Izuku Midoriya. Whether or not you have seen this name is irrelevant because it means a lot of things to a lot of people. Because whether you like it or not, Deku and, by extension, My Hero Academia have made major waves across shonen and anime in general.
From curious crybaby, reckless rascal, and helpful hero Deku has made his mark as one of the shonen's hottest topics in terms of shonen protags. And with the manga going crazy, I wanted to analyze what I believe, as of this moment personally, is his best and most defining feat as a character. So sit back and relax as I try to reveal what I think is Deku's best moment, as he does mean a lot to me.
Note
Before I begin, I would like to point out a couple of things here. This post will contain major spoilers for MHA, specifically the chapters 304 to 305, but honestly, I'll also be revealing bits and pieces of 318, so I would recommend just being caught up with the manga right now. Only check out around the 210-220 range of the manga for the anime.
Also, if you want my own opinion, I think that Deku is a great protagonist that I think both get too much hate for traits like his acquisition of OFA and his crying (I'm fine with the memes, but Y'all can be mean sometimes). However, even with the gen new shonen protags, he's not cracking my favorites with Senku Ishigami taking the crown.
Hell, he's not even my favorite character in the show, with Gentle Criminal, Shigraki, Endeavor, and Hawks invoking more emotion out of me. So while I do like Deku, I don't think he's a gift from God. And this is my opinion that could change with the manga being ongoing, so please tell me what you think Deku's best moment is down below while respecting mine.
Context
Now to set the scene. Deku went through a lot during the Paranormal Liberation War would be the understatement of 53 chapters. In one day, the efforts of thousands of individuals were pushed to their very limits in a conflict that will leave scars on hero society for decades to come. Despite the planning and tactics, everything the heroes had planned, Shigaraki (with AFO), Dabi, and Gigantomachia smashed it all.
Despite the conflict arguably ending in a draw, the casualties and ramifications of the war are very different. Because of the Paranormal Liberation Front's actions, cities have to be destroyed, and dozens of heroes' lives have gotten lost. Villains have gotten freed to wreak havoc on Japan as it's gridlocked from the rest of the world. The fragile society of idyllic peace created by All Might has shattered. Even after pushing One for All to its very limits and effectively crippling Shigraki's body Deku could still do almost nothing as Shiggy kept going. Nearly killed everyone who fought alongside him that day: his teacher Aizawa, his mentors Endeavor and Gran Torino, and his rival/friend Bakugou.
So with heroism, people largely admired effectively shattered, the entire world begging for a hero, and Deku and Shigraki were not even close to hitting their peaks. The injured hero then speaks with the past users of One for All after being weakened.
Through this discussion, we get a lot of interesting facts and secrets about One for All and its respective users. The biggest one effectively being the true cost of the quirk. While the stockpiled power within OFA already puts a huge burden on the user's body, it seems that those who already have a quirk upon obtaining OFA effectively have their lives drastically shortened.
This was largely akin to the wielders from the 2nd to 7th already having their "cup" relatively filled with their quirks. OFA basically overfills the cup with further stockpiled power and recording the previous user's consciousness, making the burden worse. However, All Might's lack of a quirk effectively made him the best chalice of OFA hence why he held it for 40 years without issue.
We are once again reminded of OFA's complex tragedy, as it is truly a heroic superpower. Every wielder before it effectively had to bear a weight that cost them everything, yet even in death, they still try to do the right thing. It is effectively a quirk built on altruistic sacrifice, which will be brought up later.
So with all that in mine, this means that OFA's pure power can only be safely passed on to those who are quirkless. However, the minimal nature of quirkless individuals means only one thing. Deku will possibly be the last wielder of OFA, but this also means that with AFO's longevity, the fight between the two brothers has to end here in his generation. Like that formerly quirkless underdog, now must be the chosen one to save the world.
However, something happened during Deku and Shiggy's meeting in the vestige world. Despite all the burning hatred shared on both sides, he'll never forgive him for all of his destruction despite Deku's swearing. He genuinely sees Shiggy as someone in need of saving from the enthrall of AFO, which leaves the past vestiges to have a principal question to ask. Can Izuku Midoryia be the one to kill Tomura Shigaraki? And the answer he makes in this chapter leads to arguably his best moment.
