Imagining who would win in a fight between two characters is one of the best pastimes in the entire fandom, and thankfully there are a wealth of fun characters to throw into that hypothetical ring. This is especially true for Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, a series packed to the brim with tons of memorable heroes and villains, and Ukyo Kodachi and Mikio Ikemoto’s Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, a sequel to the huge universe of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto with a ton of memorable characters of its own. Fans have been making the “Green Naruto” joke when referring to Deku for years, so let’s settle it.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Who would win in a fight between My Hero Academia’s Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and Boruto: Naruto Next Generations‘ Boruto? They have a lot of similarities in that both series tease future strong versions of their heroes, both Deku and Boruto have a power they don’t have full grasp of, and both are students that head out into a much scarier world than expected.
Assuming that this fight takes place at their peak canon capacity (counting both the anime and manga) without any major stress points in place (like someone in danger or time limits), who do you think would win? Read on for a break down in what Deku and Boruto bring to the fight, and let us know your choice for the winner!
Deku Has the Undeveloped Use One For All
While fans of the series know that Izuku Midoriya will eventually become Japan’s number one hero, the My Hero Academia series itself follows the young hero as he takes steps toward this future. This began with the inheritance of One For All, which is compounded superpower that has been passed on between different heroes for generations and has grown stronger with each new host. Although the abilities take a toll on his body now, considering what we know about Deku’s use of it in the series’ canon — he has grown with his use of it with each new challenge. But no matter how he grows, there are still multiple limits.ย
Deku is a Studious Hero
What helps Deku stand out from many of his action anime and manga compatriots is that he’s a studious protagonist. With his power being obtained late in life, and jumping on this opportunity as much as possible, Deku works hard constantly every time we see him. This ranges from the physical in which he practices each movement until it becomes second nature and perfected, to the mental where he’ll constantly think of strategies and counters mid battle. This overthinking can get in the way when in the heat of battle, but his ability to form a game plan (and a backup) in the moment has been one of his important advantages in fights.ย
Deku Will Fight to Save Someone
Deku and Boruto each have their skills and flaws in this fight, but like many, it does come down to why they would be fighting in the first place. Deku will have the edge in this fight if he’s fighting for the right reasons. When fighting heroically to protect someone, Deku handles himself much better in battle than when the stakes are smaller or more personal. When Deku fights for himself, he tends to lose or hurt himself (physically and emotionally) or something will inevitably keep him from victory as he still doesn’t completely value himself as a fighter. He tends to lose belief in himself when he’s not fighting for others, and that hesitation could cost him.ย
Boruto Has the Undeveloped Karma Power
Like Izuku Midoriya, Boruto Uzumaki grows in the shadow of the past. As the son of the protagonist of the predecessor series, Naruto, Boruto has quite a lot to prove when it comes to his use of ninjutsu and other skills. He has some naturally occurring talent thanks to his parentage, but what gives him an edge in the fight is the Karma Seal power. The development of this has been more explored in the manga, which sees Boruto use it to the point where it does give him a huge boost in strength and speed. But like One For All, this power can’t be fully relied on and has both a time and physical limit.ย
Boruto’s Reckless
Boruto is a far less studious person than his opponent Deku thanks to his talent helping him get by early in life with few problems, but this has also led to a recklessness that can give him an edge in battle. Boruto has been shown to make decisions that put himself in harms way when it’s all on the line, and is willing to do almost anything to make sure he and his team survives. He’s proven to think quickly on his feet, and has thrown off a few opponents with what he thinks up. He’s a live wire that’s hard to predict, and could be a danger when factoring in all deadly combat skills. Because remember, Boruto is trained to go for the kill if needed.ย
Boruto Will Fight for Himself
As we have seen through Boruto: Naruto Next Generations‘ anime and manga thus far, Boruto will pretty much step into the fight for any reason whatsoever. Thanks to his culture teaching him to go on any missions needed for the good of the region, Boruto will fight whenever appropriate. He’s mentally prepared for combat at any time, and while he does fight to protect, Boruto is mainly out to fight for himself. He still has trouble figuring out who exactly he is, but fighting is the least of his worries. Especially when his confidence means that he won’t second guess any of his choices.ย
Who Wins?
So now it’s time to settle this once and for all!ย Who wins the fight between Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and Boruto Uzumaki? What would it take for Deku to win the fight? What would it take for Boruto to win the fight? Who has more mastery of their mysterious power? Who has the better shot at being super strong in the future? Which version of Deku and Boruto would stand the best chance at winning? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Which characters do you want to see fight? Which characters would be fun to break down like this? You can also talk to me directly about who wins this fight and whatever else is in the world of anime @Valdezology on Twitter!
