Izuku Midoriya is the typical underdog fans love to see. Born Quirkless in a world where Quirks are the norm, Midoriya is already a step behind others, including his friends. Midoriya grows up admiring heroes, especially All Might, and despite being Quirkless, aspires to become a hero one day.
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When Midoriya meets All Might, his dream becomes a reality. He is gifted the Quirk One For All and can finally go to UA, his dream school, and train to become a Pro Hero. Assuming the hero name "Deku," Midoriya works hard to control One For All and become the hero of his dreams, but it's not an easy road. If Deku had been born with a Quirk from the beginning, his life trajectory and path as a hero would look a lot different.
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10 Deku Wouldn't Have A Relationship With All Might
Deku has a fortuitous encounter with All Might that allows him to become a hero. Even though Deku is Quirkless, All Might sees potential in him and offers him a once-in-a-lifetime chance to become a hero. After gifting Deku his power, All Might becomes Deku's mentor and the two develop a very close bond.
If Deku had been born with a Quirk, he would never have had the opportunity to get close to All Might. Deku would meet All Might since he is teacher a UA, but their relationship would never deepen. Deku would have control over his Quirk and would only need instruction the way other Quirk-born students require. There would be no reason for All Might to involve himself further in Deku's life or become his mentor.
9 Deku Wouldn't Have Been Bullied
When Deku is born, having a Quirk is more common than being Quirkless. When he starts school, his classmates' Quirks manifest, but Deku's does not. Being Quirkless but still aiming to be a hero, places a target on Deku's back.
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Deku is bullied by several of his classmates throughout his time at school. His childhood friend Bakugo is the main bully in Deku's life. Bakugo nicknames Midoriya "Deku," meaning worthless. If Deku had manifested a Quirk along with his peers, he would not have been ostracized and bullied.
8 Deku And Bakugo's Relationship Would Be Different
Deku and Bakugo have known each other since childhood, but they are more like frenemies than friends. Deku has always looked up to Bakugo, but in turn he has always been treated as inferior. Bakugo dislikes Deku and finds him annoying because even though he is Quirkless, he still aspires to be a hero.
If Deku had been born with a Quirk, not only would that eliminate Bakugo's superiority complex, but the two might have developed a healthier friendship. The two could have bonded over their shared admiration of All Might, and there wouldn't be the power struggle that exists between them now.
7 Deku Might Not Be As Humble
One of Deku's most charming characteristics is his humbleness. Unlike his peers, who have a much easier time pursuing their dreams because of their Quirks, Deku has to work twice as hard. However, his dream of working as a professional hero is also made possible by the support of those around him.
Deku knows that his path to becoming a hero is paved by his supporters. He is incredibly grateful to his friends Uraraka, Iida, and Todoroki, for pushing him to be his best. Deku also owes a great debt to All Might. All Might was the first person to recognize that Deku could become a hero even without a Quirk, and gifted him the power of One For All.
6 Deku Wouldn't Be Linked To Shiguraki
Deku is inextricably linked to Shiguraki through his Quirk One For All. One For All's first wielder is All For One's younger brother. Since One For All is the only Quirk that can oppose Shiguraki's mentor All For One, he has always wanted to steal it.
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All For One grooms Shiguraki to become his new vessel and targets Deku in hopes of finally obtaining One For All. By inheriting One For All, Deku also inherits the decades-long obsession All For One has with his power. Deku would never have to face All For One and Shiguraki if he'd been born with a Quirk.
5 Deku Wouldn't Have Trained With Gran Torino
The UA Sports Festival is an arena for promising young heroes to showcase their Quirks and talents. After the festival, UA students receive offers from hero agencies to come and train with them. While some of his classmates receive several offers, Deku doesn't receive any.
However, Gran Torino, All Might's mentor, reaches out to Deku and offers to train him. Deku improves significantly under Gran Torino's tutelage because Gran Torino is familiar with One For All's power. If Deku didn't have One For All, he would have never had the chance to train with Gran Torino and learn about One For All's history.
4 Deku Might Not Be So Analytical
Because he is Quirkless, Deku studies the Quirks of people around him, including professional heroes and even his friends. He keeps a log of his findings and pours over the information to determine each hero's strengths, weaknesses, and skills in battle.
From studying Quirks, Deku develops a very analytical mind that serves him well against his opponents. If Deku were born with a Quirk, however, it would remove his desire to want to study them, thereby eliminating one of his strongest skills.
3 Deku Might Breathe Fire
Even though Quirks tend to be unique from person to person, some are more common than others, such as fire-type Quirks. Although we don't know much else about him, Deku's father is a fire-breather. Children usually either inherit one of their parents' Quirks, develop a combination, or display a variation of them. In Deku's case, he could have been born with the ability to breathe fire.
Having a strong Quirk like fire breathing would have helped Deku realize his dream of becoming a hero sooner. He could have trained his Quirk from an early age like his peers and mastered it by the time he entered UA. He also could have shown a more impressive debut at the UA Sports Festival.
2 Deku Wouldn't Have To Leave UA
In the Dark Hero Arc of My Hero Academia, Deku decides to leave UA. Although Deku is working alongside other heroes to track down the remaining members of the League of Villains, his primary reason for leaving UA is to protect his friends.
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All For One targets Deku because of One For All. If Deku had been born with a Quirk, he would have never received One For All and perhaps would have never encountered The League of Villains. His friends would not be at risk, and he could continue his education at UA.
1 Deku's Hero Name Would Be Different
All his life, "Deku" has been used as an insult, but when Midoriya meets Uraraka, she helps him find a new meaning in the name. Uraraka tells Midoriya that "Deku" sounds like the Japanese word for "you can do it." When he hears this, Midoriya adopts Uraraka's interpretation of "Deku" and uses it as his hero name.
Midoriya's hero name would ultimately be very different had he been born with a Quirk. Bakugo wouldn't have ever given him the degrading nickname and Uraraka would have no reason to help Midoriya find a new meaning in it. Instead, Midoriya would probably pick a hero name related to his Quirk, like Yaoyorozu's "Creati".
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