Kōhei Horikoshi’s popular shonen series, My Hero Academia, is nearing its end with the final chapter scheduled for August 5th, 2024. The series has gained a massive fan following and it has a lot to do with the characters that Horikoshi wrote for the series.
During a CinemaToday’s Heroes: Rising interview published in December 2019, Horikoshi would let the fans get a peek inside the creative mindsets of the characters. Here is what Horikoshi had to say about the creation of the main character, Izuku Midoriya, in the interview.
Kōhei Horikoshi’s mindset for forging a true hero
One thing that sets My Hero Academia apart from other shonen manga and anime is the characters, especially the main character of the series. We see Izuku Midoriya grow throughout the series. Izuku starts off quirkless in a world where a majority of the population develops a quirk by the age of 5. This leaves him ostracized by his peers.
However, Deku uses his initial weakness as a defining strength about him. Though he grapples with self-doubt and the pressure of wielding the quirk passed on to him, the vulnerability makes Deku a character that fans can get behind and relate to. Horikoshi, during an interview with CinemaToday, explained his thought process for writing Izuku Midoriya. When asked how Deku was created, he said:
When I looked back on the characters I can draw, I found that characters like Deku who are slightly reserved, and while not gloomy, tend to bottle things up within them, are the easiest for me to draw.
I really like stories where the [main] character still tries to move on forward even if it means they will need to crawl desperately on the ground and go through hell. I really wanted to draw a protagonist who will act like that.
The other character that has had fans won over despite being really disliked is Izuku’s rival, Bakugo. Horikoshi would also dive deeper into Bakugo’s character later on in the interview.
How Horikoshi saw a chance for Bakugo’s character development in My Hero Academia
Bakugo’s character in My Hero Academia is completely different in contrast to Midoriya’s character. Bakugo at the beginning of the story is a bully and is arrogant and bold. However, throughout the series, we see him have a drastic change in character. During the same interview with CinemaToday, Horikoshi explained what he had planned for Bakugo’s character.
When asked about the setting of Bakugo’s character, Horikoshi stated:
Originally, he [Bakugo] was created to be the arrogant guy who intimidates Deku from a higher social [school] caste, who Deku eventually surpasses. After enrolling, I had planned for him to develop in a separate direction from Deku, but in the aftermath of having them battle each other as soon as possible, Bakugo cried, you see.
I then realized the delicious fact that, maybe even this guy’s good parts would show themselves if I drew him properly. At first, I really was planning for Bakugo to stay a horrible guy throughout the story. Had that happened, he definitely wouldn’t have become as popular as he is now.
Kōhei Horikoshi’s depth and complexity for the characters in My Hero Academia are second to none. The character writing and growth of the series are certainly key factors for the popularity it has gained over the years.
You can stream My Hero Academia on Crunchyroll.
Frequently asked questions
What did Kohei Horikoshi say about making things easy for Deku?
In a CinemaToday interview tied to Heroes: Rising and published in December 2019, Horikoshi said he likes stories where the main character keeps moving forward even if it means they ‘will need to crawl desperately on the ground and go through hell.’ That philosophy is why Izuku ‘Deku’ Midoriya is never handed an easy path.
Why does Deku’s quirkless start matter to his character?
In My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya begins quirkless in a world where most people develop a quirk by around age 5, which leaves him ostracized by his peers. Horikoshi turns that weakness into Deku’s defining strength, and his self-doubt plus the pressure of wielding an inherited quirk give the character the vulnerability fans relate to.
How did Horikoshi change his view of Bakugo?
In the same CinemaToday interview, Horikoshi said Bakugo was originally created as the arrogant, higher-caste rival who intimidates Deku and is eventually surpassed, and he planned to keep him ‘a horrible guy.’ But after Bakugo cried following an early battle, Horikoshi realized ‘this guy’s good parts would show themselves if I drew him properly’ — characterization he credits for Bakugo’s popularity.
