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If a character is the protagonist’s father in a Shonen anime, chances are they are dead. I could easily list down the anime series with dead fathers at the back of my head. Minato died before Naruto even started, Hohenheim died right before Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood ended, and poor Grisha from Attack on Titan was straight up eaten by his son.
There are Anime Dads who are alive but, unfortunately, do not have a good track record of being a responsible and caring fathers. Enji Todoroki from My Hero Academia is alive. He is extremely hands-on when it comes to raising his sons, but he is near the bottom of my’ #1 Best Dad’ list.
Fortunately, Enji managed to have his own character development and started recognizing his faults as he began to make amends with his children. There are all sorts of dads within the My Hero Academia universe apart from Enji. We even saw Bakugo’s father, who was actually a cinnamon roll. That is why it was all the more unusual that we never got to see Deku’s dad.
Hisashi Midoriya has yet to appear within the series, which has generated a lot of fan theories over the years. So, let’s strap in and read all the amazing theories that I gather from the internet.
Bottom Line Up Front
Hisashi Midoriya is the father of Deku Midoriya and the husband of Ink Midoriya. I still don’t know much about Hisashi other than that his quirk allows him to breathe fire. What we know so far about him is that he is still alive and is working abroad.
We don’t even know about his relationship with his family because he was only mentioned once and in passing. But don’t lose hope! The author promised that Hisashi would appear sometime in the future. I bet if Hisashi appears, something big is going to happen within the series.
Hisashi Midoriya: Fan Arts and Fan Theories!
Fan Art Appearance
Hisashi Midoriya has yet to appear in the series, so we don’t get to see what he actually looks like. There was not even an illustration in the data books and other official merchandise. This does not stop the fans from making fanarts about their own interpretation of what Hisashi looks like.
One of the most popular fan interpretations of his appearance comes from the artist named Sukdraw. The artist depicts Hisashi as an older version of Midoriya, but his hair is black instead of dark green.
According to the artist, the character design was actually based on the earlier versions of Deku when the mangaka was still developing the manga. It’s cool how much the artist put effort into making their interpretations of this character.
Hisashi is also depicted with a cigarette which may or may not have any connection with his quirk. It is fun to theorize about how Hiashi’s quirk work, its drawback, and how to overcome it like the other quirks in the series.
Maybe he needs something that can keep his mouth shut, like a lollipop or cigarette, so that he won’t accidentally activate his quirk.
Personality
We don’t know Hiashi because we have never seen him interact. In fact, we never see him at all. He was only mentioned in passing on the very first episode and not another word after. My Hero Academia never gave us more information than his quirk, name, and work. I don’t even know what the relationship between Hiashi and his family is, but we could always wonder.
It is intriguing that we were never shown any scene where Deku asks his mom about his dad or any frustrations that his dad was always never there. In Shonen anime, absentee fathers like Hohenheim and Ging are usually called out due to their lack of concern for their children.
I do think that he is not close to Deku. Why? We have repeatedly shown how important a father’s role is in some character arcs. Mirio became #1 in the UA despite having a mediocre quirk because of his father’s unwavering support.
We never see (as of yet) how much impact Hisashi has on Deku; from what we saw in flashbacks, All Might has a tremendous influence on Deku’s character as he was growing up.
Does this mean that he is a bad guy? Not necessarily. Deku and his mom never spoke ill about him, much like the Todorokis with Enji, as far as I know, but he is also not part of any of Deku and Inko’s parent-child conversation. There is no evidence that Inko and Hisashi are divorced, but if so, they could have done it amicably.
Hiashi Midoriya Fan Theories
Hiashi Midoriya is one of the show’s biggest mysteries. Despite being the protagonist’s father, he never made an appearance in the anime and was only mentioned once.
What we only know about Hiashi is his quick is to breathe fire and that he is currently abroad due to work. Hopefully, Horikoshi will reveal more about Deku’s mysterious father soon, but so far, the only thing we can do is speculate.
All Might is Actually Deku’s Father
In most Shonen anime, our protagonist usually has a mentor that will serve as a father figure. In My Hero Academia, that role is filled by All Might, who passed on his quirk One for All to Deku and trained him as well. Of course, there is a fan theory that states that the reason why All Might is invested in Deku is that he is secretly Deku’s dad.
Before you could laugh at the theory, keep in mind that we followed Deku’s perspective all this time. It was even a joke in the anime when Shoto Todoroki asked Deku at point-blank if he was All Might’s love child. If you were in Shoto’s shoes, it would make sense. In My Hero Academia, quirks are passed down genetically, so Shoto made that conclusion because of how similar Deku and All Might’s quirks were.
Besides, the mentor-is-daddy theory was already here on the internet long before My Hero Academy was conceptualized. Naruto fans are already familiar with the theory that Minato Namikaze is a love child of Tsunade and Jiraiya, even if there is plenty of evidence against it.
