How Midoriya’s Narrative is a Deconstruction of the Chosen One Trope

Summary

• Midoriya starts powerless, unlike the typical Chosen One trope, struggling to stand out in a world full of quirks.
• Midoriya earns his powers, breaking the Chosen One mold, as he faced struggles and relied on others for support.
• Unlike Chosen Ones who bear their responsibilities alone, Midoriya’s journey to defeat All For One relies on his classmates and allies.

My Hero Academia showcases a world where most individuals are born with superhuman abilities known as quirks. One would expect that the main protagonist would be born with the most powerful quirk in this world, but that is not the case. Midoriya, the main protagonist, is born quirkless and has the role of the chosen one to fulfill, but being born without a quirk defeats this purpose. Midoriya is destined to defeat All For One and restore peace and order to Japan. However, Midoriya’s story is different from the conventional Chosen One trope.

The Chosen One is the protagonist destined for greatness who has unique abilities or is from a powerful lineage that sets them apart from others. Midoriya’s story is the opposite of this, as he is born quirkless, and his parents have unimportant quirks. Even when Midoriya got a quirk, things did not automatically become easier for him as he struggled to grow and relied on others around him.

How Midoriya Started

Powerless And Ordinary As Opposed To Being Born With Powerful Abilities

• Anime Appearance: Episode 1

In a world where over 80% of the population has supernatural abilities known as quirks, Midoriya struggles to stand out. He is quirkless and with no hopes of ever manifesting a quirk. This lack of a quirk pushes Midoriya into the background, as everyone around him, young and old, all have quirks, forcing him to isolate and look down on himself despite how much he tries to not let it bother him.

This starting point automatically disqualifies Midoriya from being the Chosen One, but the creators of My Hero Academia had something in store for Midoriya to kick off his journey as a hero. The conventional chosen one trope begins with the protagonist being born with extraordinary abilities or born into a legendary lineage where everything is in place for them to fit into the role of the chosen one, and Midoriya does not have either.

Midoriya’s Encounter With All Might

The Beginning Of Midoriya’s Journey As A Hero

Midoriya’s attempt to save Bakugo from the sludge villain caught All Might’s attention. All Might saw himself in the young lad, pitiful, quirkless, and desperate, but this did not initially move All Might to pick Midoriya as his successor and the next owner of the One For All quirk. It was after Midoriya begged All Might to give him a chance that the pro hero decided to give him a chance, especially because he was once like Midoriya.

Chosen Ones typically inherit their power as a birthright or divine gift, not how Midoriya got his. Midoriya saw his chance and begged All Might to give him a chance, and what helped Midoriya was the heroic qualities he bore even without having powers. Midoriya’s willingness to act selflessly and his determination despite his physical limitations pushed All Might to pass down the One For All quirk to him.

Midoriya’s Struggled And Reliance

The One For All Quirk Was A Burden, But Midoriya Carried It Regardless

Chosen Ones often naturally grow into their powers, with minimal setbacks. This is not the case with Midoriya, as he suffered greatly with the One For All quirk. He broke his bones, tore his muscles, and stressed his body as it tried to accommodate the greatness that is One For All. One For All is a combination of six quirks, and one quirk is enough to strain the human body, not to talk of six. This made Midoriya’s growth and ascent to greatness filled with hard work, suffering, and constant self-doubt.

In as much as Midoriya had his resilient moments, he had more moments where he doubted himself and felt unworthy of One For All. His obsessive drive to save others, even at the cost of his health, underscores the emotional weight of being chosen.

With great powers come great responsibilities, and Chosen Ones usually bear their great responsibilities of saving the world alone, with minimal help from others who serve as sidekicks or minor players.

However, Midoriya’s case was different as he could not do it alone, and despite how much he tried to do it alone, he was not cut out for it. He eventually had to depend on and rely on his classmates, mentors, and allies. In My Hero Academia, it is an all-hands-on-deck situation as all heroes, whether established or in training, have to come together to support Midoriya on his journey to defeat All For One. This goes against the usual chosen one trope, but it works well in My Hero Academia as it helps release a bit of tension and pressure from Midoriya.

Midoriya’s Legacy

The Anti-Chosen One

Midoriya’s narrative in My Hero Academia breaks the glorification of the Chosen One trope by portraying a hero who earns his power, struggles with his weight, and relies on those around him for support.

Midoriya’s story shows what it means to be a hero in a flawed society, emphasizing resilience, community, and the idea that greatness is not predetermined but achieved through relentless effort.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.