Warning: SPOILERS for My Hero Academia's Season 6 episode #134In one of My Hero Academia's most epic sequences, Izuku Midoriya (Deku) combines the powers granted by his One For All Quirk in order to surpass the speed of a bullet and save the life of a former enemy. Deku's actions and his words show once again how much inspiration My Hero Academia takes from Western superhero comics, in this case from their most iconic character, Superman.
My Hero Academia's anime is currently adapting the Dark Deku Arc, in which the protagonist becomes a lone vigilante in order to protect his friends from the threat of two powerful villains, All For One and Shigaraki. Deku also wants to draw out the villains using himself as bait, and he succeeds when he is attacked by Lady Nagant, an assassin hired by All For One. Nagant is a former Pro Hero whose deadly Quirk, complemented by her incredible skills, makes her the best sniper in the country. She also came prepared to the battle, bringing along an unwitting hostage, Chisaki, another villain who has been previously defeated by Deku and is now broken and unable to fight.
Deku Reaches New Heights Emulating An Iconic Superman Feat
In episode #134 of My Hero Academia, "The Lovely Lady Nagant", Deku manages to close the gap with his opponent, combining the various Quirks granted by him by the previous users of One For All. Cornered, Lady Nagant uses her last resource, shooting a bullet at Chisaki, who is on a nearby rooftop. Seeing that, Deku rushes to the rescue of his former enemy, combining again his powers in the best possible way to outspeed the bullet and save Chisaki. While Nagant is shocked, Deku thinks about "the sight of All Might rushing over faster than a speeding bullet", which everyone from his generation remembers.
In My Hero Academia, All Might is the equivalent of Superman: a larger-than-life, unbeatable hero, who not only stops villains and criminals but also inspires people to be better through his unwavering sense of justice and self-sacrifice. "Faster than a speeding bullet" is a sentence commonly associated with Superman, which originates from the 1940s Fleischer animated shorts and radio series and became most famous as part of the 1950s Adventures of Superman TV show introduction. By emulating All Might's feats, Deku shows he has fully understood his lessons and become worthy of being the final successor of One For All.
Superman's Inspiration Is Key To My Hero Academia's Most Important Values
When she shot Chisaki, Lady Nagant was counting on Deku having even a second of hesitation about what to do, but he didn't. Instead, he immediately changed direction and prioritized rescuing someone in danger, just like All Might - or Superman - would do. It's an epic sequence, not only because of how Deku pulls off this incredible feat but for the determination and heroism he shows. All Might's values and example are based on Superman's iconic persona, and they are a central theme in My Hero Academia. This epic Deku moment is a testament to how much inspiration the series takes from Western superheroes, including the Man of Steel.
Season 6 of My Hero Academia is streaming on Crunchyroll.