My Hero Academia Brings Deku Back Full Circle With One Tragic Twist

Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia chapter #406

One of the original appeals of Deku‘s character in My Hero Academia was how his body initially couldn’t handle the power of One For All, causing him severe harm every time he used the Quirk. However, the series soon began to eliminate that flaw by having him undergo intensive training and even don specialized gear, much to the detriment of his characterization. However, the series has revived this dynamic but with the second One For All user ability Gearshift.

In chapter #406 of My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi, Deku begins to strategize on what next moves he can make during his ongoing battle against Tomura Shigaraki. This involves Deku coming to the realization that the next time he utilizes the Second’s Gearshift, it will leave him immobilized the moment the Quirk ends, regardless of how long he uses it.

As a result, the young hero decides that, regardless of the drawback, he has to use Gearshift again, and make sure to end the fight with the next attack.

Deku Was A Better Protagonist With His Quirk Injuries in My Hero Academia

This is reminiscent of how One For All used to affect Deku. Similarly to the anime Darker Than Black, Deku had to make a “transaction” of sorts every time he utilized One For All and therefore restricted its use to one part of his body to mitigate the physical blowback. For example, he could flick One For All from his left hand’s pointer finger, but then that finger would be broken. Later on, Deku would undergo extensive training and don specialized equipment that would allow him to summon at least a certain percentage of One For All without causing him any bodily harm. It wasn’t long before Deku could wield 100% of One For All without any of these negative side effects.

Although a clever way to document his growth, Deku’s inability to effectively wield One For All without hurting himself demonstrated his limits as a hero while further underscoring how he was not born with this power. There’s something inherently captivating about an underdog who gets the chance to excel through effort, and it’s even better when this chance to overturn fare and nature comes at a great cost. It also helped keep Deku from becoming too strong and amazing too quickly, as is the case with most shonen protagonists.

That entire dynamic seemed lost until now. The irony is that this drawback has returned during Deku’s final battle and will put him in a situation where he has to risk it all. It serves as a reminder of how great Deku’s limitations once made him, and fans can get one last glimpse of what initially captivated everyone when My Hero Academia first began.

My Hero Academia is available from Viz Media and Manga Plus

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