All of the major characters in My Hero Academia have a quirk. For Izuku Midoriya, it’s his power to make his body incredibly elastic and pliable. This is known as “Deku.” Deku has been translated to mean “bendy,” but the word has many meanings and connotations in Japanese.
After constant rejection, anger, and insults from Kacchan, Izuku still looks up to him. The series itself does not give a definite answer but there are plenty of hints that point to what Deku may mean.
Ever since the anime My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) started, you easily observe the tainted relationship between Kacchan (Bakugo) and Izuku Midoriya.
From the very first episode of season one, Kacchan mocked Izuku for being quirkless. What does Deku mean?
It’s a Japanese word that means “the best” or “the most excellent.
It’s a blending of characters from his first name ‘Izuku’
Izuku Midoriya is a hero in the world of My Hero Academia. He has a number of superpowers and can control both fire and plant life. He faces many trials throughout the series but never gives up.
Midoriya’s heroic spirit is born from his kindhearted nature and, like all heroes, he strives for peace in society by using his abilities to help people. Midoriya has many different sides to his name.
His first name, as we all know, is Izuku. The kanji character for ‘Izu’ has many readings, including, ‘De’, ‘Da’, ‘Izu’, and many others.
There are a few lessons that can be learned by the different readings of this character in Midoriya’s name alone.
Who calls Midoriya Deku?
Ever since they were kids, Bakugou has been teasing Midoriya about his name and calling him Deku. According to Bakugou, Deku means ‘good for nothing’ or ‘someone who can’t do anything.
This is a bad relationship stemming from their early years that have popped up in the present. Recently, Midoriya has come to like this nickname and even though he was looking down on himself before, he now stands tall.
Deku is a word that has been used to refer to someone who is weak or useless, but that doesn’t stop Midoriya from using it. Midoriya is the protagonist of My Hero Academia and he is here to tell you his story.
How Izuku changed to Deku
When Izuku Bakugo was speaking to Midoriya, he mentioned that his first name can also be pronounced as Deku.
However, Bakugo used Deku as an abbreviation for an insult. The meaning of the term is not clear yet, but it has been used on social media by many people to refer to someone they envy or dislike.
There are multiple meanings for the word Deku. The title is not implying that Midoriya will be a villain in the series, but rather looking at how Izuku’s character has changed from the beginning of the show to now.
The word “DEKUnobou” is a shortened version of this word and is used in Todoroki’s nickname for Izuku Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya is an anime character from the manga and anime series My Hero Academia.
So, why would Midoriya choose an insult as his hero name?
Midoriya goes by many names, Midoriya Izuku, Deku, and his given name. But the one thing that is most notable about his name is how he chose to use an insult as his hero name.
So why would Midoriya choose an insult as his hero name? It’s not uncommon for villains to give themselves villainous-sounding names like Magizoologist or Trickster. But for heroes, typically use their own names or one of their skills.
Bakugo uses Deku as an abbreviation for something else, but Ochaco uses Deku as an abbreviation for ‘DEKiru’, which is a Japanese word meaning “to be able to do”.
Midoriya is one of the many reasons why Izuku uses “deku” as his hero name. Katsuki sees Izuku as someone who has no power, someone who is just a good-for-nothing person and will not amount to anything.
Izuku chooses “deku” as his hero name in response to this. Deku translates to 枝 meaning branch and iku which means to go or come.
To summarize
DEKU is a term that has no real meaning but can be used in a variety of different ways. It can be a shortened form of an abbreviation, DEKUnobou, which means good for nothing person.
To Ochaco and Midoriya it also means DEKiru which means to make mistakes. The word itself appears twice within the anime because the hero Deku is often called this by Bakugo.
After meeting All Might and gaining his own Quirk, Izuku decided that he wanted to be a hero like All Might.
About My Hero Academia
The first volume of My Hero Academia was published on July 4, 2014. It is a Japanese superhero manga series written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi.
The story follows Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a fictional world where people with superpowers known as “Quirks” are the norm.
With his Quirk “One For All” inherited from the legendary hero All Might, he attends school aiming to become just like him. My Hero Academia follows a quirkless boy named Izuku Midoriya as he ends up back the great hero.
Izuku Midoriya, a boy who has been admiring heroes and their ventures since the day he was born, meets All Might. The two carry on a little conversation before All Might’s class of students arrive.
Some little facts about Deku
He’s the 9th user to possess One For All
Deku is a special character in the series “My Hero Academia” because he begins the series without any powers, only to inherit all Might’s powerful ‘One For All Quirk.’ This quirk passes on from one user to another, but Deku is the 9th person in history to have this quirk. These are some of the things that make Deku unique.
He has trained under multiple mentors
The series has put Deku together with several mentors and teachers as the series evolves. The mentors allowed him to develop his skills and perfect himself.
However, each time he had a new mentor they also showed him new weaknesses that he then needed to work on. This helped him understand what areas of his skills needed improvement.
Izuku Midoriya is an important character in the manga/anime series “My Hero Academia” by Kohei Horikoshi.
His costumes regulate his strength
We clearly see Midoriya upgrading his costumes and apparel over time, all of which help him maintain and regulate the increasing strength of his Quirk.
For example, this bright red costume is much more durable than the earlier versions he used in the Sports Festival. He also wears gloves that are also reinforced with steel to keep up with the increase in power.
Read:
