My Hero Academia Creator Explains Where Deku's Name Comes From

By Megan Peters

My Hero Academia has a ton of heroes to juggle, but none of them are quite as special as Izuku. As much as Bakugo loathes to admit it, Deku is the definition of a hero, and All Might saw that from the start. Even his name has come to inspire hope in others despite its dark origins from Izuku's past. But in real-life, the creator of My Hero Academia stumbled upon Deku in the best kind of way.

After all, Deku was a rather controversial name to go with when Izuku chose it, but My Hero Academia has made it fit just right. Despite the name having begun as an insult, Deku has turned the insult into a name that inspires hope. And if you want to know where Horikoshi got the name to start, well – it comes from a poem.

The poem is titled "Be Not Defeated by the Rain", and Horikoshi said he chose the name after reading the prose. This is also why some of Izuku's most memorable scenes in My Hero Academia take place while it is raining, and that was shown not long ago. When Class 1-A united to bring Izuku home from his vigilante mission, it was pouring outside. And as you can see above, the full poem pretty much encapsulates all the stuff that makes Izuku a worthy hero.

Written by Kenji Miyazawa, "Be Not Defeated by the Rain" is a rather famous poem in Japanese literature. The poet penned this piece in 1931 while fighting an illness. The poem itself was not found until after Miyazawa's death, and while it was never meant to be published, it has since become a defining piece of his career. Its steadfast lessons and musings on humanity are second to none. And clearly, Deku is well on his way to becoming a hero who embodies the ideals of this classic poem. 

What do you make of this gorgeous poem? Do you feel like it suits Deku...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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