Passing the Torch: How My Hero Academia Explores Lineages of Wisdom
“Eat this.”
If you're a fan of My Hero Academia, you’ve probably noticed how the show has evolved from a story about heroes fighting villains to a journey about carrying on a legacy. The most recent season dives deep into the idea of “transmission,” where inheriting power is just the surface—what really matters is embodying the spirit, wisdom, and values of your mentor.
This concept of lineage—where students carry forward not just skills but also the character of their teachers—isn’t unique to hero stories. It’s also central to many spiritual traditions, like Buddhism and Hinduism, where inheriting a teacher’s wisdom is more about inner transformation than outward achievement. Let’s explore how My Hero Academia turns hero mentorship into a profound journey and how it reflects the ancient practice of wisdom lineage. Additionally, we’ll look at how Shigaraki and All For One serve as dark foils to Deku and All Might, showing what can happen when lineage is based on power rather than purpose.
The Essence of Lineage in My Hero Academia
At the heart of My Hero Academia, we see a mentor-student relationship that’s about much more than training. Deku’s journey with All Might isn’t just about becoming strong enough to wield One for All; it’s about learning to embody All Might’s spirit as a symbol of peace.
In the latest season, we see young heroes racing to become the best versions of themselves under their mentors' influence. Deku doesn’t just need All Might’s power—he needs to embody All Might’s courage, resilience, and compassion. But on the other side of this heroic journey, we have Shigaraki and All For One. Their relationship acts as a foil, revealing what can happen when lineage becomes about domination and control rather than wisdom and compassion. Shigaraki’s abandonment by his mother, the previous holder of One for All, left him traumatized and vulnerable, creating a perfect storm for All For One to manipulate him. Where All Might aims to inspire and empower Deku, All For One exploits Shigaraki’s pain and loneliness, pushing him to fulfill a twisted legacy of destruction and conquest.
This dynamic mirrors the way spiritual wisdom is passed down in many traditions, especially in Zen Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Hinduism. In these traditions, lineage isn’t about imitating a teacher’s words or actions—it’s about embodying their wisdom and compassion. Shigaraki’s journey, in contrast, shows the emptiness that comes from following a lineage based only on power and fear.
Wisdom Transmission in Zen, Hinduism, and Tibetan Buddhism
In Japanese Zen Buddhism, which plays a role in the cultural backdrop of My Hero Academia, there’s a concept called “mind-to-mind transmission.” This kind of teaching doesn’t always happen through words—it’s often a silent understanding that requires experience and intuition. Imagine a master giving their student a single gesture, glance, or koan (a kind of paradoxical question) and leaving them to explore the answer for themselves. This teaching is passed along not just as a method but as a spark of insight that the student nurtures until it becomes their own.
Similarly, in Hinduism, the relationship between a guru (teacher) and student isn’t about learning new techniques or philosophies, but about awakening a deep, transformative understanding. Neem Karoli Baba, the guru of Ram Dass, for example, taught through love rather than lectures. Ram Dass didn’t inherit a doctrine—he received a profound experience of love that he went on to share with the world. Much like Deku’s journey to become a compassionate hero, Ram Dass didn’t copy his guru’s lifestyle; instead, he embodied the spirit of love and service in his own way.
Then there’s Tibetan Buddhism, where the process of lineage transmission can be intense. Lamas give students methods to train their minds, but they also encourage their students to find their unique expression of those teachings. In My Hero Academia, Deku’s journey reflects this process—he’s learning how to embody All Might’s power in a way that fits his own nature, finding the courage to go beyond his limits while staying true to himself. Meanwhile, Shigaraki’s path with All For One reveals a lineage devoid of compassion, where a mentor’s influence is toxic, creating a student who mirrors his darkness rather than discovering his own purpose.
The Modern "Hero's Journey" and Finding Your Own Path
In My Hero Academia, each young hero’s journey is a modern take on the Campbellian “Hero’s Journey,” where a mentor helps the hero uncover their unique qualities and path. Unlike a race to outdo each other, the true journey of lineage in the series is about tapping into something deeper and personal. Deku’s evolution with One for All, for example, mirrors the way students in spiritual traditions make the teachings their own. He doesn’t have to become a carbon copy of All Might—he has to find his unique way of expressing what All Might stood for. In contrast, Shigaraki’s struggle under All For One’s shadow shows what can happen when individuality and growth are stifled by a mentor’s desire for control. There’s even a point where he loses his sense of self entirely to All for One, which gives him a momentary strategic advantage in his fight against Star and Stripe, whose power assumes the existence of an ego.
Shigaraki’s backstory adds another layer to this narrative. His trauma from being abandoned by his mother shapes his vulnerability, making him susceptible to All For One's manipulation. This tragic connection to a previous holder of One for All serves as a stark reminder that lineage can be as much about emotional inheritance as it is about power. While Deku learns to carry forward All Might’s legacy of heroism, Shigaraki embodies the consequences of a lineage based on fear and abandonment, illustrating the danger of following a path defined solely by another’s desires. Ultimately, in order to save Shigaraki, Deku has to face the harm caused by his own lineage head-on.
Bringing It All Together: How Do We Carry Wisdom Forward?
My Hero Academia reminds us that we don’t need superpowers to benefit from the wisdom of those who came before us. Whether it’s through a favorite professor, a friend, or a public figure, each of us has the chance to carry on a lineage of wisdom. Who are your mentors, real or fictional? And how can you embody the qualities you admire in a way that’s true to you?
In spiritual traditions, students strive to bring the best qualities of their teachers into their lives, not by imitating but by growing and transforming. In My Hero Academia, Deku and Shigaraki show us two sides of the lineage coin—one rooted in compassion and empowerment, the other in control and domination. Each journey reveals that lineage becomes truly powerful when we find our authentic expression of it. So, take a moment to think about the qualities you admire in those who inspire you and consider how you can carry forward a legacy that’s uniquely your own.
