Why Deku Doesn’t Want to Be a Full-Time Hero

Key Takeaways

• The reason behind Deku’s decision to not be a full-time hero is not due to losing One-for-All, but his desire to teach future heroes.
• Deku gains a super armor that simulates most of the One-for-All quirks, enabling him to continue hero activities.
• His decision to be a part-time hero and full-time teacher follows the example of other U.A. High teachers who balance both roles successfully.

My Hero Academia may have reached its conclusion with chapter 430, published back in August 2024, but its author, Kohei Horikoshi, has generously continued to release new chapters since then. Most of those are teasers for the upcoming movies, such as chapters 430.5 and 430.6. But chapter 431 is different. It is the continuation of the epilogue in chapter 430. An expanded epilogue, if you will.

It’s always great to see the lives of our beloved characters years after the final fight. That being said, there is one particular part in chapter 431 that pique our interest. It’s about Midoriya and the fact that he doesn’t really want to be a full-time hero anymore. For somebody who always wants to be a hero his whole life, this is certainly quite surprising. So, what leads him to this decision?

It’s Not Because One-For-All

When hearing about Deku’s surprising decision, the first thing that comes to everybody’s mind has to be he gives up because he no longer has One-for-All (OFA). While that certainly makes sense, that’s not really the reason why. After all, despite his loss, Deku can actually still active as a hero thanks to his brand-new super armor.

The Super Armor

While losing One-for-All is certainly devastating for Deku, things are actually looking up for him. You see, after years of development, Deku finally received a super armor, inspired by All-Might’s armor that he used against All-for-One during the final fight. Developed by the joint research team led by Mei Hatsume and Melissa Shield and using both All Might and Deku’s combat data, this armor can simulate most of the quirks within the One-for-All. By the way, this super expensive armor is fully funded by the students of Class 1A.

He Can be a Pro Hero

Thanks to this state-of-the-art armor, Deku can basically do all the things that he used to do with One-for-All. Add to that the wealth of combat experience that he has gathered during his fight against Shigaraki and All-for-One, he can basically become a full-time pro hero if he wants to. So no, losing One-for-All is not the main reason behind his decision.

He Wants to Emulate His Heroes

Rather than simply losing One-for-All, what affects Deku’s decision is the eight years between him losing his quirks and receiving the super armor. This extended period of time forces Deku to take a hard look at himself and make the necessary changes for his future. One of these changes is becoming a teacher for the Hero Course at U.A. High School. The years that he spent as a teacher greatly shaped his current way of thinking and eventually contributed to his decision to only be a part-time hero and a full-time teacher.

All Might and Eraser Head

If we take a look at Deku’s life since he received OFA from All Might to the day he defeats Shigaraki and loses his quirks, the two people that always there to help him are none other than All Might and Eraser Head. These two have saved Deku from countless dangerous and life-threatening situations, sometimes at the expense of their own well-being.

However, the most important moments often happen outside of the battlefield. It is the time when Deku struggles to control his newfound powers or when he is unsure of his path as a hero. During these mundane yet crucial times for Deku—not only as a hero but as a human being—those two are the ones who are always by his side, listening to his problems and giving him some valuable advice. Not as the hero All Might and Eraser Head, but rather as the teachers named Toshinori Yagi and Shota Aizawa.

Different kinds of Hero

His time as a student at U.A. High is undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most, influential stages in Deku’s life. In this school, he learns that heroes are not only those who wear costumes and go out to defeat the villains and save the lives of innocent people. There are different kinds of heroes in his school. Ones who dedicate their life to helping their students reach a greater height will keep them firmly planted on the ground at the same time.

Yes, his time in U.A. High School makes him realize that his teachers, particularly Yagi and Aizawa, are his greatest heroes. So when he loses One-for-All, the one thing that he wants to do is to become a teacher for the next generation of heroes. To do for his students what his teachers have done for him. It may not be as glamorous as other pro heroes who appear on TV all the time, but it is still a heroic path nonetheless.

Being a Part-Time Hero Might Not be So Bad

As we’ve seen in the epilogue, it takes years until the super armor is ready. During that time, Deku has already become a teacher for the Hero Course in U.A. High. He loves the time that he spends with his students and has never once regretted his decision to be a teacher.

A Part-Time Hero

The moment Deku puts on the super armor for the first time, his body instantly remembers what it feels like to wield OFA all those years ago. He moves just like the young Deku who used to execute multiple quirks at the same time. It’s like he never stops being a hero.

Even so, Deku firmly decided to keep his hero activity on the side. His primary focus lies in his job as a teacher. That’s why even when Bakugo asked Deku to be his partner in his newly formed Hero Agency, Deku flatly refused. He is more than satisfied with being a part-time Hero.

“The armor made me very happy, but my feelings haven’t changed. I think I’d enjoy being a teacher even if I still had One For All. Work doing what I love, and now I’m back being a hero with you guys! That makes me so, so happy! Thank you, Kacchan and Kirishima!”

—Izuku Midoriya, Chapter 431

A Full-Time Teacher

Deku’s decision to be a full-time teacher and a part-time hero is actually not that groundbreaking. In fact, almost every teacher in U.A. High and other schools with Hero Course are basically part-time heroes and full-time teachers.

Eraser Head, Midnight, Present Mic, Ectoplasm, and Cementoss, just to name a few, are teachers first and heroes second. And as we’ve seen throughout the story, they are more than capable of fulfilling their job as teachers while also participating in important missions as heroes. Deku merely follows the same path as his teachers. Now, Deku can do the two things that he loves the most in this world, being a teacher and saving innocent people as a hero. And he couldn’t be happier with his decisions.

My Hero Academia is available to stream on Crunchyroll.