The role of traits in personal identity

Important takeaways

• Possessions shape personal identity and self-worth, and define a character's life trajectory and sense of belonging.
• How idiosyncrasies are perceived by society determines whether an individual is labeled a hero or villain.
• Living in a superpower society means enormous societal pressure and expectations on property owners.

In the world of My Hero Academiaquirks are superhuman abilities that individuals are born with. These abilities often manifest from the age of four and are known to affect more than 80% of the population. Since these abilities emerge when an individual is in the early stages of development, it is not uncommon for them to build their personality around their idiosyncrasies and make certain important decisions to accommodate their idiosyncrasies.

Traits are extremely important in this world, and being born without a trait is devastating. Fans see how Izuku Midoriya and his mother were upset when the doctor told them that Midoriya would grow up without one. What queerness does to individuals is profound as it defines their self-concept, social interactions, and career paths. Without a quirk, Midoriya knew he wouldn't fit in and could never be a hero, no matter how much he dreamed of it. The presence or absence of quirks dictates much of a character's life trajectory, often creating expectations that shape how they fit into society.

Characteristics and personal identity

Self-concept

Personal identity is how a person defines and understands himself. It includes aspects such as personality, values, beliefs and the roles they take on in life. It is how someone sees themselves as unique and what makes them feel like an individual, separate from others. Characters in My Hero Academia often tying their sense of self-worth to their idiosyncrasies. An example is Midoriya, who was born with signs indicating that he may not display any quirk. Midoriya felt inadequate and worthless because he was part of the minority who were born without a quirk and thus could not be a hero.

Midoriya's encounter with All Might and his acquisition of One For All changes his outlook and gives him a sense of purpose and belonging. Blessed with a quirk, Midoriya's self-worth increases as he now sees himself as someone who can be a hero.

Yuga Aoyama was also born without a quirk. This incident caused him and his parents to seek unconventional ways to obtain a quirk, such as reaching out to All For One, the biggest villain in their world, who gave him the navel quirk but at a cost. Being born propertyless in a world where the majority are born with a peculiarity made his parents fear the kind of discrimination he would face for something that was not his fault. Personally, Yuga struggles to fit in and sees himself as lesser and unworthy, just like Midoriya. Even with a quirk, he still struggles with uncertainty because he knows the length of time he went through and the price he pays for the quirk.

Self acceptance

A quirk is something over which individuals have minimal control. Different people manifest different quirks, some more powerful, stronger and versatile than others. This causes individuals to see less of themselves for not exhibiting a cooler or more powerful quirk. Eijiro Kirishima had trouble accepting his quirk as he felt it was inferior to others such as Todoroki's half-hot half-cold or Bakugo's explosive quirk. Over time, Kirishima learns to embrace his hardening ability, and learns that heroism is more than flashy powers; his teacher, Shota Aizawa, can also be thanked for this. He learns that it really comes down to an individual's resilience and spirit. Learning this made him accept himself, giving him a sense of belonging among his peers.

Traits and societal roles

How Quirk holders fit in

While some individuals use their quirkiness for good, others use it for bad. That's why there are villains and heroes in this world. Society expects individuals who use their quirks for good to protect their city and even the world from villains and also not oppress the minority who happen to be quirky.

Heroes are celebrated for using their quirks to protect society, while those who abuse or reject societal norms, such as Tomura Shigaraki, the League of Villians, Dabi and others, are branded as villains. The difference between hero and villain often depends not only on the peculiarity itself, but on how society perceives and reacts to the individual. For example, society perceives Stain as a villain. Stain is also not a hero, but his role can be considered heroic to some and villainous to others. Stain takes it upon himself to wipe out every hero who isn't pure, has ulterior motives for being a hero, and is in it for the fame and money. A true hero should not care about the benefits that come with the role but should only care about saving lives and pursuing justice.

According to Stain, only All Might can be considered a true hero, and the rest are only there for selfish reasons. Regardless of Stain's motives and beliefs, society views him as a villain because he goes around killing people.

All Might is a perfect example of what society expects from property holders, heroes at heart. All Might served and protected Japan so well that he was honored as the symbol of peace and ranked as the number one hero in Japan. Rain, come sunshine; as long as villains terrorize citizens or citizens are in danger, All Might will appear. Even after sustaining serious injuries, he did not want to resign from his position because of society's expectations.

Discrimination and bias

In a world like this, discrimination and bias are inevitable. Enji showed partiality towards Todoroki over his other children due to the equal distribution of quirks he had. His bias led his eldest son, Toya Todoroki, to the dark side when Toya became the villain Dabi most fans are painfully familiar with.

Those born with destructive quirks or those considered “monstrous” by societal standards. For example, Spinner from League of Villains fits society's standards for a villain due to his mutant quirk, Gecko. Spinner has lizard-like features and is discriminated against for it. Spinner and others like him have been pushed by society to the limits, facing prejudice or rejection. This reinforces a rigid societal structure where idiosyncrasy serves as the primary determinant of one's place in the world, either empowering individuals to advance or limiting their potential roles.

Societal pressure and expectations

What is expected of Quirk holders

With great powers comes great responsibility, and although these individuals did not seek the powers they were born with, they are burdened with the responsibility of having such powers. Characters with powerful quirks often face enormous societal pressure to become heroes and live up to expectations. All Might's quirk, One For All, places him as the epitome of peace and puts the weight of society's safety on his shoulders.

Even with the massive hole in his chest, All Might didn't want to retire as a hero because society expected protection from him, and he essentially kept villains in their place because most of them feared him. In the end, he was forced to retire as he lost all the glow of One For All, relegating him to a quirky individual and a shadow of his former, muscular self.

Society is also the cause of the rise of villains. Individuals have minimal control over quirks they end up with, but there are some quirks that seem good and others that seem bad. Bakugo's explosion quirk is seen by society as a brilliant quirk, and they assume that Bakugo has a tendency to be a villain. There are other characters who have been judged like this, unlike Bakugo, who stayed true to his course of being a hero; these other characters, are not so much. Characters such as Spinner, Dabi, Twice, and Himiko Toga became villains as a response to how their quirks alienated them from societal norms.

Eventually

Living in a super-powered society puts a lot of pressure, expectations and self-acceptance on an individual. Having uniqueness in this world means that the individual must be either a hero or a villain, not in between. Only idiosyncratic individuals have a say in what they want to be, but they cannot be heroes for sure. Possessions are more than just superhuman abilities that these individuals are born with. It determines their destinies, shapes their interactions with others, and most importantly, shapes how an individual perceives themselves.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.