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The following contains minor spoilers for theMy Hero Academiamanga.
Perhaps one of the biggest, still unexplored areas ofMy Hero Academiais the mystery behind Deku’s dad. Fans have still not even seen his face and know very little about him beyond what has been mentioned offhandedly.
Although barely present in the narrative, Deku’s dad has garnered wide speculation from fans about his potential role in the future because of how little people know about him. Is it possible there will be some shocking revelation about Deku’s dad someday, or is the explanation for his mysterious nature inMy Hero Academiasomething more banal?
Following a Trope
It’s Unclear How Much the Mystery is Supposed to Matter
While we know very little about Deku’s dad inMy Hero Academia, there are a few established facts about him. We know that he is named Hisashi Midoriya, which contains a hint about his character and role in the story. His name is likely a reference to a Japanese phrase, “hisashiburi” (久しぶり). This is a greeting someone uses when talking with someone they have not met in a long time. As part of the extras published along withMy Hero AcademiaVolume 11, the explanation given for Hisashi’s absence in the story is that he is working overseas, presumably to support the family.
“Her husband is working overseas, so she’s raised Izuku alone, for the most part. She’s not very plucky, and she tends to be reserved. The concern and guilt she felt regarding Izuku led her to put on some weight.” -Inko Midoriya’s profile in the Volume 11 extra content.
This trope of the absent father is common in certain anime.Pokémonprotagonist Ash Ketchum’s dadis also similarly absent throughout the series, similar to Midoriya. We know he is a trainer like Ash, but besides passing references, we don’t know much else about him. This leaves open the possibility in the watchers' minds throughout the series that he could be a character we have already met, or his identity reveal will change the story in some way.
In the final episode ofPokémonSeason 25,Ash has a chance to meet with his father, but just narrowly misses him before he leaves. Rather than being a huge mystery to be revealed, this trope of the unseen father or parent often just serves to establish a young protagonist’s independent nature. We rarely see the parents of plucky shōnen-style anime protagonists, since the arc of their characters is learning how to overcome difficult situations on their own. If there were a much stronger parental figure protecting them, it would limit the young protagonist’s agency in the story.
It’s also useful to leave information about a protagonist’s parents and origins vague in the beginning, since it gives the author more to work with if they decide to bring them into the story later. This approach was taken in theNarutoseries, where the protagonist Naruto’s father was revealedto actually be the Fourth Hokage. If an anime protagonist actually has a prestigious lineage, it might detract from the appeal of their initial underdog struggle, which is often what makes a shōnen show appealing in the beginning.
The Possibilities for Hisashi
What We Know About Dekus’ Dad
Beyond his name and the reason for his absence, the audience knows very little else about Hisashi. We are told at the beginning of the series that he has a fire-breathing quirk as a way to make it seem unlucky for Izuku that he has two quirk parents but is quirkless himself. Although the main story is wrapping up, the world ofMy Hero Academiais still seemingly being filled with new content.Series author Kohei Horikoshi seemsto be still putting out supplemental content and one-shots to flesh out what happens to the characters after the conclusion of the final war arc.
It’s very possible that in the future, despite following the hidden father trope, Hisashi could have a shocking revelation about him. Fans have created wild speculations about Deku’s father secretly being All for One, or that something about Hisashi’s quirk will reveal itself now thatDeku has officially lost the quirkthat All Might gave him: One for All. Regardless of the reason behind it, Hisashi Midoriya continues to drive fan speculation as the series wraps up, as he is one of the largest still unsolved mysteries in the series.
