My Hero Academia: Is Himiko Toga in love with Deku? Explained

With the release of My Hero Academia's chapter 394, fans of the series witnessed the conclusion of the altercation between Himiko Toga and Ochaco Uraraka. Readers also learned about the factors that led to Toga's decision to join the League of Villains in the past. With that, fans now anticipate that the manga will shift to a new battlefield.

But before that, several events raised doubts in the minds of many as to whether Himiko Toga was in love with Deku. To this, it can be said that Himiko Toga loves Izuku Midoriya. Also, the most recent chapter of the My Hero Academia manga sheds light on Toga's feelings for Midoriya.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia.

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Exploring why Toga loves Deku in My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia: Is Himiko Toga in love with Deku? Explained (Image via Studio Bones)

While My Hero Academia is a shonen action and adventure manga rather than the typical romantic one, it does contain some scenes of a romantic nature in between. For instance, Himiko Toga frequently admits to being madly in love with Deku.

Fans first saw it in My Hero Academia chapter 80 when Himiko starts to feel something for Izuku after seeing him being carried by Mezo Shoji while being severely injured during the attack by Vanguard Action Squad. Izuku looked like the kind of blood-smeared, blood-tattered guy she likes.

The most recent instance when fans saw Himiko confessing her love for Izuku was when she warped through Neito Monoma's Warp Gate. As she warped, she brought Izuku with her to Okuto Island, located about 200 kilometers off the coast of the Pacific. As she overheard Izuku attempting to flee, she begged him to stay, confessing her love for him and asking him to be her boyfriend.

Thus, there are many instances where fans learn that Toga is in love with Midoriya. Some initially thought Toga was crazy or that there was no explanation for her feelings for Deku. It was also revealed in the previous chapter of My Hero Academia that her views on love were misconstrued or viewed as monstrous by those around her. But in the most recent chapter of My Hero Academia, Toga finally revealed why she loves Deku.

In chapter 394, Ochaco confessed her love for Izuku. After hearing her say this, Toga also began to share her innermost thoughts. Toga revealed that she falls in love with anyone, whether animals, birds, girls, heroes, villains, or boys, as they all have blood pumping through them.

Toga went on to say that she found Izuku to be reminiscent of a boy named Saito, whom she had once liked and who was her first crush. She loved the blood pumping through him. However, she never found the courage to ask Saito for blood because she was sure he would call her names and be disgusted.

Because of her unusual desires and her fear of being judged by others, Toga did not act on her feelings. Toga also explained why she was angry with Izuku and Ochaco. She said they had both been criticizing her in a way that was similar to what she had previously experienced when she had not joined the League of Villains.

Thus, it was seen that Toga only gave in and confessed her love for Deku after Ochaco showed empathy for her and understood her feelings. Toga's love for Deku would have gone unnoticed if Ochaco had not understood her and forced her to reveal her deepest feelings.

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Final thoughts

My Hero Academia: Is Himiko Toga in love with Deku? Explained (Image via Studio Bones)

The revelation of Toga's past and her love for Deku has brought everyone's attention to the depth of her character and insight into her tumultuous past. In addition to creating a fantastic villain, mangaka Kohei Horikoshi has highlighted the complex nature of the villain's emotions and the social pressures that ultimately led to her being molded into a villainous force.

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Stay tuned for more anime and manga updates as 2023 progresses.