I’ve been thinking about this since Nighteye was introduced: how the people are not looking for a faint light but a dazzling one; how the one on the top shouldn’t express worry or doubt; how All Might was able to instill fear in villains and hope in people.
How All Might is able to inspire calm in people without a shadow of a doubt, and have them completely rely on him with smiles on their faces. But Deku isn’t like All Might in that manner, not yet, he’s got a long way to go.
Instead of calm and absolute reliance, Deku inspires people to move, take action, and help themselves, as he deals with the problem or villain. I’m not going to go as far as claim that’s better, it’s just something to think about. Because more than calling it ‘uneasy’, it was a look of sincere concern. And that’s what gets the people around him to move.
The best example of this would be Kouta, the kid who was introduced to dislike heroes, and think saving people isn’t something to gloat about when you can’t even save yourself. But what happened with him when Deku was saving him, and protecting him against that villain? It wasn’t like what you would expect of All Might, where people rejoice and are confident they’ll be saved. Instead, he was crying, they were both panicking. They both think they were going to die, because Deku didn’t look like he could beat the guy, he didn’t think that either.
So what did he do? He moved his ass, and used the quirk he inherited from his parents to fight back. Even as the littlest of distractions, he took action. Because that’s what he saw in Deku’s face, the need for help. At the same time, Deku’s concern for him, when Deku told him to escape.
Coincidentally, this same expression is what Deku claims to see in Kacchan’s face, that gets him to move and save Kacchan when the need arises. (I don’t ship it tho)
But this doesn’t just affect people that need saving, because the very reason All Might chose Deku in the first place was because Deku inspired All Might to move. And more than the expression of needing help, it was the concern.
Bottomline, I love the contrast of All Might’s smile showing confidence and inspiring calm, while Deku shows sincere concern and inspires action.
I’m sure there are more examples of this point, I just didn’t have time to re-read the entire manga. And I may have forgotten some too, I just wanted to get this off my chest. 🙃
Cheloneuniverse 