Izuku Midoriya's journey to U.A. wasn't easy. He admired pro heroes and couldn't wait for his quirk to emerge. Sadly, it never did, and Midoriya's dreams were crushed before he finished kindergarten. However, after seeing something special in him, Midoriya's favorite pro hero, All Might, passed his quirk on to him.

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Midoriya was accepted into U.A., the number one hero academy in Japan. As he began hero training with his hero name, Deku, Midoriya was no longer alone, now surrounded by people who supported and cared for him. Becoming a pro hero is tough, and having friends to share the experience with has granted Deku much joy and encouragement in My Hero Academia.

Updated on November 14th, 2022 by Sarah Martin: As My Hero Academia's sixth season is in full swing, the bonds between Deku and his heroic peers are being proven as they face the fights of their lives against the Paranormal Liberation Front. Since this list was published in 2021, we've updated it with five more of Deku's closest friends.

15 Sir Nighteye & Deku Started Off On The Wrong Foot But Learned To Work TogetherSir Nighteye from My Hero Academia.

Sir Nighteye put Deku through the wringer when Mirio took him to his agency. He respected Mirio, but saw little value in Deku as All Might's successor. Plus, Deku shot himself in the foot with an All Might impression that failed to make the Symbol of Peace's biggest fanboy laugh. Deku earned Nighteye's respect after failing his test but strategically avoiding all of his All Might merchandise so it wouldn't get damaged.

Nighteye took Deku under his wing, and they eventually learned to work together during the Overhaul arc. Nighteye came to respect Deku and recognize him as a worthy successor after he changed the future he saw in his premonition.

14 Shinsou & Deku Are Friendly Rivals

My Hero Academia: Shinso Is a Better Underdog Than Deku

Shinsou and Deku have similar underdog stories. While Deku started without a quirk, Shinsou's brainwashing quirk is basically useless unless it's used in specific situations. Often teased that he'd make a great villain, Shinsou wanted to prove that he could be a great hero.

Since their first meeting at the U.A. Sports Festival, Shinsou and Deku have had a friendly rivalry. They always challenge each other and look forward to sparring, but they silently root for each other all the same. During the joint training arc, Shinsou's brainwashing helped Deku get his new quirk under control.

13 Deku's Instant Protective Feelings Towards Eri Led To A Strong Bond

Deku Tries To Save Eri (My Hero Academia).

When Eri accidentally ran into Deku while he was out patrolling with Lemillion, Deku could instantly sense her fear and became protective of her. However, when Overhaul appeared, saying that he was her father, Eri went back to Overhaul. Over time, Deku and the other heroes learned that Eri was being held captive by Overhaul, her body being used to make Quirk-erasing bullets.

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After the pro heroes staged an attack on the Shie Hassaikai, they managed to save Eri after she helped Deku defeat Overhaul by restoring his damaged body with her Quirk. Deku then became an older brother figure to Eri, and he and other U.A. students and teachers have now taken on the responsibility of her care.

12 Lemillion And Deku Share The Same Fighting Spirit

Lemillion and Deku in My Hero Academia.

Deku and Mirio's first meeting was pretty unconventional: Mirio startled Deku by appearing in the wall while Deku was taking out the trash. He did this because he wanted to offer Deku friendly advice and told him to stay positive.

They got closer when Mirio took Deku to meet Sir Nighteye at his hero agency, and their bond strengthened even further when they met and helped rescue Eri. When Mirio lost his Quirk to one of the Hassaikai's Quirk-erasing bullets, Deku was able to empathize, as he knew exactly what it's like to be Quirkless.

11 Deku Respects Mei's Hard Work For The Support Course

Mei Hatsume giving Izuku Midoriya his gauntlets in My Hero Academia.

Mei's intense personality may be offputting, but there's no denying that she's a hardworking member of the support course. Her inventions may range from bizarre and unusable to downright hazardous, but it's the thought that counts.

Mei scared Deku at first, but now he has no issue going to her when he needs a costume upgrade. He's learned how to communicate with her in a way that wouldn't allow her imagination to run too wild but still gives her the creative freedom she needs. Mei's inventions have saved Deku several times throughout My Hero Academia.

10 Deku Earned Gran Torino's Respect

Gran Torino yelling at Deku in My Hero Academia.

Gran Torino reached out to Deku, hoping to recruit him as a sidekick. Since he'd worked with two previous users of One For All, he wanted to show Deku the ropes. Gran Torino wasted no time showing off his true strength after feigning senility. Gran Torino eventually grew to respect Deku's hard work and recognizes him as a worthy successor to All Might.

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Gran Torino and Deku always look out for each other to this day. Gran Torino's care for Deku often sounds like well-intentioned nagging and sarcastic comments. Gran Torino realizes that Deku is just as impulsive as All Might, so he always tries to steer the young hero in the right direction.

9 Deku Saved Kota And Changed His Perception of Heroes

Deku and Kota in My Hero Academia.

Kota is a young boy who holds resentment toward heroes. His parents were the hero duo Water Hose, who sacrificed themselves to save a village. While class 1 A was attending the Forest Training Camp, they were ambushed by the League of Villains.

Kota found himself alone and cornered by Muscular, the villain responsible for his parents' deaths, but Deku came to Kota's rescue and saved him, breaking both arms in the process. Kota wrote Deku a thank you note while he was recovering in the hospital, and later when Kota visited U.A., his aunt pointed out that he wanted to buy new shoes that resembled Deku's. Kota now looks up to Deku, and his faith in heroes has been restored.

