Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia has grown into one of the most popular anime series of the decade, and it’s been incredible to watch this plucky shonen series enter the mainstream. My Hero Academia has benefitted from the public’s current obsession with superheroes and how it’s able to take the staples of the genre and reinvent them through anime.
There are many important heroes and villains in the series, but right from the start, it’s the prolific figure, All Might, who is positioned as My Hero Academia’s mascot. All Might’s role in the series is invaluable, but My Hero Academia has also slowly peeled back the layers on the character and highlighted the personal relationships and friendships that drive him forward. Allies are crucial in My Hero Academia, and there are some important ones who inspire All Might.
10 Katsuki Bakugo Becomes An Unlikely Addition To All Might’s Inner Circle
My Hero Academia begins with Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo at odds and fulfilling the roles of friendly rivals more than outright companions. All Might focuses his efforts on Midoriya and helps him grow and rise above Bakugo’s playful barbs. However, after Midoriya and Bakugo grow closer, the latter gets indoctrinated into All Might’s trusted clique. All Might opens up to Bakugo about Midoriya’s inheritance of his One For All Quirk and its accompanying dangers. All Might and Bakugo don’t get a lot of one-on-one time, but he trusts the boy to be there for Midoriya when he can’t be.
9 Principal Nezu & All Might Have A Tacit Understanding Of What Society Needs
All Might is a character in My Hero Academia who gets pulled in many different directions. All Might was the Number One Pro Hero, but he also serves a crucial role as an educator at U.A. High. Principal Nezu doesn’t play a major role in My Hero Academia, but some of his most significant scenes take place alongside All Might. Nezu is one of the select few who are aware of All Might’s debilitating condition. The two engage in fascinating discussions about the public’s safety, and they know that they can implicitly trust each other.
8 Endeavor & All Might Have A Painful History That Boils Down To A Terse Friendship
When My Hero Academia begins, it seems that All Might and Endeavor are completely at odds with each other. It’s explained that the two haven’t spoken for ten years and that bad blood has formed between them. Despite this tension, All Might and Endeavor are able to eventually resolve this feud and put their differences aside.
All Might is able to put his trust into Endeavor, and he can actually be proud of Endeavor as the new Number One Pro Hero. This friendship remains more of an unspoken bond, but it definitely exists and has been forged through hardships.
7 Shota Aizawa Becomes A Trusted Confidante For All Might On U.A. High’s Faculty
Many of the educators at U.A. High are treated like indispensable figures in My Hero Academia, but it’s quite interesting to examine the relationships that exist between the faculty. Shota Aizawa and All Might first appear to carry highly contrasting ideologies even if there’s tacit respect and appreciation between the two of them. However, once the heroes get spread progressively thin by villain attacks, both All Might and Aizawa are willing to let their guards down more. The two make their students’ futures their priority, and Aizawa provides crucial assistance during the Paranormal Liberation War.
6 Naomasa Tsukauchi Is One Of The Few Quirkless Individuals All Might Trusts
The characters in My Hero Academia can often get tied up with their heroics and surround themselves with powerful Quirks. This is no different for All Might, but Naomasa Tsukauchi is an important exception. Tsukauchi is one of the best cops in Japan, and All Might goes so far as to trust him with his unstable condition. All Might and Tsukauchi often keep their interactions to a minimum, but they’re still incredibly close. All Might trusts him and will confide in him about his problems, while Tsukauchi will also provide All Might with intel on Nomu and All For One.
5 Sir Nighteye & All Might Used To Be Crime-Fighting Partners
My Hero Academia focuses on the next generation of heroes represented by Izuku Midoriya and his peers, but it also shines a light on many of the existing Pro Heroes’ pasts. Audiences first encounter Sir Nighteye as a temperamental Pro Hero who takes Midoriya and Togata under his wing.
It’s revealed that Nighteye and All Might are former partners, but a disagreement over his declining health is ultimately what causes them to part ways. Even still, the two value each other’s opinions, and Nighteye weighs in on who should receive All Might’s Quirk.
4 Gran Torino Mentored All Might & Gave Him Sage Advice
No one is born as a fully-formed hero, and even the best of the best still need to receive training to properly understand the fundamentals. All Might is a bastion of knowledge for Midoriya, but All Might himself owes a lot of his success to the teachings of Gran Torino. All Might remains close with his former mentor, and they still turn to each other for support. The two are even able to once again work together as teammates during the events of the Hideout Raid attack where they both cathartically fight against All For One.
3 Izuku Midoriya Is All Might’s Protégé & His Hope For The Future
My Hero Academia establishes many touching relationships, but arguably the sweetest of them all is the bond that forms between All Might and young Izuku Midoriya. All Might immediately recognizes the potential that’s dormant inside Deku, and he trusts him to be honorable enough to be his successor as the beater of One For All. The connection between these two only grows more intense, and All Might never shows concern over his decision to back Midoriya. This relationship means even more to Deku in lieu of his father being absent from the picture.
2 David Shield Is All Might’s Former Partner & Represents A Simpler Time For The Hero
The first My Hero Academia movie, Two Heroes, provides some helpful context on All Might’s past back when he was one of the biggest Pro Heroes in the United States. During this time, All Might’s partner was David Shield, someone he’s known since his college days. All Might is even at David’s wedding, and he makes sure that David’s daughter knows that he’s All Might’s hero. David is also responsible for designing all of All Might’s hero costumes. David doesn’t know the full story regarding All Might’s condition, but they still share a crucial history and stay in touch.
1 Nana Shimura’s Hero Lessons Will Always Be A Part Of All Might
Nana Shimura is not only the former mentor of All Might, but she's also the previous bearer of One For All before he becomes the new face of the legendary Quirk. Nana instills many of the optimistic ideals that dominate All Might's heroic work, and their bond becomes so intense that All Might views Nana as his own mother. This turns All For One's elimination of Nana and the manipulation of her grandson into serious points of contention for him that drive him in battle. All Might’s connection with Nana Shimura runs far deeper than the standard teacher-pupil dynamic.