My Hero Academia: 10 Ways Deku Has Grown Stronger Since He ...

Many popular anime series come out every year, but My Hero Academia is easily one of the most successful and addictive shonen shows to come out in the recent past. The series is an entertaining mashup of both shonen and superhero sensibilities as characters like Izuku “Deku” Midoriya attempt to grow into impressive pro heroes.

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Every character has shown a lot of growth since the start of the anime and there are now some especially powerful heroes in the mix. Deku still has plenty to learn and a long way to go in his hero career, but he’s still experienced a ton of changes since he’s been introduced to audiences.

10 He's Gained A Quirk

Underdog stories are often a sweet mix of sentimental and inspirational. They’re very common within the shonen genre and Deku very much fits these criteria at the start of My Hero Academia. Midoriya is crushed over how he’s a Quirk-less individual and becomes ready to resign to a life that’s void of fighting crime. A fortunate series of events transpire and Midoriya does earn a Quirk after all, which just becomes the start of his journey. At this point, he’s even one of the rare individuals that have more than one Quirk.

9 His Body's Physique

The characters in My Hero Academia are just entering their teenage years and they still have a ton of growing to do before they become adults and professional heroes. At the start of the series, it’s fully apparent how young Midoriya is and he’s especially juvenile in his attitude and character design. From a glance, it doesn’t look like Deku has changed a ton, but he’s pushed his body into incredible shape. He’s a tiny individual, but he’s mostly muscle at this point and it’s a long way from where he began pre-U.A. High.

8 His Mastery Over One For All

My Hero Academia does an effective job with how it depicts different Quirks of contrasting levels of utility. Some Quirks are immediately useful and others take time and effort to refine. In the case of One For All, the Quirk exerts so much energy that for the longest time Deku is restricted to only using 5% of it, and in his fingers.

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It’s been a slow work in progress, but Deku continues to access more of this Quirk and can hit 20% rather comfortably. Under extreme circumstances, he’s even been able to hit 100% and not destroy his body.

7 He's Trained Under Different Mentors

Izuku Midoriya is fortunate enough to cover a lot of ground and receives many opportunities throughout his tenure at U.A. High. Midoriya initially trains under All Might, due to the One For All association, but he later receives guidance under Gran Torino, who was All Might’s old mentor. Deku’s final mentor figure has been Sir Nighteye and all of these individuals have helped him refine his existing fighting skills and learn new tricks in battle. It’s very satisfying to see Midoriya incorporate different abilities from each of his trainers when he’s locked in combat.

6 His Hero Costume Has Improved

It’s of course important to have a powerful Quirk and a healthy disposition towards justice and crime, but there are also certain aesthetic elements of the hero business that are deceptively important. A good hero costume goes a long way and Midoriya’s attire has received several revisions in order to better manage and channel his Quirk. Midoriya’s Gamma Costume features many sleek updates that also cater towards how he’s turned into a fighter that’s just as accomplished with his feet as he is with his stands. Midoriya’s costume accentuates his best traits.

5 His Connection To Past One For All Users

Midoriya acquires his One For All Quirk from All Might rather early into My Hero Academia, but it’s not only the very end of season four that it’s teased that he’s able to mentally communicate with the One For All users that preceded him.

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This connection that Midoriya feels is important in itself and speaks to his growth, but it also leads to him gaining a second Quirk, Black Whip, through the previous user, Daigoro Banjo. He’s able to master many new skills thanks to this strong bond that he shares with his predecessors.

4 He's Developed New Fighting Styles

Izuku Midoriya admires heroes when the anime begins and he’s very much a fanboy for pros like All Might, but he has zero fighting experience of his own. Midoriya has gradually become quite the competent and resourceful fighter, which has even extended to him adopting completely different methods to approach an opponent. Midoriya’s Full Cowling and Shoot Style modes make him unpredictable from his standard style. He’s able to use his feet and other parts of his body as weapons in a way that wouldn’t have been possible at the start of his hero career.

3 He's Become More Confident

A lot of My Hero Academia focuses on big battles and the feats of strength that characters like Midoriya must surpass in order to become professional heroes. However, the social life and friendships of these individuals are also important. Midoriya enters U.A. High as a very meek crybaby. He struggles to talk to female U.A. High students and even though he’s courageous, he doesn’t always know how to apply it. In contrast, by season four he’s helping lead teams of heroes and taking on villains like Gentle Criminal and La Brava entirely by himself.

2 He Expands His Social Circle

It may not seem like that crucial of details, but one area in which Midoriya experiences quite a bit of change comes down to the company that he keeps at U.A. High. Midoriya is friendly, but when the series begins his group of companions is rather insular and is restricted to people like Bakugo, Uraraka, Iida, and Mineta. As different streams of heroics have pulled Midoriya and company in contrasting directions he’s become closer with characters like Mirio Togata and strayed away from friends like Iida or Mineta.

1 He Has The Power To Change The Future

One of the more extreme moments to come out of season four of My Hero Academia involves Sir Nighteye and his Foresight Quirk. This powerful Quirk is always able to reliably predict the future. For the first time ever, Midoriya is able to fight against the events that Nighteye sees and will a different future into existence. This takes place during Midoriya’s momentous battle against Overhaul and it signifies how he’s truly special and a figure with an important future. He’s come a long way from a meek outsider that feels as if he doesn’t belong.

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