My Hero Academia’s All Might might have held the position of Number One Hero for years, but he can’t say the same about being a teacher at U.A. High. Not only is All Might’s tenure as a faculty member short-lived, but he doesn't always excel at instructing his students the way he excels at saving the day.
Sure, All Might has a few shining moments as a teacher. But overall, he seems to struggle when it comes to dealing with his students — whether it's through his inability to communicate properly with them or his refusal to separate his role as a teacher from his feelings toward those he's teaching.
Here are 5 times All Might was the best teacher (& 5 times that he wasn’t).
10 He Was: During His First Class With Students From 1-A
All Might starts the series off with a promising display as a teacher, as his first lesson with Class 1-A is full of feedback that the students take to heart and use to improve themselves over the course of the series. And given that All Might is the one offering that commentary, it's safe to say that he has some talent when educating heroes in training.
During Class 1-A's final exams, All Might even takes note of how Bakugo and Midoriya use the advice he gave them during their first class. He clearly did something right during this first class if the two retained what they learned.
9 He Wasn’t: When He Played Favorites
From the very beginning of the series, All Might clearly favors Midoriya when it comes to training Class 1-A. And while that may be expected, given that the boy is his successor, it’s not a good look from a teaching standpoint. Any good teacher knows you can’t play favorites.
Not only does All Might show favoritism toward Midoriya, but he does it to the point where it's noticeable. Multiple characters have pointed out the closeness between the two, including Eraserhead, Todoroki and Bakugo.
8 He Was: When He Saved His Students At The USJ
When the USJ incident occurs, All Might isn't around, having used too much of his energy saving people earlier that day. But as soon as his intuition tells him that something isn't right, he rushes off to save his students -- even if he doesn't have much strength left.
And sure, that may be the sign of a good hero more than it's an indication that All Might is a good teacher. But despite needing the assistance, he also refuses to let his students step in and fight alongside him. He puts school rules and his students' safety first in this situation, and that's what any reasonable teacher would do.
7 He Wasn’t: When He Tried Too Hard Not To Play Favorites During Finals
After Eraserhead calls All Might out for playing favorites, the latter vows not to go easy on Midoriya and Bakugo during their final exams. Unfortunately, he tries a little too hard to keep this promise.
Not only does All Might slam into Bakugo with enough force to make him vomit, but he also breaks Midoriya’s back — both moves earning him a scolding from Recovery Girl. It's commendable that he doesn't want to go easy on the two of them, but he could have challenged them without injuring them so badly.
6 He Was: When He Sent Midoriya To Gran Torino
A good teacher can admit when a student would be better served learning from someone else, and that's exactly what All Might does when he refers Midoriya to Gran Torino for his internship. Sensing that he's not helping his successor master One for All, he suggests that Midoriya go see his former mentor instead.
And given that Gran Torino helps Midoriya take control of One for All, we have to say it was a smart decision on All Might's part.
5 He Wasn’t: When He Reacted To Midoriya's Involvement At Kamino
Midoriya and the other students from Class 1-A are always getting wrapped up in situations that only Pro Heroes should be involved in, and this has landed them in serious trouble on multiple occasions. One example of this is when Midoriya and his friends show up to save Bakugo at Kamino Ward after explicitly being told not to.
And All Might's reaction to Midoriya breaking the rules is, as usual, not ideal. First, he punches the boy in the face for disobeying his teachers, but then he hugs him and tells him he's proud of him. Not only does this send a confusing message to the poor kid, but neither response is what you'd expect from a teacher.
4 He Was: When He Helped Class 1-A With Their Special Moves
Ironically, after All Might steps down from his responsibilities at U.A. High, he has a breakthrough when it comes to actually training his students. He shows up to their first lesson centered on creating their special moves, and he offers advice to those in the class.
But while All Might does give suggestions and provide a listening ear, he refuses to give his students the answers, insisting that they'll be better off if they figure out their special moves on their own. Even Eraserhead acknowledges that All Might seems to have gotten better at teaching during this scene, and it's hard to argue with him there.
3 He Wasn’t: When He Ignored What Bakugo Was Going Through
Good teachers pay attention to their students, staying aware of changes in behavior and attempting to address any problems the kids might be grappling with. With that in mind, you'd think the teachers at U.A. High would keep an especially close eye on Bakugo after the League of Villains kidnaps him, but they don't seem concerned about the possibility of him struggling with PTSD from the incident.
It's a bit irresponsible of All Might to never check in with Bakugo after he's rescued, and it could have resulted in much worse than two of his students getting into a fight after hours.
2 He Was: When He Took Responsibility For Bakugo And Midoriya’s Fight
Although All Might didn't pick up on Bakugo's suffering after the Kamino Ward incident, he does take responsibility for the fight Bakugo and Midoriya get into because of it. While Eraserhead is prepared to go all out with their punishments, All Might shoulders the blame, insisting that the two wouldn't have been so reckless if he'd paid closer attention.
It's a fair argument, and it shows some serious integrity that All Might is willing to own up to his mistakes.
1 He Wasn’t: When He Sent Deku To His Work Study Without Telling Him The Truth
At the beginning of season four, Midoriya starts a work study with All Might's former sidekick, Sir Nighteye, and he quickly discovers that the Pro Hero isn't incredibly fond of him. When he first meets Nighteye, Midoriya is told that All Might was going to pick Mirio as his successor -- and that Nighteye believes he made a poor decision choosing Midoriya instead.
All Might allows Midoriya to walk into this situation without any warning, and it's a pretty terrible thing to do, especially as a teacher. The least he could have done was give his successor a heads up, but he leaves the poor kid in the dark.