Did Deku give up on being a hero in My Hero Academia? Explored

Modified Aug 07, 2024 01:00 GMT

Did Deku give up on being a hero in My Hero Academia? Explored (Image via Shueisha)

My Hero Academia final chapter released on August 5, 2024. Where the chapter made a part of the fandom sentimental over the series finale, most cannot get over how the author ended their favorite series in a questionable way. The series ended with Deku as a teacher instead of the number 1 hero.

Although the post-finale panels showed that Deku ended the series as a hero who used a suit for fighting, it also confirmed that he could have given up on his dream to become a hero unless persuaded by someone else, just like how All Might persuaded him to wear the suit and continue his journey as a hero.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga series and has the author's opinion.

My Hero Academia: Exploring whether or not Deku gave up on becoming a hero in the final chapter

Izuku Midoriya as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

My Hero Academia chapter 430 commenced with the shocking reveal of Izuku Midoriya as a teacher in the U.A. High School who was addressing Shouta about their next class location. The reveal was followed by a time skip of eight years, which gave fans hope that Deku would return as a hero after this timeskip.

Unfortunately, fans' expectations weren't met because even after an eight-year time skip, Izuku Midoriya continued his journey as a teacher at the U.A. High School. Meanwhile, his fellow classmates continued their journey as heroes in different departments.

Uraraka as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Uraraka, Iida, Tsuyu and Momo continued spreading awareness in different schools as heroes regarding the awakening of quirks. Shouji continued fighting for the rights of the heteromorphs. Hatsume continued her journey as a supporting hero and opened her own company.

More importantly, Izuku's rivals, Bakugo and Todoroki, became the top-rated heroes of the hero society and competed against each other for the #1 spot.

Even Aoyama returned to the Hero Society which gave him so much suffering. That raised the question of whether Izuku gave up on being a hero.

All Might making Deku believe that he can be a hero (Image via Shueisha)

Deku needed a hand from someone to give him the hope that he could survive in the Hero Society without a quirk, just like how All Might did by giving him the confidence and Iron suit to continue pursuing his dream in the modern Hero Society.

So, he could have given up on becoming a hero when he became a teacher, but the series didn't reveal a proper reason behind it. Maybe he was too scared to compete with Pro Heroes, with only a few embers of One for All inside him.

Maybe he didn't want to discourage the quirkless people, as he was gifted One for All by the Symbol of Peace. So, there's no telling why he gave up on becoming a hero but could have given up considering the situation he was put in.

Deku was a flawed character from the very start

Deku as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

Izuku Midoriya was introduced as a quirkless child who had the inspiration to become a hero.

After he was announced quirkless, he became depressed but didn't stop researching other heroes. However, instead of doing that, he should have done physical training to start with.

That would have at least helped him become a local hero, if he hadn't received One for All from All Might. He could have just used being quirkless as an excuse not to try to become physically stronger and instead become someone obsessed with the top-rated heroes of the Hero Society.

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Edited by Bhargav