Izuku Midoriya

Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku (デク), is the primary protagonist of the My Hero Academia manga and anime series.

Though born without a Quirk, Izuku manages to catch the attention of the legendary hero All Might due to his innate heroism and has since become his close pupil as well as a student in Class 1-A at U.A. High School. All Might passed on his Quirk to Izuku, making him the ninth holder of One For All.

Appearance
Izuku is somewhat short for his age, his round face framed by a short mess of fluffy dark-green hair which sticks up at odd angles around his head, casting noticeably dark shadows onto itself. His eyes are large and somewhat circular, their irises the same green color as his hair, which at times are very watery, usually stretched quite wide, giving him an innocent appearance. He has a set of four symmetrical freckles in diamond formations, one on each cheek, but despite these prominent traits, he is often described by others as being plain-looking.

Though he was initially very skinny, Izuku has gained toned muscles after his ten months of extensive training with All Might, and as the series progresses, these are shown to become more developed and defined as he gradually grows stronger.

After his battle against Shoto Todoroki, the fingers on his right hand became slightly deformed, and his hand shows scarring. His right arm was further damaged after his fight with Muscular, leaving various other scars all over it. Following his recovery after said fight, Izuku wears a black compression sleeve on the upper portion of his right arm in order to support the heavy damage it sustained: it is partially visible when he wears short sleeves.

During his days, he wore a plain black  uniform with yellow buttons, accompanied by white sneakers. While at home, he wears a green over a white shirt and gray sweatpants.

At U.A., he wears the standard male uniform: a light gray blazer with dark turquoise trimmings over a white dress shirt and dress pants, along with a red tie which he doesn’t do up properly, leaving it much shorter than it should be. Instead of the plain brown shoes worn by the majority of the student body, he usually wears oversized red boots with thick white soles, laced up to the top.

Izuku's original hero costume is a green full-body jumpsuit with a red belt, elbow pads, knee pads, and gloves, along with his signature red boots. He also wears a mask with long ear-like protrusions that resembles All Might's haircut, and a respirator with a makeshift smile on it that also reflects that of the said hero. The costume was severely damaged as a result of his first battle against Katsuki Bakugo and has to be repaired, which is why, during the U.S.J. Arc and Save! Rescue Training, Izuku had to wear the U.A. gym uniform. This attire consists of a dark blue high-collared tracksuit with thick white lines over his torso and down his legs, forming the letters “U” and “A”, and along with this, a respirator.

His second hero costume has a few changes and now looks sturdier and more combat-ready in appearance. The knee pads have been extended to his legs and reach up to his thighs, and his new gloves are tinted beige and are decorated with blue stripes. His respirator is now metal, diamond-shaped, and has eight holes. Izuku goes without a mask in his second suit, and although the mask is still present, he doesn't wear it much.

During the Provisional Hero License Arc, Izuku had his costume upgraded again to suit his new fighting moves Shoot Style, by adding iron soles to his red boots to increase the power of his kicks. Arm braces were added, and his knee pads now have yellow bolts fastened into them (they were originally added in his second costume in the manga). Sometime later, just before the School Festival, Mei Hatsume creates support gloves to better help him use his powers for long-range attacks. Following the Joint Training Arc, Izuku adds the gloves to his hero costume and uses them in combat.

Personality
Izuku is a very timid, reserved, and polite boy, frequently overreacting to abnormal situations with exaggerated expressions. Due to years of being looked down by Katsuki Bakugo for lacking a Quirk, he is initially portrayed as insecure, tearful, and non-expressive. These traits are especially present around Katsuki, who also constantly harangued him for his aspirations to become a hero. However, after being accepted into U.A. High School, making new friends, and facing Katsuki during the Battle Trial Arc, Izuku gradually matured into a more confident and brave person who's always eager to prove his worth as a hero, eventually developing strong leadership skills, which, combined with his passion and strategic abilities, have turned him into a central figure within Class 1-A alongside Katsuki.

