Fanfic / I am not Done (MHA)

"I learned a long time ago, that not all men are created equal..."

"...But who said that we had to stay that way?"

Izuku Midoriya has had a hard life. He's quirkless, for one, which already makes him a second-class citizen (if even that). His father, the only family member who cared about him, died years ago; his mother can't be bothered to acknowledge his existence beyond making sure the empty house he goes home to every day has electricity. School isn't much better, with teachers and students alike demeaning him at every turn, to say nothing of random people on the street quickly turning sour once they realize what he is. So naturally, after years of abuse, one day he gets a little bit too angry and finally talks back to one of his bullies.

It doesn't end well.

I am not Done is a My Hero Academia Dark Fic penned by JayDeeKay, wherein Izuku, rendered an amputee by a vengeful Bakugo, makes it his mission in life to fight against every last piece of abuse hurled at him to prove that you don't need a quirk to be worth something. And while Izuku may find that the world hasn't yet begun trying to tear him down, he also discovers that, for the first time in a long time, he may just have a few people willing to back him up.

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The following work present generally the following tropes:

• Adaptational Intelligence: Izuku, who is an engineering savant brilliant enough to keep up with complex projects left by his father, on top of his canon quirk analysis skills.
• Against the Grain: Izuku's entire modus operandi is to push against the idea that he's somehow inferior or incapable due to being quirkless. This trope is also referred to indirectly by Cementoss in Chapter 7 after seeing Izuku's armor.
• All the Other Reindeer: Izuku is generally treated this way by most people due to his status both as quirkless and crippled.
• The Aloner:
  • Izuku became this due to years of abuse giving him severe trust issues. As the fic goes on, he slowly grows out of this and develops a close support network in the form of Majima, Mei, Kirishima, and Hikaru.
  • Bakugo is this thanks to his immense ego and jerkassery driving people away. The events of the Sports Festival elevate this, as several students actively fear and hate him for what he's done.
• A Master Makes Their Own Tools: Izuku makes most of his own equipment, to the disbelief of some.
• Apathetic Citizens: Only a handful of characters are in any way horrified by Bakugo's behavior during the 1v1 matches, and are baffled that they have to explain why to their peers, who shrug off their concerns as overreacting. Then the final match occurs.
  Sero: If that girl really was hurt, she would have just given up.
  Uraraka: The girl was crawling for her life, Sero!
• A Scar to Remember: Izuku's amputation by the end of chapter 1 and the start of chapter 2. Sadly, after chapter 20, his loss by Bakugo.
• Asleep for Days: After losing his arm, Izuku wakes up in the hospital three days later.
  • Chapter 34, subverted. As Izuku is asleep because of physical exhaustion.
• Association Fallacy: Bakugo's problem with Izuku extends to any partner. Played for horror by chapter 13, as it is the reason of the brutal treatment of Hatsume during the fights during chapter 15 and 16.
• Attention Whore: Basically Bakugo. Summed with Sadist.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: Part of his Child Prodigy set. Izuku in chapter 2, while being attacked by the villain, coolly analyzed him and determined his weakness to electricity. Also, the Sports Festival.
• Badass Teacher: Every teacher in UA, as they are heroes… Or are they?
• Batman Gambit: Izuku's heavy use of this during the Sports Festival is highlighted throughout the first story arc, with several characters slowly realizing that he's meticulously planned how to take down many of the hero students.
  Nedzu: In truth, I believe we should be praising his tactical wit, not trying to have him disqualified.
• Because You Were Nice to Me: Zig-zagged.
  • In Chapter 6, is touched by Mei's help, but is left wondering why she's assisting him in any way. Unfortunately, any goodwill immediately dies when his quirkless status gets out and he assumes she did it. When he realizes she didn't a few chapters later, he apologizes.
  • In Chapter 9, asked by Shinso as Izuku is teaching him some misdirection for his quirk.
