U.A. is an undoubtedly important institution in My Hero Academia. After all, its students are the central figures of the anime. The character who exerts the most influence is the story's protagonist, Deku, who has helped reshape the very concept of heroism at U.A. He is full of cheer and encouragement and almost always manages to save the day in the face of overwhelming peril.

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His friends are constantly learning from Deku's thoughts, words, and deeds, and many of them proceed to apply his principles of kindness and persistence in their own lives. It's safe to say that U.A. would have been completely annihilated if it didn't have Deku as a literal guardian angel.

Manga Spoilers Below

10 Even The Worst Villains Are Not Beyond Redemption

Deku and Tomura as children

Deku is a firm believer in rehabilitation: he expects those who make mistakes to learn from them and evolve, something he also demands from himself. He doesn't think that villains are inherently evil and always strives to turn them towards the path of justice, occasionally succeeding as with Lady Nagant.

His sense of heroism isn't dented by failure. It only propels him to work harder. It is due to Deku that Shoto gradually understands the importance of forgiving his father when the latter begins trying to redeem himself in earnest.

9 The Heart Is Strongest When Worn On The Sleeve

My Hero Academia Deku Crying

Everyone, including All Might, has called Deku a crybaby, but nobody really tries to stop him from expressing himself through tears. While many of his friends, like Tokoyami and Kyoka, remain as terse and impassive as ever, they are significantly moved by Deku's emotional outbursts.

Wearing one's heart on the sleeve is often perceived as a sign of weakness, but Deku subverts the idiom by revealing the strength of a spirit forged by his will and tempered in his tears.

8 Allies Should Always Support Each Other

The students save Bakugo in the air

Danger comes in countless forms, and it's completely understandable for heroes to run away from an overpowered enemy so they can regroup and reevaluate their combat process.

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Deku comprehends the necessity of running away so he can live to fight another day, but this doesn't work out quite the same way in reality. Deku ensures that his friends not only surpass their roadblocks, but support and bolster each other, showing them that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts.

7 Growth Comes From Inner Change

My Hero Academia Deku powered up

Character growth is often lacking when it comes to shonen anime, but Deku is a shining exception to the rule. He grapples with a world that once hated him for being Quirkless, shedding his initial insecurities and boosting his self-esteem by performing better and better with each passing day.

Teenagers on the cusp of adulthood are simultaneously the most in need of change and the most resistant to it, but Deku's mere presence makes his friends realize the value of growth.

6 Power Exists To Protect Others

My Hero Academia Deku and Eri fight Overhaul

Bakugo's Explosion manifests when he's a toddler, and he has been praised for his Quirk and his future hero potential since a very young age. This leads to him developing a massive ego and, by extension, a rigid faith in his personal strength.

Deku's arrival in U.A. throw's Bakugo's inner world into disarray, forcing the latter to come to terms with his limitations. On the other hand, Deku never flaunts his Quirk even once, instead using it to save people without expecting anything in return. Bakugo isn't the only friend who learns to appreciate selflessness after observing Deku.

5 Help Will Always Be Given To Those Need It

My Hero Academia Deku Reaches Out To Save Eri

Albus Dumbledore once said that "help will always be given... to those who ask for it," but Deku isn't the kind of person who waits for people to request assistance from a hero. In fact, he makes it clear that he intends to involve himself in every scenario that requires heroic interference.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: 10 Times The Villains Did Something Nice

Deku's clarity of judgment and general wisdom eclipses most characters' in My Hero Academia and allows him to "enforce" his help on anyone he believes to be in grave danger. Deku's actions effectively demonstrate the depth of his convictions.

4 Weakness Can Be Subverted Into Strength

My Hero Academia Deku Superhero Name

A character that starts out frail and feeble need not necessarily remain so throughout their entire arc, and Deku is living proof of this statement.

Bakugo mocks him as "deku," a nickname that references his alleged weakness, but Deku reclaims the word by making it his hero name, suggesting that he prefers to see it as a contraction of "dekiru," meaning "can do." Deku's confidence in the legitimacy of his new identity rubs off on a lot of characters, from Mineta Minoru to Ochaco Uraraka.

3 A Hero Is Gracious In The Face Of Defeat

Katsuki pins down Deku

Grace is arguably one of the most essential aspects of hero work, one that even many Pro Heroes seem to lack. Endeavor, in particular, is unable to conquer the uncertainty revolving around his place in the world and chooses to impose his self-doubts on his innocent children.

In comparison, Deku emits a radiant aura of generosity that washes over (and impresses) everyone who interacts with him. Deku doesn't permit something as impermanent as defeat to overrule his responsibilities.

2 Persistence Is Key To Victory

Deku Vs. Tomura in MHA

Deku might as well be the embodiment of the spider supposedly encountered by Robert the Bruce in medieval Scotland, who derives inspiration from the little arachnid's tireless efforts to build its cobweb. Deku is the first person to acknowledge the limits of his Quirk, especially given that he hasn't yet fully acclimated to its overwhelming power.

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As such, he hinges the success of his battles on factors including opponent analysis and a variety of counter-strategies. Deku knows that his first attempt might not work, but the probability of victory increases with practice and experience. More importantly, his efforts illustrate the art of perseverance to his friends.

1 Quirks Are Technically Meaningless

MHA Deku in One For All dream world

Around 20% of Deku's generation is said to be Quirkless, putting him in the vulnerable position of being a minority without any kind of meta-ability to defend himself from an oppressive majority.

Although he acquires One For All, a Quirk beyond his wildest dreams, Deku never forgets his history as part of the powerless. Part of his struggle to become a Pro Hero is predicated on his refusal to permit villains and bullies to inflict harm on innocent folk, specifically those who don't have Quirks.

NEXT: My Hero Academia: 10 Comic Book Heroes Deku Would Be Friends With