Izuku is a quite diligent and strong-willed student, being extremely (and sometimes scarily) enthusiastic about topics related to heroes. His dream drives him to write down notes about everything he learns in regards to heroes' Quirks and fighting capabilities. Thanks to this practice, Izuku has developed a great analytical mind and can form complex battle plans in a few seconds, factoring the best ways he can utilize the Quirks of allies and enemies alike for his own advantage. Izuku externalizes his observations through endless mumbling, a habit that annoys or creeps out his peers. Izuku often writes down those observations in a variety of notebooks he titles as Hero Analysis for the Future, checking on them regularly during school activities or at night.

Izuku is caring and emotional, never hesitating to help or rescue someone in danger, even if he knows that he might not be strong or qualified enough to do it. Often, he does this on instinct, taking a more careless approach than the usual overthinking he goes through and putting himself on peril in order to protect someone. Izuku is known to help or lecture people with personal and emotional problems, regardless if it's his business or not, claiming that a hero should meddle in other people's lives. This audacious spirit, while initially viewed as perplexing or even insane by others, is also recognized by many, having earned the loyalty and gratitude of characters that were previously antagonistic to him such as Tenya Iida, Shoto Todoroki, Hitoshi Shinso, Kota Izumi, Sir Nighteye and even the Hero Killer: Stain.

Of all heroes, the Symbol of Peace has impacted and modeled Izuku's life the most. Many of Izuku's decisions and actions result from his desire to become a Pro Hero similar to All Might, and thus he has a great devotion for him. Izuku is an avid collector of All Might merchandise, has knowledge of his several feats (no matter how minor) and emulates many of his traits. Having inherited his Quirk, one of Izuku's current priorities is to be able to live up to his idol's legacy, as he is always looking for ways to improve his usage of One For All, being aware of the immense pressure that comes with succeeding the greatest Hero of all time. The unwavering trust and approval Izuku receives from All Might has been vital to his development as a hero, especially when feelings of self-doubt and unworthiness plague his mind.

Izuku appears to have a more brash and abrasive side to him, which typically shows up when he finds himself in combat. This side of him makes him act more like Katsuki, being rather loud and unwavering, and also with a strong drive towards victory. He claims that this is because he sees Katsuki as the embodiment of what someone who strives for victory should be. He has also admitted that he doesn't like this side of him very much and tends to keep it in check.

Abilities
Overall Abilities: Izuku’s greatest asset prior to receiving his Quirk was his vast knowledge of fundamental hero skills and tactics. Izuku studied Pro Heroes for years and is able to apply that knowledge during crisis situations in a practical manner. His immense bravery and desire to become a hero were also important factors in giving him the mentality to protect others. Before gaining his Quirk from All Might, he took on the Sludge Villain and rescued Katsuki Bakugo because of his boldness and application of heroic skills, something that deeply impressed the then No. 1 Hero.

Having been trained by All Might for 10 months in order to get his body physically ready to inherit One For All, Izuku gained a muscular physique that lets him perform at parameters higher than that of an average student outside U.A.'s hero course. After inheriting One For All from All Might, he was granted the ability to harness a stockpile of powerful energy. He can move faster than the eye can see and take down an enormous villain bot in a single punch, but the physical backlash at the time prevented Izuku from being able to fight properly or compete with his peers on an even playing field. Even so, he still possessed impressive physical durability, and his drive allowed him to withstand the drawbacks of One For All for the most part.

Despite the intense drawbacks of One For All, Izuku's wits provide him with ways to use One For All that are still effective in battle. He also retains his ability to act instinctively based on his notes and possesses basic hand-to-hand combat knowledge that. By applying those correctly, Izuku is able to fight toe-to-toe with even the strongest students of Class 1-A, such as Katsuki and Shoto Todoroki.

Under the tutelage of Gran Torino, Izuku acquired more control over One For All, leading to the creation of One For All: Full Cowl, a technique that would eventually become a key component of his fighting style. With Izuku gaining greatly enhanced maneuverability, strength, and a significant reduction in the physical backlash created when using his Quirk uncontrollably, he was able to drastically improve his overall fighting capabilities; his newly attained abilities garnered praise from Gran Torino, who noted that Izuku was on a higher level than he was compared to the Sports Festival. This specific improvement enabled Izuku to compete more closely with his classmates in the physical aspects of the Hero Course and even allows him to fight properly against top Villains like the Hero Killer: Stain, who had single handedly bested various Pro Heroes.

