Quick Links
During the final battle betweenDeku and ShigarakiinMy Hero Academia, Izuku perfectly demonstrates his philosophy of showing kindness to villains. Despite the horrible crimes committed by Tenko, Midoriya still risked his life to end the intense hatred the Villain felt toward Heroes.
While this may be the most iconic instance of Deku’s helping reform a villain, a former criminal exemplifies how effective the young man can be.The redemption of Gentle Criminal, one of the first felons aided by Midoriya, proves that Deku’s philosophy of showing criminals kindness and understanding can help them improve.
My Hero Academia Revealed the True Reason Villains Are Born With One Subtle Final Hint
A subtle callback in chapter 427 of My Hero Academia reminds fans that villains aren’t just created out of nothing, and that they can be stopped.
Deku Helped Turn Gentle Criminal Into An Amazing Hero
Izuku Saw the Villain as Something More Than Just a Criminal
As a young man, Gentle Criminal dreamed of being a hero who would be remembered forever for his bravery and skill. Despite his best efforts, he would often obtain low grades at school, get mediocre results in training, and even fail his Provisional License Exam 4 times. His dream was destroyed the day he tried to use his Elasticity Quirk, which turns anything he touches into a stretchable substance, to save a man. His rescue, while brave, ended with the victim becoming severely injured and preventing a Pro-Hero from rescuing them. Gentle was disowned and abandoned by his family.
His fear of being forgottenpushed him to become a criminaland an internet influencer, filming his robberies to gain followers. Deku was the one who finally put an end to his short but successful criminal career in an incredible battle. He was also the first person in decades to treat Danjuro with respect and kindness. Izuku knew the pain of being told he was not good enough to become a hero and wanted to help Gentle move past that suffering. When their battle ended, Danjuro surrendered himself, to pay for his crimes and to save his lover, La Brava.
Yet, when Shigaraki and All For One tried to take over Japan,Gentle Criminal made his triumphant return as a hero,being the one to prevent U.A. High from falling. Deku’s kindness and encouraging words motivated Danjuro to once again try and become a better person, leaving behind his criminal life for good. By looking beyond the terrible acts Gentle committed and letting him know that he could be more, Izuku successfully rehabilitated him. In chapter #426, Danjuro was released from jail, with the officer even thanking him for his contributions during the fight against the villains.
Deku’s Philosophy Can Prevent The Rise Of Another All For One
By Helping and Understanding Villains, Hero Society Can Prevent Another Tragedy
A majority of the members of the League of Villains were once regular civilians who were misjudged or committed a grave mistake previously in life. Toga and Twice are perfect examples of this phenomenon. The former was labeled a villain after her parents refused to help her control her desire to drink blood, forcing her to attack animals and even a classmate. Twice, on the other hand, had a life similar to Gentle’s, being once a kind man who had to turn to villainy after losing everything.
If either of them had received help before it was too late,they could have been rehabilitated as well. While not explicitly stated, the series heavily implies that many other villains had similar origin stories, like Toga, Twice, and Gentle. At some point in the past,Hero Society decided to label all criminals as incorrigibleand stop trying to help them. By denying them aid, villains were not only forced to continue with their lawless activities to survive, but their hatred against society grew.
Gentle Criminal is living proof of how necessary it is for Hero Society to change how criminals are treated.
The fact that Gentle managed to turn his life around and ended up becoming an amazing hero proves Deku’s philosophy is superior and better for society in general. If even a fraction of the members of the League of Villains had received proper support and understanding, the final war against All For One’s forces would not have been as devastating. Gentle Criminal is living proof of how necessary it is for Hero Society to change how criminals are treated. By addressing the causes that make people become villains, another being like All For One could be prevented from rising to power.
Izuku Midoriya is by far one of the most heroic and kind characters in theMy Hero Academiafranchise. His methods of helping and preventing criminals from relapsing need to be adapted by other civil servants. If this philosophy is successfully implemented, many potential villains could become amazing heroes.
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.
