How did All Might and Deku first meet?

Midoriya Izuku was moments from being killed by a villain when All Might arrived — and then left, not realizing he'd carried Sludge Villain slime with him. Deku, still in danger, saw his hero frozen with hesitation and ran in himself. That selfless instinct is what changed everything. All Might watched a quirkless kid charge toward a villain to save someone, and made a decision.

Why did All Might choose Deku for One For All?

He wasn't looking for a successor. He was waiting for one. His criteria weren't power-based — they were character-based. Deku's instinct to protect, even without a quirk, even knowing he could die, was the precise quality One For All requires. A quirk that powerful in calculating hands is dangerous. In a heart that genuinely wants to save people, it's exactly right.

How does All Might mentor Deku?

Brutally, honestly, and with complete belief. He doesn't shield Deku from difficulty. Ten months of physical training before even transferring One For All is the baseline. His mentorship philosophy: give someone everything you know, then trust them to carry it further than you did.

He also models emotional honesty — eventually telling Deku the full truth about his condition, about the history of One For All, about what's at stake. He treats Deku as a partner, not a student.

What does their relationship mean for the story?

It's the central emotional spine of My Hero Academia. All Might's entire late arc is about learning to receive help after a lifetime of giving it. Deku becomes the person who carries him forward. The torch passes — but the relationship doesn't end. It deepens.

What does their bond teach about mentorship?

That the best mentors choose their students as carefully as students choose their heroes. And that the student eventually becomes the proof of the mentor's life. All Might's legacy isn't his battles — it's Deku.