My Hero Academia: The name of Deku’s new Quirk is staring us in the face

With one last smash (and some help from his friends), Deku has ended My Hero Academia’s Final War, but what’s next for our would-be hero?

Well, with the war over and All For One finally defeated, it seems to us like series creator Kohei Horikoshi has some loose ends to tie up. I know people are excited to see the American heroes finally arrive (here’s hoping for that Koichi appearance), and I’ve no doubt the hero rankings are about to change, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

No, what we really want to know is what Deku’s Quirk will be. Yes, I know he’s not got one right now, but come on. If you really think Horikoshi’s going to leave Deku powerless after his desperate battle with Shigiraki and All For One, then I can only presume you thought Naruto had really lost Kuruma forever and Ichigo’s Shinigami powers were permanently sealed away.

What I’m saying is that shonen anime follow a recipe, and the hero ending up powerless isn’t on the ingredients list. My colleague has already written a convincing argument explaining the thematic reasons why Deku should get his powers back, so I won’t discuss that here. No, I’m going to try to predict what Deku’s new Quirk will be called, what it will do, and why it’s the perfect fit for our hero.

All For One and One For All

Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha

So here’s my bold forecast. Deku will get a new quirk called ‘All For One and One For All,’ which I envisage as a fusion of All For One and One For All. I know it’s a bit of a mouthful, but this is a world where people name their powers things like “Wooden Swords From His Hands” and take hero names like “Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight,” neither of which roll off the tongue.

So why would Horikoshi give Deku this quirk? Well, I know that he loves Western media — he based My Hero Academia on Marvel and DC Comics, and his work makes plenty of allusions to films like Star Wars — but on at least one occasion, My Hero Academia has made passing reference to another classic story, The Three Musketeers.

Back when the official My Hero Academia Twitter/X account was promoting World Heroes’ Mission, they released a series of images which, when combined, came together to show Bakugo, Deku, and Todoroki along with the caption, “He will meet the three musketeers.” And anyone with even a passing pop-culture knowledge will know that the motto of the Three Musketeers is “All For One and One For All.”

More than a reference

Kohei Horikoshi/Bones

Is this just a coincidence? Possibly, but it’s impossible to deny that Horikoshi has some awareness of the Three Musketeers, and the opportunity to create a new quirk referencing the famous Frenchmen seems too good to miss. More than that, though, the manga has even foreshadowed the potential altruistic uses of All For One.

In My Hero Academia Chapter 408, Yoichi Shigaraki describes All For One and its ability to give and take as having the potential to be the kindest quirk in the world. On paper, this doesn’t make a lot of sense, as robbing people of their quirks seems like a pretty evil thing to do, but we know a number of civilians (in particular mutants) struggle with powers ill-suited to their bodies.

Giving Deku the ability to help people living with painful or embarrassing powers would make him much more than just another vigilante punching his way out of problems. He could genuinely help those like Spinner who feel their quirks isolate them from society.

Finally, it would be a nice thematic touch to Deku’s story to give him the Quirks of both the greatest hero and greatest villain. After all, Deku’s ultimate goal wasn’t to punch the villains into submission but to save them — specifically Shigirkai. By acquiring the ‘All For One,’ Deku symbolically takes on the burden of the person he tried so hard to save while reinforcing My Hero Academia’s central message of using collective strength for the greater good.

It would be poetic, then, to end the series with Deku using a reformed version of All For One, symbolizing a new kind of heroism that’s not just about saving the day with flashy powers but also focused on redemption… that, or he becomes My Hero Academia’s version of Batman.

If you’re interested in learning more about Deku’s adventure, check out our guide to watching My Hero Academia in order. We’ve also got a list of the best superhero anime and the 10 best upcoming anime in 2024. That’s not all. We’ve also got individual articles breaking down everything you need to know about One Punch Man Season 3, Solo Levelling Season 2, and Demon Slayer Season 4.