Summary
- All Might is a mentor figure who also learns from his mentees like Deku, showing the need for continuous growth.
- Starting as quirkless, All Might becomes a symbol of peace, but faces challenges in maintaining this role.
- All Might’s journey involves letting go of his past burdens, finding new purpose through teaching, and embracing help from others.
All Might has become one of the most famous “mentor” characters in animanga. Embodying characteristics of other famous heroes like Goku and Superman, All Might has himself become a legendary figure. But while he may be a mentor, My Hero Academia forces him into the role of mentee a lot as well, showing that even the supremely capable have a lot to learn.
For All Might, we see a character forced to reckon with his legacy, exposing the flaws of his ideals and teaching the next generation how to walk a better path. All Might enters the story as a symbol of peace and heroism to nearly all the characters we see, but it is through his decision to continue to grow and move forward that he becomes an even greater hero by the end.
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Toshinori Yagi: Origin
All Might’s Starting Line is Very Similar to His Protégé’s
The All Might we are introduced to in Chapter 1 has come a long way already. Before the super-powered hero we see today, there was a quirkless boy who, upon seeing the carnage and corruption around him, sought to become a symbol of hope for society. Much like Deku, All Might (real name Toshinori Yagi) lacked much in the way of power, but he more than made up for in will and spirit. For Toshinori Yagi, he wanted nothing more than the ability to change the hearts of the world around him.
Through a chance meeting with Nana Shimura, the 7th wielder of One for All, Toshinori is able to realize his dream of becoming a symbol of peace. Nana, upon hearing his story and being inspired by his drive, wills him One for All, and as the 8th wielder he “defeats” All for One and finally ushers in an era of peace. Crime rates plummet, and the presence of “heroes” become ubiquitous in society.
But for all that this power offered him, it also came with a high burden. For All Might, he saw maintaining this symbol of peace as his sole burden, placing the weight of the safety of Japan and the world on his shoulders. But this pure ideal soon became toxic, as best exemplified by a flashback we see of him talking with Nighteye. Nighteye warns him that if he keeps on his current path, he will face a gruesome death at the hands of a terrible villain. Nighteye’s advice is to find a suitable heir and pass on the power and responsibility. But All Might, thinking that this burden is his alone, chooses to maintain his status even as his powers continue to wane. This is the All Might we meet in Chapter 1. It is only after meeting Izuku Midoriya, a quirkless boy not unlike the one he once was, that he begins to recognize a different path.
“I want to become a pillar of justice that people can believe in.” – Toshinori Yagi to Nana Shimura
Now It’s Deku’s Turn
All Might Finally Finds a Worthy Successor
In Izuku Midoriya, All Might sees a lot of himself, and a lot of the hero he still wants to be. It is upon seeing Izuku “move without thinking” while he was busy lamenting his powerlessness, that All Might realized he had lost some of his motivation. In a scene that mirrors his own experience with Nana, All Might informs Izuku that he can become a hero, and he designates him as the heir to One for All.
While he is a much older man at this point, meeting Izuku is still a formative experience for him, as he challenges a lot of the perspectives he has on heroism, as he is finally being forced into introspection by seeing himself through the eyes of Deku. But he is still not completely healed of his old ways, and his beginning with Deku enforces a lot of the harmful thoughts and ideologies that All Might himself took to heart. The first time we can see this is during the U.A. exams.
All Might utters the line “there is nothing nobler than self-sacrifice”, which can be an inspiring thought, but in the hands of someone like Deku or All Might, who draw their entire worth from their power and their duty to others, this slogan quickly turns poisonous. While it might have been harder for All Might to take note of this, as his body was strong enough to handle a weakened One for All easily, with Deku he can see the harmfulness of this ideology reflected physically. In Deku’s fight to save Todoroki at the Sports Festival, he is breaking and rebreaking bones in his body, nobly sacrificing himself for the sake of Shoto, but horrifying everyone at the lengths he is willing to go to. It is perhaps here, upon remembering that he told Deku he wanted this to be his I Am Here moment, that he realizes that his approach to heroism may need reconsidering.
