battle didn’t happen between them. After this event, they slowly started to work together, although Katsuki never really viewed him as an equal party. On the other hand, Deku posed a threat to his superiority on a psychological level.
Katsuki later found out about Deku’s secret with All Might[20], but he proved dependable to keep his mouth shut. They later trained together and fought with Shigaraki during the Paranormal Liberation Army Arc as real mates.
Ochako Uraraka
Except for Katsuki, Ochaco was the first person Deku met when entering the U.A. entrance exam[21]. Ochaco actually helped Deku as he tripped, lifting him with her quirk. She was also the person Deku saved from the giant robot.
They developed a close friendship during their school time. They teamed up for the first practice battle, shared advice and information, joined forces during the second part of the Tournament Arc, and helped each other in the Shie Hassaikai Raid.
Their relationship is complicated, as Ochaco started to develop romantic feelings for Deku as time passed. He didn’t think of Ochako as anything more than a friend, but she had a hard time expressing herself as well. She would get jealous when other girls started talking to Deku but didn’t do anything to claim him as a boyfriend.
Despite their unbalanced relationship, they sought the presence of the other many times. They proved to have good chemistry, and Ochaco’s love interest was mentioned by their classmates as well. Ochaco was also the one who helped Deku change the meaning of his nickname and think of himself as a hero.
Inko Midoriya
Deku’s mother, Inko supported her son in his quest to become the number one hero. After finding out Deku was quirkless, his mother broke down and apologized to him time after time.
After Deku got into U.A., Inko realized how bad of a mother she was, that she didn’t believe in his son’s dreams. From that point, she fully supported every one of his actions. One thing didn’t change though: she couldn’t stop worrying about him.
After suffering major damage in his fights, Inko decided to confront Deku and the school administration, refusing to allow him to move into the newly built dorms. All Might stood up to assure Inko that Deku is worthy of being part of U.A., and U.A. is lucky to have him. He told her that he would do everything to keep Deku safe[22].
Inko always cared about Deku the most and worried about him for ages. Their relationship was always balanced, and they were happy to have each other.
Voice Actors
Deku’s main Japanese voice actor is Daiki Yamashita. He also took roles in Log Horizon, Charlotte and Sword Art Online, and JoJo’s. Deku’s child lines were taken by Akeno Watanabe, a female voice actor.
In the English dub, Deku was voiced by Justin Briner. Deku’s two main voice actors, Daiki and Justin met at an Anime Convention in America.
Final Verdict
Being a protagonist is always hard, but Deku stood up to prove his worth. Right now he is nothing like the crybaby at the start of the franchise. He is a true warrior of justice, refusing to collaborate with others, to keep them safe from the League of Villains. He fights to save people, and nothing else. The lone wolf will always have a rocky path ahead of him, but it is surely the way of a true hero. If you liked this summary, make sure to check out our other articles!
References
[1] Chapter 1
[2] Chapter 1
[3] Chapter 3
[4] Chapter 6
[5] Chapter 13
[6] Chapter 82
[7] Chapter 158
[8] Chapter 306
[9] Chapter 41
[10] Chapter 98
[11] Chapter 127
[12] Chapter 2
[13] Chapter 3
[14] Chapter 46
[15] Chapter 210
[16] Chapter 48
[17] Chapter 101
[18] Chapter 293
[19] Chapter 1
[20] Chapter 120
[21] Chapter 3
[22] Chapter 97
[23] Volume 1 Profile
