My Hero Academia: Deku’s Original Design Is Like Nothing You’d Expect

When it comes to anime, there are few heroes more beloved than Izuku Midoriya. My Hero Academia introduced the anxious green-haired boy to fans years ago and what a way he has come. These days, the My Hero Academia manga is in its endgame, so fans are beginning to look back at where their favorites began. And if you did not know, Izuku’s original design is unlike anything you may have imagined.

Years ago, creator Kohei Horikoshi began his work with My Hero Academia as a one-shot that readers knew as My Hero. It was there fans met plenty of characters including the star we’d come to know as Izuku. The prototype version of Deku was named Mikumo Akatani, and it goes without saying the boy looked different at first.

As you can see above, Mikumo was given long shaggy hair that covered most of his eyes, but his frame is mostly similar to what we know. The same goes for his superhero suit as Mikumo donned a bunny-inspired costume back in the day, but it has more gadgets than we are familiar with. This prototype design makes Mikumo look more emo than Deku came to be, so this darker vision was lightened in the end.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the Izuku we know and the one first created comes down to their powers. We know Deku as the ninth wielder of One For All, but Horikoshi originally saw Mikumo as being Quirkless. Much like Iron Man from Marvel, Mikumo strove to become a hero without any supernatural powers and used gadgets to fight.

Ultimately, Horikoshi left his Quirkless vision behind after editors made suggestions. The argument was made that Deku having an inherited Quirk would make him stand out amongst the kids of Class 1-A. This shift along with some design changes pushed Mikumo aside and made room for Deku to debut. But back in the day, well – it is safe to say Izuku began as a totally different hero. 

If you want to catch up on Deku’s latest adventures in the My Hero Academia manga, the series is continuing with weekly updates as its final act is heating up. You can find the manga through the Shonen Jump app courtesy of Viz Media. As for the My Hero Academia anime, season seven is currently in the works under Studio Bones. You can watch seasons one through six over on Crunchyroll!

What do you think about Izuku’s original design? Should My Hero Academia have kept the vision or…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.