Kohei Horikoshi’s character All Might is beloved by fans of the hit manga and anime My Hero Academia. It’s no surprise that All Might serves as a mentor to the series’ protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, a normal kid who dreams of becoming the greatest hero in the world, just like All Might.
As soon as he appeared in the manga, All Might quickly became a popular character among readers, with many of them finding inspiration in him or wisdom in the lessons he taught to Midoriya. Despite the fact that All Might appears frequently in the series, little is known about him or his background. Here are 20 interesting facts about All Might to get you started.
There Aren’t All Super Moves Named After States.
All Might’s Big Moves are named after states, with the exception of the indispensable move, the United States of Smash. There are two notable exceptions to this rule that some fans may have missed.
For starters, there’s Detroit Smash, which takes its name from a city rather than a region of the country. Carolina Smash is the second. Despite the fact that the word “Carolina” appears in two states, it does not appear in any state’s full name.
Superman & Goku Inspired All Might
Horikoshi was asked whether All Might was inspired by anyone from his real-life in an interview at a Shonen Jump panel. Horikoshi replied:
“No, not anyone in real life. I based him on Goku in Dragon Ball.”
It is likely, not surprising – but it is cool to confirm the fact because Goku has an almost mythical status in his own universe, and Toriyama’s work has had a wide-ranging impact on shonen creators. In any case, Goku was not the only inspiration for the #1 Hero – his theme was based on Superman. Horikoshi said:
“It was more of a callback to older Superman – the “ultimate existence”, that’s why he has that kind of character design. But the story’s still set in Japan – I don’t think it would’ve quite hit the mark if All Might had been from overseas.”
He Was Inspired by American Superheroes
All Might stands out from the rest of the cast in My Hero Academia, as one can tell just by looking at him. To look at him, it’s clear that All Might takes inspiration from classic American superheroes like Superman and Batman.
Kohei Horikoshi drew inspiration for All Might from Western superheroes like Superman. The only similarities between these two are their imposing statures and propensity to wear a wide smile at all times. But his ties to the United States don’t stop there. In addition to studying abroad in the United States, All Might has super moves based on American states and cities, and he may be half-American.
He Would Certainly Be Beaten by Superman.
Many MHA and D.C. comics fans have speculated about who would win in a fight between All Might and Superman. In response to a question about who would win in a fight between All Might and Superman, My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi said he gets that question a lot. As a self-confessed comic book fan, Horikoshi didn’t want to mince words when he said his character would win because of this or that. He’s acknowledged that Superman has the upper hand in a fight against All Might. Horikoshi provided a definitive response to this question in an interview with Comicbook.com:
“Superman! His laser eyes, they are Superman’s biggest Quirks. The difference between them, the battle of their Quirks — laser eyes would win. If All Might had that Quirk, though…”
According to Kohei Horikoshi, He Is Challenging to Draw.
Drawing All Might appears to be extremely diffi, especially when depicting his muscular appearance. A large amount of shading required to draw All Might from the front is exhausting even for Kohei Horikoshi, the creator.
Horikoshi’s Early Designs Were Called ‘Lame’
All Might had a much smaller role in the series when he was first designed by Horikoshi because he was an older character. When it came to giving him his Quirk, he chose to encourage the protagonist to be heroic despite his lack of special abilities rather than be his mentor.
All Might’s initial design was panned by Horikoshi’s editors, who labeled it as ‘lame.’ This resulted in a redesign that looked fresher and had a stronger presence.
His Name
He goes by the name Toshinori Yagi. There are four different kanji: “genius” (* Toshi), “law” (* nori), “eight” (* ya), and “tree” (* gi).
It is a suitable name on many levels. It is his job to uphold the law as a superhero genius. He is also the eighth user of One For All. As for the tree part, it’s already stated that he’s a nature lover.
His Eyes Are Symbolic.
All Might’s eyes remain glowing even after he has lost his muscle form. Not only is this due to Horikoshi’s unwillingness to alter the design’s finer points, but his glittering eyes also have a deeper meaning. They’re supposed to represent strength and purity, according to the databook.
One-For-All’s 8th user
In the beginning, All Might was a normal kid with no special abilities. However, his mentor Nana Shimura, the 7th user of One For All, gave him the Quirk. As a result, Toshinori Yagi became the game’s 8th user, fittingly named after the Japanese word for “Eight” (ya).
