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Mirio Togataor Lemillion has become one of the more iconic side characters ofMy Hero Academiafor his unique version of heroism - especially when it’s revealed that he was originally the one poised to inherit One For All from All Might before the latter met Izuku Midoriya. While the meek Izuku eventually ascends to become a hero quite worthy of the admiration, Mirio has demonstrated very early on why he’s among U.A. High’s “Big Three” - not just with his powerful Permeation Quirk, but with a smile and confidence that came alongside it.
Similar to how All Might inspires hope to others, Mirio’s ever-loving grin is a reminder of how there’s always a way to be happy regardless of any situation. Unfortunately, the Shie Hassaikai Arc puts Mirio out of commission after he puts his life on the line to save the youngster Eri, ending up with Mirio being depowered for most of the series' second half. While Mirio makes a triumphant return to the frontlines during the Final War, some might wonder how exactly Mirio would fare as a combatant had he arrived from the start of the battle. And if one were to theorize about what might happen had Mirio done so, the results might not be in favor of the Pro Heroes.
The Depowerment Moment
Mirio’s Only Disadvantage Is His Heroism
So what exactly caused Mirio to be depowered in the first place? As fans recall, Mirio was the first at the scene ever actually to reach Overhaul - and unfortunately for him, the villain was ready to fight him with both Eri as his hostage and Chronostasis (and eventually Shin Nemoto) as backup. Mirio was quite a challenge to Overhaul due to the former’s “slippery” nature. Still, Overhaul is a more formidable foe to beat as he can technically “rebuild” the terrain to be weapons against the hero.
Virtuous as he is relentless, Mirio actually looked like he was getting the upper hand against the powerful Overhaul - a true mark of the original hero chosen as All Might’s successor. Unfortunately,Mirio also possesses Deku’s honorable heart, as he couldn’t bear Eri getting hurt. As a result, Overhaul and his minions manage to make the fight harder for Mirio by targeting Eri instead of just him, to the point where an Anti-Quirk Bullet meant for the girl hits Mirio - practically disabling Mirio’s Quirk Factor and rendering him powerless. Since Eri already helps Deku defeat Overhaul, she doesn’t have enough juice to help Mirio recover his Quirk. Only when Eri uses her stockpile of new energy around the Final War does Mirio regain his powers and reenter the battlefield.
Back When They Needed Backup The Most
Mirio Is Not A Strong Enough Hero For Shigaraki
Mirio’s much-awaited return happened during the Paranormal Liberation War when he saved Best Jeanist from a squad of Nomu while they were suppressing Gigantomachia. In the Final War, Mirio and the rest of the Big Three are sent against Shigaraki. It’s this encounter that proves Mirio is more of a backup than a leading hero, as Shigaraki easily overwhelms Lemillion and his troupe. Not only that, Mirio’s strength and leadership became futile against Shigaraki’s relentless assault as they weren’t even able to form a decent enough defensive line to avoid Tomura landing a fatal blow on Katsuki Bakugo.
Mirio spends the rest of the Final War helping with evacuation efforts, but he did offer Izuku extremely helpful observations - particularly that of the monstrous Shigaraki can be disabled when provoked, something Deku initially uses in their initial showdown. Eri helping Mirio through Rewind gave the heroes a much-needed break in the Final War, as Mirio is one of the few heroes with enough firepower to at least try and repelShigaraki’s attacks.
Not A Good Call To Prioritize Mirio
One might wonder what could happen if Eri decided to make a stand not with Deku but with Mirio - after all, Lemillion did take an Anti-Quirk Bullet for her, and he was practically more invested in saving Eri given their interactions. However, with Eri’s limited Rewind powers, Eri deciding to help Mirio can result in the following situations:
Either situation theoretically leaves Deku unable to fight in the Final War, leaving Mirio the world’s best hope against Shigaraki’s rampage. Unfortunately for Mirio, his merePermeation Quirk might not be enough to fight Shigaraki, especially since the latter is in possession of multiple Quirks. As demonstrated in the Final War canon, Mirio needed the help of more heroes to even land actual damaging shots - and even then, Deku was the only one who could do considerable damage to him.
Should Deku Have Given Mirio OFA?
Scenario 2 in the above situation posits thatEri sharing Rewind with Mirio and Dekumay have helped them defeat Overhaul but leave Deku unable to use his arms and fight with One For All. Could this mean Deku should simply transfer the power to Mirio? This is an intriguing point of view, as the image of Mirio mastering his own complicated Permeation Quirk comes to mind - surely mastering OFA’s hidden Quirks should be easier?
This isn’t necessarily the case, as even if the other vestiges accept Mirio easily (his smile is hard to resist), this scenario still demands that Mirio learn how to use his newfound Quirks. It’s also unknown whether Mirio can withstand the same punishment Izuku could when using One For All’s base power, and if he has enough time to manifest and learn the other Quirks in the first place. At the end of the day, Shigaraki may simply steal One For All from an untrained Mirio.
A Bright Beacon For Optimism
Evidently A Different Kind Of Deserving Hero
Beyond Mirio’s insanely cool Quirk is his seemingly impenetrable band of optimism. Even at the series’ worst moments - where heloses his powers at the hands of Overhauland when faced against a nigh-unbeatable Tomura Shigaraki - Lemillion will never get his confident smirk off his face. That’s because when he can’t do anything about a situation, he takes Sir Nighteye’s advice of at least putting a smile on people’s faces - something he takes to heart when he moons Shigaraki to give Deku time to get back into the fight.
Mirio also delivers a different “brand” of confidence to fights. Compared to Bakugo’s arrogance fueling his drive to succeed, Mirio’s confidence in his abilities is due to his unnerving sense of self-belief - that he can do anything if he puts his all to it. Why, he already did this by mastering a Quirk deemed un-masterable due to its complexity! Mirio is a stellar sight to see as a senior and more experienced student-hero, as he showcases a kind of heroism that Deku’s batch couldn’t replicate. True to Sun-Eater’s admiration of his close friend, Mirio wasn’t turned into one of Deku’s classmates as Mirio’s optimism shines best when he’s treated like the Sun: a person to aspire to from the sidelines, and one that viewers can appreciate best when his story is seen as events separate from Deku’s own journey.
Depowering Mirio Was A Necessary Evil
A Different Version Of The Symbol Of Peace
Mirio is a fresh sight among heroes inMy Hero Academia, and his more “mature” sense of self made it sensible for him to be introduced as a senior instead of a mere classmate. Mirio’s infectious optimism radiates through his smile, something that Sir Nighteye himself deemed worthy of being All Might’s successor. Truth be told,Sir Nighteye was right to doubt Deku at first, as Deku’s quiet resilience is starkly different from Mirio’s bright beacon of a personality. Who else to take up All Might’s Symbol of Peace than someone who can keep All Might’s smile?
This maturity also demanded Mirio be depowered for the sake of the plot, as his lowerclassmen also need to discover their brand of heroism for themselves. The events of the Hideout Raid Arc force Deku and his peers to “step up,” as not only did All Might retire, but the most prominent member of U.A. High’s Big Three is now out of commission. This also became the perfect time for both fans and Mirio himself to explore how an optimistic character deals with failure - something Mirio proves should be taken in stride, as his mission to keep Eri smile is proof that one doesn’t need powers to become a hero. And isn’t that what being a Symbol of Peace is all about?
