Is Izuku Midoriya Gay or Straight in My Hero Academia?

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Anime expert Megan Blue explores Deku's sexuality & relationships in the anime

Co-authored by Megan Blue and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: April 24, 2026 Fact Checked

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Is Deku gay?

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Is Deku confirmed to be straight?

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What is Deku’s sexuality?

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Popular Deku Ships

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''MHA''’s LGBTQ+ Characters

Shipping is a huge part of many fandoms, and My Hero Academia is no exception—but some fans are still wondering about the sexuality of its main character, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya. Is he gay or straight? Well, it turns out he’s technically neither—because his sexuality isn’t overtly discussed in the anime or manga. Beyond that, it’s up to interpretation. In this article, we partnered with an anime expert to explain whether Deku could be gay and what his sexuality is implied to be. Plus, we’ll go over some of the most popular ships involving him!

Is Deku canonically gay in My Hero Academia?

Anime expert Megan Blue says Deku does not have an officially confirmed sexuality. His sexuality hasn’t been confirmed by the creator, Kohei Horikoshi, either. Deku is hinted to be in a relationship with Ochaco Uraraka by the series’ epilogue, implying that he isn’t gay, but his sexuality is undefined beyond that.

Section 1 of 5:

Is Deku from My Hero Academia gay?

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That’s the long and short of it! We can assume that Izuku “Deku” Midoriya isn’t canonically gay because he has a romantic relationship with Ochaco Uraraka at the end of MHA—something confirmed by MHA’s creator, Kohei Horikoshi.^{[1]
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Research source} However, his sexuality isn’t openly addressed beyond that; there are hints, but it’s ultimately unconfirmed, says Blue.^{[2]
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Megan Blue
Anime Expert

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Meet the wikiHow Expert

Megan Blue is an anime expert known @TheFangirlWatches online. She shares video essays covering movie analysis, character case studies, and fan theories.

Section 2 of 5:

Is Deku confirmed to be straight in My Hero Academia?

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No, although it’s implied that he likes women. As we’ve already mentioned, he isn’t “confirmed” to be anything—Deku clearly does like women and gets crushes on them (or at least is attracted to them), but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s straight. And since Deku’s sexuality is left unconfirmed, fans can—and have—come up with their own headcanons for the character.
- For instance, some MHA fans see Deku as straight, while others interpret him as being bisexual or pansexual.

Section 3 of 5:

What is Deku’s sexuality in My Hero Academia?

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Deku is canonically shown to get flustered around women. This happens much more than once, and with multiple female characters in the series. That doesn’t outright confirm his sexuality one way or the other, of course; it simply means Deku is someone who can be (and is) interested in women romantically.
- Deku doesn’t have any romantic relationships until the very end of the series, nor does he even really discuss his romantic interests much, which is why his sexuality is ambiguous.
- Blue agrees, noting that for the majority of the series, Deku doesn’t really show interest in anyone, male or female, outside of platonic friendships.^{[3]
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Deku and Uraraka are heavily implied to be together at the end of MHA. While we don’t see their romance in too much detail, Deku does admit his feelings to Ochaco—and she returns them.^{[4]
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Research source} And, as Blue explains, this leads most fans to believe that Deku and Uraraka pursue a relationship in the future.^{[5]
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Megan Blue
Anime Expert

Expert Interview} So, this once again confirms that Deku is someone who likes women (whether or not he’s interested in other genders as well).
- Deku and Ochaco Uraraka are one of MHA’s few “confirmed” ships, and the only one Deku has throughout the series.
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Deku hasn’t shown any overt signs of liking men. By overt, we just mean he hasn’t said that he’s into men or expressed an interest in dating them. Whether his interactions with male characters (like Bakugo or Todoroki, for instance) could be “romantic” comes down to fan interpretation more than anything. Some people can watch MHA and see nothing but friendship between Deku and his male allies, while others see romantic subtext.
- Blue notes that Deku does have emotional outbursts over Bakugo. However, that seems to be because Deku thinks of Bakugo as one of his oldest and dearest friends, and All Might worked to make Deku and Bakugo into rivals who motivate each other. So, she believes Deku's interest in Bakugo is not suggested to be anything more than a one-sided bromance.^{[6]
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- Basically, nothing expressly romantic has happened between Deku and any male character, but plenty of fans see the romantic potential in his friendships with certain characters nonetheless!
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Ultimately, anything is a possibility as far as Deku’s sexuality. Some fans pronounce him straight, since he only really shows open interest in women (particularly Ochaco). However, interest in women doesn’t automatically make a male character straight—and plenty of other fans have their own headcanons for Deku and his sexuality. That’s why we’re leaving the question of his sexuality open-ended; it’s unconfirmed, and therefore up to interpretation!
- There are lots of popular “ships” (romantic pairings) between Deku and other MHA characters, some of them men and some women.

