My Hero Academia is clearly inspired by superhero comics, and it should come as no surprise that the popular manga series once made a pretty blatant reference to one of the most popular DC Comics series ever, Batman: The Killing Joke. When the villain Rikiya Yotsubashi was first introduced, it was clear he was at least somewhat was based on the Clown Prince of Crime.
My Hero Academia tells the story of Izuku Midoriya, who’s lives in a world where superpowers are the norm. Sadly, Izuku (Deku) is born without powers (Quirks). However, after meeting All Might, one of the most respected and powerful heroes on the planet, he shares his Quirk with Izuku and he goes into training at a specialized high school for heroes. The series, which originally started as a manga in Weekly Shonen Jump, has been adapted into an extremely popular television show, animated films, and characters from the series have appeared in video games.
In My Hero Academia Chapter 218 by Kohei Horikoshi, the series introduces a new villain named Rikiya Yotsubashi. He is the president of the Detnerat Company, a lifestyle brand that provides custom product designs to those with Quirks. Yotsubashi would be revealed to be in charge of the Meta Liberation Army and the son of Destro. He would later become the Re-Destro and possessed the Quirk to turn his stress into power. However, before his villainous rise, his debut appearance featured a nifty reference to Batman: The Killing Joke.
Yotsubashi describing his business (in a commercial) and the Joker’s classic monologue from the Alan Moore and Brian Bolland classic are spitting images for one another. It works even better since Yosbuashi looks nearly identical to the Joker, with his wide smile, sharp nose, and long chin. It’s a great reference to an iconic comic that influenced many artists and writers – and clearly, Horikoshi was among those who dug it.
While Yotsubashi has a Quirk and the Joker is powerless, it’s pretty obvious that the character drew inspiration from the Batman villain – at least from an aesthetic standpoint. It wouldn’t be the first time Horikoshi included obvious references to superheroes from the DC/Marvel comic book universe – and it likely won’t be the last. One of the things that make My Hero Academia such a fun read is Horikoshi isn’t shy about wearing his inspiration on his sleeve – which leads to fun moments like this subtle Joker reference.
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