Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the ending of My Hero Academia!!
Among the many amazing shonen manga,My Hero Academiastands out for its unique approach to the tropes that characterize these stories. The biggest difference between other series of this demographic is the series' protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. While equally brave and powerful as other iconic shonen heroes,Deku has a unique personality and moral system.
Midoriya’s distinctive personality has been perfectly depicted in the epilogue of Kohei Horikoshi’s most popular work. During these moments, Deku has demonstrated why his particular approach to his series’ villains is so effective.
Izuku differentiates himself from otheramazing and powerful shonen heroesthanks to his outstanding emotional intelligence.
My Hero Academia Gives Its Lone Surviving Villain a New Purpose, & It’s Perfect
My Hero Academia chapter 427 checked in with one of the few surviving villains, who has found himself a new reason to live on after losing the others.
Deku Helps His Villains But Never Forgives Their Heinous Acts
Izuku has aided his enemies, but has still made sure they are punished
Chapter #427 of theMy Hero Academiamanga shows Deku visiting Spinner, one of the few survivors of the League of Villains. During this meeting, Izuku made sure to inform the lizard-like young man aboutShigaraki’s last message to him. Spinner, distraught at the loss of his best friend and personal savior, begins screaming at Midoriya. Despite being in a threatening situation, Deku never once judged Spinner for his actions. Later in the chapter,it was also revealed that Izuku used his newly-gained influence to help Eri’s grandfather, the former Yakuza boss, wake up from his Quirk-induced coma.
He did this to prevent Eri from having to visit the man who tortured her for years, but also to give Overhaul a chance to ask for forgiveness from the people that he hurt. Izuku has not forgiventhe crimes Chisaki committed in the past, yet he is actively trying to help the man. Izuku has not forgiven his adversaries for the crimes they committed, but he also harbors no ill will towards them. Nonetheless, the perfect example of Deku’s inspiring emotional maturity comes from the ending of chapter #423.
After an arduous battle against Shigaraki and All For One, Izuku manages to defeat the greatest villains in history with the help of his friends. No matter how much suffering these individuals caused Izuku, during their final moments, he still tried to help them achieve peace and find rest. Deku went as far as to tell Shigaraki that he would never forgive what he did, but he helped the young man let go of his hatred and trauma in the end.
Deku Broke One Of Shonen’s Most Prominent Tropes
At no point in the series did Deku try to befriend his opponents
One of the most used tropes in shonen manga is redeeming past Villains and turning them into allies for the protagonists. There are many relevant examples of this phenomenon, with the most prominent being Vegeta from the late Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballseries. While at first the Saiyan prince was a ruthless killer who despised Goku and his friends, he ended up becoming a loyal friend and a fan-favorite character. This trope has seldom been used inMy Hero Academia, which is one of the main differences between Deku and other shonen heroes.
Izuku did forgive and ally himself with a select number of minor antagonists, like Gentle Criminal and Lady Nagant. Yet, when a truly monstrous Villain appears, Deku will not waste time trying to persuade them or befriend them. This is best seen in his fights against Stain and Muscular, during chapters #45 and #74. When facing these irredeemable adversaries,Izuku did his best to defeat them quickly and prevent innocents from being harmed.
Deku is undoubtedly among the most iconic and beloved protagonists of recent years. His endearing personality and desire to help even his worst enemies are some of the qualities that make him such an incredible character. Still, not forgiving nor forgetting the harm caused by his villains is an incredible narrative choice that helps his character feel more relatable for audiences.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