Section 4 of 5:

Popular My Hero Academia Fan Ships with Deku

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Deku and Ochaco UrarakaThis ship is more or less canon, which explains its popularity! Izuku and Ochako are good friends and comrades throughout the MHA series, who are shown to care for one another a lot. Ochaco’s feelings were always a little more obvious, but Izuku undoubtedly likes her, too. And, at the end of MHA, he tells Ochaco that he “wants more” with her (with Ochaco reciprocating), confirming their future romantic relationship.^{[7]
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- Fandom ship name: IzuOcha
- Canon relationship status: Romantically involved, allies, and former classmates.
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Deku and Katsuki BakugoThe relationship between Deku and Bakugo is delightfully complicated, which is probably why so many MHA fans ship them together. Bakugo isn’t just Deku’s childhood friend-turned-rival. He’s also the one who inadvertently gave Deku his hero name, and he and Deku have spurred one another to be the best heroes they can be—often through their rivalry, but also out of genuine growing respect and care for one another!^{[8]
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- Fandom ship name: BakuDeku
- Canon relationship status: Former childhood best friends, classmates, and rivals; currently friends, friendly rivals, and allies.
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Deku and Shoto TodorokiAside from BakuDeku, this is probably the other most popular ship between Deku and another male MHA character—with good reason! They develop a deep respect and admiration for one another over the course of the series. Shoto, in particular, expresses his appreciation for Deku, who helps him accept and embrace the power of his Quirk; beyond that, the two of them do a lot to support one another and become close friends (or more, if you ask some fans).
- Fandom ship name: TodoDeku
- Canon relationship status: Close friends and allies, as well as former classmates.
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Deku and Melissa ShieldThese two met during the events of My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. Melissa is the daughter of All Might’s former compatriot, and she bonds with Deku over their admiration for Pro Heroes—as well as the fact that both of them are Quirkless, yet dream of being heroes. Each of them finds a way to work around their lack of Quirk, and Melissa does a lot to encourage Deku’s future career as a hero.^{[9]
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- Fandom ship name: DekuMeli
- Canon relationship status: Good friends (although Deku’s classmates once suspected them of dating).
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Deku and Himiko TogaThis is an interesting ship, mainly because Toga is a villain—and a seriously intense one at that. She’s openly very interested in Deku to an unhealthy degree, telling him that she loves him so much she wants to be him (and she also very much attacks him).^{[10]
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Research source} Despite the twisted nature of their relationship, that hasn’t stopped MHA fans from shipping them as a pair!
- Fandom ship name: TogaDeku
- Canon relationship status: Enemies; however, Toga is dead, having sacrificed herself to save Ochaco. Over the course of MHA, they’re shown to have a one-sided attraction (with Toga wanting to be with Deku).
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Deku and Momo YaoyorozuThis may not be Deku’s top ship, but it’s definitely one of Momo’s. Fans who don’t ship the above pairings tend to enjoy this one, seeing Deku and Momo as having a lot in common and being a wholesome pair. And it’s true that they’re both smart (nerdy, one might even say), brave, and pure of heart.^{[11]
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Research source} They’d certainly be an endearing pair!
- Fandom ship name: IzuMomo
- Canon relationship status: Friends, allies, and former classmates.

Section 5 of 5:

Are there LGBTQ+ characters in My Hero Academia?

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Yes, there are a few LGBTQ+ characters in MHA. There aren’t any explicitly gay characters; however, two characters—Yawara Chatora and Kenji Hikiishi—are confirmed to be transgender. Furthermore, the villain Himiko Toga was confirmed by My Hero’s creator to be bisexual (falling in love with others regardless of gender).
- Himiko Toga - Although her sexuality isn’t heavily discussed in the anime, she does express interest in both male and female characters, including Izuku (Deku), Ochaco Uraraka, and Tsuyu Asui.^{[12]
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- Yawara Chatora - He’s a Pro Hero known as “Tiger,” as well as a member of the Wild, Wild Pussycats. MHA reveals that Yawara transitioned in Thailand a while ago, changing his outside appearance to match his male identity.^{[13]
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- Kenji “Magne” Hikiishi - She’s a transgender woman in My Hero, as well as a villainous member of the Vanguard Action Squad.^{[14]
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  Research source} Interestingly, Tiger and Magne have met and battled (one being a hero and the other being a villain).