Overview
A decision like this comes with a lot of weight behind it. As noted by the first user, OFA is a power that got initially created to stand up to AFO and stop him. And with Shigraki now inheriting the power, not only is it possible for him to get even stronger, strong enough to steal OFA, but it also means that AFO might have completely consumed his consciousness. Combine that with Shiggy's already rotten core plus his resolve, and saving him might be the thing that eventually leads to his downfall and thus the world's downfall. Killing him would be the easy choice. But what is Deku's choice?
Well, we find that out soon enough. After Nana's concerns, Deku explains his answer. He explains that through all of Shigraki's burning hatred, he could feel what he truly was: a child that no one reached out hard enough to before it was too late. A sentiment that honestly can be shared for not only a lot of the League of Villains but also for most of the villains Deku has faced in general.
Across his short journey, Deku has fought against many villains that wouldn't back down (Overhaul, Stain, Muscular). But just like a lot of heroes in this society, he never tried to understand why they did what they did, only seeing them as nothing more than mindless inhuman villains that needed to get stopped.
However, he realizes this after his battle with Gentle. He sees another clear representation of not only the flawed superhuman society they've created but also what the average villain must be like. he realizes that maybe if he did try to understand them, things would turn out different, or it would've been all the same.
While Deku acknowledges that Shiggy has done irredeemable things, and killing him may be a real choice, he truly believes that OFA's original purpose was to kill AFO. He thinks that the quirk has evolved not only in power but also in purpose. Because through All Might's countless heroics, he sees OFA as a power meant to save and not kill.
Up until now, Deku has only been able to show bits and pieces of his body. But in his resolve to try and save Shiggy, he transforms back into a kid. Not i to keep his childlike innocence but to show the audience that this has been a part of him since the very beginning. With that, Deku passed the test from the vestiges, fully gaining their support.
Aftermath
While I've seen more positive comments on the subject and expected it to happen, I'm still absolutely floored about the number of people who decided to throw shit on this decision. If I can drop the maturity for a second here, let me say this.
'Deku's is not being a fucking idiot child and him Shigraki aren't go off to the sunset Scott free to make op babies, you idiotic trolls.'
While I'm excellent with people disagreeing on this decision, I'm putting my foot down when it comes to people saying this is some copout from Horikoshi or saying that the story didn't naturally lead up to this decision. Because not only is this the "right" choice with the themes of MHA, but this decision is completely 100% within Deku's character. Later chapters reaffirm this decision as such.
All For One in chapter 316 confirms the fundamental flaws of this society as clearly as day. Despite our accommodations and encouragement of quirks, we only support the similar majority and shun a divergent minority on something they just fundamentally can't control. It's why most villains exist in this world.
This systematic philosophy is why a father turned his back on the son that he created to surpass him because he represented the worst traits that reflected right back at him. Why did the man with the split open psyche only find happiness from the people who were just as broken as him? Why the former schoolgirl can only find friendship in blood and violence.
Why no one even dared to touch the boy who had only known destruction. Despite their very separate paths, one thing remains clear for every person who follows their path. And that is, on some level, every person is worth saving, including villains. So it makes sense why Deku, of all people, would be able to come to this conclusion.
Because as noted by the first vestige and shown throughout the entire series Deku for better or worse, has always been someone who's prioritized saving someone emotionally and physically above his own life. This trait has led him to leave his body on the verge of permanent collapse and has currently pushed himself to unhealthy limits in the manga.
But it's also been the trait that saved Bakugou from multiple villains, Uraraka from the giant robot, All Might from the League. Saved Todoroki from his obsessive legacy, Iida from his revenge for his brother, Kota from sharing the same fate as his parents, Eri from the abusive hold of Overhaul, and so many others.
That line of reasoning is exactly why Izuku is worthy of One For All and why he's proved himself to its power multiple times with the vestiges included. That's why Deku is the true hero that will lead a new era of people who try to save both civilians and villains and treat everyone as people. And this is why I think this is Deku's best moment.
Epilogue
My Hero Academia is a series that holds a special place in my heart. What started as a series with fun superpowers quickly has become a property that holds a lot of weight in the current society I see because I think, on some level, Deku is something that should be shared through all of us: compassion.
We are all imperfect. We all make mistakes, have different backgrounds, fall, and are human beings. No man can ever be an island. And I think we all managed to remember that maybe we all could do a lot more saving.