Summary

• Deku's journey in My Hero Academia shows that being the greatest hero means inspiring others to act on their own.
• Hard work, resilience, and the ability to understand villains' motivations set Deku apart as the greatest hero.
• The series highlights Deku's selfless acts and ability to inspire others, showcasing why he is the greatest hero.

Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia's main premise has always been centered around its protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, becoming the greatest hero. However, the definition of what makes someone the greatest hero is very different from what viewers may have interpreted from the series' start. While it was evident that Deku would become the greatest hero by defeating the final antagonist and freeing the world from the villain's terror, the culmination of Deku's journey has proven it was entirely different.

My Hero Academia's epilogue reveals that Deku's resilience and ability to inspire others is what made him the greatest hero. This is why Deku could perhaps never become the Symbol of Peace, as the title requires one to be stronger than anyone and independent, which contrasts with Deku's reliance on others and his ability to inspire them to act on their own rather than wait to be saved. This notion makes Deku the greatest hero ever to exist, and these moments have already been subtly woven into the series many times.

10 Deku Realizing He Has To Work Harder Than Others

Episode 5, "What I Can Do For Now"

Even after being bestowed with an overpowering quirk, it did not make Deku the strongest or the greatest hero. In contrast, Deku was at great risk for holding such a powerful quirk, and recklessly using the quirk would end up destroying his body. Hence, Deku had to work very hard to even gain the quirk from All Might.

In addition, Deku continues to keep working harder and one of the initial moments where this is highlighted is during the quirk apprehension test. Realizing his limitations, Deku begins to use his quirk in limited capacities, which will not hinder him from using his quirk at all while also working harder to master it.

9 Acknowledging Villain’s Reasons for Action Instead of Getting Mad

Episode 85, "School Festival Start!!"

Kohei Horikoshi tried to craft the villains for genuine reasons and one of the greatest examples in My Hero Academia is Gentle Criminal. On the path to becoming a hero and realizing his dream, Danjuro Tabito saw many failures and eventually chose the wrong path to follow his dream. Gentle Criminal wanted to be known in the world and his latest plot would cause the festival at the school to come to a halt.

Deku does his best to stop Gentle Criminal and, in the process, understands the motivations behind Gentle's malevolent schemes. Deku tells Gentle Criminal that he needs to stop him because he understands his circumstances better than anyone else and even remarks that they are the same. This sequence highlights Deku's effort to comprehend the reasons behind a villain's actions rather than simply perceiving them as pure evil, making Deku an inspiration for villains to follow the right path as well.

8 Midoriya Facing off Fears With a Smile

Episode 37, "Katsuki Bakugo: Origin"

One of the other earlier tests for the students involved making an escape while fighting a pro hero. Fatefully, Bakugo and Izuku are matched up against All Might. Though the duo doesn't get along, they craft a good plan to escape the area and the test, but All Might was just too powerful. As Midoriya nears the exit, he attempts to bait himself to create an opening for Bakugo to escape. However, All Might goes after the hotheaded Bakugo instead, pinning him down.

Sensing that Deku might use this chance to escape, All Might remains vigilant. However, Izuku leaps to punch All Might while smiling, recalling All Might's teaching to face an adversary with a smile, as he feared All Might at that instant, and frees Bakugo instead. All Might then remarks that Deku's priority to help others, even in dire situations, is what sets him apart and makes him a truly great hero.

7 Prioritizing Saving Others Over ing the Exam

Episode 4, "Start Line"

To get into the U.A., Deku had to go through many tests, but the test that highlights Midoriya's heroic ability is the one where the participants had to defeat robots to acquire points. Just having acquired his quirk and not sure how to use it, Deku finds himself with almost zero points near the end of the test. When a giant robot, worth zero points, wreaked havoc and destroyed buildings, it trapped Uraraka under the debris.

Fearing that Uraraka might be crushed by the robot, Deku feels compelled to act. Despite his initial hesitation and inexperience with One For All, he summons his courage and uses the quirk for the very first time to defeat the robot. All Might fittingly emphasizes that this test also assesses the self-sacrificing hero spirit, a quality that Deku displayed uniquely among the participants.

6 Deku Inspiring Todoroki To Give His All

Episode 23, "Shoto Todoroki: Origin"

My Hero Academia features other great heroes who have the potential to become the greatest heroes ever to exist, and no doubt Todoroki is one of the strongest contenders for this run. In fact, Shoto's quirk could also help him attain the title of the Symbol of Peace. However, none of this could have happened if Deku hadn't inspired Todoroki to use all of his power when the two heroes fought against each other in a competition.

