Inko Midoriya Guide

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Arthur Monteclar

Arthur has been in the writing business for years now, and he loves writing about his hobbies, one of which is Anime/Manga. He is particularly fond of One Piece and Kaguya-Sama, to name a few. He is also a software programmer, so he understands the craft and effort invested in the gaming medium.So when he isn't keeping up with the latest manga releases, he usually has a controller in hand.

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In a world of heroes with superpowers, you often get to think about who is there to help them when they are in their time of need.

Many authors and writers explored this topic, but I admire how Kōhei Horikoshi explored it in his Japanese manga series Boku no Hero Academia. You should give it a try if you have not read it yet, and this story is a good place to start if you are new to the manga scene.

Essentially, the story is about Izuku Midoriya, a boy who does not have superpowers but wants to be a hero in a world where everybody has them. He encounters the hero he admires who passes his power down to him. Many great threats lurk around him, but he has a great support system behind him. In recent chapters, the topic of who is there when a hero needs help is in the spotlight.

Many great quotes are constantly circulating throughout the internet, and one of them is, “behind every successful man, there stands a woman.” This statement is especially true for our hero. Izuku has his friends to lift him, but the one constant who has always been there from the start is his mother, Inko Midoriya. Who is she, and how did she help her son in his journey? Read on further to find out.

Who Is Inko Midoriya from My Hero Academia?

First appearance

• • Flashback: Chapter 1 (manga); episode 1 (anime)
  • Present: Chapter 2 (manga); episode 3 (anime)

Age

• Flashback: 31
• Present: 42 (41 during chapter 2 to 121)
• Birthday: July 4
• Height: 5’3” (160 cm)
• Quirk: Unnamed Quirk capable of attracting small objects

Inko Midoriya is the mother of Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, the series’ main protagonist. She is married to Hisashi Midoriya, though he is yet to make an appearance. Her Quirk allows her to attract small objects towards her, as shown when she picked up Izuku’s All Might figure. However, it is unknown as to the size limit of her attraction power.

She is a supportive and protective mother who actively supported her son’s admiration of All Might. She often played hero games with Izuku when he was a child and believed that he would become a great hero. She became distraught upon learning that he did not have a quirk and began doubting his aspirations to become a hero like All Might.

When Izuku passed the U.A. Entrance Exam, she became overjoyed at the prospect of her son accomplishing his dream. Throughout the series, she cheers on her son and watches him on the television during particular events like the U.A. Sports Festival. However, she also worries about her son’s health due to the nature of his Quirk.

What does Inko Midoriya from My Hero Academia Look Like?

At present, she has a slightly plump figure, possibly due to overeating stemming from her guilt with Izuku’s lack of a quirk. She has green shoulder-length hair with a ponytail tied to the left and big dark green eyes with slightly long eyelashes. She has a somewhat pale skin tone. In the past, she had slimmer stature, which changed over the years.

She usually wears a peach long-sleeved blouse with either a white shirt or button shirt underneath paired with a blue skirt. She loves to cook, and she sometimes wears her white apron when doing so. She wore a plain blue shirt when she greeted Izuku during the Final Exams Arc, which transpired in chapters 60 to 69 (episodes 34 to 38 in the anime).

She wore a dark scarlet blouse instead of her usual peach one when All Might visited their residence during the Hideout Raid Arc, which transpired in chapters 84 to 97 (episodes 46 to 50 in the anime). She wore a pale-yellow top resembling a jinbei shirt with a white shirt underneath during the Endeavor Agency Arc, which transpired in chapters 241 to 252 (episodes 101 to 106 in the anime).

Inko Midoriya’s Abilities in My Hero Academia

She has several skills, including a quirk, although rarely uses it. Most of her skills are related to household chores since she is not a hero but a mother raising a child independently. Her notable skills that many have noticed are her cooking and tailoring skills. She sewed her son’s first hero costume after briefly seeing his sketch of it on his notebook while he was asleep.

Inko Midoriya’s Quirk in My Hero Academia

Her Quirk allows her to attract particular objects through the air towards her. Although the story does not explain in detail what her Quirk can do or what its name is, she rarely uses it. Only a few instances exist where she uses her Quirk, such as when she picked up Izuku’s All Might figurine or when she picked up a book from a distance.

Her Quirk may allow her to pick up only small objects as she only uses her Quirk to do so. Many fans theorize that the lack of her Quirk’s usage is because she does not want to use it as she is afraid to hurt her son’s feelings. She is a caring mother, so it would make sense that she would be sensitive about using it around him. Inko Midoriya is the fourth in her family’s generation to have a quirk.

Inko Midoriya’s Personality in My Hero Academia

Inko Midoriya is a caring and protective mother who raised her son on her own as her husband works abroad. Her current relationship with her husband is unknown, but she ultimately loves Izuku. Before the story’s events, when Izuku was still a young boy, she enjoyed spending time with him, playing hero games with him, and buying him All Might toys and merchandise.

