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is a My Hero Academia fanfic series by jokeraddict0, following Izuku's pursuits as he strives to become the first Quirkless hero.
The first part in the series can be found here on Archive of Our Own and here on FanFiction.Net.
The second part, titled Blank Canvas: Convictions, can be found here on Archive of Our Own and here on FanFiction.Net.
The third part, titled Blank Canvas: Heritage, can be found here on Archive of Our Own and here on FanFiction.Net.
Tropes contained in Blank Canvas:
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- Abled in the Adaptation: Since Stain did not attack him with the intention to maim, Tensei Iida doesn't become paralyzed from the waist below, although it will take a while before he is ready to return to hero duty.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Several.
- Stain, the main point of divergence from canon is introduced in chapter 2, the U.A. Beginnings arc, instead of during the Hero Killer arc.
- Mei Hatsume is introduced during chapter 4, instead of during the Sports Festival arc.
- Ejiro Kirishima is introduced in chapter 5, instead of the first day at U.A., where he is inspired by Izuku to follow his dream of being a hero despite having a seemingly weak quirk.
- Hitoshi Shinso is introduced during the Entrance Exam arc, instead of during the Sports Festival.
- Class 1-B is introduced during the Battle Trial arc, instead of the Sports Festival.
- Overhaul debuts after the Sports Festival, where he develops an interest on Izuku.
- Adaptation Expansion: The fic expands heavily on many story arcs.
- Chapters 1-7 are the U.A. Beginnings arc.
- The Battle Trial arc also shows Class 1-B's side of the exercise.
- The period between the USJ and the Sports Festival is also shown in chapters 30 to 34.
- Due to the changes to the Sports Festival, the event is also heavily expanded, taking over 19 chapters to cover it, and 8 more for its aftermath.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- Eraserhead and Present Mic are married here, instead of being just best friends.
- In this fic, it's Stain, The Hero Killer the person that inspires Izuku to follow his dream despite not having a Quirk and somehow becomes a father figure to him.
- In canon, Hitoshi is Izuku's rival and Mei is his main provider of Support Items and suit changes. Here, they are his True Companions and first friends since childhood.
- While Izuku and Aizawa were already close in canon, here they are far closer, with Aizawa being the mentor figure on his and Hitoshi's journey to be heroes.
- Izuku is also far closer to Nezu and Present Mic than in canon, with Nezu being his mentor on improving his analysis skills and Mic being his JSL tutor.
- In canon, Izuku and Shoto are good friends and friendly rivals. Here, they are obviously in love with each other, incapable of noticing it due to their respective troublesome pasts.
- Affectionate Nickname: Izuku collects a few throughout the story. Mei calls him "Hero-kun", Stain refers to him as "Little Hero", Uraraka calls him "Mido", and Dark Shadow labels him as "Sun Boy". Present Mic calls him "Little Listener", Midnight and Shinsou take to calling him "Green Bean."
- Armor-Piercing Question: Izuku to Bakugou during their final confrontation."You need to rethink why you want to be a Hero, Bakugou. Do you want to be one to help people like All Might? Or do you want to be one to be the best like Endeavor?"
- Ascended Extra: Several.
- Stain goes from a minor character in the Hero Killer arc to being the person who reaffirms Izuku's dreams. So deeply does his words impact Izuku that he even influences Izuku's hero name and costume.
- Hitoshi Shinsou was originally a minor character from the Sports Festival Arc. Here, becomes Izuku's best friend, whom Izuku works with to transfer to the hero course. By the second half of Part I onwards, he has officially become the story's Deuteragonist.
- Hatsume Mei was originally a character who rarely makes an appearance. Here, she becomes Izuku's first friend whose influence teaches him what friendship looks like instead of the one-sided relationship he has with Bakugou.
- Since Izuku starts off as a Support Course student, Higari Majima/Power Loader has more recurring appearances than in canon, where he usually shows up only to chastise Mei for exploding something in her lab.
- Present Mic appears more often than in canon since he is married to Aizawa.
- Awesomeness by Analysis: Izuku analytical mind is so sharp that it impresses several heroes. Even Nedzu expresses a wish to take him on as his personal student.
- Bad Powers, Good People: Invoked and discussed. Hitoshi spent his entire life, ever since his Quirk manifested, being called a villain in the making. However, he never used nor intended to use Brainwashing to hurt people and always wished to be a hero. Izuku was the first person in his life to not only say his Quirk is not villainous but also make an extensive list of all the positive things he could use it for.
- Badass Normal: Midoriya Izuku, thanks to his analysis skills and quirk-replicating support items.
