One My Hero Academia Character Is Responsible For Making Deku a Hero, And It's Not All Might

Throughout My Hero Academia’s story, many unique and important characters are introduced to Deku’s journey to become the best. Among all of them, All Might is often depicted as the most vital for the story because he gives Izuku the tools to achieve his dreams. Surely enough, All Might remains fundamental for Deku all the way to the end of the series, as a mentor, a role model, and even a friend.

Nonetheless, when closely inspecting the events of the series, another character stands out for how crucial its contributions were for Deku to succeed. Not only did this character provide vital support and motivation for Midoriya, but it played a vital role in him being accepted into U.A. High to pursue his dream of becoming a Pro Hero.

Without Ochako, Deku Would Not Have Entered U.A.

Izuku Would Not Have Acquired Any Points at All in the Exam

Without Ochako Uraraka, Uravity, Midoriya would have never been admitted to U.A. High, completely altering the course of the story, as proven by the results of the entrance exam both heroes took. One of the first challenges the protagonist of the My Hero Academia franchise was forced to overcome was the harsh entrance exam of U.A. High. During this event, applicants were forced to fight against an army of robots that acted as villains.

The scores of the young aspirant heroes would be determined by how many enemies they could defeat. From the beginning, things were not looking good for Izuku, who had almost no experience with his Quirk, and spent most of the time panicking without obtaining a single point. If his place in Class 1-A had been solely determined by his fighting skills, he would never have entered his dream school.

Deku’s saving grace came in the form of Ochako Uraraka, a fellow applicant who was caught under the rubble of buildings destroyed by the massive Zero-Pointer. Midoriya demonstrated his worth by fighting this imposing adversary and saving Uraraka, unlike the rest of his peers who decided to run and protect themselves. It was this selfless sacrifice that granted Deku enough rescue points to be allowed into the hero course. If not for Uraraka being present at the same exam grounds Izuku was, the protagonist would have failed his first test.

The series makes this clear by later showing how Deku’s actions inspired Uraraka to try and donate her points to help him enter U.A. All Might’s hologram goes as far as to state that no respectable hero school would fail such a heroic individual. In a universe in which Ochako was not taking the exam with Deku, he would not have been able to prove his worth, thus failing to pass the exam. Toshinori might have been the one to give Deku the various powers inside One For All, but it was Uraraka who helped him prove he was deserving of being a hero.

Izuku Was Also Vital for Uraraka's Story

Uravity Would Not Have Obtained Enough Points Without Saving Deku

While it is true that Uraraka was fundamental to the beginning of Deku’s heroic story, the opposite is also correct. During episode #4 of My Hero Academia, Ochako’s score appeared on-screen while Izuku was informed about his results, revealing that she had only acquired 21 villain points. This was far too low for her to be accepted into U.A., meaning that she would have been unable to follow her dreams if not for Deku. Like her best friend, she was also granted a vast amount of rescue points for helping Midoriya during his time of need.

After defeating the Zero-Pointer, Deku was seen falling toward the ground at an alarming speed, with only one healthy arm to help him. His thought process was interrupted by the burning pain of having both of his legs and one arm broken just moments prior. When he was seconds from dying from the crash, Izuku was rescued by Ochako. Although exhausted and in pain, Uravity used her Quirk to float on a piece of the gigantic robot and slap Deku in midair, stopping his fall.

This action awarded her enough rescue points to enter U.A., giving her a chance to become a hero and help her struggling parents. From that point onward, their futures seem to have united, becoming one of the most beloved duos in the series and anime in general. The fact that both Izuku and Ochako needed each other from the first time they met is an amazing addition to the story, making their already wholesome relationship even better. It is also a clever foreshadowing to the rest of the series, as Deku and Uravity would always be there for each other, even when they are at their lowest.

While Izuku might have begun the My Hero Academia series without anyone to support him, by the end, he had a vast and incredible assortment of friends ready to help him achieve his dreams. All of them are equally important for Deku, but there is no doubt that Ochako and All Might are likely the ones who contributed the most to his success.

In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.

Cast Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamashita

Release Date April 3, 2016

Seasons 7