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In the story ofMy Hero Academia, the way Izuku Midoriya and All Might happen to be perfect for each other seems almost fateful. All Might needed a successor for All for One, and his choice of Midoriya was very lucky, considering he didn’t even know the effects his legendary quirk had on quirk users' lifespans.
Thanks to their chance meeting,All Might managed to find the perfect successorto his power just in time for the final showdown with All for One and his cadre of villains. But what would have happened if Deku hadn’t shown up? Did the world’s #1 hero have a backup plan for passing on his power and legacy inMy Hero Academia?
All Might’s Successor Search
His Plan Didn’t Originally Include Deku
As All Might discovered that his ability to use One for All for long periods of time was diminishing, he became more determined to find a proper successor. This goal was one of the reasons that he decided to become a faculty member at UA. Through a connection to the students at this prestigious hero school, he hoped to find a new vessel for One for All that could carry the torch forward and who embodied the ideals of a hero.
“The school didn’t want me telling anyone about the job until they made an official announcement. It seemed like fortuitous timing. An easy way to find someone new to inherit One for All” -All Might to Midoriya in Episode 5.
When talking on the beach,Deku realized that All Might’s original intentfor One for All was to give it to a promising young person who already had their own powers to build from.
“So that’s it. He was originally planning to give it to a UA student. Someone who was strong, who already had a quirk.” -Deku in Episode 5.
It seems like,after All Might chose Deku, he went all in with making the young quirkless boy his successor. However, if Deku could not become a suitable vessel for the power, All Might would likely have gone with a backup candidate he had handpicked from U.A. or had met through his hero connections. All Might’s meeting with Deku was extremely fortuitous, but not for more reasons than even All Might knew. It is revealed later in the story that those who already have a quirk bear an extreme burden when wielding One for All,to the point it shortens their natural lifespan. The fact that All Might managed to find one of the few quirkless people left in the world, one with a passion for being a hero, was critical for stopping the villains' plans.
Mirio Togata’s Candidacy
All Might’s Possible Backup
The story later introduces Mirio Togata, a U.A. student who All Might’s sidekick Nighteye had been training to become worthy enough to carry One for All.
“Nighteye understands how One for All works… And he wanted you to pass it on to Togata, not me.” -Midoriya to All Might in episode 67.
Nighteye’s quirk, Foresight, gave him a terrible premonition of All Might’s future if he continued to recklessly combat villains despite his decaying body. After the battle where the #1 hero thought he had defeated All for One, All Might went against the wishes of Nighteye and continued being the symbol of peace. This led to a falling out between the two, with All Might choosing to relinquish his sidekick and do hero work without him while searching for a successor.
“I’m sorry, but for the sake of this world, I have to be able to say that I am still here.” All Might to Nighteye during a flashback in episode 67.
All Might explains to Deku that Principal Nezu had recommended Mirio as a successor, and he was planning on meeting him. However, before All Might could meet Mirio to consider him for the successor role, he happened to meet Midoriya. All Might told Nighteye his plan to choose Midoriya as the successor over Togata, but this caused an even further rift between the two former comrades.
“You’re passing your One for All onto a Quirkless middle school student? There are any number of people who are more suitable.” -Nighteye in a phone conversation to All Might.
This means that, while All Might had many backup plans available in case Midoriya did not work out as a candidate, he was dead set on making him the new One for All bearer despite immense pressure from his friends and allies. He saw something in Midoriya that made him the right person for the quirk at the right time.All Might was rewarded for this tough decision, as only a quirkless person like Deku could draw out the full power of One for All without affecting their lifespan. It ended up working well for everyone, as even without One for All, Mirio became a professional hero with a high rank after the end of the series' time skip inMy Hero Academia.
My Hero Academia
Cast
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the “One-For-All” quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