- Beneath the Mask: Neito Monoma may keep a very arrogant and condescending attitude, but all of it is rooted in insecurity because no one ever thought his quirk would be useful for heroics since it relies on working with other people for it to work, effectively making him Quirkless. Izuku manages to see through it and becomes the first person to ever praise him for his Quirk, something that means a lot to him
- Brick Joke: Izuku and Hitoshi comment that with Hitoshi's brood and gloomy personality, he could have to fight against Tokoyami or Kuroiro of Class B, over the title of being "Friend of Darkness." Come the Sports Festival, and Hitoshi ends up facing off Tokoyami during his second match.
- Broken Pedestal: Downplayed. Despite Stain's Black-and-White Insanity, he doesn't disavow All Might when he finds out through Izuku that All Might is the All-Loving Hero that he believed he was. Stain is still rather disappointed that All Might engages in Fantastic Ableism and doesn't see Izuku's potential. Stain still idolizes All Might but he's no longer Stain's ideal hero.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Deconstructed. Bakugo justifies the bully attitude by saying that all the emotional, physical, and verbal abuse is done in order to prevent Izuku from dying following a hero career. This logic falls apart for three reasons: 1) He never thinks about all of this from Izuku's perspective, only hurting him and moving on. 2) This is rooted in an Insane Troll Logic thought that just because Midoriya never backed away from his dream despite the setbacks, Midoriya is looking down on him. 3) His own conscience calls him out on his toxic behaviour, especially the infamous suicide baiting. Which means no matter how much he tries to justify it, Bakugo bullied Midoriya because he liked doing it.
- Deadpan Snarker: Shinsou. His fight against Bakugou during the Sports Festival is filled with glorious examples.
- Demoted to Extra: Class 1-A, with the exception of Ochako, Kirishima, and later Todoroki, don't make any meaningful appearance outside of any story arc until the Sports Festival. Justified, since Izuku and Hitoshi only transfer to the hero course after it.
- Entertainingly Wrong: Seeing the close relationship between Aizawa and Izuku, Todoroki immediately assumes that Izuku is Aizawa's secret love child.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Stain was disgusted when he sneaked into the Todoroki household and saw the abuse Endeavor put Shouto through.
- First-Name Basis:
- When Stain gives out his real name to Izuku, he insists Izuku call him by his given name and has Izuku return the sentiment. Which shows that Stain considers Izuku his equal as opposed to a disciple or idol.
- By the time of the Sports Festival, Izuku has this with both Ochako and Shoto.
- Frying Pan of Doom: Izuku brings one to his second meeting with Stain. The Hero Killer is considerably amused.
- The Gadfly:
- As Hitoshi points out, he loves to mess with people.
- Midnight doesn't give up on teasing Izuku when she finds out that the boy has a crush on someone from 1-A until he confirms is Shoto, much to her delight.
- Happily Married: Eraserhead and Present Mic are married here.
- Humble Hero: Although Izuku takes ten whole months to clean up Dagobah Beach on his own, he is adamant about not taking any credit for it.
- Hurricane of Puns: Present Mic's commentary during the Sports Festival is basically this. Also how Izuku's and Shinsou's fight plays out, to hilarious effect.
- Locked Out of the Loop: By the time the Sports Festival swings by, practically all of Class 1-A knows that Hiro (Izuku in disguise) is actually Izuku. Except Bakugou.
- Oh, Crap!: Bakugou's reaction when Aizawa reveals that they will be looking into the explosive blonde's past with Izuku.
- Point of Divergence:
- After All Might crushes Izuku's dreams and leaves him on the roof, Stain is the one to comfort a devastated Izuku and declare that he can be a hero. This reignites Izuku's determination to work hard towards his dreams.
- Thanks to Izuku's warning of Shigaraki's quirk, Aizawa's elbow does not disintegrate.
- Due to their impressive performance in the Sports Festival, Izuku and Shinsou are offered a chance to transfer to the hero course.
- It is implied that Izuku's positive influence on Stain led him to refrain from crippling Ingenium, even going so far as to phone an ambulance to save his life.
- Positive Friend Influence: Izuku is this towards many people.
- First, manages to talk Hitoshi out of his aloof and friendless attitude with his sheer kindness and good heart.
- He later manages to get through Monoma's jerkass and actually manages to make him grow out of his Irrational Hatred towards 1-A.
- Izuku's idealism and kindness marginally soften Stain's Black-and-White Insanity to be more careful in picking his targets and reduce collateral damage due to wanting to live up to Izuku's heroism in the small ways he can.
