Summary
Midoriya Inko is the loving mother of Izuku and can be slightly overprotective of her boy. Inko’s overprotectiveness stems from Izuku’s Quirkless status, as she had felt guilty that he grew up without one and due to not supporting his dreams of becoming a hero when he was younger. InMy Hero Academia, Inko’s perspective of Izuku has fluctuated throughout the series.
Although initially concerned and confused about Izuku’s Quirk manifesting at a late age, she was still happy to support him. However, this support changes when Inko learns of all the battles and injuries Izuku has incurred at UA High School. While previously supportive of Izuku’s dreams to become a hero, Inko now dreaded the future awaiting Izuku, although she could not voice them. However, at the end of the series, Inko witnesses Izuku’s determination and fully supports him, thus changing her perspective one final time.
Was Inko supportive of Izuku becoming a hero?
Izuku was born Quirkless, and due to that, Inko did not believe Izuku could become a hero
Midoriya Inko is the mother of Izuku and has a telekinesis Quirk, which she uses around her home to assist her with small tasks. Since the start ofMy Hero Academia, Inko has known about Izuku’slove for heroes, particularly All Might, and his dreams of becoming a Hero. Like many mothers, Inko played along with this notion, bringing her son joy when the two would play heroes and villains.
However, this all changes when Izuku is taken to the doctor and foundto be Quirkless. Inko noticed Izuku was not developing his Quirk like other children his age, as many showed indications of their Quirk awakening from age four. Concerned about Izuku, Inko took him to the doctor to evaluate the issue, and they learned Izuku was Quirkless.
Izuku would have likely inherited Inko’s telekinesis Quirk or his father, Midoriya Hizashi’s fire-breathing Quirk. Since Izuku was young, Inko has never liked watching the old videos of All Might’s debut video, saving others from harm, stating that it was “too scary” for her to watch. This goes to say that Inko has always appreciated heroes saving civilians from harm; however, she dislikes the violence and destruction connected to it, as she is shown to be somewhat sensitive to these videos.
When it was found that Izuku was Quirkless, Inko felt immense guilt as Izuku could no longer follow his dream. Although Izuku wished Inko would say he could become a hero, at the time, there was no way for him to become one without receiving a Quirk or the super suit he receives at the end of the series.
I’m ashamed I gave up on you so easily… Yet you kept chasing after your dreams, never giving up!
However, after Izuku wasadmitted into UA, her perspective of him changed. Previously, Inko did not comfort Izuku, encouraging him to continue to follow his dreams. Instead, she felt guilty that Izuku was born without a Quirk, ultimately taking on the blame. After witnessing Izuku enroll in UA and work hard toward his dreams of becoming a hero, Inko had a change of heart and began to support Izuku by designing his first hero costume.
From now on, I promise to cheer you on with arms flailing!!
In her own way, this was Inko’s way of apologizing to Izuku and making up for not believing in his dream of becoming a hero. As mentioned before, Inko is sensitive to violence and dislikes seeing Izuku hurt, so while Inko may not particularly like the path Izuku wants to walk, she still decides to support him in her own way until she realizes the danger Izuku is now in.
Why was Inko so combative against Izuku becoming a hero?
Inko recognized the danger of Izuku becoming a hero; thus, she did not want him to injure himself anymore
Once Izukuenrolled in UA High School’s heroic department, Inko was undoubtedly ecstatic and proud of her son; however, after witnessingthe UA Sports Festival, wherein Izuku’s self-sacrificial personality shone through, and Bakugo Katsuki’s kidnapping, Inko’s perspective once again began to change.
Inko is a mother who always wants the best for her son. This is partly due to Izuku being bullied for being Quirkless and her guilt for not comforting him when he was discovered to be Quirkless. Although Izuku was now a UA student, it’s likely Inko was not fully aware of the extent to which heroism is performed. While many have witnessed the true depths of the battles taking place to save those in need, many focus on the glamorous parts of heroism.
It’s most likely the nitty-gritty part of heroism, which is violent and, at times, bloody, is possibly desensitized to the general public. However, Inko witnessed firsthand how these violent battles affected Izuku. Izuku could not fully control One For All when he first receivedthe Quirk from All Might. As a result of this, Izuku had to undergo extensive trial and error to figure out how the Quirk works best for his fighting style. Unfortunately, this led to many broken bones and trips to the hospital, which devastated Inko.
It broke Inko’s heart to see her son breaking his body to follow his dream, and although Inko previously stated that she supported him internally, she did not want Izuku to follow his dream. However, because All Might had specifically gotten on his knees and begged Inko to allow Izuku to attend the dorm, and Izuku was able to provide Inko with Kota’s handwritten letter, Inko was unable to decline this request, even though she did not want Izuku to place himself in more danger.
However, Inko’s fears are justified when she learns that All For One is seeking out Izuku, the new One For All wielder. In Chapter 309, this is also when Inko confesses that although she previously stated she felt reassured with Izuku staying in the dorms, she does not want Izuku to continue to fight All For One and Shigaraki Tomura. But much to her dismay, Izuku leaves UA duringthe Dark Hero arcto prevent All For One from locating him and to keep the others safe.
How Inko’s perspective of Izuku changed during the Final War
After watching Izuku fight All For One, Inko embraces and believes in Izuku’s dream of becoming a hero
At every step, Inko has been an unwilling participant in witnessing her son becoming battered and bruised with every battle. However, during theFinal War, her perspective of Izukuchanges again. While Inko was not particularly happy about Izuku participating in these battles, she also understood his role in the War.
Although Inko still had lingering doubts about Izuku’s dreams of becoming a Pro Hero, she could witness all he saved during this time. Only after watching the battle with All For One at the bunker did Inko’s perspective change. Previously, Inko was unaware of the power Izuku had gained, the lengths he had gone to train himself, and the Quirks within One For All.
While watching Izuku’s battle with Shigaraki, now turned All For One, Inko begins to cheer on Izuku genuinely and become supportive of his choice of becoming a hero. While previously it was hard for her to do so, in Chapter 422, Inko wished the best for Izuku during the battle, and although she could not do so before, she now understood what being a hero means to him.
My Hero Academiais now available to stream onCrunchyroll.
My Hero Academia
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the “One-For-All” quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