He Might be a Super Spy
Deku’s mom explained that Hisashi is currently working abroad, but what kind of work exactly? Many theorized that Deku’s dad is actually on a top-secret mission that is super important and that he needs his focus 100%.
This theory answers many questions regarding Hisashi. First, it answers his long absence in the series. If he is a caring father, he certainly would have something to say anytime something good or bad happens to Deku,, like a simple ‘congratulations’ when he was admitted to UA.
This points out that his job might be extremely dangerous and that a simple contact with family members could jeopardize the mission.
Second, Hisashi being a spy could also explain why Deku’s mom displays no ill will towards him. It would be a pretty strong marriage if Inko did not divorce him. If I were in Inko’s position, I would be pretty bummed if my hubby never visited my family for years due to work.
Third, the theory also explains why Deku never seems to care about his dad because his mom might have told him about his job’s importance. Deku being Deku, would understand his father’s situation. Fourth, it could tie in with All for One. Maybe Hisashi was investigating the series’ main antagonist and learning his secret plans for the heroes to foil.
He is All for One
Perhaps one of the most popular theories out there about Deku’s father is the theory that he is All for One. How did fans come up with this theory?
We know that Kohei Hiroki is an avid fan of Star Wars, and he is not afraid to show his love for it. When you are going to look at some characters in the series, you might notice that some of them feel very familiar. Even Inko’s quirk is a cheeky reference to the force.
There will be a chance that Hiroki is going to pull out his version of the iconic “I am your father” scene, but I think it would be a tad obvious and unoriginal if All for One is actually his father. Not to mention that the character design of All for One looks awfully like the Sith Lords.
Recently, there was a plot twist regarding the doctor that we saw back in Episode one, who claims that Deku does not have a quirk. That doctor is actually Kyudai Garaki, a close associate of All for One. Many people said that maybe the reason why Deku is quirkless is that the doctor stole it.
He’s Just a Normal Guy
Dead or alive, Shonen Anime Dads played key roles in the story, more so than the Anime moms. This was done many times, such as Ichigo’s father being a former Division Captain, Eren’s dad giving Eren titan powers, and Boruto’s dad having his own anime series. It was so prolific that we also expected it with Deku’s father.
Why is he absent for a long time? Why is he not playing a role in the story? Why is there no drama around Hisashi? Maybe there is a possibility that Hiroki just made him an ordinary guy with an ordinary job that just happens to be outside the country.
Maybe this is the ultimate plot twist that Hiroki intends – that there is no mystery.
Dabi is Deku’s Dad
Probably one of the most absurd theories that I have ever encountered. According to the theory, Dabi is Deku’s dad because his quirk is fire-related – and they look alike. That’s it.
Never mind that Dabi and Deku have a very small age gap which would make it impossible. I don’t want this theory to be true because that would make Inko into a person who has strong opinions on the age of consent.
Lesser-known Facts about Hisashi Midoriya
He was Mentioned Once
Hisashi was only mentioned in passing during the first episode and was never mentioned again in subsequent episodes. You would be forgiven that you didn’t know that his father is still alive because the first episode was years ago.
Only time will tell if there is any chance of his appearance.
Hiashi’s Name has a Fitting Meaning
Hiashi wasn’t even mentioned by his name during the first episode. The only source material that gave us his name is the official character guide (which does not provide us with Hiashi’s illustration). Hiashi roughly meant “a long time ago”, which is a nod to his absence within the series.
FAQs
Question: Is Hisashi Midoriya Dead?
Answer: We may not know Hisashi’s current status, but we know that Deku’s father is still alive and kicking. It is just that he is currently working abroad, so he is too far to even affect the story.
What we don’t know is Hisashi’s current relationship with his family. We don’t know if Hisashi and Inko are divorced or not.
Question: Is Hisashi Midoriya All for One?
Answer: All for One’s face has been hidden most of the time, which implies that there will be an unmasking plot twist. Interestingly, the doctor who told Deku that he does not possess a quirk could lead to a possible clue to All for One’s identity. As of now, what we can do is wait and see how the story unfolds.
Question: Does Hisashi Midoriya have a Quirk?
Answer: Yes, he certainly does. According to Inko, Deku’s mom, his quirk is fire breathing. As of now, we still don’t know much about his quirk’s strengths and drawbacks. What we certainly know is that Deku did not inherit his quirk.
Hisashi Midoriya Guide: Conclusion
Hisashi Midoriya is probably one of the most mysterious characters in My Hero Academia. He was only mentioned in passing and never appeared onscreen. However, this does not stop us fans from filling the gap while we wait for the story’s progress.
Personally, it could be a great thing if Deku’s father is a civilian because, for once, we got to see a Shonen protagonist being special because of his character and not by his lineage.