My Hero Academia is well known for its large and interesting cast of characters, and All Might is one of the most beloved of the bunch. From the first episode, he's as much a symbol of hope and peace for the viewers as he is for the characters within the series -- and his influence on the story doesn't disappear when his hold on One for All does.
But no matter how great All Might is as a character, there are undoubtedly things that don't make much sense about Deku's hero and mentor. Part of that is because the anime doesn't always delve as deeply into the adults' backstories as fans would like, and part of it is because his relationship to All for One could use with some further explanation.
Here are 10 things that make no sense about All Might.
10 How Drastically His Physical Appearance Changes From One For All
In episode one of My Hero Academia, Deku is shocked to discover that All Might turns into a scrawny, rather downtrodden looking man when he's not using One for All. His muscular appearance is simply a performance until he's behind closed doors -- but why this is the case isn't clear.
Fans are supposed to attribute the difference in All Might's appearance to his waning power, but we know from Deku that One for All doesn't automatically grant its user extraordinary physical strength. Given that, it seems that All Might's muscles must be the result of hard work and exercise -- so why would they disappear when he's not using his inherited quirk?
9 His Clothes Change When He Transforms
Speaking of how bizarre All Might's transformations are, has anyone else noticed that his clothing sometimes changes when he returns to his non-muscular form as well? It isn't always the case, but sometimes All Might will be wearing his hero costume in his muscle form and immediately change to baggy pants and a white T-shirt when he returns to his non-muscular appearance.
We know from Mirio Togota -- and a handful of other characters -- that such physical changes would normally render a hero without their clothes. How All Might manages to completely change outfits in the blink of an eye is one of the biggest mysteries about the guy. We'll chalk it up to anime.
8 Where Is His Family?
It seems obvious that All Might is too busy with Pro Hero duties to have a wife and kids, but it stands to reason that he had parents at some point -- and maybe even other relatives as well. He never talks about his life before becoming a hero, though, and he never references any personal ties unrelated to his career. Should we assume his loved ones are all gone, or has he simply cut them off for their own protection, much like his predecessor?
At this point, Deku seems to be the closest thing All Might has to family. But we're still curious to learn about who he's linked to by blood.
7 His Motivations
One thing that My Hero Academia never fully delves into is All Might's motivation for becoming a Symbol of Peace. It's a taxing role, and it's one he seems to wholeheartedly believe in -- but why? Yes, we know that he's a nice guy who cares about the people. But what made him so compassionate that he'd want to sacrifice his own health and safety to be a beacon for the people?
Deku has this in common with All Might, but we see Deku's motivation for wanting to become the Symbol of Peace during his flashbacks, when he idolizes All Might. Did All Might look up to someone similar as well? Or did some experience make him realize the world needed a hero like him? We'd love to get more insight into his motivations.
6 He Initially Tells Deku He Can't Be A Hero
When Deku meets his idol, he asks All Might if he can still be a hero without a quirk. And given the revelations that come later in the anime, it’s somewhat surprising that All Might initially tells the boy no.
What makes little sense about this is the fact that All Might himself was born quirkless and rose to become the world’s greatest hero and Symbol of Peace. Obviously he knows this about himself, so it stands to reason that he'd believe the same is possible for others. Should we just chalk this up to a bad day?
5 He Almost Doesn't Save Bakugo
Given the lengths All Might is willing to go to in order to save someone -- even destroying his own body to do so -- it seems laughable in hindsight that he almost doesn’t help Bakugo during the anime’s first episode. When Bakugo is being attacked by the Sludge Villain, it's Deku who runs in to save him. Only after Deku moves does All Might assume his muscle form and help.
At the time, it seems that All Might just doesn't have the strength or energy to save Bakugo. But after seeing him go beyond his limits so many times later in the series, this moment doesn't hold up. Anyone who's seen a few episodes knows All Might would have immediately jumped in to help, regardless of how exhausted he was.
4 His Work History As A Hero
Apart from working as a teacher at U.A. High, we don't know much about All Might's work history -- though he does seem to mostly work solo. According to My Hero Academia creator Horikoshi, he even has his own agency. The weird thing is, he never talks about it and viewers never get a glimpse of it.
It was probably safe to assume All Might was running his own hero business when he said he took Nighteye on as a sidekick. But is it just him running it afterward? Are there other heroes or employees? The whole thing is incredibly unclear. And before he ventured off on his own, was he working for his master? We're really going to need a look at All Might's CV.
3 His Transition From An American Hero To A Japanese One
We know that All Might trained to become a hero in the United States, despite being born in Japan. He never delves into why he returned from America, though -- and given that he doesn't seem to have any close family, it doesn't seem like there's much reason behind the decision.
It's also a bit strange that All Might still uses the hero moves and hero costume he picked up in the United States while serving as a hero in Japan. Maybe he's just really proud of his training...
2 That He Can't Teach Deku To Use One For All
When All Might initially laments that he doesn't know how to help Deku master One for All, it seems reasonable. After all, the power is different for every user. As soon as Gran Torino comes in and tells Deku to only use a percentage of his power, however, fans have to question why All Might couldn't come up with such an easy solution himself.
Given his own training with One for All, it seems like All Might should have known the power could be used at different percentages. Why wouldn't he suggest Deku turn down the dial when he saw what was happening to his body at full power?
1 He Gave One For All To Some Random Teenager
Sorry, All Might, but we're with Nighteye on this one. Who meets some random, desperate teenager and immediately entrusts them with a power like One for All? It's nothing against Deku, but this move just doesn't make any logical sense. At least get to know the kid before you pronounce him the next Symbol of Peace!
In hindsight, Deku was obviously a good choice to become All Might's successor. But how could All Might have known that when he gave him the power? Either he has really good judgment when it comes to character or his actions just don't make any sense... (We're going with the latter.)