Originally appearing to both fans and Deku himself as a senile old man who couldn’t even remember Deku’s name, Gran Torino has proven time and time again that he is much more than meets the eye.
Throughout his time as hero, Gran Torino has not only accomplished much on his own, but beyond that, he has managed to train not one, but two inheritors of One For All (though he has never actually carried the powerful quirk himself). But what else has Gran Torino accomplished? What is his story? Let’s find out.
10 Gran Torino Starring Clint Eastwood
Though Gran Torino introduced as a senile old man to both viewers and Deku, there’s actually a lot more going on with him than viewers and the young hero first imagine. For starters, by the end of his time with Gran Torino, both Deku and viewers understand that not only is Gran Torino still a very capable teacher, but he’s also an incredibly talented mentor.
Which is, perhaps, one of the reasons why he pulls his name from the film of the same name, Gran Torino, in which Clint Eastwood plays the mentor to a young boy in a very dangerous situation.
9 Based On Yoda
Though he pulls his name from the film Gran Torino starring Clint Eastwood, the character himself is actually based on a much more popular mentor found in a galaxy far, far away, Yoda. Horikoshi has gone on record as stating that he pulled inspiration for Gran Torino from George Lucas’ classic master Jedi.
The pair have quite a bit in common should fans stop to think about it. For starters, they are both incredibly short. Then, when they are first introduced, the pair both use their old age and faux-senility to throw their young proteges off balance and mess with them a bit.
8 From Hero To….Smaller Hero
While Gran Torino’s minute stature has become a hallmark of his character to fans that have been introduced to the character through Deku, the speedy hero was not always such a small fry.
In fact, back in his glory days, when he was first beginning to teach Toshinori Yagi how to use the powers that had bestowed upon him, Gran Torino’s height actually rivaled that All Might in his muscle form. A form that stands at around seven feet two inches tall. That’s quite a bit of shrinking to do over the years, but though he is little, he is mighty. Even in his old age.
7 Teacher To The Very Best
Though Gran Torino was and still remains an incredibly talented hero, perhaps his greatest accomplishments come in the form of his teaching skills. Not only was Gran Torino Capable of teaching the young Toshinori Yagi how to use his new quirk, but he was also able to teach Deku concepts regarding his quirk within a week, that Toshinori was unable to teach after almost an entire year.
What makes all of this even more impressive is that Gran Torino never actually possessed One For All himself, so he managed to teach two great heroes based solely on his understanding of their quirk.
6 He Is Incredibly Strong
To touch on that “he may be little, but he is mighty” quote from earlier, Gran Torino, even in his old age, is an incredibly strong hero. Not only has he been shown, in his old age, to take on both villains and Nomu that even some pro heroes couldn’t handle, he’s also been shown carrying the full weight of All Might in his muscle form.
A form which is, again, seven feet two inches tall and a whopping 255kg (or 562.179 pounds!). So yeah, despite his small stature, Gran Torino can put up some serious weight.
5 Hs Quirk: Jet
With his quirk, Jet, Gran Torino is able to move at some truly impressive speeds. Seriously. The old dude can move so fast that not even All Might can see him with his naked eye. Beyond this, however, Gran Torino can also use his quirk to allow himself to fly for very short distances, as there is a limit to how much he can propel himself.
Through the holes on the soles of his feet, Gran Torino can propel himself at breakneck speeds, yes, but this air is also drawn from his breath, so there’s definitely a limit.
4 Who Needs The Speedforce?
As previously mentioned, with his quirk Gran Torino can move at incredible speeds. Not only is he capable of moving so fast that even All Might can’t manage to trace his movements, but he’s also incredibly skilled when it comes to using that speed.
He’s used his speed to make some incredible saves when it comes to his protege, he’s taken down a handful of villains all in the blink of an eye. A feat that even multiple pro heroes could not contend with.
3 Referencing Mega Man (& Proto Man)
Mangaka Kohei Horikoshi has created a rich and vibrant world positively packed with references to some of pop culture’s finest. There are numerous references to heroes like Captain America, Batman and Spider-Man as well as references to famous manga and anime like Attack On Titan and Akira.
But With Gran Torino’s costume Horikoshi references another great hero, Mega Man (Or Proto Man). The older Gran Torino has boots gauntlets and a suit that nearly perfectly matches the robot hero. His mask and yellow cape are also reminiscent of Proto Man’s attire.
2 His Stats
The Ultra Archive Book holds the stats for all of My Hero Academia’s greatest heroes, villains, and the up-and-comers. In the book, the heroes are ranked on things like intelligence, stamina, speed and strength among other things. The characters are ranked from one to five. Five being excellent and one being very poor.
While All Might’s stats are meant to be an example of his incomparable power (all categories ranked six out of five), other heroes have varies scores, some reaching five out of five and others nowhere near that. However, interestingly enough, as far as Gran Torino’s speed stat, the hero is at or above All Might’s level (six of out six).
1 Like Student Like Teacher
Throughout his career, Gran Torino has worn many different hats. He started out as a hero, doing what he could to help the people of Japan in any way he could. He eventually became a mentor to All Might, teaching All Might how to use a quirk that he didn’t even possess.
After which, much like his protege would eventually do, Gran Torino would go on to become a teacher, helping the next generation of heroes. Something he apparently never shrunk out of because, by the time Deku comes around, he’s still willing to teach the next generation One For All inheritor.