My Hero Academia: How Izuku Became Dark Deku

My Hero Academia is a story of a world where roughly 80% of people have a superhuman ability, otherwise known as a “quirk.” These quirks come in many shapes and sizes. Some quirks are as simple as glowing. Other quirks are much more complicated and much more deadly.

However, some quirks appear more deadly than they might actually be. On that note, who is Dark Deku? Is this version of our hero just as sinister as he looks? Most importantly, how did this change occur in the first place?

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He Gained One for All

Perhaps the most infamous quirk of all belongs to a being known only as All for One. He’s a sinister character with the ability to take peoples’ quirks. And if he so chooses, he can gift those quirks as well. Ultimately, he used his influence to gain immortality and manipulate the world for generations.

Luckily, there is a hero. Or perhaps, a mantle: One for All. This power, first belonging to All for One’s brother, allows heroes to pass on their strength. The strength condenses and combines over generations. Each new hero gains the strength and abilities of the previous One for All. Now, high schooler Izuku Midoriya is that hero. Despite his age, he is thrust into the middle of a centuries-long feud between brothers.

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He Battled Shigaraki

The previous holder of One for All was the hero All Might. Then, All Might entrusted Midoriya with that power. He took on the hero name Deku. In time, Deku would learn to harness his abilities. In fact, he’d learn to use all the abilities that were bestowed upon him through One for All. He learned to use “Black Whip,” crackling tendrils that can grapple, lift, and swing. He learned to use “Smokescreen,” which releases thick purple clouds of smoke. And of course, he learned to use his incredible physical strength.

Well, All for One chose a protégé as well. His name is Tomura Shigaraki, and his quirk destroys anything he touches. However, All for One grants him even more quirks. The heroes attempt to defeat him. True, they’re able to keep him at bay for some time. However, despite the help of Eraserhead (Shōto Aizawa) and the number one hero Endeavor, the casualties are still countless. Entire districts are leveled in mere minutes. Worst of all, Deku falls into a coma.

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He Tried To Fight Alone

The moment he woke up, Deku had a devastating realization about the fight. All for One acquired a quirk that can track someone’s exact location. All for One could pinpoint Deku’s location. Deku decided that he had to separate himself from everyone he cared about. Actually, more than that. He decided he had to separate himself from anyone who could get hurt. Especially because of the horrifying promise that All for One made Deku: “You’re next.”

As a result, Deku left the school. He left his friends behind. In fact, he even left behind All Might, the very hero who trusted him with his power. Deku raced around the city stopping crime in seconds. The world was in disarray, and so was he. Suddenly, exhausted and tattered, with Black Whip crackling and Smokescreen spewing, Deku didn’t look like a hero anymore. He looked sinister. Dangerous, even. He didn’t have the heart to smile. Instead, all he could do was fight.

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In the end, his partner Katsuki Bakugo and his friend Ochaco Uraraka wouldn’t let him fight alone. They work with all the other kids in class 1A to finally bring Deku back to the school. Undoubtedly, they’ll protect him with their lives.

Do you like Dark Deku’s design? Or, do you prefer his classic appearance? Better yet, how do you think Deku will appear once he truly becomes the world’s greatest hero?

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