My Hero Academia has officially come to an end, and the star behind Izuku Midoriya himself opened up about how he got Plus Ultra for Deku’s final battle. My Hero Academia first began ten years ago with Izuku teasing that he was telling a story about how he became the greatest hero, and there were all sorts of twists and turns on the way to the end. But the final battle came with even more turns behind it all as Deku fully became the hero that both he and fans had always dreamed he would be.
Videos by ComicBook.com
My Hero Academia‘s final season really put Deku through the wringer for his final battles, and he put everything he had into the final smash against All For One. Speaking with ComicBook in celebration of the anime’s final episodes, Deku voice star Justin Briner opened up about what he channeled as a performer to land that final blow. As one would expect from such a major moment, Briner drew on the energy of everyone putting all of their hopes on Deku.
My Hero Academia’s Deku Went Plus Ultra for the Finale
“There’s the perspective of the character as Deku is so many lives and so much of what he holds value in is being threatened by these villains,” Briner explained. “And so with the strength of everyone he’s amassed so far, I think that’s really what it took to give him that final push. For me as an actor trying to sink into that, there’s a lot of just the excitement and celebration surrounding this final season that I think we all want to give one more Plus Ultra push at the end. And that motivates me to get in there and really try to get it as right as I can.”
Looking back on all the seasons thus far, Briner also revealed how much Deku has changed over the course of the anime, “It’s amazing to see him grow so much over the years, and to have a character like him that we all can root for and cheer on.” But speaking on early critiques about Deku’s character, Briner addressed the true hidden strength of the young hero, “You got to start from somewhere, but his sensitivity and his vulnerability, his willingness to be a crybaby or so they say, is part of his strength and what makes him so unique as our protagonist.”
Deku Has Changed So Much in My Hero Academia
“I think that allows him to understand the heroes that he idolizes so much,” Briner continued as he explained how much Deku was able to stand out from other anime heroes so early on. “You see him scribbling in his notebook for those first early seasons. He’s just able to…because he understands himself and his feelings, I think that extends to understanding the world around him in a way that a lot of people take for granted.”
If there’s anyone who has a great grasp of how much Deku has changed over the course of My Hero Academia, it’s the voice behind him. Thankfully this is not the end of Deku’s journey as there’s still a brand new episode of the anime coming next year, and we’ll soon see more of the future Deku and the others had fought for against the villains in such a devastating war.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
