My Hero Academia’s ending was met with a huge wave of prejudice and hateful criticism because of the revelation that Deku lost OFA and became a UA professor during the time skip. Since with the battle suit, Deku could finally be a professional hero, it felt like a lackluster ending to many readers who claimed that he only became a teacher because he was quirkless. Yet, with the release ofMy Hero Academiavolume 42, the new extended epilogue confirmed thatbecoming a teacher wasn’t just an afterthought for Deku.
One of the criticisms that Deku received inMy Hero Academia’s epilogue was that he gave up on his dream and instead settled as a teacher. Also, being a teacher was meaningless because if Deku was going to be a hero later on, he could have been gifted the battle suit earlier and not after 8 years, and he would have the same outcome. However, the new extrachapter #431 debunks this theory by revealing that Deku doesn’t want to become a full-time pro hero.
Deku Was Always Going To Become a Teacher
Deku Was Inspired By Shigaraki to Help Others
InMy Hero Academiachapter #431, Bakugo asks Izuku if he will keep teaching now to invite him to join his hero agency. Yet, Izuku revealed that despite being grateful for receiving the battle suit and being able to be a hero again with his friends, he plans to keep being a full-time teacher at UA.Izuku works as a hero in his free time, similar to Eraser Head, which helps the battle suit to compile information and improve it, but he is happy being a teacher and sharing his experiences with the new generation.
This way, Izuku shared that even if he had retained OFA, he would have ended up becoming a teacher eventually. This is tied to Izuku finding there’s more to being a hero than just fighting villains, and similar to how Uraraka strategized the quirk counseling program to avoid more people losing their way like Toga, thanks to Shigaraki’s influence,Izuku reaches the conclusion of being a teacher to guide those seeking help like Tenko in the past.
Deku Didn’t Give Up on His Dream Because He Never Wanted To Be the Number 1 Hero
Deku’s Journey Was Always about How Heroes Are Those Who Help Others
Deku went from feeling inferior to others for being quirkless to rising past his hero, All Might, and later following in his steps and becoming a teacher. Deku, just like All Might after passing OFA to him, continues to be a hero even while quirkless and inspiring the next generation.This sparked criticism, as many readers expected Deku to follow the typical shōnen pathof achieving the highest position, like Naruto becoming the Hokage or Yugi gaining the title of King of Games. However, this proves thatDeku’s story wasn’t about being the best hero.
MHAis about how everyone can be the greatest hero for someone elseand that there are many ways to be one, like being a teacher and encouraging others to develop their skills and potential, which is a great match for Deku, who always demonstrates a great ability to analyze and give insightful remarks to others about their quirks.
The fact that chapter #431 proved that Deku was even invited to give conferences in many places shows that he grew to become an inspiring figure to others thanks to his efforts in the Final War and how he continues to influence others. This confirms thatthe hate comments about Deku becoming a teacher being meaningless were unfoundedand, on the contrary, were an inevitable conclusion for him and the perfect way to change the hero’s society for the better and save others.
My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia is a multimedia franchise that follows a young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming a hero despite being born without superpowers. These superpowers, known as “Quirks” are found in most people after birth, but Izuku wasn’t so lucky - until a fateful encounter with All Might, Japan’s greatest hero, Izuku inherits his Quirk and enrolls in U.A. High School to learn the true meaning of heroism. Alongside his classmates, each endowed with unique abilities, Izuku faces rigorous training and lethal threats from villainous forces.
