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It’s clear that the former Number 1 Pro Hero All Might and Knuckleduster have some similarities and paralleled themselves in the spin-off seriesMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes.Each man becomes a mentor to their younger apprentice, providing guidance and advice that best suits their capabilities.
They also have very different backgrounds and goals that they want to accomplish. Nevertheless, they are heroes in their own right. However, how far do these parallels go between All Might and Knuckleduster? What does justice mean to them?
The following contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes manga.
Vigilantes
Vigilantes Beginnings Ac
Across theMy Hero Academiauniverse,All Might is a well-known and highly respected Pro Herowith decades of service under his belt, effectively launching himself as the Symbol of Peace in Japan and, briefly, during his time in America as he had just begun his heroic career. With that said, All Might has spent his entire career in front of a camera, with his every move documented and scrutinized, thus leaving him to act accordingly lest the civilians lose hope in the Symbol of Peace.
A Symbol of Peace who saves people with a smile… must never be daunted by evil.
On the other hand, Knuckleduster, or Oguro Iwao, had also been a hero known as the High-Speed Hero: O’clock. While he did not have the same prestige as All Might, he was well known enough in China to be known as Ciupan Sekikyun: Hyper Quadfist. Although they had differences in their respective popularity, both heroes were well respected, that is, until O’clock vanished from the hero scenedue to All For One’s meddling.
One blatantly obvious difference between All Might and Knuckleduster is how they carry themselves. WhileAll Might may be a Pro Heroand thus needs to continue to the act, it’s not uncommon to see heroes acting slightly unjust, as seen withEndeavor’s stoic personality. Despite Knuckleduster forging a name for himself as a Vigilante as he is no longer a hero, finding the freedom of vigilantism, All Might and Knuckleduster’s personalities could be seen as two opposite ends of the spectrum. Whereas All Might prefers to end his battles with villains swiftly, Knuckleduster finds joy in punching villains and using excessive force, something which can cause a hero to obtain a suspension, as seen in Episode 2 of the anime.
With that said, Knuckleduster is clearly a much more violent entity than All Might. Despite this, Knuckleduster has a strongsense of justice and continues vigilantismafter losing his Quirk. On the other hand, All Might has made it his signature trademark to smile when saving others; this brings a sense of hope and faith, giving others the belief that the one saving them is the strongest. While the two do have smiles on their faces when in battle, Knuckleduster has more of a grin than All Might’s trademark smile.
Another significant difference between the two is how Knuckleduster fell into despair after losing his Quirk to All For One during one of his solo missions. After losing his Quirk and essentiallyhis Hero identity, he was confronted with his own sense of helplessness, losing himself to alcohol and having his family fall apart. All Might chose to live a bachelor life, never marrying or having a child, full well knowing the dangers that All For One could bring if he decided to have a family, as seen with the case of Shimura Nana giving up her son and how Shimura Tenko orShigaraki Tomuraturned out after being groomed into the Symbol of Fear. All Might suffered losses, such as witnessing Shimura Nana’s death and embracing his death in the future as Sir Nighteye foretold, but he never gave up.
Another stark difference between the two is the way in which they conduct themselves in public. Although All Might does not linger within the public eye, most likely due to the wound he received from the battle with All For One, All Might had never been unruly and always chooses to play a dramatic character, especially for the younger generation. On the other hand, Knuckleduster is far from a stellar citizen, turning to violence with a drop of a hat and smoking in front of Koichi and Pop Step.
Similarities Between All Might and Knuckleduster
Before the High Speed Hero: O’clock, Oguro Iwao became the Vigilantes Knuckleduster, he had a much slimmer appearance, likely due to keeping up with his high speed. However, after losinghis Quirk: Overclock, to All For One, he gained a much more muscled physique, a testament to his strength to take down his enemies. With this, it’s clear that Knuckleduster was meant to be seen as a mentor to Koichi, making the parallel between himself and All Might. However, the two have very different means of mentoring.
It should also go without saying that the two have taken on a protege and apprentice during their old age, guiding the newest generation of heroes. In All Might’s case, he was spurred into action thanks to Midoriya Izuku’s bravery, thus allowing him to propose the idea of passing on his Quirk to Deku, without much contemplation or hesitation in accepting it from the young boy. However, this is not the case with Koichi and Knuckleduster. At the time ofMy Hero Academia:Vigilantes,Haimawari Koichi is a 19-year-old young manwho has already given up his dreams of becoming a hero due to his supposedly weak Quirk. When propositioned by Knuckleduster to become his apprentice, Koichi immediately declined, stating he did not have “the stuff to go pro. ” While Knuckleduster had his reasons for initially approaching Koichi, their approaches to apprenticeship differed significantly.
As both All Might and Knuckleduster have been heroes, they also both have a strong sense of justice. As mentioned above, All Might has been fighting crime for decades and had even done so before gaining theQuirk: One For Allfrom Shimura Nana. Despite this, the two would do whatever it takes to fight crime. In All Might’s case, even though he had been badly injured from his battle with All For One, while contemplating on the next candidate for the Quirk, All Might still pushed himself to save others. Similarly, despite Knuckleduster feeling despair for losing his Quirk, and while he had been pushed by revenge to get to the bottom of the Trigger drug distribution, he still dedicated his life to fighting crime, even if he had been excessively violent with his actions. In Chapter 75, Knuckleduster recognized howflawed the hero societyactually was during his encounter with All For One, and with that, he realized something needed to be changed.
Another commonality between Knuckleduster and All Might is that they are both Quirkless now. Knuckleduster lost his Quirk when All For One stole it, whileAll Might transferred his Quirk to Deku. Both characters share All For One as a common adversary, albeit for different reasons. For All Might, All For One was his greatest enemy as the former Quirk One For All holder. Conversely, Knuckleduster views All For One as the thief of his Quirk and the origin of the Trigger drug with which his daughter had become involved.
Guess you forgot that… I’m here.
As mentioned above, Knuckleduster and All Might have clear parallels with significant differences and similarities. However, Knuckleduster seemed to have done this on purpose. Onenoticeable trait of All Mightis his usage of “I am here!” to announce his presence. While Oguro Iwao was O’clock, he did not use any catchphrases, as stealth was essential for the success of his mission. However, after encountering Koichi and seeing his love for All Might, he likely deliberately began using the phrase “I’m here!” as if to signal that he is the vigilante version of All Might.
Do They Value the Same Kind of Justice?
At Their Core, They Are Heroes Through and Through
Despite their differences and similarities, they do value the same kind of justice. However, after Knuckleduster lost his Quirk and fell into despair, this new persona was likely a means to carry out the same type of justice. Though he may have good intentions, wanting to eliminate the Trigger drug from the street and subduing villains and delinquents along the way, his methods are overly excessive, likely a result of no longer being in the public eye and needing to cater to his popularity to theHero Billboard Charts. On the other hand, All Might’s purpose is to keep the peace, providing hope and faith for the citizens.
