My Hero Academia is an incredibly popular Shonen franchise, with a wealth of multimedia content for fans to explore, including manga, anime, video games, and even feature-length films!
Of course, as with any highly beloved franchise, and with a fandom as large as My Hero Academia’s, you can bet that there is often lots of fan speculation, fan theories, and general fan discussion around certain characters and how they relate to other characters.
One popular activity for My Hero Academia fans is to speculate on how characters are related. Many times it has been asked if All Might is actually Deku’s father, or if Deku’s father is some other important hero. Even characters like Bakugo invite speculation as to how he relates with other characters.
Recent events in the course of the series have even had fans speculating whether protagonist Deku and antagonist Shigaraki are in fact related, and what that could mean for the rest of the series.
This was spurred on by Shigaraki calling Deku ‘Little Brother’, but is there actually any truth to this? And why did he call Deku ‘Little Brother’? Why don’t we try and find out?
Why Did Shigaraki Call Deku ‘Little Brother’ In My Hero Academia?
In chapter 277 of the mainline My Hero Academia manga series, fans were shocked when lead villain Tomura Shigaraki called Deku “Little Brother”. This occurred as Shigaraki attempted to grab Deku in an attempt to steal away his ‘One For All’ abilities.
This small line had fans instantly taking to social media to speculate on whether the two are actually related by blood. But are they related by blood?
The simple answer is no. Deku and Shigaraki are not related by blood, and this is directly indicated by Deku and Shigaraki’s reactions to Shigaraki’s words. Both characters react with shock, unsure of where “Little Brother” came from.
It turns out that, at that moment, it was actually the spirit of All For One, residing in Shigaraki, speaking to his little brother, whose spirit is housed inside of Deku.
Who Is “Little Brother” In My Hero Academia?
So now that we know that Shigaraki wasn’t talking directly to Deku and that it was in fact All For One speaking through Shigaraki, who exactly was All For One talking to?
All For One’s “Little Brother” actually refers to the character of Yoichi Shigaraki. Yoichi Shigaraki is interesting, as he is in fact the first-ever user of Deku’s “One For All” abilities. Yoichi’s powers were given to him by All For One, who had already begun using his own powers to wreak chaos and commit various atrocities.
Despite their differences, All For One and his younger brother Yoichi actually had a very strong relationship as children. This makes it all the more difficult for Yoichi to oppose his older brother, whom he disagrees with, due to the various crimes he commits.
Yoichi is also incredibly weak, so when he does try to oppose All For One in an all-out brawl, he quickly falls short. Thus, he decides instead to pass his power down to the next generation, in the hopes that it will continue to be passed onward until it is strong enough to take down All For One.
Now that the series is reaching its Endgame, it is likely that Deku will be responsible for taking down All For One in the end. All For One’s final goal is to steal away Deku’s “One For All” powers so that he can become the strongest human on the planet.
Does Deku Have a Brother?
No. Currently, Deku does not have any familial relations outside of his mother Inko Midoriya, and his yet unseen father Hisashi Midoriya. It is possible that, if we were to see Deku’s father, we might learn of some other distant or not-so-distant relations, but this is relatively unlikely.
What Happened to Deku’s Father?
Deku’s father Hisashi Midoriya was name-dropped once in both chapter 1 of the manga, and episode 1 of the anime. Since then, he has never been mentioned, and neither have we ever seen his face or received any indication of his appearance.
It is also completely unclear what happened to Deku’s father. We know that he loved his wife Inko Midoriya dearly, and thus it is unlikely that he would willingly abandon her for any reason. We also know that he took up work abroad, hence why he does not currently live with his wife and son.
However, though we know very little about him, My Hero Academia author Kohei Horikoshi has confirmed previously that we will see Hisashi Midoriya make a return before the series ends.
It isn’t yet clear when or how Deku’s father might reappear, but fans have already begun speculating that maybe he is a villain or even an international superhero.
Are Deku and All Might Related?
No. Currently, there is no indication that All Might and Deku are related by blood. There is always the chance that this could change, and that Horikoshi may introduce a crazy left-turn twist that changes everything we know, but the likelihood that he will reveal that All Might and Deku are related is very low.
If it were to be revealed that Deku and All Might were related, it runs a very serious risk of lessening the impact of the rest of the series. Part of what makes Deku’s story so impactful is that he was once a powerless and rather unassuming figure who suddenly came to inherit great power.
The trials and tribulations that Deku faces in growing into his powers are part of what makes the series so enduringly inspiring and impactful.
To imply that All Might and Deku are related would also imply that Deku was always naturally powerful, which would lessen the impact of a once-powerless individual becoming powerful.
Are Deku and Todoroki Related?
Certainly not. Deku and Todoroki have very different families and thus share no blood relation. If it were to be the case that they were half-brothers related to Endeavor, then it would not make sense that Deku’s mother Inko has never once reacted upon hearing Endeavor’s name, or even hinted that it might be the case.
Deku and Todoroki being related would also cheapen the friendship that they have built through much hardship, as it suggests that there was already a familial bond there that made it easier.
To Conclude
It’s not really a surprise that My Hero Academia is so strikingly popular. Ever since it first debuted in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump the series has gone on to achieve record numbers in readership, sales, and popularity.
As with any intensely dedicated fandom there comes a high degree of speculation, and this is no different for the My Hero Academia fandom. It’s likely that, even once the series reaches its end, fans will still be speculating. However, for now, at least it can finally be put to rest that Deku and Shigaraki are not in fact brothers!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shigaraki Obsessed With Deku?
Very much so. Shigaraki aims to one day rid the entire world of heroes, in order to take revenge against a world that once shunned him. Because of Deku’s relationship with All Might, and his tendency to act like a hero, Shigaraki takes a great deal of interest in him.
Towards the start of the series, Shigaraki views Deku as a nuisance and an annoyance, and towards the end, driven by All For One, Shigaraki becomes obsessed with stealing Deku’s powers, to become more powerful than ever before.
Why Is Shigaraki So Crusty?
Shigaraki is well known for having rather unconventional skin that appears to be cracking and peeling. This is most likely a result of the real-world condition of Eczema, which causes dry patches to develop on the skin.
Those patches can become itchy, which causes the dry skin to be scratched off. Plus, the unusual skin just makes Shigaraki look rather creepy, which helps to solidify him as a villain.
Can Shigaraki Touch Himself?
Shigaraki has a very powerful but unfortunate quirk called ‘Decay’. This allows him to decay anything he touches, which can be very lethal. However, Shigaraki can still touch his own skin without causing himself to decay.
This can be explained by the fact that Bakugo’s explosion powers don’t cause damage to his body, and Todoroki’s ice powers do not cause frostbite.
