Shounen anime have been vastly successful and even among them the Big Three always stand out.
While the previous generation of the Big Three has passed, a new trio has taken the stage.
One of them is Boku no Hero Academia, also known as My Hero Academia.
While it has many aspects going for it, the series Protagonist Izuku Midoriya is a very noteworthy one.
Izuku’s chosen hero name is “Deku”, which has an interesting story behind it.
Here we shall breeze through some of the best Deku moments in the My Hero Academia so far!
1. “Eat this.”
Deku is All Might’s chosen successor due to multiple reasons.
In order for Deku to inherit the One for All, after his initial training concluded, All Might have him a strand of his hair and asked Deku to eat it as a means of transferring his DNA.
When Deku was asked to recall the events of that fateful day on a much later date at U.A., All Might expected his successor to understand the many layers relating to the all-powerful Quirk.
Yet what Deku chooses to recall and mimic is a near-perfect representation of All Might's appearance, sharp facial features, huge smile, shadowed eyes, and all, when he said “Eat this”.
While this takes All Might by surprise, he can't help but be impressed by the level of accuracy, leading to a very tender father-son-like moment.
This moment showcases Deku’s particular skills in comedy, mimicry, and memory.
2. Deku’s Ultimate Disguise
When his childhood friend and rival Bakugo gets kidnapped by the League of Villians, Deku and a small group of his classmates launch their own operation to save him.
Tenya, Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro, Momo, and Deku go on a "covert" mission in Kamino Ward and don various disguises to avoid being found out.
Deku’s disguise is as memorable as it is comical.
Contrary to his own personality, he chooses the guise of a ruffian wearing a gold chain, sunglasses, and even a fake goatee.
To add to the effect Deku even attempts to talk rudely.
Eijiro highlights the moment even more by telling Deku to push his "jaw out more."
3. Deku versus Todoroki
This fight is one of the most memorable in the entire series, not just for the battle itself but for what it stands for.
The Sports Festival semi-final match between Deku and Shoto todoroki is a masterpiece in terms of animation, storytelling, and character development.
Deku saves Shoto from turning into a cliche anti-hero, owing to his initial demeanor.
Deku's insane level of self-harm and choice of words flips Shoto's obsession with surpassing his father while not using the Pyro quirk he inherited from him, into finally accepting the other half of his own quirk.
The moment where Shoto Todoroki finally remembers why he wanted to become a hero and gives the audience his first genuine smile is forever engraved in fans’ hearts.
For this, Deku selflessly risks his body and stands in the Tournament, all for his friend.
4. The Holy Trinity
The iconic fight between villains Stain and Deku, Shoto, and Iida is also one of the My Hero Academia’s most memorable fights.
Stain’s ideals are quite valid from one perspective and give rise to a big debate in the MHA world.
In their Hero-centric society, Stain’s argument was reasonable but how he went about resolving it as a murderer was not justifiable.
The trio’s battle against Stain is dark, foreboding, suicidal, gratifying, and tense.
But that one epic moment where the three’s common goal and Quirks perfectly align into unison and sync, mainly thanks to Deku’s words and actions, was ever so satisfying to watch.
5. “Deku”
Bakugo had always called Izuku “Deku” since their early childhood as if to remind him that he was Quirklessness and was thus a "useless person".
Izuku got used to this nickname a lot and didn’t mind it even after enrolling at U.A., where he builds up his newfound quirk and meets more friends.
Here he gains something he needed so much throughout his life but never quite had: reassurance. It came from his mother, teachers, friends, and even Bakugo himself.
His crush, Uraraka Ochaco finds the “Deku” nickname to be nice, as it is very similar to "dekiru", which roughly translates to “can do it”, which was very much like Izuku’s attitude in life.
This simple and casual statement resonates with Izuku so much that he chooses “Deku” to be his hero name, which hints at both Bakugo and Uraraka, two very important people in his life.
This is no grandiose moment with booming music in the background, but it holds such strong meaning for the characters and the people aware of Izuku Midoriya’s journey.
This concludes this list of our picks for some of the best Deku moments throughout the My Hero Academia so far.
Deku is not your typical shonen MC, he shows many relatable traits and weaknesses without holding back.
Yet, his charm lies in how he struggles against the odds and always comes through with his unyielding “can-do” attitude!
Tulisha Srivastava
Tulisha Srivastava
Thanks for reading!!