“There is nothing mroe noble than self-sacrifice.” – All Might about Deku’s performance at the entrance exams.
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Extinguishing the Flames
All Might Must Find A New Spark For Life
Another key challenge to All Might’s ideology is when he learns that All for One is still alive, and he realizes that means Deku will most likely have to face him. For All Might, this was his heroic duty, and his sole burden as the Symbol of Peace, but now he realizes he has to surrender some of this power and responsibility to Deku. This forces All Might to consider what his role in his life is. If he can’t face All for One with his quirk anymore, then what good is he as All Might? He feels that he has failed to be the symbol that society needs.
However, he does get one last chance to go out on a high note, as All for One makes a move earlier than expected, and though All Might has already passed on One for All, he retains a few remaining “embers” of the power. In an epic “final” showdown, we see All Might push past his limits, strike down All for One, and stand proud a final time as the Symbol of Peace, a moment that is immortalized in statue by the end of the series. But now, with his status as the symbol finally “behind” him, he must look forward to who else he can become.
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Society Needs More Than Symbols
Through Teaching, All Might Finds a New Purpose
With Deku and his mother Inko, All Might is given another guiding light. In yet another instance of Deku inspiring him, All Might heads out to the home of Deku in order to discuss his remaining at U.A. even with the threat of the League of Villains looming. Inko does not want Deku to return, and fears that his presence at U.A. will continue to put him in danger. But for Deku, this does not deter him; even though this was his hero dream, he promises that he will continue to try wherever he can, even being willing to attend other schools. But upon seeing Deku’s determination, All Might realizes that he can and must do more. He promises Inko that he will train Deku to become the hero he wants to be, and will dedicate his life to doing so.
This promise is quickly put to the test as Deku faces danger once again during the Shie Hassaikai arc, and this also forces All Might to face a lot of old feelings and friends. We learn that Mirio was originally considered as a successor to One for All. Deku also learns what Nighteye saw in All Might’s future. But here we are faced once again with how important Deku was in challenging All Might’s view on life and heroism. Because for Deku, even upon hearing that Nighteye has never been wrong with his power of Foresight, he still vows to twist fate, and he asks that All Might continue to do the same alongside him. Deku succeeds, avoiding the death that Nighteye foresaw, and smashing through a future that was seemingly etched in stone. Upon seeing this, All Might decides that he, too, will fight to keep living.
Toshinori Yagi: Rising
All Might Faces an Old Villain as a New Hero
All Might decides that, as long as he lives, he can keep fighting on, and, inspired by his students, he wields a suit to face All for One, one final time. We see just how much his time at UA supporting this new generation of heroes has influenced him. All Might’s final stand against All for One showcases his adoration for his students, as the special moves he relies on now no longer refer to his favorite American states, but the abilities of his students. He sought to become a teacher, and was taught a lot in the process. He also learns to surrender himself to the help of others. In Deku’s Dark Hero arc, we see All Might pleading for Deku not to go things alone, and that his friends and other heroes will support him. All Might also realizes this for himself, and he enters the fight not thinking he will end All for One, but that he will be able to buy the time needed for the other heroes. And while he holds off valiantly, All for One is finished off by Bakugo.
All Might functions as a way for us to see the flaws of Deku’s idealism from someone who has lived these experiences. The series begins with rose-colored glasses as we see All Might and Deku as valiant and noble heroes for their willingness to sacrifice themselves and go beyond their limits. But it is upon seeing the weight this has applied to All Might, and how it is continuing to affect Deku, that we are forced to reckon with the dangers of this ideology. Fortunately, All Might sees the flaws in his reasoning as well, and by the end of the story, he is able to offer himself, Deku, and society new ways forward into heroism.
My Hero Academia is available to stream on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime where available. You can also read the manga on VIZ’s Shonen Jump App.
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