Todoroki refused to use his fire quirk because he wanted to reject the powers he had inherited from his father out of hatred. This eventually started to result in Todoroki losing against Deku. But Deku realized that Todoroki was holding back and inspired Todoroki to give his all. Later in the series, Todoroki also thanks Midoriya for this pivotal moment, which proves that Deku has the ability to inspire heroes as well.

5 Deku Helped Ida When He Needed It Most

Episode 29, "Hero Killer: Stain vs U.A. Students"

Season 2 of My Hero Academia was still setting up Deku to be a strong hero, but by watching All Might and trying to exercise his mentor's teaching, Deku had already shown signs of growth. Ida rushes all alone to confront Stain, a mysterious villain from the series who is on a killing spree. Though Ida had already stated that he did not need help from others, Deku and Todoroki arrived to help Ida as they were worried.

Deku reflects that being a true hero means offering help even when not requested. Despite Iida's clear statement that he didn't need assistance, it became evident to Deku that Iida needed it the most. Recognizing the situation's urgency, Deku broke the rules to rush and save his friend, demonstrating his commitment to the ideals of heroism beyond mere words.

4 Facing Overhaul With Eri on His Back, Deku Defies Prophecy

Episode 76, "Infinite 100%"

In season 4 of My Hero Academia, Midoriya and the other heroes from the U.A. are assigned to raid a Yakuza compound, which eventually results in a series of harrowing events. From Nighteye being fatally injured to Togata Mirio losing his quirk, the raid reached its peak with Deku facing off Overhaul. Since Deku couldn't defeat Overhual at his current level, he sought Eri's help, which gave Izuku access to using his power at full limit without worrying about his body.

As the battle reaches its end, Deku defeats Overhaul and manages to keep his body intact as well, thanks to Eri's power. The aftermath of the battle sees Nighteye remarking that Deku is unique and can even defy prophecies. Nighteye's remark underscores that Deku's unique abilities are indicative of a true hero destined for greatness.

3 Deku Proving to Kota Why Heroes Exist

Episode 42, "My Hero"

After acquiring a powerful quirk from All Might, Deku consistently put in hard work to make the quirk his own and help the people. A moment where Deku's willingness to save others is depicted very well when Izuku risks his life to save Kota. Before the showdown between Deku and Muscular, it is revealed that Kota, having tragically lost his heroic parents who died while protecting others, struggles to understand the concept of heroes and their role.

As Muscular is ready to kill Kota, Deku gives his all to protect him and, despite the intense fluctuations of the battle, Deku persists, continually rising to his feet until he ultimately overcomes Muscular. The notable aspect of this sequence is how Deku inspired Kota to use his quirk on Muscular to distract him, which gave Deku the edge and inspiration to sur his limit. This pivotal moment leads to Kota comprehending the notion of what being a hero means and Deku proving again what makes him the greatest hero.

2 Deku's Weakness Inspired Others To Act as Well

Chapter 422, "Izuku Midoriya Rising"

Deku had expressed a strong desire to save Shigaraki, seeing beyond the malevolent exterior to the child within. This dispute eventually leads to Izuku losing both of his arms, but the other heroes arrive just in the nick of time to help Midoriya. In this very instance, All For One acknowledges that what sets Deku apart is not his strength, but his vulnerability and unwavering determination to never give up.

Deku's weakness transforms into a rising inspiration that motivates others to keep on getting back on their feet. The epilogue of My Hero Academia also reveals that this is what even All Might lacked: a driving force to inspire others to act on their own. This moment from the series encapsulates what truly distinguishes Deku as the greatest hero.

1 Deku Was Already the Greatest Hero Even Without a Quirk

Episode 2, "What It Takes To Be A Hero"

Kohei Horikoshi's definition of being the greatest hero is the ability to inspire others to act on their own. This notion that is depicted very well at the start of the series, which proves that Deku was already the greatest hero even when he didn't have a quirk. My Hero Academia Episode 2 features Deku leaping to save Bakugo from the sludge villain, even though Deku is scared.

Deku reveals that his body moved instinctively when he saw Bakugo in danger and felt compelled to save him. Although Deku's action was initially reckless and spontaneous, it ultimately inspired All Might to transcend his own limitations and intervene. This moment from My Hero Academia is perhaps the best moment that proves why Deku is the greatest hero.