Why Deku Can’t Bulk Up Like All Might: The Real Reason Behind His Missing Muscular Form

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Summary

  • All Might’s muscular form was a unique result of handling him One For All and his injury.
  • Deku cannot access a muscular form like All Might despite having the same Quirk.
  • Deku’s access to the vestiges of One For All may not grant him all the holders’ abilities, only their Quirks.

In the captivating world of “My Hero Academia,” I’m constantly intrigued by the enigma surrounding Deku’s Quirk, One For All. This extraordinary power, passed down from hero to hero, is as elusive as its workings. To even bear it, I put my body through rigorous training, and yet, when I attempt to use it, even slightly, my limbs shatter! It’s a challenge that fuels my determination, but also leaves me in awe of the power that lies within me.

Despite the fact that it remains unexplained, it appears that All Might effortlessly utilized One For All at its maximum capacity when he initially obtained it. Moreover, All Might seems capable of transforming into a powerful muscular form whenever he activates this ability, which Deku has never been seen to successfully replicate. Despite sharing the same Quirk, why can’t Deku achieve a muscular form like All Might?

All Might’s Original Form

The #1 Hero Wasn’t Always So Skinny

Although the intricate aspects of One for All in “My Hero Academia” aren’t directly spelled out for viewers, there are hints we can pick up to understand what happened to All Might’s original appearance. During flashbacks to All Might’s earlier years, he is shown to have a towering and muscular physique by nature. After enduring a severe wound during his climactic fight with All for One before the series began, All Might’s body started deteriorating, leading him to his present condition.

All Might’s lean physique isn’t his original form; it’s a result of using One For All, his powerful Quirk. When he activates this Quirk, his body shifts back to its former state, one that he could manage when handling its strength. It appears that All Might’s ability to transform his body is unique, stemming from the specific circumstances of his injury and his exceptional use of One For All’s potential.

Indeed, it’s no surprise if All Might finds that concept challenging. Given my unique approach to teaching and his innate talent with One For All, I guided him differently from most. Naturally, he possessed the physical prowess to back him up, which certainly played a role.” -Enthusiast Gran Torino in Episode 27

In Gran Torino’s view, unlike Deku, All Might was capable of wielding the full force of One For All from the start. This suggests that All Might’s muscular physique might be connected to his exceptional ability to manage One For All with ease, rather than a transformation bestowed upon him by One For All as an extra power.

But what about the Vestiges?

Deku’s Unique Journey With One For All

Although this theory regarding All Might’s muscular form seems plausible, it’s important to consider additional complexities when we learn that Deku can utilize the powers of past One For All users. We witness these previous users, including Toshinori Yagi, in the vestige realm when Deku visits it. Given that Deku can access them, wouldn’t he be capable of summoning All Might’s muscular transformation power since he is amongst them too?

It appears that the boundaries of the vestiges are yet undefined, but it seems Deku can only tap into their Quirks, not other skills. Regrettably, the conclusion of the main story leaves us questioning the full potential of the vestige realm in relation to One for All. There’s speculation that at some stage, Deku might have utilized more than just the past user’s Quirks, making his form similar to All Might a possibility. At present, however, Deku can only acquire a muscular form through training and building muscle mass on his own.

In essence, the muscular form that All Might possesses is primarily used for narrative intrigue at the start of the story and as a comedic element for his character. This suggests that even if Deku were to transform into a muscular version of himself, it wouldn’t serve much purpose in the story. All Might’s bulky physique can be seen as a humorous device rather than a genuine display of strength. It’s also plausible that All Might’s muscular form is due to an unacknowledged Quirk, aligning with the narrative as the original One For All user was believed to be Quirkless until forced to take on a stockpiled Quirk by his brother, All For One. Although there remains some mystery surrounding All Might’s muscular form in My Hero Academia, the hints dropped throughout the story are sufficient to explain why Deku doesn’t exhibit this form like his mentor does.

My Hero Academia can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

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2025-05-22 18:31