As Izuku's mastery over his Quirk improves, so do his practical skills. And when his skills and experience increase, so does his confidence, which is said to be a source of inspiration to his classmates as well. His body, however, still remains relatively vulnerable to One For All's drawbacks, which gives Izuku a disadvantage against enemies like Muscular or Overhaul, whose Quirks were proven to be too powerful against One For All's weaker outputs, forcing scenarios where Izuku had to sacrifice his body in order to go all out. In order to protect his own body, particularly his arms, Izuku eventually develops his own unique fighting style, diverging himself further from All Might's.

Currently, Izuku is acknowledged by his classmates as a strong, reliable, leading figure, with both his strength and intelligence being respected equally. However, Izuku's Quirk is still an enigma for them (including Izuku himself), which makes him an unpredictable ally for better or worse. As Izuku keeps growing, so does One For All, and with the prospect of having new abilities unlocked in the future, Izuku has to work even harder in order to fully dominate the Quirk that was passed to him.

Enhanced Stamina: Izuku has shown on many occasions that he is capable of handling and bearing a lot of pain. Such times were mostly side-effects of overusing his Quirk and frequently led to various broken bones. Izuku is able to avoid those repercussions by staying in a safe range of One For All power output (currently, this is around 12%, with 20% being bearable for a few minutes).

Should he be forced to output more power, Izuku is still capable of fighting decently even with broken limbs thanks to the effects of adrenaline, but will succumb to exhaustion a while later. Izuku also has to be wary of his arms, which have grown weary due to his repeat injuries and could eventually stop working altogether if he doesn't restrain himself.

Keen Intellect: Izuku has proven to be exceptionally intelligent on many occasions, displaying both keen observation and analysis as well as adept intuition and resourcefulness. His grades are among the highest of his class, showing that his One For All training rarely interferes with his studying. Izuku's intelligence has probably been a more useful asset to him than One For All so far.

Izuku is a quick learner, which has helped him figure out most One For All's mechanisms in a short span of time and work around its limitations. While some of his moves have been directly inspired by All Might (if not, outright copied), the majority of Izuku's moves and techniques were all conceived by him during sudden sparks of inspiration, a proof of his creativity.

Izuku also has extensive knowledge of Pro Heroes, his classmates, and their Quirks, taking notes of them in great detail in his Hero Analysis for the Future. This is fruit of excellent observational skills coupled with his own desires in becoming a hero by learning from the best, meaning that Izuku always has a natural interest in expanding his knowledge further and further.

Izuku is an exceptional strategist and tactician. By combining his aforementioned quick learning and knowledge about Quirks, Izuku is able to devise plans that take advantage of his friends' abilities to the fullest. Izuku's calculations have been crucial at several moments of his school life, allowing him to earn victories (like the Battle Trial), escape dangerous situations (the U.S.J. Incident) and save lives (the Vanguard Action Squad Invasion and Kamino Incident).

His intelligence is greatly respected by everyone in Class 1-A as many of his peers look up to him for planning and follow his strategies to the bottom line. Even Momo Yaoyorozu, the smartest student in class, has looked up to Izuku as reference.

Leadership Skills: As a natural consequence of his bravery and strategic mindset, Izuku has displayed incredible leadership skills on various occasions.

By the start of his U.A. High School life, Izuku had already earned the trust of Ochaco Uraraka and Tenya Iida thanks to his actions in the U.A. Entrance Exam, which was enough to allow him to be voted class representative early on (having relinquished the position to Tenya shortly after). Tsuyu Asui and Minoru Mineta also placed their faith on Izuku during the U.S.J. Incident, following his instructions with little hesitation. By the time of the First Term Final Exam, he had already fought alongside Katsuki and Shoto, who were previously antagonistic to him.

Izuku might not be aware of this, but he is one of the main motivators within his class alongside Katsuki, no thanks to a combination of his heroic drive and practical intellect.

Quirk
One For All (ワン・フォー・オール): Given to him by All Might, Izuku's Quirk allows him to stockpile an enormous amount of raw power, allowing him to significantly enhance all of his physical abilities to a superhuman level. This results in unbelievable levels of strength, speed, agility, and durability.

