If you’ve spent more than five minutes on anime Twitter or scrolled through TikTok lately, you’ve seen it. Izuku Midoriya—the boy who inherited the greatest power in the world—standing behind a grease-stained counter. He’s usually wearing a McDonald’s uniform. Sometimes he’s crying. Sometimes he’s just staring blankly at the camera while a customer yells about a missing McDouble.
The deku working fast food meme is everywhere. It’s reached a level of saturation where people who don’t even watch My Hero Academia think the series actually ended with the protagonist flipping burgers.
It didn't. Obviously.
But the reality of why this specific joke took over the internet is actually way more interesting than the meme itself. It’s a mix of bad translations, a very real marketing collaboration in France, and a fandom that was, honestly, a little bit heartbroken by how the manga actually wrapped up.
The Origin: How "Put the Fries in the Bag" Became Canon (Sorta)
So, where did this actually start? It wasn't just a random artist having a fever dream.
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Back in 2024, as the My Hero Academia manga was sprinting toward its final chapter, the internet was a powder keg of leaks. When Chapter 430 finally dropped, the "leaks" hit the web before the official translation. These early summaries were... let's just say they weren't great. They painted a picture of a lonely, quirkless Deku who had been abandoned by his friends and was stuck in a boring 9-to-5 job.
People lost their minds.
The "bum" agenda was born. Fans started joking that since Deku lost One For All and wasn't a "pro hero" in the traditional sense, he must be working at McDonald’s. Then, life decided to imitate art—or at least, marketing decided to imitate memes.
The French Burger King Incident
In a move that felt like a personal attack on Deku fans, Burger King in France launched an official collaboration with My Hero Academia. They released special Deku and Bakugo burgers. The promotional material literally featured the characters associated with fast food right as the "fry cook" memes were peaking.
Then came the Pizza-La collab in Japan.
Official art was released showing Midoriya in a pizza delivery outfit, slicing up pies.
The internet didn't need any more evidence. The "deku working fast food" narrative was locked in. Even though the actual manga ending showed him in a much more prestigious position, the image of him in a paper hat was just too funny for the internet to let go.
What Really Happened in Chapter 430?
Let's clear the air. In the actual canon ending of the series, Izuku Midoriya does not work at a fast-food restaurant.
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He’s a teacher.
And not just any teacher—he’s a professor at U.A. High School. That’s the Harvard of hero schools. He’s literally the guy shaping the next generation of heroes. It’s a high-status, highly respected career in Japanese society. Think of him more like a retired Olympic gold medalist coaching the national team than a guy working a "low-wage" job.
The Eight-Year Timeskip
The ending jumps eight years into the future. Deku is 25. He’s quirkless again because the embers of One For All eventually flickered out. While his classmates like Bakugo and Todoroki are topping the hero charts, Deku is working behind the scenes.
Here is why the "fast food" slander felt so real to people:
- The Isolation: The manga mentions it’s hard for the old Class 1-A to get together because their schedules are so busy.
- The Lack of Recognition: For a few pages, it feels like the world has moved on from the boy who saved it.
- The Suit: He eventually gets a "super suit" (basically Iron Man tech) funded by his friends, but for eight years, he was just... a guy.
Basically, the ending was bittersweet. It wasn't the "Number One Hero" climax everyone expected for ten years. That disappointment is the fuel that keeps the McDonald's memes burning. It’s a way for fans to vent about an ending that felt a little too "grounded" for a superhero epic.
Why the Meme is Actually Kind of Mean (And Why We Can't Stop)
There’s a weird bit of classism baked into the deku working fast food jokes. The meme relies on the idea that working service jobs is the ultimate "failure" for a protagonist.
But honestly? If Deku did work in fast food, he’d be the best employee they ever had. Can you imagine the efficiency? He’d have a notebook dedicated to the "Optimal Ketchup Distribution Strategy" and he’d be Muttering™ about grill temperatures.
The reason it stings for fans is that Deku's whole journey was about "becoming the greatest hero." To see that journey end in a classroom—or in the meme's case, a kitchen—feels like a betrayal of the shonen promise. We want the power. We want the glory. We don't want the realistic transition into a stable career in education or service.
The "Fries in the Bag" Legacy
At this point, the meme has outlived the manga's conclusion. Even in 2026, as the anime's final seasons are being discussed, the jokes haven't stopped.
It’s become a shorthand for any character who loses their "specialness" at the end of a series. If a protagonist loses their powers, they’re "going to McDonald’s." It’s a trope now.
But if you’re actually looking for the truth:
- Deku is a Hero: He saved the world. That’s a fact.
- The Suit is Real: He’s back on the streets as a pro hero by the final pages, thanks to the armored suit.
- The Fries are a Lie: He never worked a shift at Mickey D's.
How to Navigate the Fandom Misinformation
If you're seeing these memes and getting confused, here’s how to separate the "agenda" from the actual story:
- Check the Source: If the image is a black-and-white manga panel of Deku crying at a cash register, it’s fan art.
- Read the Epilogue: Chapter 430 is the only place the "real" future exists.
- Ignore the Leaks: Most of the "Deku is a bum" narrative came from mistranslations that claimed his friends ghosted him. They didn't; they literally spent millions of yen to build him a suit. That's a weird way to ghost someone.
The reality is that Kohei Horikoshi wrote an ending about how heroism isn't just about punching villains—it’s about how you contribute to society. Teaching is heroic. Helping a kid on the street is heroic. But unfortunately for Horikoshi, "teaching the next generation" isn't as memeable as "Sir, this is a Wendy's."
If you want to see the "real" adult Deku, look for the official volume 42 covers and the final color spreads. He looks great. He’s fit, he’s professional, and he’s definitely not asking if you want to upsize your meal.
The next time you see a "put the fries in the bag" meme, just remember: it’s a symptom of a fandom that wasn't ready to see their hero grow up into a regular adult.
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Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the official artwork that sparked the confusion, check out the Pizza-La and Burger King France collaborations. They are genuine pieces of marketing history. For the actual story, stick to the official Shonen Jump releases of Chapter 430 to see how Deku’s teaching career actually balances with his return to hero work.