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A debate has begun about My Hero Academia's main protagonist Izuku Midoriya's "chosen one" status since he gained One For All (OFA) and entered UA High. The debate didn't kick into full swing until he unlocked other OFA abilities like Black Whip and Float, in addition to his regular strength abilities.
Supporters of My Hero Academia's resident heroic nerd being the chosen one point to All Might choosing him and being one of the first to use all of OFA's abilities. Detractors point out that All Might had other candidates and that there's a difference between divine recognition and the abundance of luck Deku seems to have.
Disclaimer: This article contains massive spoilers for My Hero Academia, up to and including the most recent manga chapters. The opinions expressed are only those of debating fans and the author.
My Hero Academia's Izuku Midoriya, "chosen one" status questioned
How Izuku is The Chosen One
Tropes related to the Chosen One are usually fairly straightforward: the Chosen One is chosen by fate or divine providence (Naruto, Sailor Moon), someone who just happens to stumble in and be chosen by someone (The Matrix, Kung Fu Panda), among many other examples. Deku fits the mold of the modern version of this trope: he's an everyman with nothing special about him until it's bestowed upon him.
From there, Deku undergoes a relentless amount of training and backbreaking work to get his body used to the main One for All stockpiling Quirk. Evidence points to him being chosen by All Might to be the ninth holder of OFA. With it, he inherits the privilege and burden of becoming the world's greatest superhero to protect people and ensure peace with a smile on his face.
All of this pressure is put on him to succeed. An example of this is All Might privately coaching him and pointing at him, saying "it's your turn" after the battle against All for One in Kamino during My Hero Academia's Hideout Raid arc. Izuku is likewise the first OFA user in history to use all the Quirks from every OFA user and had Tomura Shigaraki and All for One's attention as the new user of OFA.
All of that seems like ample evidence to declare Deku My Hero Academia's version of a chosen one: from being chosen by All Might to being the first to use all of One For All's Quirks, and even getting the attention of the main villain. The counterpoint, however, will show that My Hero Academia also paints Izuku as not the typical version of a Chosen One.
How Izuku isn't the Chosen One
There has been a lot of counter-evidence, however, showing that Izuku isn't a typical example of a Chosen One. The first one is how he was chosen: All Might had other options apart from him. The honor of first choice was going to fall to Mirio Togata, alias Lemillion, who had many more desired qualities. All Might just happened to run into Izuku.
When Mirio was depowered thanks to a major fight against Overhaul, Izuku attempted to pass OFA to him but he refused. It was later revealed that the previous OFA users were not chosen by fate either: the first holder was All For One's brother and everyone after him was given the power so they could resume fighting against All For One. Fans are now asserting that Deku wasn't chosen to fight All for One.
Likewise, many detractors have pointed out that anyone could fill Izuku's shoes. Bakugo, Todoroki, and the aforementioned Mirio are all good choices. Chosen ones are usually considered chosen because of the idea that they can do everything alone, yet Izuku (much like Frodo Baggins) has had help every step of the way on his journey.
When Deku did try doing it alone, he almost died multiple times. He had to have the power boost Eri gave him to overcome Overhaul. Additionally, he's had multiple injuries from OFA overuse. He also went out on his own later, which resulted in him being so angry and injured with OFA overuse that he nearly went villain himself. It took all of Class 1-A to get him back to his senses.
How Izuku is both
Izuku encompasses many aspects of a chosen one that My Hero Academia both upholds and debunks. He's a more modern version of the chosen one, in that he was nothing special until specialness was bestowed upon him. He likewise displays the ability to use all of OFA's powers, though not without plenty of work and training.
Most chosen ones either have the innate ability to do the extraordinary or are divine by fate. Examples of the latter include Naruto having plenty of chakra reserves and being Asura's reincarnation, Goku and the Super Saiyan legend, Luffy and Nika coming into Gear V, or Usagi from Sailor Moon being Princess Serenity's reincarnation. My Hero Academia's Izuku is none of those things, given that he never had a Quirk to begin with nor an actual destiny or prophecy.
Izuku is more reminiscent of Pokemon's Ash Ketchum or Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings, in that they're ordinary people who end up doing extraordinary things while going through hardship. Izuku had to work for a lot of his power, and a lot of it malfunctioned when he tried testing it out and almost killed him multiple times.
Like the aforementioned Ash and Frodo, Izuku having friends by his side contributed to the idea that My Hero Academia is against lone-wolf actions. The biggest victories, and even cushioning crushing defeats, are done via group efforts from heroes and villains in the series. Tomura Shigaraki would've died or gotten captured had All for One not possessed him during the Paranormal Liberation War arc.
Thus concludes the examination into whether or not My Hero Academia's Izuku Midoriya is and isn't the chosen one in the series. Long story short, the My Hero Academia main protagonist upholds and defies plenty of "chosen one" tropes in the series. He might have gotten OFA due to All Might choosing him, but he's had to work hard for it and also has plenty of help, which he will need against All For One.
