The The Entrance Exam Arc is the first Story Arc in My Hero Academia and the U.A. Beginnings Saga.
A formerly Quirkless Izuku Midoriya is chosen by No. 1 Hero All Might to inherit his Quirk, but first must train his body to properly handle the power, so that he can use it in order to pass the Entrance Exam for U.A. High School.
Summary#
Prologue#
The story begins with a prologue: one day in Qing Qing City, China, a "Luminescent Baby" was born with a unique power called a "Quirk". Then, around the world, as time passed, humanity started to obtain Quirks, and people realized that their dreams of being Heroes could become a reality with these powers. Now, 80% of the world is comprised of superhumans, and people's dream of being Heroes became a profession that is under the spotlight.
The Origin of Izuku Midoriya#
The story shifts to the present. Izuku is a 14-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a Pro Hero, but unlike other people, Izuku was not born with a Quirk and is constantly bullied by his childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugo, a 14-year-old boy with an impressive Quirk.
One day, when walking home from school, Izuku is attacked by a Villain but is saved by the timely arrival of the Pro Hero All Might, a famous Hero known as the Symbol of Peace. Before All Might leaves, Izuku asks him whether he can become a Hero without a Quirk.[1] All Might tells him that it is fine to dream, but he should not confuse his dream with his reality and leaves.
Continuing to walk home, Izuku then spots a crowd watching a villain wreaking havoc using Katsuki's body as a medium. Izuku moves before he can truly think and jumps in to try and save Katsuki, shocking the crowd and All Might, who decides to step in and defeats the villain with Detroit Smash, saving Izuku and Katsuki's lives.
The Acknowledged Dream#
Nearly home, Katsuki approaches Izuku and threatens him, telling the boy never to try to help him again, saying Izuku was useless during the incident, and he won't even cut it as a Rent-a-Cop. Katsuki then leaves, seething in rage. Suddenly, All Might appears and thanks Izuku for inspiring him with his bravery despite not having a Quirk. All Might then tells Izuku that he has a proposal for him and that he too can become a Hero, which makes Izuku cry in joy for having his dream finally acknowledged, not by just anyone, but by the Hero he admires the most: All Might.[2]
All Might tells Izuku that he is worthy to inherit his strength, confusing the boy. All Might explains that his Quirk, called One For All, can be passed down, and he has selected Izuku as his successor. Izuku asks why All Might would give his Quirk to him, to which All Might replies that he doesn't mind giving it to him and because he shined more than any of the other so-called "Heroes". All Might says that the decision is his to make, and Izuku decides to accept All Might's proposal.
Becoming the Successor#
All Might begins to train Izuku for his body to inherit One For All, explaining that if he gave it to him now, his body would be blown to bits. All Might has Izuku clean the Seaside Bay of its trash as a great way to strengthen Izuku's body into a proper vessel by the end of ten months, after which U.A.'s Entrance Exam will happen. After ten months of intense training, it is now the day of U.A.'s Entrance Exam. Izuku's body is now more refined and muscular, which causes All Might to say that he has become a genuine vessel. All Might decides to give Izuku his reward for having worked so hard for the last ten months, saying he has earned it fair and square: the One For All Quirk. All Might gives Izuku a piece of his hair to eat, much to Izuku's confusion. All Might says that it doesn't matter how he takes his DNA, but due to the Entrance Exam beginning in a few hours, he needs to inherit it immediately.[3]
U.A.'s Entrance Exam: Izuku's Starting Line#
Izuku is seen running to U.A. High School, having arrived in time for the Entrance Exam. As he is about to enter U.A., Izuku trips over his own feet and almost falls, but is saved by a girl's Quirk. The girl wishes him good luck, which leaves him speechless, as he finally managed to talk to a girl (although he didn't actually say anything).