When using One For All, the user gains access to the combined power of previous One For All owners, allowing it to grow in strength with each passing generation. The Quirk was most famously used by All Might, who transformed into the Symbol Of Peace as a result.
His Email Alerts & Ringtone Use His Catchphrase
“I am here,” All Might says when his phone or email goes off, or he receives a message. The re-dubbed version is a bit more detailed. “A phone call is here!” his ringtone says, while “An email is here!” his email alert says.
He Loves Movies
All Might enjoys watching movies, according to the records. It’s not immediately clear what he enjoys watching. One might assume he enjoys superheroes and action movies, but he could also be a fan of drama and comedies. It’s possible that he’s an anime fanatic after all.
He Adores Nature.
Yakushima cedar trees are a favorite of All Might’s. Yakushima has a large yakusugi or Japanese cedar tree forest, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The age of one of the area’s most well-known trees has been estimated at around 2300 years. The fact that he would appreciate something of such aesthetic value and historical significance should come as no surprise.
His Hero Agency Is Based in Tokyo.
All Might had to travel to U.A. for his job as a professor. Musutafu is the setting for My Hero Academia, a fictional city located near Shizuoka Prefecture. Roppongi in Minato, Tokyo, is where All Might’s Hero Agency calls home.
These two locations are reachable by car, but they are not close; depending on the mode of transportation used, it can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours to get from one to the other.
His Birthday Is the Same as That of A Minor Character.
The 10th of June marked the birth of All Might. It’s always interesting to know a character’s birthday, but this one stands out because he shares it with Cow Lady, an American professional hero from My Hero Academia: Two Heroes.
I suppose it’s not surprising that she shares his birthday with him, given his love for everything American.
Hero Support
When the All Might first appears in My Hero Academia, it’s clear he doesn’t have much in the way of hero support built into his super suit. To be honest, the only thing covering his body is a cape. On the other hand, things weren’t always like this.
He has undergone numerous costume changes over the years, some of which included hero-supporting equipment (gauntlets and such). It turns out later on, as All Might explains to Izuku, that All Might’s support gear was often cumbersome and only served to slow him down.
His Scar Is Misrepresented in the Anime
After All Might’s battle with All For One, he suffered a scar on his left chest. As a result of this oversight, the scar appears on the character’s left stomach rather than where it should be. An abdominal scar just wouldn’t explain his missing lung, which would make this a weird detail.
He’s Voiced by Two Superb Actors.
If you’ve seen My Hero Academia in subbed form, you’ve already heard Kenta Miyake’s rendition of All Might’s vocals. Miyake has also played Scar in Fullmetal Alchemist, Mohammed Avdol in JBZA, and Giovanni in the Pokemon series.
Christopher Sabat provides the dub voice for All Might. Many of the most well-known anime and manga characters have been played by Sabat, including Vegeta, Roronoa Zoro, Kazuma Kuwaba, and Alex Louis Armstrong of Fullmetal Alchemist.
Featured Stats
The official stat book serves as a resource for comparing heroes based on various characteristics such as strength, intelligence, endurance, and speed. All of these numbers are on a five-point scale, with five representing excellent performance and one representing extremely poor performance.
When it comes to intelligence, heroes like Sir Nighteye may score a 5, and heroes like Gran Turino may score a 6, but All Might gets a shockingly high six out of five in every category. It’s a demonstration of how incredibly and overwhelmingly powerful our hero is.
He Isn’t Canon Aged.
All Might, in contrast to the majority of the cast, is ambiguously young or old. For instance, we know that he’s slightly older than Endeavor (who is 45 since he first appears in the series) and that he’s a father of two. However, despite extensive speculating on the subject, no one is certain of his age.
Galaxy IC-313, a.k.a. The All Might Galaxy
Boku No Hero Academia is a series that has already had a significant impact on people and places on Earth, but it has also had ramifications far beyond our solar system.
After becoming enamored with the show and its protagonist, All Might, a fan bought a galaxy and named it after the show’s hero. The fan then presented Horikoshi with the certificate during one of his appearances after receiving it.
To be honest, we didn’t know much about All Might other than he’s a superhero. But after reading all of these facts, I feel like I understand him better and am more excited to see more episodes of My Hero Academia! What are some other anime characters that you think deserve their own list? Let us know in the comments below.
