My Hero Academia: On Being Your Own Hero

The popular superhero anime My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, and his classmates as they struggle with their own internal battles on their way to becoming true heroes. Though comedic and light-hearted, the show is mostly known for its motivational qualities and heart.  As each character realizes their shortcomings, they must first become their own hero in order to then help others.

In the world of My Hero Academia, genetic mutations allow humans to be born with powers called Quirks. People born with particularly useful quirks, such as super strength in the case of the top hero All Might, are hired by the government to protect citizens from crime or disaster. This is where we find young Midoriya; an All Might superfan with dreams of becoming a real hero. Despite trials and tribulations, Midoriya's story is a motivational how-to manual on building your own destiny. These are my favorite characters and the lessons they can teach about being your own hero.

Deku - Hard Work

Deku’s storyline is about not needing the talent to succeed at your passion.  My favorite part about him is that Midoriya is born quirk less! He starts his journey by being told by everyone around him that his dream is already done. He is even bullied by his childhood friends, who call him Deku (meaning useless).  The one chance he gets to prove himself to All Might, he is told to stop trying and go home. Does Izuku go home and resign himself to his fate? No! When his bully Bakugou is being attacked by villains only moments later, Midoriya runs to his rescue, earning a mentorship and quirks from All Might himself in the process. In the second season, he even forgoes his newfound quirk during part of a tournament and wins using only his skill and intelligence.

Bakugou - Perfectionism

Deku’s bully Katsuki Bakugou’s storyline is parallel to Deku’s and is about emotional self-improvement. Bakugou starts the series off as a pompous but talented young man who has always been the biggest fish in the pond. After learning of Midoriya’s newfound quirk he begins to feel his ego deflating, and it worsens when he attends UA and is no longer the most talented person at his school. He does not handle it very well at first, but throughout the story, he learns to channel his drive for success for good. He learns that his perfectionism, while useful, is tied to his ego and consequently he learns to meet himself where he is instead of where he believes he should be. He eventually gets a redemption arc and becomes a motivation for his fellow UA class members!

Uraraka - Self Doubt

Ochako Uraraka, Deku's classmate and close friend, struggles with self-doubt throughout her career. She learns in the second season that she will never be able to succeed without getting rid of her constant fear of failure when she is set to fight Bakugou in the tournament arc. Though her classmates doubted her, she asks herself what Deku would do and competes anyway! She proves to be a much harder opponent than Bakugou had expected and though she still lost, this experience leads her to become a better leader and hero because she no longer second-guesses herself.

Tenya Iida - Grief

Tenya Iida, the class representative, struggles when his brother is incapacitated by the villain Stain and Iida must take over the family superhero alias Ingenium. Tenya seeks out Stain, consumed by wanting to take vengeance. Through his journey through grief and anger, Deku and Uraraka help him to make peace with his inner turmoil and in doing so discover that he was fueled by his own feelings of inadequacies about taking on his new title. Through self-reflection, he learns that he is worthy of his title and goes on to make an amazing Ingenium.

Shoto Todoroki - Trauma

Shoto Todoroki, a UA classmate who was admitted on recommendation alone, struggles to cope with his abusive upbringing and his father being the bitter rival of All Might. His quirks are fire and ice; however, he refuses to use his fire at first out of hatred for his father. Through his journey, he learns to come to terms with the parts of him that represent his dad and to process the trauma that he went through in his childhood. Throughout the seasons Todoroki also learns to trust others and create bonds rather than pushing people away and is, therefore, better able to work with others.

The point is that although all these characters are trying to learn to become heroes so that they can help others, they learn to help themselves along the way. This is the true lesson we learn from My Hero Academia. It serves as an essay of sorts on being your own hero, making your own future, and growing as a person. You can choose who you are and the things that define you whether that is through hard work or making peace with your past! Overall, My Hero Academia is a motivational must-watch that has grabbed the hearts of anime fans everywhere.