She became extremely guilty upon discovering that her son did not have a quirk, especially when he wanted to become a hero like All Might at a young age. Without a quirk, it is essentially impossible to become a professional hero. For years, the guilt ate her up, which caused her to overeat and gain weight.

She became supportive of her son when he told her that he had a quirk that awakened and that he wanted to apply to U.A. Academy, a top-rated school that trains heroes. She felt guilty that she doubted her son’s aspirations to become a hero after the revelation of his lack of a quirk, although she made it up to him by making him a costume of his own.

She is proud of Izuku’s journey throughout U.A. Academy, and she even watched him on the television during the U.A. Sports Festival.

However, she is always worried about her son as, in her eyes, Izuku’s Quirk damages him a lot instead of helping him become stronger. She is protective of his welfare that she even asked him to drop out of U.A. Academy so that he will not be in danger anymore.

She has trust issues with U.A. Academy after several incidents that endangered Izuku’s life. However, she entrusted the institution once more after All Might personally apologize to her. When All Might reveal the true nature of her son’s Quirk, she cried that Izuku needed to go away to protect the lives of many. She became overjoyed when Izuku joined the academy’s care once more.

Inko Midoriya’s History in My Hero Academia

She is the fourth in her family’s generation to have a quirk, and she married Hisashi Midoriya, a man who has the Fire Breath quirk when she became an adult. They had a child, Izuku Midoriya, but Hisashi soon went abroad to work, leaving Inko behind to take care of their child. As a mother, she cared for her son’s dreams and aspirations.

She spent a lot of time with him, such as playing hero games and watching videos of All Might on the internet. However, she became overwhelmed with grief upon learning from a doctor that her son did not have a quirk. She comforted him as his son cried from the realization. Over the years, she put on more weight, possibly due to the guilt she feels from Izuku’s pain.

Inko Midoriya in the Entrance Exam Arc

When Izuku inherited All Might’s Quirk, One For All, he told his mother about it albeit deceptively by telling her that his Quirk had “miraculously” awakened. Upon hearing this, Inko became happy for Izuku, and she fully supported him in pursuing his dream as a hero.

She became concerned about Izuku’s performance from his U.A. Entrance Exam. She, along with Izuku, patiently waited for the results to arrive at their house. She instantly sent the letter containing the results to Izuku when it arrived and waited anxiously outside his room as he opened the letter inside.

She was ecstatic about the results and congratulated Izuku on his success. When Izuku left to go to U.A. Academy as a student for the first time, she stopped him to wish him good luck. She entered Izuku’s room one day and found him asleep on his computer desk. She saw Izuku’s sketch of his costume design idea on his notebook and made it using her sewing abilities.

She gave the costume she made for him to Izuku while also saying that the gift acts as an apology for doubting his son. From then on, she would continuously support Izuku in his dream, for which he felt grateful. He would go on to wear his costume proudly.

Inko Midoriya in the U.A. Sports Festival Arc

For context, the U.A. Sports Festival is a sports event held annually by U.A. Academy. It acted as a way to let Pro Heroes and support agencies look at the abilities of its students as they participated in the various challenges during the event. Izuku Midoriya also participated in this event as he is a student of the academy.

Inko watched the event unfold on the television and cheered on for her son. She cried with joy when Izuku came first during the Obstacle Course challenge of the Sports Festival, and she cried with worry when Izuku fought against Shoto Todoroki, the tritagonist of the series. She is even surrounded by many tissues, indicating how much she cried.

Both of them talked with each other during breakfast after the events of the U.A. Sports Festival finished. She told him that she fainted at least seven times since the Human Cavalry Battle, one of the challenges of the Sports Festival, and suffered from dehydration due to her excessive tears while watching.

She also expressed concerns about his powers, saying that it damages him, which does not put her at ease. However, she would continue supporting him nonetheless. She invited him to watch a replay of the Sports Festival, although he declined, saying that he would watch it at a later time.

Inko Midoriya in the Forest Training Camp Arc

Inko went to the police station to fetch Izuku after the Hero Incident, wherein he met Tomura Shigaraki, the leader of the League of Villains, in a mall. She cried with joy as she saw that her son was alive and well and asked him not to make her worry so much. Both of them then went home.

Inko Midoriya in the Hideout Raid Arc

Inko received a call from Izuku informing her about his injuries after the League of Villains attacked the training camp that they were in. He then told her that he would be fine, but Inko asked him to drop out of U.A. Academy since his life has been in great danger ever since his pursuit to become a hero started.

However, Izuku told her that he could not do that. Furthermore, he could not tell her about the nature of his Quirk, O.F.A., and the call ended. Later on, an incident known as the Kamino Ward incident occurred wherein the League of Villains kidnapped Katsuki Bakugo, the series’ deuteragonist, and Izuku’s childhood friend.

