Now that the My Hero Academia manga has come to an end, series creator Kohei Horiksohi has been doing media the rounds and sharing his final thoughts on the series as a whole. As a superhero-centric manga, one question that Horikoshi is consistently asked is what he believes being a hero actually means.
In a previous Viz Media interview, Horikoshi urged fans to read the manga for what he believes being a hero is, although he acknowledged that early on he believed heroes "were those on a different level from me." He continued:
But as I entered my 30s, I began to appreciate those people nearby who offer support, which ties into the current story of My Hero Academia. My appreciation has been growing toward the people who extend a helping hand or offer encouragement. For example, Imamura-san, my editor, has been a huge supporter. I’ve grown to see these everyday helpers like him as heroes too. So now, I think anyone can be a hero, including those who support me closely.
In a more recent interview with Comicbook.com, Horikoshi was asked if there were any heroes in the real world or fictional universe that have influenced him. This time, his answer included an iconic Marvel hero as one of his influences — Spider-Man.
Horikoshi specifically cited a scene in 2004's Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man 2 film, which starred Tobey Maguire as the Friendly Neighborhood hero. Horikoshi explained:
This may be slightly different from the purpose of your question, but there is a scene in Spider-Man 2 starring Tobey Maguire, in which Spider-Man stops a runaway train. There, ordinary passengers see Spider-Man's true face. But then a child hands him the mask he found and says, "I won't tell anyone." I think that scene depicts the answer to the question, "What is a hero?" A hero is a person who helps ordinary people, and ordinary people who help them in turn. I think this is the answer to the question, and there is nothing more to it than that.
The scene Horikoshi is referencing is perhaps one of the most iconic in superhero movie history. Towards the climax of the film, Spider-Man sacrifices his body and anonymity to prevent a speeding, runaway train from careening off the track.
While attempting to stop the train, a spark burns his mask, forcing him to take it off. He then jumps to the front of it and uses his webs and strength to successfully bring it to a halt, but not without it taking a major toll on his body. As Parker is about to collapse into the river below, the passengers reach out and save him, carrying him in a Christ-like pose through the train car.
When he awakes, he realizes that his identity is no longer a secret. However, the passengers promise not to reveal it to anyone.
For anyone familiar with My Hero Academia, we see this sort of public protecting their superhero message pop up time and time again in the manga and anime series.