Izuku can focus the stockpiled power into a single body part, or spread it across his entire body evenly, though, focusing the power in a single part puts greater strain on that part of his body. He is also able to control what percentage of his full power that he uses. He is currently able to handle 20% of his full power without breaking his bones.

The Quirk factors of the previous power holders have merged with the core of One For All and have drastically increased in strength since. This grants Izuku the ability to access and utilize the Quirks of the previous holders of One For All. The known Quirk that Izuku has manifested so far is:
 * Blackwhip: The Quirk that had belonged to a bald One For All predecessor. It creates whips of black energy which can be used to grab objects from long distances, as well as allow the user to pull themselves towards said objects. At first, he had little mastery and it causes him physical harm when using it. Izuku slowly trains with it and is able to create a miniature whip, but it is not impressive. During his week long training with Endeavor, he slowly masters it and during his fight with Ending, he successfully uses it to stop various vehicles from crashing.

Izuku has also displayed a type of mental connection to the previous holders of One For All.

Super Moves

 * Detroit Smash (デトロイトスマッシュ): The same as All Might's move, except Izuku does it in the form of an uppercut.
 * Delaware Smash (デラウエアスマッシュ): Izuku flicks his finger to create a powerful wind pressure shock wave that has enough force to break large chunks of ice. Due to using this attack at 100%, it fractures said finger, limiting the time he can use this move without gravely injuring himself up to ten times.
 * One For All: Full Cowl (ワン・フォー・オール フルカウル): Through his training with Gran Torino, Izuku was able to unlock this stage of his power and get better control of his Quirk. This technique allows Izuku to activate 20% (previously 5% which was then improved to 8% and was then further improved to 10-15%) of One For All throughout his body, letting the power course and flow through him instead of concentrating it in one location. According to Izuku, this technique gives him greater maneuverability. Activating this technique gives him enhanced strength, speed, mobility, and agility. It also prevents him from breaking his bones when attacking. The cost of using this technique reduces the damage of how much his attacks do since instead of centering the power into a certain area, Izuku spreads it throughout his body.
 * 5% Detroit Smash (5 パーセント デトロイトスマッシュ): Izuku activates One For All: Full Cowl at 5% then jumps into the air and delivers an enhanced downward punch to the opponent. He has also used this move in the form of a straight, forward-facing punch.
 * Double Detroit Smash (ダブルデトロイトスマッシュ): Izuku and All Might combine their Detroit Smashes into a single, devastating charge. They performed this final attack against Wolfram, shattering through a humongous chunk of metal and causing a huge explosion that destroyed Izuku's Full Gauntlet.
 * Delaware Smash Air Force (デラウエアスマッシュエアフォース): Izuku uses his upgraded gloves that Mei Hatsume made for him to direct a blast of compressed air against his foe, possessing enough concussive force to stun Gentle while he was in mid-air, giving Izuku an opening to catch up to him. By using all five of his fingers, he can launch up to four Delaware Smashes simultaneously. It requires 20% of his power to use it effectively.
