Izuku needed a quirk because Horikoshi was uninspired.
Summary:
MHA tells us “you need a superpower to become a hero”.
Both superhero comics and MHA have examples of why it’s false.
MHA could’ve been inspiring — but chose the lazy and boring route.
Back in the very first episode of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), its main character Midoriya Izuku meets his idol, the Number One hero All Might, and asks him a simple question — can he, a quirkless boy, also be a hero? The answer to this was heartbreaking for the heavily bullied 14 years old kid — All Might was convinced that this was all but impossible.
All Might lied as he breathed.
Later on, Izuku is offered All Might’s fantastical superpower of One for All, not just allowing him to become a hero — but giving him the potential to become the most powerful hero of them all, jumpstarting the young boy’s heroic career. Except, was this really the only way?
The premise makes little sense
We’re not sure if we’ve ever heard of a superhero with no superpowers— oh, wait, we totally have. Batman, Green Arrow, Iron Man and Punisher, to name a few. All of them are superheroes that have to rely either on gadgets or their skills, and could all potentially serve as prototypes for Izuku.
And hell, just look at what superpowers some of MHA official heroes have! Sir Nighteye has precognition — which could be occupied for long lengths of time, rendering him essentially quirkless, with only his weighted stamps as weapons. Eraserhead has the ability to nullify SOME quirks — and has to fight mutant-type quirks essentially quirkless. And Mandalay of Wild Wild Pussycats has a Telepathy quirk — that is, a superpowered substitute for a radio. And just look at how dangerous Stain is — sure, he has a powerful paralyzing quirk, but it doesn’t mean a thing if he’s unable to cut his victim first, and he tangled with Full Cowled Izuku!
And with in-universe prevalence of heroic support gear (essentially, gadgets), there was nothing truly stopping Izuku from becoming a quirkless hero. Sure, he wouldn’t have been able to fight with the likes of All for One and Overhaul — but even among Top 10, not everyone can!
Possible in-universe explanation doesn’t look good either
Once again, the MHA society is extremely quirkist. If you have a scary quirk, you’ll likely become a villain, if you’ve got a weak quirk, you are practically worthless, and if you don’t have a quirk, you have no value at all. So perhaps, Izuku being told he can’t possibly be a hero simply meant that in this society, even the Number One hero doesn’t believe it to be possible, due to deeply ingrained biases. See, that makes some sort of sense.
Or, it would’ve made sense, if Izuku wasn’t GIVEN a quirk.
This could’ve been a story of Izuku overcoming his fantastic disability and growing to be as good as quirked heroes. This kind of story would’ve been inspiring. Instead, he is essentially “cured” of being quirkless, losing all the potential his previously quirkless status could’ve brought, turning this story into a power fantasy, and proving All Might right.
And that is both very disappointing, and outright boring.
Izuku needed a quirk because Horikoshi was uninspired.
Summary:
MHA tells us “you need a superpower to become a hero”.
Both superhero comics and MHA have examples of why it’s false.
MHA could’ve been inspiring — but chose the lazy and boring route.
Back in the very first episode of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), its main character Midoriya Izuku meets his idol, the Number One hero All Might, and asks him a simple question — can he, a quirkless boy, also be a hero? The answer to this was heartbreaking for the heavily bullied 14 years old kid — All Might was convinced that this was all but impossible.
All Might lied as he breathed.
Later on, Izuku is offered All Might’s fantastical superpower of One for All, not just allowing him to become a hero — but giving him the potential to become the most powerful hero of them all, jumpstarting the young boy’s heroic career. Except, was this really the only way?
The premise makes little sense
We’re not sure if we’ve ever heard of a superhero with no superpowers— oh, wait, we totally have. Batman, Green Arrow, Iron Man and Punisher, to name a few. All of them are superheroes that have to rely either on gadgets or their skills, and could all potentially serve as prototypes for Izuku.
And hell, just look at what superpowers some of MHA official heroes have! Sir Nighteye has precognition — which could be occupied for long lengths of time, rendering him essentially quirkless, with only his weighted stamps as weapons. Eraserhead has the ability to nullify SOME quirks — and has to fight mutant-type quirks essentially quirkless. And Mandalay of Wild Wild Pussycats has a Telepathy quirk — that is, a superpowered substitute for a radio. And just look at how dangerous Stain is — sure, he has a powerful paralyzing quirk, but it doesn’t mean a thing if he’s unable to cut his victim first, and he tangled with Full Cowled Izuku!
And with in-universe prevalence of heroic support gear (essentially, gadgets), there was nothing truly stopping Izuku from becoming a quirkless hero. Sure, he wouldn’t have been able to fight with the likes of All for One and Overhaul — but even among Top 10, not everyone can!
Possible in-universe explanation doesn’t look good either
Once again, the MHA society is extremely quirkist. If you have a scary quirk, you’ll likely become a villain, if you’ve got a weak quirk, you are practically worthless, and if you don’t have a quirk, you have no value at all. So perhaps, Izuku being told he can’t possibly be a hero simply meant that in this society, even the Number One hero doesn’t believe it to be possible, due to deeply ingrained biases. See, that makes some sort of sense.
Or, it would’ve made sense, if Izuku wasn’t GIVEN a quirk.
This could’ve been a story of Izuku overcoming his fantastic disability and growing to be as good as quirked heroes. This kind of story would’ve been inspiring. Instead, he is essentially “cured” of being quirkless, losing all the potential his previously quirkless status could’ve brought, turning this story into a power fantasy, and proving All Might right.
And that is both very disappointing, and outright boring.
