My Hero Academia imagines a world where Quirks, or superpowers, are commonplace. No one needs to hide their mutant powers or feel ashamed of them; in fact, it's the other way around. Society prizes Quirks, and Quirkless individuals such as Izuku Midoriya and Melissa Shield feel ostracized and unwanted. Quirk mania may even take the form of arranged marriages.
The concept of arranged marriage isn't inherently bad, but when Quirks and genetics are added to the mix, the whole situation can quickly get out of control. Powerhouse Quirks such as One For All or Bakugo's Explosion may be exceptions, but even so, carefully arranged marriages based on Quirks can result in children with incredible powers -- and this might spell trouble.
The Personal Impact Of Quirk-Based Marriages
Already, there is a clear example of the psychological toll of Quirk-based marriages: Shoto Todoroki, the ice/fire powerhouse of class 1-A. Widely admired for his massive firepower and good looks, but in truth, Shoto's position is far from enviable. He is seen more as a tool or weapon than a son by his father, Endeavor, which strained their relationship from the very start. Shoto is the only child whom Endeavor fully respects, ignoring and dismissing his other children as failed experiments since Shoto fully inherited his parents' respective Quirks.
Endeavor acts more like a mad scientist building Frankenstein's monster than a parent, even telling Shoto to ignore his older siblings because they are beneath him. Shoto always felt a little alienated from Fuyumi and the others, adding to his sense of isolation. None of this would have happened if Endeavor and Rei married for love instead of building a super-baby.
Endeavor got the powerhouse child that he wanted, but what troubles him is that Shoto is rebelling against his mission to surpass All Might. Endeavor changed his personal life's trajectory by marrying for the sake of Quirks instead of love, and at this rate, he won't even get anything for it. It's likely that if other people with strong Quirks attempted this, they would end up in a similar situation. More children might think that their parents view their Quirk as the true child, ignoring the person who bears that power. These unions' results could cause severe mental and emotional strain, leading to villainy, frequent child rebellion and dysfunctional family dynamics.
The Societal Impact of Quirk-Based Marriages
Even if the children of Quirk marriages somehow don't resent their parents' choices, society may still suffer if Quirk-based marriages become commonplace. It's evident in My Hero Academia lore that Quirks can naturally combine in unexpected and powerful ways under ordinary circumstances, as Shoto and Bakugo learned when they met a class of elementary school students. Superheroes and villains alike rely on their Quirks, from Endeavor and the winged Hawks to Dabi -- the flame villain.
Quirks are becoming more powerful and unpredictable over time, with Quirk-based marriages only accelerating this process. The intentional combination of strong Quirks could result in a destructive arms race between good and evil forces.
This scenario would strain society to the limit since heroes and villains alike would rapidly become too powerful for even the police, firefighters and military to handle. Regulations already struggle to manage the existence of powerful Quirks. If Quirk-based marriages became the norm, it might soon become nearly impossible to keep a check on all these powerful children and young adults, whether they become heroes or villains.
There is already a fear that existing laws and regulations can only barely keep pace with heroes and villains as it is, in terms of collateral damage, the ability to commit crimes, and exerting political or societal influence via unique Quirks. The last thing society needs is a proliferation of super-children growing up to become unstoppable adults because of widespread Quirk-based marriages. Imagine if every child was a Shoto Todoroki? Things would spiral into chaos fast, and everyone would suffer for it.
