After inheriting All Might's One For All Quirk, Deku became U.A. High's most successful his One For All Quirk down to was not an easy one for the Pro Hero All Might, and he considered other options at U.A. High before he met Deku.
Mirio Togata, the strongest student at U.A. High, was at the top of All Might's list of potential successors before he ran into Deku by complete chance during the attack by the Sludge Villain. Although Deku is an excellent hero, Mirio would have been an even better choice as All Might's successor.
Mirio Should Have Inherited One For All
Mirio Already Has Experience With Tough Quirks, Specifically, His Own Permeation Ability
Mirio has an exceptionally powerful Quirk, called Permeation, that allows him to travel through surfaces effortlessly. A Quirk this effective was not easy to master though, Mirio had to work extremely hard to effectively control his Permeation Quirk. It would have been very easy for Mirio to give up on pursuing a hero career, and even understandable, since he struggled more than his peers with such a hard-to-control ability. Mirio's own father warned him that becoming a hero would not be simple for someone like him, but none of these warnings hindered Mirio.
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Mirio was always ionate about becoming a hero who helps others, with similar motivations as All Might and Deku. Even though he was born with a Quirk that everyone told him would only hold him back, he excelled anyway, pouring hundreds of hours of practice into honing his skills and leveling up his physical strength. Mirio's persistence inspired others around him, including his classmates, Nejire Hado and Tamaki Amajiki. All the time Mirio spent learning to control Permeation would aid him in using One For All, which is another Quirk that is very difficult to harness.
Mirio’s Strength and Control Make Him a Perfect Successor For All Might
Mirio Needs No Quirk, He Fought Effectively Without One Against Overhaul
Deku struggled immensely when One For All was first ed down to him, because he had never used a Quirk before and his body could barely handle the sheer power of One For All. Upon his first few uses of the skill, he broke multiple bones in his body, unable to control the Quirk. Since Mirio had already worked on developing his physique and practicing control over one of the most challenging Quirks in the world, he likely would have had a much easier time than Deku and could have used the Quirk at 100% without receiving as much damage as Deku did.
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With One For All added on top of the Permeation Quirk Mirio already has, coupled with his musculature and persistent attitude, he’d be basically undefeatable. Even without Permeation, Mirio is a force to be reckoned with, as evidenced through his fight with Overhaul. Even though a Quirk-Destroying Bullet sapped his power in an instant and left him Quirkless for multiple chapters of the story, he never left the fight and relied on his other talents to achieve success against even My Hero Academia's deadliest villains. Mirio's drive and strength rival Deku's, making him the ideal successor for All Might.
Mirio Could Have Been Even More Powerful Than Deku
As the Strongest U.A. High Student, Mirio's Hard Work and Natural Skill Made Him Destined for Greatness
Although Deku achieved astounding feats with One For All that should not be discredited, Mirio could have been an even better hero, since he had more experience with demanding Quirks and was physically stronger than most other heroes at U.A. High. His rank as #1 in the class backs up Mirio's proficiency, and Sir Nighteye, a respectable Pro Hero, saw Mirio as the best option to inherit One For All from All Might. Everyone around Mirio saw his expertise, which further contributes to the argument that Mirio should have been chosen over Deku to take on All Might's Quirk.
Before Deku came along, All Might was strongly considering choosing Mirio as the next inheritor of his Quirk anyway, and Sir Nighteye was very much in favor of All Might choosing Mirio instead of Deku. Sir Nighteye was disappointed when All Might surprised everyone and selected Deku, since he felt Mirio was such an obvious candidate to take on the power. Although Deku did defy all odds and expectations anyway, suring even All Might himself, his potential was uncertain. Based on Mirio's track record and personality, he was almost guaranteed to be a hero even stronger than Deku was.
Mirio Already Had a Strong Foundation of Heroic Traits
The One For All Quirk Would Have Pushed Him Over the Top, Making Him My Hero Academia's Best Hero Ever
Mirio and Deku are similar in a lot of ways, and Deku even aspired to be more like Mirio after witnessing his heroic actions during the Shie Hassaikai arc. The older U.A. student was not just physically mighty and emotionally resilient, he was a shining example to everyone around him of how to be a hero. He took action to save Eri when everyone else was afraid to, and even when it resulted in him losing his Quirk, he refused to back down. Deku displayed this same unwillingness to give up, during the same arc and at other times, making him and Mirio surprisingly alike.
It's Time To it It, My Hero Academia Mishandled What Could Have Been One Of Anime's Greatest Comebacks
Mirio's comeback, hyped as one of the best in the My Hero Academia series, ended up being a huge disappointment.
Considering Mirio's strength, rare and uncontrollable Quirk that he managed to learn to control, headstrong nature in the face of seemingly unbeatable foes, #1 rank at U.A. High, and the praise he receives from other Pro Heroes like Sir Nighteye, a My Hero Academia with Mirio in Deku's place could have been even more epic. Deku's story was indeed inspiring, as he overcame the seemingly insurmountable obstacle of not having a Quirk, but with One For All, Mirio could have sured anything Deku achieved, since he already had a strong foundation of a strong Quirk and the right mindset to be a hero.
Source: u/Human_Bean_6 on Reddit
- Movie(s)
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018), My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019), My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021)
- First Film
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
- Cast
- Daiki Yamashita, Kenta Miyake, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Yûki Kaji, Aoi Yuki, Kaito Ishikawa, Toshiki Masuda, Marina Inoue, Yoshimasa Hosoya
- TV Show(s)
- My Hero Academia
- Video Game(s)
- My Hero Academia: Battle for All, My Hero One's Justice, My Hero One's Justice 2
- Character(s)
- Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Shoto Todoroki, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu, Fumikage Tokoyami