 * One For All - 30%: A technique that allows Izuku to use 30% of One For All in his right arm. This percentage was used in conjunction with Melissa Shield's Full Gauntlet, which nullified any drawbacks to using One For All at higher percentages. Because of this, it is unknown how this state affects Izuku's body under normal conditions. With 30% Izuku was able to effortlessly blow away security bots with vast amounts of wind pressure created by the punch.
 * One For All - 100%: A technique that allows Izuku to attack using the full power of One For All in the desired part of his body, with the cost of said body part breaking upon execution. Further usage of the same limb after an initial attack can cause scarring, as seen with his fights against Shoto (causing Izuku to get surgery on his right hand due to injuries) and Muscular (leaving multiple scars across his right arm).
 * 100% Detroit Smash (100% デトロイトスマッシュ): This move involves Izuku activating One For All at 100% in his arm and then striking his target with a lunging punch.
 * 1,000,000% Delaware Detroit Smash (1000000% デトロイトデラウエアスマッシュ): This move is the strongest smash move in Izuku's arsenal, which involves him activating One For All at 100% during an adrenaline rush and then striking his opponent with a full-swing attack. When performing the move Izuku first uses a full-handed Delaware Smash, then delivers a devastating Detroit Smash. During the climax of his battle with Muscular, Izuku managed to overpower and launch his augmented opponent with enough force to create an impact crater in solid rock with the strike alone, thus defeating the villain.
 * One For All: Full Cowl - Shoot Style (ワンフォーオール フルカウル シュートスタイル): While using One For All: Full Cowl, Izuku uses a fighting style that focuses more on kicking. Izuku concentrates One for All: Full Cowl's effects in his torso and legs rather than his arms, allowing him to put out even more power due to the fact that the human leg muscles are naturally stronger than the human arm muscles, granting him enough power and stability and allowing him to step away from the shackles of having to imitate All Might.
 * Shoot Style: St. Louis Smash (シュートスタイルセントルイススマッシュ) While using the Shoot Style, Izuku leaps into the air and before swinging around to deliver a roundhouse kick to the opponent's face. Izuku used this move to incapacitate Gentle Criminal, who had been empowered by La Brava's Lover Mode Quirk to match Izuku's use of One for All: Full Cowl at 8% of its power.
 * One For All: Full Cowl - 20%: Izuku uses 20% of One For All's full power and distributes it throughout his body, giving him even greater power and speed boost. While it won't cause his bones to break, it does put immense strain on Izuku's body, causing him great pain to the point that it feels like his bones are on the verge of breaking.
 * Manchester Smash (マンチェスタースマッシュ): Izuku leaps into the air and flips forward to bring down an axe kick upon his opponent. Although Kai Chisaki managed to evade it, the attack itself pulverized the ground thoroughly enough that Kai wasn’t able to completely retaliate with his Overhaul Quirk.
 * One For All: Full Cowl - 100% (ワン・フォー・オール フルカウル 100): Izuku activates One For All to its fullest extent throughout in Full Cowl, granting him a tremendous boost in speed and strength that not only rivaled that of All Might but allowed Izuku to easily overwhelm the likes of Kai Chisaki. This was first used against Kai Chisaki to protect Eri. The power increase seemingly gives him fire-like trails coming from his eyes and light-colored hair. He can currently only use it infinitely with no damage done to his body while in physical contact with Eri. Since Eri has the ability to Rewind the state of a person's body, any damage done to Izuku's body by using One For All at 100% would continually be undone by Eri's Quirk which proved useful in his fight with Kai.