8 Aoyama Reached Out To Deku To Let Him Know They Have Something In Common

Deku and Aoyama in My Hero Academia.

At first, Deku wasn't sure what to think of Aoyama. He showed up at Deku's dorm room late at night and left him strange messages in cheese, then watched him while he slept. He would also leave him gifts on his desk in class. This rightfully creeped Deku out, and he didn't know what Aoyama wanted from him.

It turned out that Aoyama's advances were innocent. When Aoyama overuses his navel laser, it gives him stomach pain, so he wanted to let Deku know that he understood what it was like to have a Quirk that can affect your body so much.

7 Tsuyu's Sweet Personality Wins Deku Over

Tsuyu talking to Deku in My Hero Academia.

Tsuyu was comfortable with Deku from the start. Though Deku is sometimes shy when it comes to friendly intimacy, Tsuyu was determined to make him feel comfortable around her. She constantly reminded him to call her by her first name because she considered him a friend, something that still flusters Deku to this day.

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When they were attacked by villains at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, Deku and Tsuyu worked together to defeat them. They have been close ever since, sharing mutual respect and admiration for each other.

6 Tokoyami Joined Deku's Team During The Cavalry Battle

Tokoyami and Dark Shadow in My Hero Academia.

Tokoyami and Deku have been close ever since the U.A. Sports Festival. Everyone had it out for Deku's head since he earned the most points during the festival's first phase, so nobody wanted to work with him. However, Uraraka and Tokoyami accepted his offer, and they worked well together.

Tokoyami even helped Deku's team score a significant amount of points by stealing a headband when it counted the most. After Deku left U.A., Tokoyami was just as distraught as everyone else. Deku helped him get Dark Shadow under control at one point, and he wanted his friend back.

5 Iida And Deku Have Grown To Understand And Respect Each Other

Iida scolding Deku in My Hero Academia.

Iida has an intense personality that frightened Deku at first, as he made observations about Deku's habits and appeared critical at times. However, Deku soon impressed Iida with his selfless and kind personality. Iida has expressed on many occasions that he is impressed by and believes Deku to be better than him in more than one aspect.

While the two have had their disagreements, they have also fought with and for each other in life-threatening situations. When they inevitably reconcile, they understand and respect each other even more as classmates, friends, and heroes.

4 Deku Encouraged Shoto To Accept Who He Is

Shoto Todoroki and Deku in My Hero Academia.

As Shoto was the son of the number 2 pro hero and Deku was the student of the number 1 pro hero, Shoto believed he and Deku were destined to dislike each other. After learning about Shoto's family history, Deku's respect for him grew.

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Their friendship took flight during the sports festival when Deku, after realizing that Shoto was suppressing his left side where his father Endeavor's flame Quirk manifests, encouraged him to use all of his power and fight to his full potential. In this sense, Deku had a great impact on Shoto's development. Later during Stain's attack, Shoto ran to Deku's location, letting his father know he was going to help a friend, which confirmed that he saw Deku as more than just another classmate.

3 Romantic Affection Between Uraraka And Deku Have Deepened Their Established Friendship

Ochaco and Deku bump fists together in My Hero Academia

It is apparent that Uraraka and Deku have a crush on one another, but this crush developed from a genuine friendship. During the U.A. entrance exam, Deku saved Uraraka from a giant robot, and Uraraka subsequently saved him from taking a long fall. During the joint training arc, Deku's quirk went berserk, and Uraraka knew how to help him by asking Shinsou to intervene.

They became even closer once classes began, and Uraraka was even responsible for the hero name Deku – a nickname once used by Bakugo to tease Deku about being Quirkless – as she changed his perception of the name by telling him it reminded her of an "I can do it!" attitude. They continue to encourage each other now as heroes and are possibly a little more than friends.

2 Bakugo And Deku Share An Unspoken Brotherly Bond

Bakugo and Deku in My Hero Academia.

Deku and Bakugo have a very complicated relationship. Bakugo bullied Deku for most of their childhood and was extremely aggressive towards him once they were both accepted into U.A., as he believed that Deku deceived him into thinking he didn't have a Quirk. Despite Bakugo's harsh treatment, Deku has risked his safety on several occasions to save him. When Bakugo was captured by the League of Villains, Deku saved him and his friends.

One of the defining moments in their relationship came when Bakugo challenged Deku to fight him on U.A. grounds after All Might's subsequent retirement. In the middle of this, he stopped to express that he felt like he was falling behind after Deku had suddenly grown so strong and gained All Might's acknowledgment. Bakugo and Deku have since learned how to work together. Bakugo even apologized for his past mistreatment of Deku in recent chapters.

1 All Might Made Deku's Dream Of Becoming A Pro Hero Possible

All Might and Midoriya hugging on the beach in My Hero Academia.

Midoriya admired All Might his entire life; All Might is his favorite pro hero and his inspiration for wanting to become a hero. After Deku put himself in obvious danger to save Bakugo from the Sludge Villain — even though Deku didn't have a Quirk of his own — All Might saw something familiar in him.

Soon after their first meeting, Deku saw All Might's true form and was chosen to become his successor with One For All. All Might changed Deku's life and gave him the opportunity to become a pro hero. He is now Deku's mentor, greatest supporter, and close friend.

NEXT: Top 10 Worst Things That Happened To Deku In My Hero Academia, Ranked