An incredibly accurate cosplay captures one of the darkest moments for My Hero Academia’s protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku.
Crafted and posted on Reddit by cosplayer Kaijucos, the costume recreates a damaged version of Deku’s hero costume the character wore after the Mystic Liberation War. Small details like glowing blue eyes and torn fabric help to express the intense emotions Midoriya experienced in this dark part of the My Hero Academia story.
The resounding success of My Hero Academia
Kohei Horikoshi’s manga first appeared in Shueisha’s Weekly Shōnen Jump in July 2014 and has produced 37 volumes to date. The series has sold over 85 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling manga in history alongside Keisuke Itagaki’s Baki the Grappler and Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen. My Hero Academia has also repeatedly claimed the top spot on the New York Times Best Sellers list for graphic novels and won several prestigious awards, including Best Manga at the Japan Expo Awards. 2017 and Best Manga at the 2019 Harvey Awards.
Set in a future version of the real world where almost everyone has some kind of superpower called a Quirk, the story follows Midoriya. Though born with no abilities, Midoriya worked hard to become a great hero and follow in the footsteps of his idol, All Might. Finally, accepted into UA – a high school that prepares future heroes – the young man and his classmates find themselves targeted by the Criminal Union, a dangerous group that tries to burn Society honors superheroes to the ground.
Studio Bones’ anime adaptation of Horikoshi’s work premiered in April 2016; My Hero Academia Season 6 first premiered as part of the fall 2022 animated series, with Season 7 being announced after the final episode. It stars Daiki Yamashita (Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens) as Midoriya with Kenta Miyake (Magi: The Adventure of Sinbad) as All Might and Kouki Uchiyama (Beyblade: Metal Masters) as Tomura Shigaraki, leader of the Criminal Union.
My Hero Academia’s success stems from the huge fan base that follows the story and fans who celebrate the series by creating their own content, especially cosplay. In addition to Kaijucos’ Vigilante Deku cosplay, other notable recent examples include a gender-swapped version of Katsuki Bakugo and an impressively accurate reproduction of Pro Hero Mt. Lady.
Anime My Hero Academia is currently available to stream on Hulu and Crunchyroll. VIZ Media distributes Horikoshi’s manga series in North America.
Source: Reddit
