Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, is the main protagonist of the popular anime and manga series My Hero Academia. He is known for his spiky dark green hair, which is one of his most recognizable features. However, there has been some debate among fans as to whether Izuku’s hair color is officially considered green or if it leans more towards black.
Evidence for Green
There is a lot of evidence to suggest Izuku’s hair is intended to be green by the creator Kohei Horikoshi.
- The anime consistently depicts Izuku’s hair with a green hue. In brightly lit scenes, his hair appears a medium green shade.
- Official anime concept art and promo material show him with distinctly green hair.
- He is nicknamed “Deku,” which contains the kanji for green (緑). This is likely a reference to his hair color.
- Many official merchandise items, like figurines and statues, use a green color for his hair.
- In the manga, Izuku’s hair is shaded using a green color wash. The green shading is apparent on black and white manga pages.
- Some manga covers clearly depict Izuku with green hair.
Given this evidence, it seems clear Izuku’s hair is intended to be portrayed as green. The anime and manga regularly show it with a green tint, rather than plain black. Green is also used symbolically in his hero name connection to the kanji.
Evidence for Black
However, there are also some indications that Izuku’s hair may actually be closer to a black hue:
- In some manga panels, his hair appears black with minimal green shading.
- There are a few official manga cover arts where Izuku’s hair looks closer to plain black.
- Izuku’s hair is not as vividly green as some other characters like Ochaco Uraraka who has distinctly brighter hair.
- The green highlights in Izuku’s hair are sometimes added in the anime and may not actually be present in the manga.
- Horikoshi has never outright stated Izuku’s hair is specifically green in canon materials.
Based on this, an argument could be made that Izuku’s intended hair color is closer to black than green. The green shading may just be a stylistic choice and his actual hair color may not be definitively green.
Reasons for the Ambiguity
There are a few potential reasons why Izuku’s hair color seems ambiguous and open to interpretation between black and green:
- Horikoshi may want to keep the hair color somewhat vague and leave it up to the reader’s/viewer’s imagination.
- The green shading may be meant to represent lighting and highlights rather than an actual color.
- Coloring for manga and anime varies between mediums and artists, making consistent colors tricky.
- The green and black blend together in a way that allows wiggle room for the hue.
Overall, Horikoshi seems to intentionally avoid defining an absolute official hair color for Izuku. Keeping it ambiguous leaves room for interpretation and flexible coloring choices.
Interpretations from Fans
Within the My Hero Academia fandom, opinions differ on how to classify Izuku’s hair:
- Some fans adamantly believe his hair is canonically green and refuse any other interpretation.
- Other fans think his hair is closer to black than green and see the green as just stylization.
- Many acknowledge his hair is likely meant to be green but hard to definitively prove given some conflicting depictions.
- A portion of the fandom doesn’t think his hair color matters much at all to his character.
There are also some fans who take a more lighthearted approach and just joke about Izuku’s constantly shifting hair colors across different panels and episodes. Ultimately, each fan is free to have their own opinion on the matter since it is not concrete in canon.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while Izuku’s hair is most likely intended to be green, there is enough mixed evidence to make his exact hair color open to interpretation. The use of green shading and lighting in the manga along with the anime’s green hue suggest green is the dominant color. However, black depiction and lack of outright confirmation from Horikoshi leave room for debate. Fans are divided on whether his hair is definitively green or closer to black. In the end, Horikoshi seems to prefer keeping the ambiguity intact perhaps as a stylistic choice. Izuku’s hair color remains one of the biggest fandom debates for My Hero Academia fans to this day.
References
Here are some references used as sources for this article:
- My Hero Academia anime
- My Hero Academia manga volumes
- My Hero Academia anime concept art
- My Hero Academia merchandise official designs
- Interviews with Kohei Horikoshi and anime staff
- My Hero Academia wiki and fandom sites
- Discussions with My Hero Academia fans and communities