In My Hero Academia‘s world, Dr. Garaki has demonstrated how science and Quirks can be combined in extraordinary and peculiar ways. Along with his leader, All For One, they applied advanced science and Quirks to create monsters known as ‘Nomu’, which resemble Frankenstein-style beings with distinct appearances and multiple Quirks.
These artificially created, undead warriors are employed as weapons, and the League of Villains and now the Paranormal Liberation Front have been taking advantage of them. At the moment, Nomu is only employed by villains, but the pro heroes may be able to transform them into beneficial entities.
Why the Nomu in My Hero Academia Are Usually Bad
For both in-universe and thematic reasons, Nomu in My Hero Academia’s world are all villainous. In-universe, this is because their creator, Dr. Garaki, is fully committed to All For One’s machinations and creating Nomu that are aligned with their villainous origins. As of yet, no pro-hero nor hero-aligned scientist has been able to unlock the secrets of creating Nomu, which means it is not possible to make “good” Nomu. Thus, Dr. Garaki has a monopoly on all Nomu, which he is not using to sell to anyone, such as pro heroes.
The nature of Nomu suggests that evil forces in My Hero Academia and beyond are often associated with gaining power quickly at a cost. This is similar to a “deal with the devil” where villains can acquire power without having to work hard for it, while Izuku Midoriya and his classmates train to gradually power up. This sets the heroes and villains apart, as non-Nomu characters like Tomura Shigaraki and Lady Nagant also follow this pattern – Tomura was given multiple Quirks through dark science, not training, and All For One gave Lady Nagant her air walk Quirk to increase her combat power.
How a Heroic Nomu may be created
At present, Nomu is associated with powers taken by force and the bodies of deceased victims, yet, theoretically, they could be used for heroic purposes. On a practical level, pro heroes need help to combat the villains, so Tomura Shigaraki has an advantage due to all Nomu being villainous. If the heroes are victorious in the ultimate battle for the future of society, they may be able to crack the code of Nomu creation and create the world’s first positive Nomu.
Obstacles in the form of obtaining or deciphering Dr. Garaki’s method for constructing Nomu remain in the way. There is also the ethical aspect to be taken into account, as heroes are seen as the protectors of justice, peace and all that is right in the world. The reality is that the process of Nomu creation involves the use of reanimated corpses without any consent from the deceased. In order to make sure that only ‘good’ Nomu is created, a system of consent must be established, similar to organ donor cards and other advanced directives. For example, pro heroes may agree that their Quirks may be used to create a Nomu upon their deaths. The only limitation is that a Nomu would only have the original Quirk factor since All For One is unavailable to give them any additional powers.
It may take some time for people to become accustomed to heroic and benevolent Nomu, especially after they’ve only encountered villainous ones. If the heroic Nomu project succeeds, however, it could demonstrate to society that science is not inherently good or bad, rather, it is the user that determines its purpose. This, together with the good deeds of the heroic Nomu, may be the key to changing society’s opinion of Nomu and relieve the negative connotations associated with them. After all the heroes that have already sacrificed themselves in the fight against the Paranormal Liberation Front, perhaps it would be beneficial to replace them with heroic Nomu to maintain peace in the aftermath of the war. This could give these fallen heroes the opportunity to serve society once more, with their Quirks included.
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