My Hero Academia: The Origins Of All Might Explained

Toshinori Yagi, also known as All Might is the former No. 1 Pro Hero who bore the title of the world's Symbol of Peace.

Published on Jun 07, 2024  |  05:48 PM IST |  30.6K
Studio Bones, Crunchyroll
All Might in My Hero Academia (Studio Bones, Crunchyroll)

All Might, born Toshinori Yagi, is a prominent protagonist in My Hero Academia, a world-renowned hero. He holds the One For All Quirk, a transferable power that enhances physical abilities to superhuman levels. This Quirk gives All Might exceptional strength, speed, endurance, and agility, making him the number one hero in his prime. Izuku Midoriya trains him to become his successor and begins My Hero Academia's action-packed story.

My Hero Academia explores the story of All Might, a skilled fighter who chooses Deku as his successor as he knows his era as the world's greatest hero is coming to an end. The story reveals All Might's humble beginnings and his epic rise to the top in superheroes.

Who is All Might?

All Might was the eighth holder of the One For All Quirk after receiving it from Nana Shimura. He has since passed the torch onto Izuku Midoriya, whom he is training to be his successor. After using up all the embers of One For All to defeat All For One, All Might retired and ended his era as the world's greatest hero.

While officially earning the rank of the Number 1 hero of Japan, All Might was also well-recognized as the strongest and greatest hero in the world. He was the Symbol of Peace and a deterrent against crime and brought stability to Japan, contrasting with the rest of the world. He defeated All For One twice, a feat that previous wielders of One.

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All Might in My Hero Academia (All Might: Studio Bones, Crunchyroll)

Like Izuku, All Might was born Quirkless but still found himself wishing to be a hero. During All Might's youth, evil forces were nearly unstoppable thanks to the terrible villain All For One, so much of Japan was in chaos, inspiring young All Might to fight to protect the innocent.

All Might, as a teenager, faced a villainous gang before Pro Hero Nana Shimura, who was the seventh person to receive the One For All Quirk, stepped in and handled them with ease. Nana saw potential in All Might, even though he was born without a Quirk. After careful consideration, she took him in as her apprentice and passed the Quirk on to him.

All Might worked with Nana and Gran Torino during his training at U.A. High School to become the strongest hero. He used his One For All Quirk for forty years to protect the innocent and save the world, becoming one of the strongest heroes in the world.

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In the All Might Rising manga and OVA film adaptation, My Hero Academia delves into All Might's past, following Nana Shimura's death. All Might embarks on a journey to America, where he meets international heroes and aids them in combating crime during his time in the States.

All Might, while in America, focused on his Quirk and aimed to be a symbol of peace worldwide. He saved Cathleen Bate, who later became America's top hero, Star and Stripe. Returning to Japan, he became the No. 1 Hero and inspired a new generation of Pro Heroes, restoring peace and lowering crime rates to under 6%.

However, All For One's evil presence lingered, not fully defeated, despite the efforts of All Might and the new generation of superheroes in restoring peace.

The fall of All Might 

The rivalry between All Might and All For One escalated, with All Might seeking to maintain peace in Japan and revenge on All For One for his mentor's murder. In a brutal battle, All Might destroyed All For One's head and damaged his body, temporarily ending his evil reign.

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However, the battle resulted in severe injuries to All Might, including a stomach loss and a severely damaged respiratory system. As a result, he could only use his One For All Quirk for a limited time, ending his time as Japan's Symbol of Peace.

All Might in My Hero Academia (PC: Studio Bones, Crunchyroll)

The aftermath of All Might's battle with All For One heavily complicated matters for him and his mission to keep Japan safe. He felt compelled to maintain his heroic image to the public, believing that if people saw him as weak, a new wave of villainy might rise. He chose to keep up appearances and remain a hero and public figure while searching for a successor to take his place.

In My Hero Academia, All Might encounters Izuku Deku Midoriya, who learns about his secret battle with All For One and the injuries he sustained. All Might intervenes, saving Izuku and Katsuki Bakugo. Deku's bravery and willingness to save others, despite not having a Quirk, are noticed by All Might. Reminding of his humble beginnings, All Might chooses Izuku as his successor, a moment that brings Deku's dreams of becoming a hero to life.

Izuku then endured grueling training under All Might, mirroring the Pro Hero's own training days under the tutelage of Nana. Despite his weakened form, All Might was still able to control his One For All Quirk well enough to turn into his mighty superhero version for public appearances and teaching.

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As a result, he was able to be both a mentor and teacher at U.A. High School, instilling his knowledge as a superhero along with other important lessons to both Izuku and the rest of his classmates.

ALSO READ: My Hero Academia Manga: Creator Claims To Wrap Series With a Long Epilogue

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With a Masters in English, Barsha is a movie buff and a K-pop stan who is fascinated by the

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