Superman is a character who looms large not just in superhero mythology but in pop culture in general. Countless stories across various media have deconstructed the role that an immensely powerful being would have in society, often leading to destruction. There’s actually one character that embodies everything Superman is meant to be: Toshinori Yagi, aka All Might, from My Hero Academia. All Might shares more than a few things in common with the Man of Steel, since he’s considered to be the “Symbol of Peace” in Japan and serves as an inspiration to other heroes, including My Hero Academia‘s protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. However, My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi also uses All Might’s character arc to explore how Superman would operate in modern times, resulting in a truly incredible story.
While Most Superhero Stories Feature Evil Versions of Superman, ‘My Hero Academia’ Keeps All Might a Truly Good Person
When My Hero Academia debuted in 2014, the character of Superman was undergoing a paradigm shift. Man of Steel and Injustice: Gods Among Us both made their debut in the previous year, and they both featured darker takes on Clark Kent; Man of Steel was less a superhero origin story and more a first contact tale, while Injustice depicted a Superman who ruled the world with an iron fist after killing the Joker. More superhero tales would continue to feature characters who were the complete opposite of Superman, including Homelander in The Boys and Omni-Man in Invincible. At first, these characters seem to be every bit the paragon that Superman is, but soon their darker nature is revealed, and their body count starts to pile up. In contrast, All Might is genuinely good throughout the entirety of My Hero Academia. He’s rarely seen without a massive grin on his face, he’s always kind to the people he saves, and his costume boasts the same bright red and blue colors as Superman’s. Even All Might’s catchphrase, “I am here!” is the kind of thing you’d expect a golden age superhero to say.
But beyond his boisterous personality, All Might is willing to help others in any way he can. This is especially true with Deku, who, unlike most of the world’s population, doesn’t possess a “Quirk” (aka a superpower). Deku asks All Might what he can do to be a hero, and at first, the icon tells him to try and seek a more realistic goal. But when Deku races to save his classmate Katsugi Bakugo from a villain — despite having no powers, and Bakugo bullying him since they were children — All Might eventually takes him under his wing, passing on his own Quirk “One For All” to Deku. Superman has also inspired other heroes in his career, including John Henry Irons, who became Steel to fulfill a promise he made after the Man of Steel saved his life, and Dick Grayson (Robin), who takes his name of Nightwing from Kryptonian mythology. It’s Superman’s actions, not his powers, that inspired these heroes, and All Might following in those footsteps makes him more than a worthy successor to Superman’s legacy.
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All Might saves the day with a smile, while Knuckleduster strikes fear from the shadows.
‘My Hero Academia’ Has a Major Twist Surrounding All Might That Makes Him a Compelling Character
Despite sharing a lot in common with Superman, there’s one element that separates All Might from the Man of Steel. Years before the beginning of My Hero Academia, All Might received a grievous wound from his archnemesis All for One; this impacted his ability to use his Quirk, and he kept it hidden from most of the world. Horikoshi utilizes this development as a means to explore the kind of pressure that comes with being a hero of All Might’s caliber, resulting in a compelling character journey. All Might is determined to live up to his moniker as the Symbol of Peace, to the point where he’s thrown himself into his hero work; it strains his bonds with others, especially his former partner Sir Nighteye.
Once Nighteye used his Quirk to see the future and witnessed a vision of All Might’s death, he begged his partner to give up hero work, but All Might refused. Through a conversation with Deku’s mother, Inko, and his fellow hero Shoto Aizawa, aka Eraser Head, All Might resolved to live and be an inspiration for other heroes, including Deku. What makes Aizawa and All Might’s dynamic stand out is that Aizawa possesses most of the traits that define Batman, including his stoic demeanor. Given that The Dark Knight shares a unique friendship with Superman, it’s only fair that All Might would confide in Aizawa.
An Iconic Superman Story Gets a Unique Twist in ‘My Hero Academia’
All Might’s journey took an unexpected turn in My Hero Academia Season 3, when he had a rematch with All for One during an attempt to save Bakugo from the League of Villains. The fight is immensely fierce, given that All for One’s Quirk lets him steal others’ abilities, but All Might deals a crippling blow to his foe with the “United States of Smash” attack, which finally depletes his abilities. This event runs parallel to the iconic “Death of Superman” storyline, where Superman perished fighting Doomsday. Obviously, All Might doesn’t die, but losing his quirk inspires the rest of the heroes to live up to his standard, especially Deku.
All Might would also face off one last time against One for All, utilizing an armored suit similar to how Superman used a black and white solar suit to slowly regain his powers in “The Return of Superman”. Whether he intended to reference “The Death of Superman” or not, Kohei Horikoshi demonstrates the profound influence of the Man of Steel on All Might. In their book Supergods, Grant Morrison gave a stirring quote as to why Superman has endured for years: “Somewhere in our darkest night, we made up the story of a man who will never let us down.” Very few fictional characters have lived up to this standard, but All Might is one that clearly demonstraights the heart of a hero.
My Hero Academia is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
- Release Date
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April 2, 2016
- Network
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TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
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Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
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Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
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Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)
