Ryan My Hero Academia Izuku Mitoriya can easily be compared to other shonen heroes in many ways. He is all about friendship, hard work, and the unwavering hope and optimism that allow him to win against evil. Midoriya shares many similarities with Demon Slayerstar Tanjiro Kamado.
Both heroes are compassionate, kind-hearted boys who put in a lot of effort to protect their families and prepare for battle. Midoriya like Tanjiro can see the humanity in his adversaries and seeks redemption. However, as recent My Hero Academia episodes prove, this won’t always be possible. Tanjiro’s opponent Kyogai, the hand demon, and Kyogai can cry in the end. Midoriya will have the final say on his true enemy, Tomura Shigaraki.
Why MHA Midoriya Can’t Personally Redeem Villains Like Tanjiro
Izuku Midoriya like all Pro Heroes is not looking to kill the villains. He wants to capture and defeat them to protect society. In My Hero, Academia’s futuristic society, humanity, and Quirks, as well as villainy, are all interconnected. With society’s emphasis being on villains making heroes, My Hero Academia focuses on this. If certain people are raised the “right way” in hero society, then it is likely that there will be a “wrong” way to live or the “wrong type of Quirk to have. villains like HimikoToga are an example of this. Muscular and others are born evil, so they don’t fall prey to society.
Midoriya tried to appeal but failed, to Muscular’s humanity in their latest fight. The villain laughed it off. Midoriya did not win that fight and captained Muscular. But he was unable to redeem the human being who had been buried beneath those 12,000 Quirk fuelled muscles. In anime, the protagonist has not redeemed any of his victims, but there might remain hope for Gentle Criminal. Midoriya is All Might’s successor as the symbol of peace. However, he can’t just spend his time saving one person; he cares about society in general and the legion decamped heroes who defend that.
Midoriya’s Tanjiro-style compassion for Muscular has failed. This is because it isn’t what anyone is asking him for and is not part of his theme as the new symbol of peace. As All Might before, he must see the bigger picture. He must also inspire students and Pro Heroes while fighting to preserve hero society’s ethics, laws, and unique brand justice. Midoriya is determined to end all forms of villainy and fear tactics from evil villains like Muscular or Spinner, or devious Dabi.
Midoriya could redeem Tomura Shigaraki and end the villains’ army. If he manages to reach out to the scared and vulnerable Tenkoshimura and redeem him then the rest will likely follow his example. MHA’s protagonist will be proven worthy as a true symbol and protector of heroes and enemies alike.
Tanjiro s quest in Demon Slayer was more personal than expected at the start
My Hero Academia’s Midoriya & Demon Slayer_s Tanjiro, are both young men who are compassionate and work to help others. They won’t have much success if their actions mirror each other. Despite being similar, they have very different themes as shonen heroes. This is evident in their dialogue and individual stories. Midoriya had always been about hero society and his dream of protecting it as an emblem of peace. As shown, Tanjiro’s quest to become a Demon Slayer was purely personal.
Tanjiro has no intention of inspiring all demon slayers with his noble spirit, heroic feats, and noble spirit. He is not trying to prove a point or transform society. He merely wants the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji defeated so he can restore Nezuko’s humanity. Tanjiro may have noble ideals, but he isn’t guided by them on a societal scale. He is all about interpersonal skills, empathy, leadership, and forgiveness. It shows in his tender scenes with slain monsters.
Tanjiro has seen that Nezuko (now-demon) still has a good human spirit that most other people can’t see. The same goes for Kyogai, Rui the Hand Demon, and Kyogai. Demon Slayer became a hero in shonen. He does not fight for society, or the universe, as Midoriya did in. Instead, he fights for one individual at a time — even if their spirit is trapped deep within a flesh-eating demon.