My Hero Academia as a TV Show started in 2016, and certainly received a lot of praise and reviews as a result of it taking many elements of a Shonen and viewing them under the lens of superhero comics and brings that to life. The main character, Izuku Midoriya, in particular has become a shining example of a shonen character in the modern age with relatable aspects of his personality and flaws that are easily forgiven. He has reached greater heights than many certainly thought he would ever reach at first in the beginning of his journey. With the recent episode of season 6 having shown Izuku's progression, it never hurts to remember what his humble beginnings were like, and why that counts in the long run in his journey from zero to hero?
Izuku Midoriya, as a character, is a particularly dorkish, anxious, and even overthinking individual that is plain to see as soon as the first episode. Of course, his greatest trait is his selflessness to save people, even those that had hurt him before (For example, Bakugou.) and all without even thinking about it. This aspect of his reflexive instinct to save and protect people, along with his desire to become the number 1 hero, has carried him throughout his journey from somebody who couldn't even control One For All's power to somebody who is understanding the nuances of the power. Even more than that, Izuku has reached a point in the story after saving Eri that he has become what many could consider a pretty good hero. However, just what would be important to remember about his beginnings?
Starting From Zero
Despite his great achievements, My Hero Academia makes it very plain that Izuku was born without a Quirk, or a superpower in a world where superpowers are the norm. His childhood and life started at zero, in both his merit as a hero, and literally from starting at the lowest of the low. The first episode in particular made it clear that he was belittled by his peers, bullied by a former best friend who lorded his Quirk over him, and that overall his chances of becoming a hero at the time looked nearly impossible to achieve at all. Izuku certainly was at his darkest point, but a chance meeting with All Might, and eventually his very selfless nature to save someone from a hopeless situation is what managed to give him the opportunity to inherit One For All.
Of course, even after he gained One For All, the better part of his journey was seeing him train and learn along the way on how to use his power. There seemed to be many mishaps, such as the backfire of using 100% of the power, resulting in bruised and broken bones, and even how often Izuku seemed to bring a lot of trouble unintentionally, simply via being the 9th holder of the Quirk. Even with his training, and even his great failures at times, this doesn't mean that Izuku didn't progress, and neither did that mean that he didn't start from zero. Because the lesson that Izuku learned, and thus the audience learns, is that starting from zero can be an opportunity for great heights if you push yourself. Which then leads to the question of how far has he come ever since zero?
Rising To Be a Hero
Ever since that first Smash we witnessed from Izuku, his failures may have been great, but his successes greater at times. Izuku learned Full Cowling, which allowed him to use the potential of One For All efficiently without breaking his bones. He eventually proved himself against Bakugou, effectively settling their grudges and forming a newly formed rivalry that is still relevant even today, and especially prevalent and developed as season 6 developed.
On top of that, the best accomplishment that Izuku has to show for his immense heroism, is during his involvement in the Shie Hassaikai operation. Having before been confronted with the possibility of saving Eri, only to realize that she had been suffering for far longer than before, Izuku dedicated himself to personally saving her. As a result of that, he fought against Overhaul with some assistance from Eri's Quirk, but overall, he pulled his weight and more when it came to saving Eri.
Izuku's accomplishments are certainly great, if also specific to him as a result of his honest efforts. Not to mention that his confidence, self-esteem, as well as his own self-image improved over the course of the story, even if Izuku struggles the most in this field. Generally speaking, Izuku's journey from zero to hero wasn't a smooth road, as he did stumble and had a lot of obstacles along the way that tested his belief and whether he could physically do anything.
Even so, My Hero Academia doesn't fail to portray Izuku as the example of a character who starts from the zero position, where they start at either their lowest or in the position they don't want to stay in forever, to being a hero who can save innocents and inspire those around him. The reason for this being a simple idea. Because Izuku as a character is relatable and meant for the audience to connect to on a primal and social level. This meant that My Hero Academia needed to give Izuku a slow start, which would snowball into a progressively steady increase of improvements and growth, which has been shown from the smallest of hand gestures, to the greatest of battles. Izuku Midoriya has achieved a standard to be considered a hero in his own right, and even more so thanks to his start from zero.