• Believing Their Own Lies: So many adults and sycophantic peers have insisted that Bakugo is destined for greatness that he can't comprehend the idea that anything he does is wrong, seeing UA staff's treatment of him after the sports festival as merely an annoying speedbump on the road to his obvious destiny and believing that anything bad that happens to him is due to Izuku.
• The Big Guy: Deconstructed. One of Kirishima's greatest insecurities is his intelligence and the fear that all he'll ever be good for is being a heavy hitter, which isn't helped by characters like Bakugo and Sir Nighteye delivering cruel speeches dismissing him as a worthless meathead who'll never amount to anything more than that.
• Boring, but Practical: Izuku's modus operandi. Need space? Use a Concussion Grenade. Against rock skin? Use a Pile Bunker.
• Break the Cutie: Izuku gets the brunt of this as the main character, but several UA students — Kirishima, Momo, Iida, etc. — are shown to be working through their own deep-seated fears, insecurities, and trauma.
• Easily Swayed Population: Discussed in Chapter 29. Nedzu insists that this isn't actually the case, as while people are lazy, they aren't not stupid, meaning it won't take that much for the general populace to seriously question the HPSC's attempts to cover-up and handwave away the events of the Sports Festival.
• Bystander Syndrome: One of the central problems shown in this work universe. NO ONE will ever do something against the brutality and cruelty that people like the protagonist live through each day. Mentioned in the first chapter, as well as the Sports Festival each time Bakugo fights.
• Cassandra Truth: Izuku initially doesn't trust Hatsume when she claims she had no role in ousting him, taking her confusion that him being quirkless is even an issue as a sign of guilt. It isn't until Hatsume lets slip that one of her parents is quirkless that he realizes her attempts at friendship over the past few months were indeed genuine.
• Catapult Nightmare:
  • In chapter 10, being under Shinso's control brought one to Bakugo in the form of the Slime Villain, freeing him from it. Still, it didn't stop Izuku's team from robbing him all their points.
  • By Chapter 21, Izuku is woken up by the memory of his match against Bakugo.
• Change the Uncomfortable Subject:
  • Played partially in chapter 20, and subverted. Nemuri asks Majima if he wants to talk about the whole disaster with his student. He immediately points out that in his short life, Izuku has had to cope with more than most Pros.
  • In chapter 23, the HPSC uses this to silence a heckler reporter who kept pressing the inconsistencies between the HPSC statements and the reality of the match.
• Combat Pragmatist: The other side of his skill set. He knows he is at a serious disadvantage against many others, so he levels the game by using the others' weaknesses.
• Condescending Compassion: Momo towards Izuku when they face off in the Sports Festival, insisting that Izuku should give up for his own safety while also explaining that it's bad to lie about building his battle suit, since everyone knows quirkless people aren't intelligent enough to accomplish such things.
• Confidence Sabotage : In Chapter 18, Kan gets three students to destroy Izuku's suit while he's visiting Mei in the infirmary, in hopes that it will make him quit the tournament, satisfying the HPSC. Izuku originally assumes it broke apart into scrap due to his own shoddy craftsmanship and is about to do just that until Mei's casual observations make him realize it was sabotage.
• Crazy-Prepared: Again, Izuku. Anticipating many scenarios, and creating equipment/plans for each of them. Though avoiding Single-mindedness.
• Curious as a Monkey: Izuku inquires his father about his job and why he is busy most of the time. In chapter 5, Mei who was more focused on how slim the holoprojector was.
• Cyborg: Izuku, to an extent. After his maiming early on, he's forced to create his own prosthetic arm. After the events of the first two acts, half his face gets replaced with a cybernetic eye and metal plating. When Eri first encounters him, she refers to Izuku as "Robot Boy".
• Death Glare: Izuku's manifestation of his cold fury, as Todoroki witnessed.
  • By chapter 22, Kirishima's gesture towards Bakugo.
    Todoroki: Where Todoroki was used to quick bursts of spontaneous anger from his father and siblings, the green-haired boy’s eyes reflect a fire that seems to have been burning for years…a fire that is now swarming out of control.
• Defiant to the End: Chapter 17, Mina. No plan, and scared… yet she fights on.
  • Chapter 33, mentioned by Stain to Iida, as he remains standing after his beatdown.
• Deliberate Under-Performance: Seeing in the first chapters, it is shown by the fifth chapter how brilliant truly is Izuku. To the point that he was the third-best grade in the admittance exam.
• Determinator: Izuku, thanks to his father. In the beginning, it was to rise to the standard; by the time of the story, mostly to spite the world.
• Disappointed in You: Chapter 22, Nedzu's thought of Aizawa's reaction to him caving to the HPSC demands. Subverted, as Aizawa is more confused than disappointed.
  • In chapter 23, tacitly implied by Nedzu towards Sekijiro Kahn when he explains why he hired him.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me!: By the second Arc, this could be summed for Izuku's personality; starting to hate the pity in the eyes of others, as he associates with both condescension and how they stood to his suffering.
• "Eureka!" Moment:
  • Chapter 1 and 2, both for his test of the ArcBlue Reactor, And the 32nd test of his prosthetic arm.
  • Chapter 32, the moment Izuku finds out that Stain's quirk has a time limit and depends on the blood type.
    Narrator: He raises his arms to the air and begins to celebrate, elation taking over his being…
• Exact Eavesdropping:
  • Chapter 17 ends with Kan hearing Midoriya and Recovery Girl speaking. The former mentioning that as long as he has suit he can fight gives him the idea to trick some of his students into destroying the suit.
  • Chapter 24 has Hikaru hear the whole discussion between Hastume and Majima about how to develop and graft the prosthetic Hatsume is developing for Izuku, leading to him lending his knowledge and joining Izuku's friend group.
  • Chapter 46 ends with Kirishima overhear a conversation that Sir Nighteye is having with the President of the HPSC, about their plan to have Izuku labeled as a yakuza member rather than a spy, so that he'll killed during the raid, which has also been rescheduled to occur within the next few days.
• Fantastic Ableism/Fantastic Racism: There are several instances of this. Quirkless are at the very bottom of the totem pole, though people that have "villainous" quirks like Shinso or Sekijirou Kan still see their fair share of disdain.
• Fatal Flaw: Many to consider.
  • Nedzu's is his inability to connect with other people.
  • The HPSC's president is her arrogance, which is exploited by Nedzu.
  • Bakugo's is his wrath and self-righteousness.
• Feel No Pain: A lifetime of abuse had left Izuku somewhat numb to pain. Save for the most intense, like his maiming.
• Fear Is the Appropriate Response: Chapter 16. Straight after Mineta mentions that Mina will be fighting Bakugo, she feels the dread of knowing that Bakugo will be given free rein to attack her with all his strength and malice. After being spotted by Bakugo, Mina feels other thing. Rage.
  • Chapter 30, Invoked and in some extent enforced by Gran Torino. The mission changed from a simple patrol to a warzone, and the fear Kirishima is feeling will be his biggest asset.
    Gran Torino: ...It’s not a bad thing to be afraid… Tonight boy? Tonight…fear will keep you alive.
• Fixing the Game: What most of the world seems bent to do against Izuku. In Chapter 5, also referred for the Hero Course in the Sport Festival.
• The Fundamentalist: The HPSC President. She wants to keep everything as it is, so anything that might disturb that peaceful state must be eliminated.
  The President: Frankly, Vlad King I couldn’t give less of a shit about what Nezu loves…what I care about is the Hero Commission… my Hero Commission, and from what we have been gathering, at this moment, there is a growing sentiment in the public questioning the necessity of heroes.
  • In chapter 21, we can see that Stain is another perfect example. Bordering on the religious territory, as he sees the "True" heroes as gods among mortals.
• Gambit Pileup: Act III in a nutshell, with several characters enacting their own schemes to manipulate other characters, with Izuku's attempts at outplaying both Sir Nighteye and Overhaul at the center.
• Green-Eyed Monster: One of the arguments the "efficient" pair tries to use against Izuku in chapter 2. By Chapter 11, this is played straight with Monoma, as he can't stand that all the attention goes to class 1-A.
• Gut Feeling: Nemuri states that she's had one of these for the entire day and that the feeling of foreboding has never been as strong as when Bakugo and Izuku are about to fight, and begs Nezu to end the cancel the match. He can't even if he wanted to, because the HPSC has taken over the event by this point.
• Had to Be Sharp: Most of Midoriya's character. If the world wishes to stomp him over, it is fine… First, he will give it hell, be it with his creations or his sheer willpower.
  • By Chapter 17, this is appreciated by Mina. Stating the notorious of both his contraption and fight style, and wondering what could he do if he tried to impress people?
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Bakugo. Easily irritated and infuriated by any little problem. Examples of that are the first chapter, the school festival, etc.
• Hates Being Touched:
  • Izuku. Any form of contact from strangers or perceived threats in general is liable to trigger a panic attack. This is noted when the ringleader of the bullies in Chapter 6 touches his shoulder, and it is worsened by Chapter 22 as stated by Majima-sensei.
  Power Loader: It wouldn't take much. A simple grasp of the other hand, a touch to the shoulder, even something as minor as feeling his forehead for fever. As soon as someone made contact, he would reel back, like their hands were covered in acid, curling in on himself, as his eye flew wildly around the room.
  • Mei is generally touch-averse, which is why she's pleasantly surprised to find that she's somehow okay with having skin contact with Izuku.
• Hypocrite:
  • Again, Bakugo. Before beating to an inch of his life, he claims to Izuku that it is against school regulations to run in the halls.
  • By Chapter 8, All Might is shown as one.
    All Might: Honestly, I think having a quirkless boy in this event is dangerous for the boy. This is not simply a game, there are points in the competition where he could be seriously injured, and he clearly doesn’t consider his own safety as much as he should be. I think for Young Midoriya’s wellbeing, he should be forced to withdraw from the tournament.
• I Got You Covered: Used for support by Kirishima to a terrified Mina, before her match.
  • Again by Kirishima by chapter 22, this time for Iida.
• Implementing the Incomplete: Izuku suffers from this. Mostly in the form of constant dissatisfaction with his own work (see his prosthesis).
• In Love with Your Carnage: Averted with Izuku's team by chapter 10. They can't help but be stunned at his power move to the other teams. Straight with Bakugo for his own handwork (read Brutal beatdown) during chapter 13.
• Insufferable Genius:
  • Aoi Ikki is an extremely subverted example, as he is lacking the genius part, but has the ego to shout against a teacher.
  • Hisashi, on the other hand, is one that can back his claims of being absolutely in the right of most things. Played for some laughs.
  Hisashi: If I'm right about this…and I usually am, this should make the compensator’s effective force dilution triple.
• In the Back: The root of Izuku's paranoia, as the people who were supposed to protect him only abused him, which left him with the belief that everyone might feign interest in order to do this. This one of the reasons why he didn't team up with Hatsume and Kirishima in Chapter 9.
• Internalized Categorism :
  • Defied by Izuku. Providing that being quirkless doesn't make someone sub-human is his biggest driving force, and implying that he is lesser in some way because of his status is the quickest way to incite his rage.
  • Played straight by All Might and Vlad King, with the latter working the HPSC President.
• I Shall Taunt You: Both Izuku and Hitoshi's strategy. Izuku, in order to infuriate and goad his opponents. Hitoshi, for his quirk.
  • Chapter 32, used against Stain for his absolute obsession with All Might.
    Izuku: Oh please! Don’t you dare compare Kirishima to that fraud All Might!
• It's All About Me: Played with. In order to de-escalate things, Izuku simply decides to play on Katsuki's ego.
  • By Chapter 16, we can read that Endeavor is another example. Stating that Shoto is making a fool out of himself… and him as his father.
• It's All My Fault: Partially in Chapter 2. The protagonist knows that the reason why the Slime Villain got free was that he latched onto All Might's leg.
  • Chapter 20. How Midnight feels this whole situation is, as she could have stopped Bakugo and disqualify him for excessive force; but couldn't as the malice he exhibited terrified her.
  • Chapter 27, also mentioned tacitly by Ectoplasm towards the loss of the student.
• Just Smile and Nod: Izuku's act every time someone points his quirkless status.
• Karma Houdini: After the end of Arc I, the entire facility pretty much agrees that Bakugo must be expelled for deliberately maiming a fellow student. However, the HPSC forces their hand and prevent them from even removing him from the hero course. They're able to stop him from getting internships and give him constant detentions, but that's about the extent of what they can accomplish.
• Last-Second Villain Recovery: Arc I has Bakugo accomplish this during his fight with Izuku. Not only does Izuku lose the match, but Bakugo goes as far as latching onto his face and vaporizing his right eye. The only reason he doesn't go any further is because the teachers restrain him immediately after.
• Lack of Empathy: Subverted, partially. In Chapter 1, Bakugo's lackeys mention how what he is about to do it is a tad extreme. To no avail.
  • Todoroki is called out of this by Izuku by Chapter 13, as he knows nothing about lacking power.
  • By Chapter 17, we see that Izuku defies the trope, as he considers that for Hatsume to heal from the attack, she needs not comfort but empathy.
• Life Isn't Fair: Another central theme in the story.
  Izuku: No man is born equal.
• Minor Injury Overreaction: Chapter 14, played straight by Vlad King towards Kirishima's wounds. Absolutely averted with Hikaru Kubo, after being frozen over.
  • In Chapter 27, absolutely defied with Mina. Her match against Bakugo left her psychologically scarred, as she now tends to freeze with fear every time she is fighting. Kirishima immediately reassures her it is ok to feel scared.
• Moral Myopia: Throughout the Sports Festival arc, Kan and a number of other teachers argue that Midoriya shouldn't be participating because he's quirkless and might not have a good understanding of how dangerous his support gear is. However, when it comes to the hero students who perform actions just as dangerous (if not far moreso), they give it a pass because they are students who are still learning to control their powers. This hypocrisy only angers Majima at first, but as Bakugo proves to be more and more unhinged, Nemuri also expresses her concerns.
• Muggles Do It Better: Izuku. Anything his quirked classmates make pales in comparison with his work. Sadly, this is played for drama, as it brings the ire of the ruling people, like the HSPC.
• Multitasked Conversation: After Yaoyorozu infuriates Midoriya by happily saying that he's too unevolved to have built his suit and get this far into the competition on his own, Nemuri points that they shouldn't get too violent, since this is a televised school event. Yaoyorozu assures her that she won't hurt Izuku too badly, but Nemuri sardonically thinks to herself that the reminder was clearly for the teenage boy currently shaking in rage.
• My Greatest Failure: Roundhouse views how he handled Izuku's situation at the start of the fic as this, regretting that his dismissal of the boy's panic resulted in him being too late to prevent Izuku from losing an arm. He's additionally incensed that, because Izuku is quirkless, he was unable to get anyone to believe him that the boy was attacked by his peers.
• My Greatest Second Chance: Chapter 15, Kan's greatest first chance by a woman called Hanako Aiiuchi; used by the President to manipulate him.
  • The real second chance comes from Nedzu in chapter 23, by asking how the HPSC operates. Hoping that this could help right a wrong to someone who could empathize with Sekijiro.
• Never My Fault: Bakugo. Again. Shown mostly in the School Festival after losing against Izuku and his team. Nevertheless, it is also shown as part of his complex.
• Obstructive Bureaucrat: The HPSC. At the worst moment, as they WON'T stop the match for the safety of the other combatant. In chapter 20, for the benefit of Bakugo, as they pull a Big Damn Villains before Nedzu can make official his expulsion.
• Outside-the-Box Tactic: Part of his strategy in life is to think this way. In chapter 8, Izuku himself mentions it towards to tunnel conundrum in the race; as well in chapters relating to the cavalry.
• Paralysis by Analysis: One of Momo's biggest flaws. She's incredibly poor at adapting to her opponents, either over- or underthinking what to do in a fight once the other party has figured out and countered her initial strategy.
• Pathetically Weak: One of the many insults to the protagonist, mentioning how weak the quirkless are compared to the quirked individuals.
• Properly Paranoid: Izuku struggles to trust others, which makes for some difficulty in his relationships with some characters due to viewing their genuine attempts to connect and befriend him as being pity at best and a cruel joke at worse, something that is sometimes worsened by the occasional misunderstanding. Ultimately justified however, as not only do his trust issues stem from being abused throughout his life, but he's usually vindicated in his distrust in a vast majority of his interactions.
• Psychopathic Manchild: Again, Bakugo. After the maiming of Izuku, he mentions that he needs to be back for his 9 hours of sleep. Also shown after the Sports Festival in chapter 22 to 23, as he delusionally mentions that he won, even though most of JAPAN saw him brutally attack another person.
• Red Herring: Mentioned two times in the story by Izuku. The first is in Chapter 4, for the entrance exam; and the second is when teaching Shinso to misdirect the attention.
• The Resenter: Izuku. Justified to some extent.
• This Cannot Be!: Played for drama, as Izuku is unable to immediately deal with the new reality of lacking his right arm. Played straight for many times Kan tries to take Izuku out of the competition after witnessing his technological prowess.
• Sadist Teacher:
  • Aldera in a nutshell. Though could be said to some extent to UA.
  • Gran Torino during his introduction in chapter 24, and each time he is training Kirishima.
• Secret Test of Character: In chapter 4, the Practical Exam for the Support department.
  Izuku: This isn't a test of our technical expertise at all. That's a red herring... that is what we show with the projects we brought from home!
  • In chapter 24, All Might wants to test Kirishima for the inheritance of his quirk, using the opportunity that the internships give.
  • In Chapter 26, the whole match between Gran Torino and Kirishima.
• Shellshocked Veteran: A rare civilian example with Izuku, as explosions can trigger a panic attack. Seen in chapter 8, but referred to in previous chapters.
• So Proud of You: Downplayed in Chapter 1, as Hisashi is trying to explain to his son that he is NOT defective. Played straight with Izuku, as he steps into his father's role as an inventor, continuing his projects like "ArcBlue".
  • And by chapter 7, Power Loader seems to have adopted this mindset when speaking to Midoriya.
• Sour Outside, Sad Inside: By Chapter 4, Izuku has become a standoffish individual to hide his vulnerability and uncertainty. This is particularly seen with Mei, who Izuku initially blows off believing that any friendship that could develop would end the second she learns he's quirkless.
  Izuku: Besides, this way it will hurt less when they find out the truth.
• Spotting the Thread:
  • Chapter 18, found out by the third ex-cronie, Haruki Tanaka, as he finds it suspicious that Vlad contacted them privately. His ex-friends mock him for that, to no avail.
  • Chapter 23, the truth behind the proctor of the last match. Eventually inverted, as it strengthens the interview for the President.
    Heckler Reporter: You say that, Ma’am, but, was it not a Commission agent acting as referee during the finale of the festival?
  • In the same chapter, Nedzu spots the truth behind Vlad King, pointing his past as Blood King Khan.
  • Chapter 30, Gran Torino spots the lies of the train trio, two of them repeating almost synchronized the need to go to the bathroom.
• Take This Job and Shove It: After the events of Act I, Majima quits his teaching job at UA in disgust that Nezu is unwilling to directly oppose the HPSC or let any of his staff in on whatever gambit he's planning for revenge, re-establishing his former hero support company "Power Support Works".
• Targeted to Hurt the Hero: Bakugo goes after Hatsume when he learns that she and Izuku are friends. While this does affect Izuku (albeit only serving to make him more pissed), it also ends up affecting Mina. While Mina doesn't know Mei at all, since the cruel beatdown occurred immediately after she claimed he was a Paper Tiger and Bakugo promised to prove that he isn't, she's left with the horrified belief that Bakugo beat a fellow student half-to-death just to send a message to her.
• Taught by Experience:
  • Chapter 1, referred by Izuku, while (unsuccessfully) escaping the brutes of his school.
  • Chapter 30, Gran Torino's intention for bringing Kirishima with him. He knows that his patrols alongside Roundhouse are just training, and needs to experience real life. Not what you'll expect from a terrorist attack.
• Tempting Fate:
  • Chapter 13, questioned by Kaminari to Sero, who was dissing Izuku as weak.
  • Chapter 27, done by Gran Torino by mentioning that Hosu is a peaceful place
• Title Drop: Once per story arc, Izuku has a Heroism Motive Speech that ends with him shouting some variant of the fic's title while facing that arc's main antagonist.
• Unfinished, Untested, Used Anyway:
  • Averted with many of Izuku's creations, as he takes the time to stress test them in order to avoid terrible accidents.
  • Played straight with the Contingency in Act III. The group is forced to give Izuku the unfinished mech suit several weeks early when they discover that Sir Nighteye not only plans to have Izuku killed in the raid, having never told anyone outside his agency that Izuku is a spy, but has scheduled for it to occur far ahead of schedule.
• Walking Armory: Izuku's mech suit.
• Weeding Out Imperfections: The modern society of Japan, in both canon and in the story, seems bent onto this way of thinking. Exaggerated with Aldera, and the Hero Safety Commission.
• We Can Rule Together:
  • Chapter 9, rather a "We Can Win Together" by Izuku. As he promises a victory to Shinso.
  • Chapter 33, invoked by Stain in a twisted version. They could have "cleansed" the society, one stain at the time.
    Stain: You could have become great, you know. You had the potential to bring about a revolution in the world! But instead, you chose the path of a lie! You chose willingly to journey back into the fog, after finally seeing the sun! Why?! Why choose such a path!? Why can’t you see what I see?
• We Only Have One Chance: Another recurring theme of the story. Izuku sees most of his challenges as an All or Nothing gamble, with the trope being mentioned in verbatim in chapter 4.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Overhaul. Here, his desire to rid the world of quirks originates from his first day as a doctor after completing his residency. Not only did he fail to convince his mentor to spearhead a campaign to let medical personnel join heroes as being exceptions to the "no public quirk use" rule, with the older doctor admitting his reluctance is purely to protect his own reputation should such a thing fail, but he was barred from saving a patient's life because using his quirk to do so would have been illegal, subsequently being fired for disobeying order. Overhaul became convinced that if only a select few of humanity is even legally allowed to use their quirks to help others, and no one is willing to change that law, there is no point in them existing in the first place. He's fully aware that what he's doing to Eri in order to accomplish this is unspeakably evil, but is committed to the notion that Utopia Justifies the Means.
  Chisaki: I make no illusions about my own actions... about my own sins. But Midoriya, the world is diseased, and I am the only one willing to deliver a cure... so if I must damn my own soul to save the human race, then I will gladly walk into hell with my head held high.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: We never learn who actually ousted Izuku's quirkless status to the rest of the support class.
• When All You Have Is a Hammer…: Chapter 16 ends with Todoroki starting the match like the previous ones… With a humongous glacier.
  • Chapter 30, a necessity for Kirishima. As the train is too tight to try any manoeuvres, he is forced to go and tank the enemy.
• Workaholic: Chapter 1. Poor Hisashi, most of the time working, to the chagrin of his family.
  • Chapter 27, inverted with Bakugo. As he doesn't want to be with Aizawa, but has to do everything ordered by his homeroom teacher. Including be worked to the bone in tedious tasks.
• You Remind Me of X: When Bakugo savagely beats up Mei during their match, Izuku can't help but be reminded of himself and all the times Bakugo abused him.
  Izuku sat, silent, as he watched his abuser relentlessly tear into his classmate, though through his eyes, all he saw was a play-by-play of that day. Sprinting into that hero and begging for help, only to be left wanting. Trying to escape into his home, only to be brought upon there as well. The feeling of two pairs of hands pinning him to the ground. A hot, searing palm resting on his shoulder.

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