Inside U.A., Present Mic explains how the Entrance Exam works, which begins with a practical test and afterwards a written test. Mic explains that their goal in the practical test is to dispatch as many villains (which are actually robots) as they can to earn points to get the highest score.[4]
The practical test of the Entrance Exam begins, but as it goes on, Izuku has been unable to dispatch any of the robots, and as it nears the end, he still has no points. Suddenly, a huge 0-point robot appears, and Izuku sees the same girl who helped him earlier trapped under rubble. Izuku, mustering courage, decides to save the girl. Izuku jumps up at the robot and, for the first time, uses One For All and delivers a destructive punch to the huge robot, smashing it into pieces and shocking everyone. All Might, in his true form, who is in the crowd watching, smiles.[5]
Izuku, having used One For All for the first time, begins feeling the aftershock of the Quirk; his legs are broken, as well as his right arm, the former of which he used to jump and the latter to punch the robot. Izuku considers using One For All to make a safe landing, but is unable to do so due to his battered limbs. The girl whom Izuku saved from the huge robot managed to slap him and uses her Quirk to make him float, saving him at the last minute as he lands on the ground, thinking of the exam. However, the practical test is declared over, much to Izuku's devastation, before he falls unconscious. The other participants comment on Izuku's Quirk, calling him incredible as Tenya Ida notes Izuku's heroic act of saving the girl instead of running. Recovery Girl, U.A.'s nurse, heals Izuku's injuries.
One week later, Izuku receives a letter that will reveal whether he made it into U.A. or not. He opens the letter, which displays a screen with All Might on it. All Might apologizes to Izuku for not contacting him sooner. He then says that from now on he is going to work at U.A. High. All Might tells Izuku that he did fine on the written test, but scored zero points on the practical test, which would have meant he failed, much to Izuku's sadness. However, All Might then shows a video of the girl who saved Izuku, Ochaco Uraraka, asking Present Mic if she could share her points with him because he saved her, much to his shock. All Might says that the judges were looking for more than just smashing robots; they were also looking for Rescue Points, of which Izuku scored 60 for saving Ochaco. All Might says that Izuku has passed, meaning he has been accepted, and U.A. will now be his Hero Academia, much to Izuku's joy as he begins to tear up.[6]
Story Impact#
- Quirks are introduced as well as the profession of both Heroes and Villains.
- 80% of the world's population have Quirks while the remaining 20% do not.
- If an individual is born with an extra bone joint in the pinky toe, that person does not have a Quirk, as noted by doctors.
- Those born without a Quirk are called "Quirkless".
- Main characters such as Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, and Tenya Ida are introduced.
- All Might, the greatest Hero to ever exist, is introduced. He is labeled as the "Symbol of Peace" in society. He is revealed to have gained a serious wound five years prior from a powerful villain, which has severely drained his powers, resulting in him only being able to use his Hero form for a short time per day.
- All Might's transferable Quirk, One For All, is introduced. He gives his power to Izuku and takes him on as his successor.
- Izuku receives his Quirk from All Might and is accepted into U.A. High School, allowing him to train to become a Hero.
Characters Introduced#
Izuku Midoriya Katsuki Bakugo Tsubasa Slugger Airjet Death Arms Kamui Woods Giant Villain Backdraft Mt. Lady Sludge Villain All Might Inko Midoriya Ochaco Uraraka Present Mic Tenya Ida Mezo Shoji Yuga Aoyama Fumikage Tokoyami Eijiro Kirishima Thirteen Midnight Nezu Recovery Girl
Quirks Introduced#
- Luminescence: The Luminescent Baby's Quirk allowed them to emit a bright light from their body, giving them a form of bioluminescence.
- Explosion: Katsuki Bakugo's Quirk allows him to create explosions from the nitroglycerin-like sweat from the palms of his hands.
- Arbor: Kamui Woods' Quirk allows him to generate and control wood from any part of his body.
- Gigantification: Mt. Lady's Quirk allows her to grow to a gigantic size.
- Attraction of Small Objects: Inko Midoriya's Quirk gives her the ability to pull small objects toward her body from afar.
- One For All: All Might's Quirk that he transfers to Izuku Midoriya. It grants its current user the ability to utilize stockpiled Physical Energy, Quirks, and other abilities that have been accumulated from and cultivated by the Previous Holders of the One For All.
- Zero Gravity: Ochaco Uraraka's Quirk allows her to cancel the gravity of whatever she touches and then restore it by touching the pads on her fingers together.
- Engine: Tenya Ida's Quirk allows him to move at high speeds thanks to the mufflers on his calves.
- Navel Laser: Yuga Aoyama's Quirk allows him to shoot a laser beam from his belly.
- Heal: Recovery Girl's Quirk allows her to amplify and speed up the human body's natural healing process by planting a kiss on the injured person.
- Fire Breath: Hisashi Midoriya's Quirk allows him to breathe fire. (Mentioned)
Battles & Events#
Kamui Woods & Mt. Lady vs Giant Villain Sludge Villain Incident All Might vs. Sludge Villain All Might vs. Sludge Villain: Rematch U.A. Entrance Exam