My Hero Academia: All About Izuku Midoriya & Cast

Izuku Midoriya, also known by his hero Deku, is the main protagonist of the manga series My Hero Academia, created by Kōhei Horikoshi.

He is an ambitious first-year high school student and the 9th holder of the superpower “One For All,” which combines eight different individual superpowers or “Quirks.” Izuku possesses the unique ability to pass on this power to others.

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• First appearance: My Hero Academia #1, “Izuku Midoriya: Origin,” on July 7, 2014.
• Created by: Kōhei Horikoshi.
• Portrayed by: Shin Tamura (musical).
• Voiced by:Japanese: Daiki Yamashita, Akeno Watanabe (young; anime), Yuna Taniguchi (young; comic).
• English: Justin Briner, Lara Woodhull (young).

Conception and Creation

Initially, Izuku Midoriya was conceived as Jack Midoriya, an ill salaryman working for a superhero supply company in a 2008 one-shot comic called My Hero.

However, Horikoshi later changed the character to a high school student for My Hero Academia, keeping the character’s core traits intact.

The prototype for Izuku’s character was Mikumo Akatani, a black-haired, Quirkless boy who would have relied on gadgets to become a hero.

Horikoshi revised and refined the character design, eventually giving birth to the protagonist, Izuku Midoriya.

Voice Actors

In the anime adaptation, Izuku is voiced by Daiki Yamashita in Japanese and Justin Briner in English.

Yamashita approached the role to portray Izuku’s growth and inner strength as the series progressed. Initially auditioning for other characters in the same class as Izuku, Briner found the role empowering and embraced the character’s nerdiness and passion for heroism.

Appearances

Izuku is first introduced as a 4-year-old boy facing bullying from classmates, including Katsuki Bakugo, who possesses explosive powers.

Despite being born without a Quirk, Izuku aspires to become a hero and idolizes the legendary hero All Might.

After a chance encounter with All Might, Izuku is chosen as the successor to the “One For All” Quirk. Throughout the series, he attends U.A. High School and becomes an inspiring figure for his classmates.

Izuku plays central roles in the My Hero Academia movies, including “Two Heroes,” “Heroes Rising,” and “World Heroes’ Mission.”

He also appears in spinoff light novel series like “My Hero Academia: School Briefs” and the comedic parody “My Hero Academia: Smash!!.”

Izuku is featured as a playable character in video games such as “My Hero Academia: Battle for All,” “My Hero One’s Justice,” and “My Hero One’s Justice 2.”

Additionally, he makes appearances in crossovers with other franchises, such as Fortnite and Jump Force.

Izuku possesses the Quirk “One For All,” which allows him to stockpile power, enhancing his physical capabilities. This Quirk can be passed down to others, incorporating the Quirks of previous users.

These additional powers include Gearshift, Fa Jin, Danger Sense, Blackwhip, Smokescreen, Float, and more.

Reception

Izuku’s character has gained significant popularity among fans of the series. He consistently ranks high in My Hero Academia popularity polls and has won awards, including the “Hero of the Year” at the Crunchyroll Anime Awards.

Critics have praised Izuku’s character development, relatability, and the performances of his voice actors.

His optimistic and heroic nature, as well as his intelligence and strategic thinking, have been highlighted as positive attributes.

Popularity

Izuku Midoriya’s character has resonated with fans, often ranking high in popularity polls.

He has been voted the most popular hero character in various polls and was ranked first in Tumblr’s top anime and manga characters of 2020.

Izuku’s relatability and inspiring qualities contribute to his widespread popularity.

Critical Reception

Critics have positively reviewed Izuku’s character, praising his likeability, character development, and relatability.

The voice performances of Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner have also been commended for reflecting Izuku’s personality effectively.

Reviewers have noted Izuku’s empathetic nature, origins as a hero, and interactions with other characters as standout aspects of his character.

Overall, Izuku’s character has been well-received by fans and critics alike.