My Hero Academia Creator Horikoshi Unveils The New All Might

Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia reached its conclusion as a manga on August 5, 2024, in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump Double Issue 36-37. This epilogue arc was eventually adapted into the anime with the release of Episode 170 on December 13, 2025. Earlier this year, we got newer releases in the anime, with episode 171 on May 2, 2026, as well as a special OVA on August 2, 2026.

With these new releases, the world of My Hero Academia continues to grow, and a new era is being expanded upon. In this new era, Kohei Horikoshi has established the true successor to All Might, who is carrying the legacy as the greatest hero of all time. This character is none other than the beloved protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. Although he lost his powers in the final war of My Hero Academia, he is now resurgent with a new hero armor that once again gives him access to the abilities of One For All, as confirmed by the author himself.

Kohei Horikoshi Sets Up Izuku Midoriya As The Next All Might With New Hero Armor

My Hero Academia's protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, received a bittersweet ending when he officially ended up losing his Quirk in the final war of the series. In order to finally take down Shigaraki and All For One, Deku sacrificing One For All was unavoidable, and as he did that, he was only left with a few embers, which was truly tragic for the protagonist.

Initially, Izuku Midoriya was set to remain Quirkless at the end, but Kohei Horikoshi changed his mind when, in the final chapter of the series, he gifted him a new hero armor. This new hero armor finally allowed Izuku to be a Pro Hero once again, but fans did not know exactly how strong he was. The answer to this question was given to us in the anime on August 2, 2026, as it was confirmed that Izuku Midoriya was now the Number 4 Hero in Japan. For Izuku to skyrocket up to the fourth position in just a matter of months goes to show how overpowered this incredibly strong new hero armor is.

"The Number 4 Hero, Deku, rocketed up the Hero Charts with unprecedented hype! Feeling inspired, huh? The Great Explosive Murder God Dynamite is making an impressive leap to No. 5." — Official rank announcement for Izuku and Bakugo, My Hero Academia One-Shot

It was confirmed previously by Horikoshi that science and technology made immense leaps in the 8-year time skip, and that armors are now incredibly overpowered. Horikoshi also confirmed that support tools are no longer just supplementary in battle, but have now become a primary source of fighting. This once again reaffirms the fact that Izuku Midoriya is incredibly powerful right now.

The biggest surprise came when Horikoshi himself revealed that Izuku's new hero armor replicates all the abilities of One For All and even allows him to combine two abilities at the same time, just as he was used to doing while being the ninth user of this powerful Quirk. In other words, all of Izuku's capabilities as the ninth One For All user have now been successfully replicated via this hero armor, and he truly stands as the next All Might of this new era, shooting for the number 1 spot at an unprecedented speed.

"I wanted to give you a special gift. The data from my fight against All For One opened up room for crazy possibilities. Technology has continued to evolve alongside Quirks. Take this to heart, kid. This too is a power you've earned, fair and square." — All Might gives Deku his Armor, My Hero Academia Chapter #430

Why Izuku's One For All Power Is Officially Back

The primary reason why Izuku Midoriya's One For All powers are back once again is down to the hero suit that Kohei Horikoshi gave to him, because he did not have the heart to leave his protagonist Quirkless. Horikoshi previously commented on how he initially intended to leave Deku without any Quirk at the end of the series, but for one reason or another, he changed his mind and eventually gifted him this hero armor. In many ways, this is a decision that we are delighted by because the My Hero Academia protagonist, who worked incredibly hard over the years and saved the entirety of Japan, being left without work did not sit right with many.

By allowing Deku to flourish in this new era of heroes, Horikoshi has finally made him what he was always destined to be, and that is the next All Might of the modern era. All Might himself retired long ago and is no longer fit enough to defend Japan, but the one whom he entrusted everything to certainly has enough in him to keep fighting for peace and justice, which is exactly what he is going to do from here on out.

Question: How does the armor that Deku received from Class A function?

Horikoshi: It tries to mimic various OFA abilities; for example, it has cable extensions that function like his ability, Black Whip. It also serves as a prototype where he can try to combine various abilities.

— Kohei Horikoshi confirms the return of One For All via Deku's new armor, Ultra Age

As things stand, Izuku Midoriya is only Japan's Number 4 Hero, with Mount Lady, Shoto Todoroki, and Mirio Togata ahead of him. However, it must also be remembered that Izuku only recently received his hero armor. Not even a year has passed since then, and he has already shot up the ranks and reached the number four position. In the coming weeks, months, and years, Izuku's ranking is going to continue to grow, and it should not come as a surprise to the fans to see him claim the Number 1 position, replicating what All Might did long ago.

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Izuku's Power Compared To Prime All Might

When compared to Prime All Might, Izuku Midoriya is incredibly powerful, and his overall level depends on how well this new hero armor replicates the One For All abilities. If Izuku has access to all the powers that he held in the Final War, then it is safe to say that he has surpassed Prime All Might. His quirk at this point was stronger than what All Might wielded, and much of that was down to the various vestiges that he had at his disposal. By trying various combinations, Izuku was able to mitigate not being able to tap into 100% of One For All in intriguing new ways.

If that very power level is maintained to this day, then Izuku has already left All Might in the dust and become the strongest and the greatest Hero of Japan of all time. However, if for some reason, the hero armor is not able to bring out as much power as One For All, then he is likely not on the same level as Prime or All Might.

The answer to this question can only be given by Kohei Horikoshi when he returns with a new manga spin-off, one-shot, or perhaps even a whole sequel. We are eagerly waiting for Horikoshi to return to Jump with more My Hero Academia content, but whether that will happen or not remains to be seen. For what it's worth, we do know that Horikoshi is working on his next manga, but what exactly this manga is has not been confirmed yet.

Fans of My Hero Academia can only hope that Horikoshi returns to My Hero Academia, returns to the franchise in one way or another, and expands upon the legacy of Izuku Midoriya as he inherits the most important position in the entire world as a successor of All Might.

All chapters of My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi are available to read via Manga Plus and Viz Media.

My Hero Academia TV-14 Sci-Fi & Fantasy Action Adventure Comedy Anime Release Date 2016 - 2026-00-00 Studio Bones Creator Kōhei Horikoshi Streaming Service(s) Hulu, Crunchyroll