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For almost a decade, My Hero Academia has been capturing the hearts and minds of kids, anime enthusiasts, and fans of the superhero-action genre. Each season of My Hero Academia takes the viewer into a different level of storytelling and brilliant character development, making the series so enthralling even for first time viewers.
In the world of My Hero Academia, 80% of the world’s population has special powers which are called “Quirks.” Several “superhero” schools have sprung up to encourage and train young people with Quirks to use their powers for the good of society and become professional heroes. The story centres on Izuku Midoriya, a Quirkless boy who aspires to be a superhero. His dream will eventually be fulfilled when Earth’s number 1 hero, All Might, chooses him to be the next heir of the “One for All,” a Quirk that can be transferred from person to person.
Have you been following the My Hero Academia series? Can you identify or relate yourself with one of the heroes (or villains perhaps)? So which My Hero Academia character are you? There's also an ongoing spinoff show titled My Hero Academia: Vigilantes which is set 5 years before Izuku enters UA High.
Before you show us your Quirk, let’s get awestruck with some fun facts that even My Hero Academia fans and followers may not know about yet. Read on!
What Does U.A. in My Hero Academia Mean?
U.A. is the prominent hero school in My Hero Academia, where the main character Izuku Midoriya and his classmates are studying. But what does U.A. really stand for? People think it’s an acronym for 2 English words. The surprising thing is – U.A. does not mean anything in English, but more of a play of Japanese words. The word hero in Japanese is translated as 英雄 pronounced as ei-yu, which becomes yu-ei if you invert it. Therefore, U.A. is an inverted pun for the word hero in Japanese.
Midoriya’s First Name Would Have Been Jack
Izuko Midoriya is inspired by a character in a one-shot manga series entitled “My Hero.” The character’s name is Jack Midoriya, a feeble salaryman (the term used in Japan for an office worker) who just like Izuku dreams of becoming a superhero.
The Names of My Hero Academia Characters Have Meanings
Kohei Horikoshi, creator of My Hero Academia, almost made sure that every character’s name in the series has a meaning which relates to the character’s Quirk or personality. Take the following for example:
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Bakugo = baku (bomb) + go (power)
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Denki Kaminari = denki (electric) + kaminari (thunder)
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Tenya Iida – taken from Idaten, a Buddhist hero who is known to be “fast on his feet”
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Ochaco Uraraka – uraraka in Japanese means “fine day” which certainly relates to Ochaco’s cheerful personality.
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Shoto = sho (burning) + to (freezing)
Katsuki Bakugo Was Supposed to Be Kind-Hearted
Followers of My Hero Academia may find this unbelievable, but Bakugo’s character was supposed to be kind and well-mannered. The series creator, Kohei Horikoshi, initially wanted Katsuki Bakugo to be a kind and gentle hero. However, he later thought that such idea might make the character boring, gutless, and uninteresting to fans since the main character, Midoriya, already has such traits.
True enough, Bakugo can be very rough and aggressive, reflective of his pyrokinetic powers. His ambivalent friendship with Izuku Midoria makes him a very noticeable character in the series. He may not be admired by everybody in school, but Bakugo has demonstrated his heroism many times over.
Midoriya’s Hero Name, “Deku,” Has a Double Meaning
The name Deku has an interesting history and evolution. It basically started as an insult to Midoriya when he and Bakugo were young kids, given that Midoriya was still Quirkless back then and Bakugo used to bully him all the time. Deku is a Japanese word for “puppet” and also used as a derogatory remark for someone who is useless.
Ochaco Uraraka, being twinkly and optimistic, gave it a new meaning. Deku reminds her of "dekiru," which translates to someone who is able to do. That encouraged Midoriya to take Deku as his superhero alias! From a disparaging label, the name Deku now symbolises one of the most promising hero students of UA Academy.
Tsuyu Asui and Toru Hagakure Were Supposed to Be Boys
Aside from Ochako Uraraka, two of the best-known girl characters in My Hero Academia are Toru Hagakure and Tsuyu Asui. Interestingly, creator Kohei Horikoshi originally conceptualised them to be male characters. However, he realised that Class 1-A already has too many boys; so to balance the theme, he decided to change their genders. Thanks to Horikoshi’s decision, fans have Asui and Hagakuri, to adore as lovable heroines with Mina Ashido and many others in UA Academy. GIRL POWER is very much alive in My Hero Academia!
Ochaco Uraraka Was Initially the Mt Lady
Another favourite girl character is ON for a fun fact! Ochaco Uraraka, the bubbly and cheerful close friend of Midoriya was originally envisioned to be the Mt Lady. Her name would have been Yu Takeyama, with a superpower that allows her to grow monoliths on the ground – instead of having the Zero Gravity Quirk.
The idea was eventually dropped. Mt Lady was later revived but as a different person with the power to grow into a giant, and who is much older than Ochaco.
Deku Influenced Shoto Todoroki's Fighting Style
Shoto Todoroki's fighting style was initially shaped by his family upbringing and personal struggles, notably:
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the rigorous training with his father Endeavor, whom he has developed a resentment with
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his relationship with his depressed and mentally challenged mother, as evidenced by his burn scar surrounding his left eye.
A pivotal moment that influenced his fighting style was his battle against Izuku Midoriya during the UA Sports Festival. Prior to the sports festival, the trauma from his childhood made him decide to reject his fire abilities. This led to an over-reliance on ice-based attacks, making his style more predictable. During their match, Izuku's words encouraged Shoto to embrace his fire side, leading to a more balanced and versatile fighting ability. Over time, Shoto has worked to integrate both elements of his Quirk more effectively, evolving into a more adaptable fighter and contributing to his character growth.
Tenya Iida's Hero Name, Ingenium, Is the Latin Word for Engine
As mentioned above, the names of MHA characters often have meanings, but they are coined from Japanese words. When it comes to their hero aliases, most of them use English labels such as All Might, Endeavor, Eraser Head, Present Mic, and the likes. With Tenya Iida, however, his hero name Ingenium is Latin for engine—referring to his engine Quirk. He adopted the alias as a homage to his brother Tensei who has the same Quirk as his.
Where Did Quirks Come From?
Some may notice that My Hero Academia has a similar concept as Marvel Comic’s X-Men, where superpowered humans are called mutants and are born with their unique abilities. There may be similarities, but what’s interestingly different in My Hero Academia is that 80% (that’s a great majority) of Earth’s populace has powers a.k.a. Quirks. People become aware of their Quirks when they turn 5, If a Quirk doesn’t show up by the age of 5, a person can be considered Quirkless for the rest of his or her life. Sometimes, the quirk can have a major effect on the person's physical appearance.
In many superhero narratives, the main hero character often has an origin story in which it tells how the hero got his or her powers. That goes the same with the villains. However, in My Hero Academia, Quirks are given by nature randomly. Similarly, the series’ creator had purely random inspiration when creating a character’s Quirk.
In an interview with ComicBook.com, Horikoshi said when asked about where he got inspiration for each Quirk…
“It has been more of a ‘light bulb’ or ‘Ah-ha’ moment — by being inspired by the things around me. For example, with Gran Torino, I came up with his Quirk when I was taking a shower. I looked at the shower head and was like, ‘Oh, that would be cool… for something to come out of his feet.’ Like have propellant coming out of them (sic). So, that is how his Quirk was inspired.”
We hope you had fun reading this article. Do you know of other fun facts about My Hero Academia that most fans are not familiar with? Feel free to share them to us! For the meantime, please check out our range of MHA toys and other anime collectables, including those from anime-like shows such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and more.
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