- Precision F-Strike: Although Bakugou swears a lot, a particularly amusing example occurs when he sees Todoroki and Izuku holding hands, with Izuku actually smiling back. Given that Bakugou has no idea that the two had met before..."What in the ever fucking hell is happening?!"
- The Reason You Suck: After Bakugou accuses Izuku of cheating his way into the Sports Festival finals, attacks him, and destroys almost all his support gear, Izuku finally snaps and delivers a scathing one to him.
- Shipper on Deck: Mei, Hitoshi, and Ochako know that Izuku and Shoto have a crush on each other and firmly support it. Midnight becomes aware that Izuku has a crush on someone from 1-A and keeps teasing him about it until he confirms is Shoto prior to their match, much to her delight.
- Spiritual Antithesis: To My Hero Academia: Entropy: Both fics feature a quirkless Izuku protagonist with the same divergence points, the Sludge Villain never escaping, and so Izuku never proves his worth to All Might. Also in both, Izuku becomes friends with Hitoshi and Mei, and in both, he has his chances to be a hero shut down by All Might. But unlike here, in Entropy, Izuku lacks emotional support from anyone besides his friends, and even Aizawa refuses to see his potential. The result is Izuku being Driven to Villainy alongside Shinso and Hatsume.
- So Proud of You: Stain says this almost word for word when Izuku clinches first place in the Sports Festival.
- Took a Level in Dumbass: In the Battle Training arc, All Might enters the observation room and promptly deflates into his skeletal form...without checking first if anyone was already inside. He immediately panics when he sees Hiro, terrified that he inadvertently revealed his secret to another kid.
- Villains Never Lie: A large part of why Stain's words impacted Izuku so deeply is because of the villain's reputation as the Hero Killer. As someone who murders 'false' heroes, the fact that Stain actually sees a true hero in Izuku makes Izuku realize that he really is really serious about it.
- Wham Line: When Izuku meets Stain for the fourth time, he essentially calls out a hit on Endeavor."If you really are looking for fake Heroes and want a better class of Hero, you should look into the family life of…Endeavor."
Blank Canvas: Convictions
- Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Since Tensei wasn't maimed, Tenya doesn't go on a revenge quest against Stain, and agrees to carry on the name "Ingenium" until his brother recovers.
- Adaptational Name Change:
- Since Ochako never redefined the meaning of "Deku", Izuku takes the name "Edge" in reference to his conversation with Chizome that inspired him to become a hero.
- Instead of just using his first name, Shoto names himself "Reinen".
- Adaptational Nice Guy: Dabi. As Rei's flashbacks reveal, Toya managed to grow out of his jealousy and Irrational Hatred towards his youngest brother and the rest of the Todoroki family, to hate only Endeavor, the actual person to blame for the abuse he and his siblings had to endure. Come present-day story, Dabi is enraged upon finding out that Endeavor is still putting Shoto through the same Training from Hell that both of them had to endure since their Quirks came in, and gives Stain the necessary info to take down the Number Two Hero.
- Batman Gambit: How Izuku defeats Stain during the Hero Killer/Hosu arc: Izuku realizes that Stain does not have immunity to his own Quirk, so he soaks one of Stain's blades, the one that accidentally impaled his stomach, on a pool of Chizome's blood. When Chizome uses Bloodcurdle, both he and Izuku are paralyzed. Stain praises Izuku for taking him down with so much creativity.
- Big "WHAT?!": Class 1-A's reaction to learning that Izuku is Principle Nedzu's personal student.
- Bread, Eggs, Milk, Squick: Amongst the list of things that Tomura hates and wants to destroy include: Sandwiches, itchy clothes, and All Might.
- Broken Base: In-Universe example. Izuku being credited by Stain's arrest causes the opinions about the Quirkless hero student to become divisive: There are people who believe that dismiss the incident and Izuku winning the Sports Festival as a lucky shot that doesn't mean anything in the long run, while others say this is a sign of changing times, that means that anyone can truly be a hero.
- Broken Pedestal: All Might has become one to Izuku as his insistence of making Izuku the next inheritor of One For All and claiming that he'd have better potential with a quirk caused him to snap and lose the admiration he had of the hero.
- Captain Oblivious: Poor Todoroki can't understand why Izuku is upset when he posits using his given name as his hero name.Izuku: I just…I like calling you by your name, Shouto-kun
Todoroki: Why would making Shouto my Hero name stop that?
Shinsou: Because if you do then everyone will call you that. And Green Bean here wants to be special.
Todoroki: Oh. But you are special to me, Izuku.
Shinsou: Ooo, confessing in the classroom...