All Might visits Izuku’s home after he saved Bakugo from danger, placed All For One in prison, and retired as a hero. Inko is shocked by the visit, and later she would hear All Might’s request to send Izuku to the U.A. dorms to keep him from further danger.

At first, Inko was against the idea, citing that her son’s Quirk damages him instead of helping him grow. She grew concerned about Izuku’s career moving forward. Izuku tried to convince her to proceed with All Might’s request by telling her that his injuries were his own fault, but she insisted that it was the academy’s responsibility to look out for their student’s welfare.

She would further explain that her strictness stems from her protective nature for her son and that she wants to transfer Izuku to another school to continue his pursuits.

Izuku told Inko about how he saved a boy named Kota Izumi and that even though he knows he has a long way to go, Kota’s letter made him feel like a hero. He also tells both of them that even if he is not in U.A. Academy anymore, he will still thrive to become a hero. Upon hearing this, All Might became impressed and transformed into his hero form.

He then bowed down to both of them, apologizing for his negligence being Izuku’s teacher. He requested that Izuku should be studying at U.A. Academy and that the school reform its ways to protect its students better. He also promised that he would take care of Izuku and would sacrifice himself for the sake of protecting him.

Inko was shocked by this gesture and fell to her knees, saying that she only wanted her son to be happy and that All Might should not carelessly throw away his life for someone else. She told him that she would reconsider her decision after All Might made the promise. Finally, she granted Izuku permission to transfer to the school dorms.

Inko Midoriya in the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc

For context, the Provisional Hero License Exam is a challenging biannual test held by the Hero Public Safety Commission. The test aims to gauge the students’ capabilities, and everyone who passes will get their Provisional Hero License, an identification document that allows heroes to use their quirks for heroic acts without breaking the law.

Izuku also participated in this examination, and during the event, he upgraded his costume. His classmate Minoru Mineta asked him why he did not change the fundamental look of his costume, to which Izuku replied that it has a sentimental value attached to it as his mother, Inko Midoriya, made it.

Inko Midoriya in the Endeavor Agency Arc

As the holidays rolled in, the academy allowed its students to go back to their homes for a day, and Izuku returned to his mother.

They enjoyed New Year’s Eve together while he told his mother about the events that occurred in school. Inko almost fainted from the stories but remained calm as she handed him a letter from Eri, thanking him for inviting her to the festival.

Inko cried with joy from the earnest letter and confessed to her son that she is always worried about his welfare. She stated that he is a compassionate person who is always ready to help others in need even when he does not have a quirk.

She thought that she would always be there to protect Izuku but admired how he grew strong and independent, no longer feeling worried about him constantly.

Inko Midoriya in the Tartarus Escapees Arc

Izuku was hospitalized for his injuries following a massive war is known as the Paranormal Liberation War, where heroes and villains clashed against each other, which resulted in the massive destruction of a city and the loss of a lot of lives. Inko paid him a visit, to which a doctor informed her that Izuku’s injuries were not as serious as anticipated.

As the doctor left, Inko demanded an explanation of what was happening with Izuku. So, All Might reveal the truth about One For All.

She became greatly worried about the circumstances that her son was in, stating that the villains would be after his power. All Might tried to calm her down by telling her that U.A. Academy was making preparations for the situation.

However, Izuku told her mother that he would leave to protect everyone. Inko strongly objected to the idea, as she thought that he was still too weak to protect himself and that she was afraid of the consequences. He calmed her down by retelling the stories of the time she spent playing with him when he was a child. He assured his mother that he would return home safely, and this gesture caused Inko to cry.

Fun Facts about Inko Midoriya in My Hero Academia

• Her name in Japanese characters contains 引, which is the kanji for pull. It is a reference to her Quirk that attracts or “pulls” objects towards her.
• She shares her birthday (July 4) with two other characters: Christopher Skyline and Wolfram. The former is a hero who debuted in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, while the latter is a villain who debuted in My Hero Academia: Two Heroes.
• The author of the series Kōhei Horikoshi shared that he always feels sorry whenever he draws Inko.
• All Might stated that she reminds him of his mentor, Nana Shimura, due to their similar hairstyles.

FAQs

Inko Midoriya Guide: Conclusion

Inko Midoriya is Izuku Midoriya’s mother, and since he is a valuable person to the series’ greatest villain, All For One, her life might be in great danger.

So far, she is still alive and well, and she is under the protection of U.A. Academy’s protective barriers. There have been no hints that she will die, and seeing that the story is now in its final phase, it is unlikely that she will die during the events of the story.

As of chapter 309, All For One and his team of villains are battling it out with the heroes. Inko Midoriya is out of sight from the battle, so she should be safe.

She is an important element in the story as she made a huge impact on Izuku’s life. Without her caring and motherly nature, Izuku could have gone to Shigaraki’s path to villainy.