Equipment
Costume Gamma (コスチューム): Following Izuku's decision to change his combat to Shoot Style, Mei Hatsume upgrades his second costume. New additions consist of improved arm bracers that span the length of Izuku's arm in order to prevent further damage to them and iron soles to increase his kicking power.
 * Iron Soles (アイアンソール): It was created by Mei Hatsume, the Iron Armor Soles attached to Izuku's signature red shoes. After resolving to change his fighting style, he requested the soles to strengthen his attack. Upon kicking something, the soles absorb the impact and redistribute the kinetic energy back out to increase the impact strength of Izuku's kicks.
 * Air Force Gloves: Mei Hatsume gives Izuku a further upgrade to his costume with the addition of high tech support gloves. They allow Izuku to utilize pressurized air created by Full Cowl and use it as projectiles by flicking his finger.

Full Gauntlet (フルガントレット): Created by Melissa Shield, it was given to Izuku after she figured out that he was limiting his output of One For All, during the faux villain course at the I-Island Expo. The device allowed him to use his Quirk at higher percentages without the risk of self-injury. The gauntlet was later destroyed at the climax of Izuku and All Might's fight against Wolfram.

Trivia

 * Izuku was first planned to be an adult, as seen in the one-shot My Hero.
 * In the early concept stages of My Hero Academia, Izuku was known as "Mikumo Akatani". He had a longer and curlier hairdo, with bangs blocking one of his eyes. He was Quirkless in this concept, relying more on makeshift gadgets and luck to deal with obstacles. His hero costume was also slightly more intimidating. The costume was shown in a sketch having an orange color scheme.
 * Kohei Horikoshi once commented that he was unsatisfied with Mikumo's design, especially his hair. This made Horikoshi think up the current design with slightly shorter hair. He also received suggestions from editors to give the protagonist an actual superpower, so he wouldn't naturally fade into the background.
 * According to Izuku's profile in Volume 1:
 * His favorite food is Katsudon.
 * He was deliberately designed to look plain.
 * Regarding Izuku's academic life and performance, his U.A. data is as follows.
 * Student No. 18 in Class 1-A.
 * Ranked 7th during the U.A. Entrance Exam
 * Ranked 20th (last) for the Quirk Apprehension Test.
 * His 50-Meter Dash record is 7.02 seconds. His previous record was 7.49 in middle school.
 * His Grip Strenght record is 56 kilograms. His previous record was 40 kilograms in middle school.
 * His Softball Throw record is 705.3 meters. Without his Quirk, it's 46 meters.
 * Ranked 4th in Class 1-A's mid-term grades.
 * Ranked in the Top 8 of the U.A. Sports Festival First-Year Stage.
 * Izuku received only one nomination from Gran Torino for his U.A. Sports Festival performance, technically making him the 10th most nominated Class 1-A student.
 * Scored 71 in the Provisional Hero License Exam.
 * Izuku's surname contains the kanji for "green" (緑) and "valley" (谷), and his given name contains "coming out/being from a certain place, one's turn to go on" (出) and "long ago, old story" (久).
 * "久" is also homophonous to "nine" (九), which refers to him being the ninth user of One For All.
 * "Deku" (デク) is another reading of his first name, Izuku (出久). Written with different kanji, it can mean a wooden figure or puppet, used as an insult for someone who can't do or achieve anything.
 * Izuku's nickname, "Deku," was given to him by Katsuki when they were children as an insult.
 * Later, Ochaco Uraraka finds the nickname inspiring and says that "Deku" gives off a feeling of "I can do it" (頑張る), because of its similarity to the word meaning "to be able to do" (できる).
 * In the FUNimation dub, both Katsuki and Izuku indicate that his nickname is an abbreviation of a different nickname: "Defenseless Izuku", hence Deku.
 * Izuku's rankings in the Popularity Polls are as follows;
 * Izuku ranked 1st in the First Popularity Poll.
 * Izuku ranked 2nd in the Second, Third and Fifth Popularity Polls.
 * Izuku ranked 3rd in the Fourth Popularity Poll.
 * Izuku is the 7th oldest in his class, with his birthday taking place in July 15.
 * He also shares his birthday with another U.A. Student, being Mirio Togata.
 * In the U.A. Student Information Sheet that Shota Aizawa was using during Episode 39 of the anime, it was shown that Izuku’s Quirk is registered as "Super-Power" in public records, in order to protect the secret about One For All.
 * According to his costume breakdown in Volume 5, Izuku's Alpha Costume cost only ¥40,380 ($370.53 U.S. dollars) to make.
 * Izuku's later Costumes share the same designer as Shoto Todoroki's.

Quotes

 * (To All Might) "I have to work harder than anyone else to make it! I'll never catch up otherwise...! I want to be like you...! Like you. The strongest hero."
 * (To Katsuki Bakugo) "I'm not gonna be your worthless punching bag Deku forever... Kacchan. I'm... I'm the Deku who always does his best!"
 * (To Shoto Todoroki) "Just trying to meet expectations! A smiling... dependable... cool hero... That's what I wanna be! That's why I'm giving it everything! For everyone! Your experiences... your determination... I can't even begin to imagine what all that's like... but... If you become number one without giving it your all... Then I don't think you're serious... about denying him everything! That's why I have to win! I have to surpass you!"
 * (To Tenya Iida) "I-I've got a lot to say to you, but... That'll have to come later...! Because it's like All Might said... Giving help that's not asked for... is what makes a true hero!"
 * (To All Might) "I'll do my best! Whatever you say, All Might... I'll step up to the challenge! As long as you're by my side, I can do anything... That's how I feel, anyway!"
 * (To Kota Izumi) "If all the villains attacking tonight are on his level... everyone's in trouble. And they might be after us students. I need to tell Mr. Aizawa and the Wild, Wild Pussycats what I know. If my actions can save any of them... Then I've gotta do something."

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