Todoroki: Confessing? - Didn't See That Coming: Clearly, no one expected that the reason Izuku knows the Hero Killer's name is because the man had told him himself.
- Double Entendre: Mei, when Izuku's father video calls him during their sleepover.Mei: Izuku and I have been working together to make all sorts of babies at school!
Hisashi: Making babies already, Izuku? What does your mother have to say about that? - Dramatic Irony: In chapter 8, Shoto, still believing that Izuku is Aizawa's secret love child theorizes that Hisashi is using CGI to change his looks during their video call. The following chapter reveals he is not far from the truth, as All for One is using a quirk called Mirage to conceal his appearance during his calls to home.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: All for One truly loves Izuku, or the closest thing to love that villain like him can feel. When Izuku sent a distress call before his fight against Stain, All for One hoped that his son wouldn't be caught in the chaos Tomura unleashed on Hosu, otherwise there would be "harsh words", which implies even though he claims to care about Shigaraki, not even he will have a free pass for harming his son.
- Fighter, Mage, Thief: The students play these roles during their fight against Stain: First Izuku is the Fighter, to Hitoshi's Mage and Tenya's Thief. After Stain knocks Hitoshi out, Shoto takes his place as the Mage.
- Freudian Slip: Stain accidentally mutters Izuku's Affectionate Nickname (Little Hero), when Tomura shows him a picture of the boy and declares his intentions to turn him into a villain. This allows Shigaraki and All for One to realize that there is a connection between the student and the Hero Killer.
- In Spite of a Nail: Iida Tenya still comes across and attempts to fight Stain. Although this was not for revenge nor was it pre-meditated. Tenya was in Hosu to intern under his recovering brother. He only intervened because he felt duty-bound to save Native.
- Insult Backfire: Izuku calls Shinsou "Purple Panda" in retaliation for his Green Bean nickname. It backfires when Shinsou actually likes it.
- Lampshade Hanging: After Izuku is taken by the Winged Nomu, even Chizome can't help but comment on Izuku's Doom Magnet status.
- Mistaken for Related: Shouto thinks that Izuku and maybe Shinsou are related to Aizawa due to him being a Parental Substitute to them. Later Aizawa actually adopts Shinsou.
- Oh, Crap!: A couple of instances.
- Bakugou, when Aizawa reveals that his entire altercation with Izuku had been recorded, and there is no way he can continue to hide just exactly what had happened between them.
- Izuku and Hitoshi's reaction when they realize that Tenya is cornered by the Hero Killer.
- Stain, when Izuku gets injured after intercepting an attack he had meant for Todoroki.
- Shipper on Deck: Following the trend of the previous part, even more people ship Izuku and Shoto. Inko and Aizawa are aware of it, and following their reunion, Rei delivers this line after she hears about how better Shoto's life became after meeting Izuku.She didn’t know when but she would meet this Midoriya Izuku and thank him for all that he has done for her son. And subsequently for her. And maybe someday…welcome him to their family.
- Snark-to-Snark Combat: Izuku and Hitoshi often engage in it. One of the second part's best examples is before their confrontation with Stain:Izuku (about jumping from one roof to another to reach out Iida): I'll carry you.
Hitoshi: You? Carry me?
Izuku: Yep! Next to ten months of lugging trash, carrying you will be a cinch.
Hitoshi: So, that’s what I am to you? Trash?
Izuku: Yes, Hitoshi-kun. You, my best friend, are trash.
Hitoshi: I knew it. - Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Happens twice during the Hosu arc:
- Shoto attempting to freeze Stain to restrain him causes the villain to break free from Hitoshi's Brainwashing and restart the fight between him and the students.
- One example that actually works in the heroes' favor: Eraserhead sends a quirked glare to Izuku when he jokes after defeating the Hero Killer, which causes Stain's paralysis to wear off faster. However, this allows him to break free from his restraints and save Izuku when the teenager is taken by the Winged Nomu.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Aizawa to All Might, when he found out that he had not only failed to render aid after Izuku was attached by the sludge villain, he also left him on the roof after telling him he could not be a Hero.
- Wham Episode: In Chapter 9, it is revealed that All For One is Izuku's father.
Blank Canvas: Heritage
- Costume Evolution: Starting from chapter 2, all hero students from class 1-A and 1-B have their costumes upgraded, some slightly like Ejiro and Ochako, others completely like Momo.
- Ship Tease: Hitoshi and Denki start to have one during I-Island, with the brainwasher blushing with embarrassment after he gets a coffee with a cat drawing on it. Apparently, Denki heard that Hitoshi likes cats and black coffee, so he decided to mend two of his favorite things.
- Shout-Out:
