Deku’s father in My Hero Academia explained: Does he appear in Chapter 430?

There were many story threads for My Hero Academia’s final chapter, and the question of Deku’s father was high among them for fans.

Now that My Hero Academia Chapter 430 is here, we have to reckon with the idea that we won’t be reading any more about Deku and Class 1-A. Shigaraki is defeated, the world is saved, and Kohei Horikoshi is moving on with his life.

A major question coming into the My Hero Academia ending was whether or not we’d finally meet Deku’s father. Occasionally mentioned and hinted at, he’s been absent for the entire story so far.

This was the last chance for a meeting between the two to occur – something fans have discussed since early on in the narrative.

Does Deku’s father appear in My Hero Academia?

Deku’s father doesn’t make any appearance in My Hero Academia Chapter 430. He never appears in the manga, from start to finish.

Viz

He isn’t even mentioned, as the last chapter is more preoccupied by the time skip to who Deku has become. He inspires another young boy, Dai, to become a hero, and receives a gift from All Might, composed of research from his fight against Shigaraki.

All Might states the other students and Bakugo helped fund the present, made in the US, though we don’t know exactly what it is. Then, to finish off, we see Deku in action again as a pro hero, and a big graphic with all his classmates, implying they all continue fighting for justice.

Kohei Horikoshi had promised Deku’s dad would show up

Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, was clear that we’d see Deku’s absent father at some point. “Deku’s father will be revealed in the future,” he told the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2018.

That hasn’t turned out to be the case. We know his name, Hisashi Midoriya, but little else. When Kohei made that comment, My Hero Academia was just four years into publication. The first movie was just about to release and the franchise’s popularity was about to skyrocket.

The manga has now run for a decade, and though we don’t know exactly why Kohei wound up glossing over this plot-point, Occam’s razor dictates a simple answer: it stopped mattering. My Hero Academia’s storylines were more interesting without derailing into full-on daddy issues, and likewise Deku’s overall growth.

Deku never needed his dad – he has All Might

Though not seeing Hisashi might be disappointing for some, the story hasn’t really suffered any. We still see Deku develop into a confident, principled, heroic protagonist who challenges Shigaraki without hesitation.

Crucial to that have been his peers and classmates, as well as All Might. The Superman stand-in went from role model to mentor for Deku, and really, he serves all the fatherhood requirements needed.

All Might is concerned about Deku and provides lessons and encouragement where needed. He believes in the young hero, as evidenced by handing over All For One since Deku doesn’t have a Quirk to start.

Hisashi isn’t needed as a paternal presence because All Might accounts for it all where it matters. Nothing more heroic than that, really.

My Hero Academia might be done in manga form, but fear not, the franchise continues. Check out our guides to My Hero Academia: You’re Next and Season 7 for the big and small screen adventures.