Who is Deku’s dad and what happened to him in ‘My Hero Academia?’

My Hero Academia has had its fair share of well-kept secrets, but one stands out among all others. From the beginning of the manga and anime series, fans are introduced to Izuku Midoriya and his mother, Inko Midoriya, who does anything she can to raise her child and support his dream of becoming a hero. The two are clearly close and throughout the series, we get to see how strong their bond is plenty of times. Who we don’t see at all, though, is Deku’s father.

Across 390-plus chapters of the manga, there have been zero sightings of the protagonist’s dad, which leads many to question what happened to him. Is he still alive? If so, where is he? Do we even know who he is? Over the years, folks have come up with a few theories that could tie in Deku’s father to the story. For some time, people questioned whether All Might could secretly be the one, while others toyed with the idea of him being the series’ overarching antagonist, All for One. Needless to say, none of these theories have proven true, and we actually have some evidence pointing against them.

While information about this estranged father remains scarce, Kohei Horikoshi — My Hero Academia’s mangaka — has graced us with a few details about him. It’s not much, but well, at least we know something.

Who is Deku’s father in My Hero Academia?

Deku’s dad has a name that aptly describes the character — Hisashi Midoriya. If we attempt to translate it into English, it roughly means “a long time ago,” which is naturally fitting for an absent father. At some unspecified time before the series, Hisashi went to work abroad, leaving his wife and child back home in Japan. As for what his job is or what country he traveled to, it remains a mystery.

When a parent leaves for work-related reasons, it’s safe to assume they keep in contact with their family, however, Deku has never mentioned his relationship with his father. We don’t even know if Hisashi is still alive, or if something happened to him overseas. That said, there’s a chance that he’s alive, as Horikoshi guaranteed that he’d make an appearance in the series before its end. That was in 2018, though, and so far we’ve gotten nothing.

Perhaps we’ll have to wait for the very end of My Hero Academia to finally meet the man. Unfortunately, there’s no telling when that will be, as the mangaka keeps postponing it and disregarding the goals he sets for himself.

Despite not having his dad in the picture, Deku is growing into a fine young man, and an even better hero. So while it would be nice to close the case on this mystery once and for all, would it really make a difference to the story?