Despite the My Hero Academia manga reaching its highly-anticipated conclusion, there are still many fans who find it difficult to say goodbye. After investing years of passion into the series, they have become deeply attached. From its debut, the anime has captivated audiences with its dynamic characters, epic fights, and powerful messages of heroism and camaraderie.
As the manga finale approaches, now is the ideal moment to reflect on some of the most thrilling moments that capture the heart of what makes My Hero Academia unique. Let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit the scenes that left us in awe or moved us to tears, or perhaps both.
Fighting for the Title
In the third season finale of My Hero Academia, Bakugo arranges a late-night discussion with Izuku. He confronts Izuku about his quirk and is able to deduce that Izuku acquired it from All Might. Overcome with guilt, Bakugo realizes that his actions may have contributed to All Might’s retirement.
At the beginning of their battle, Bakugo held the upper hand. However, as the fight progressed, Deku was able to tap into 8% of one for all’s power, giving him the advantage. Ultimately, Bakugo emerged as the victor, determined to surpass Deku as the user of one for all.
Ochako Successfully Persuades the Crowd to Allow Deku to Remain
Despite not being a crucial scene for some, those who watch MHA primarily for the fight scenes may not consider it as significant. Nevertheless, this particular moment in the 6th season holds a great deal of emotional weight as Ochako successfully bridges the gap between the heroes and the ordinary citizens, who were deeply troubled by the state of the world.
When the A class brought Deku back for protection, the refugees’ vocalized their disapproval of harboring a potential time bomb in their shelter. In response, Ochako took charge and used her words to convince the public that Deku was just an ordinary high school student, bravely enduring pain to protect them all.
It is the people that heroes can count on during difficult times, as Ochako recognizes, to protect them when they are in distress.
Deku vs Shoto
This battle held great significance for Shoto throughout the series, as Deku’s efforts to touch Shoto’s heart during the fight ultimately led to Shoto’s acceptance of all aspects of himself, including his fire and ice quirk, which were integral to his identity.
The battle commenced with Shoto unleashing his ice abilities, which were continuously countered by Deku’s Delaware smash. Each time, Deku sacrificed a finger for his attack. However, once Shoto was provoked to utilize his fire powers, the fight took an unexpected turn and the stadium was left in ruins. Ultimately, Shoto emerged as the winner as Deku was forcefully expelled from the ring.
Without a doubt, any retelling of this battle would be remiss without acknowledging the incredible animation that brought it to life. It would not be an exaggeration to declare that this could have been one of BONES’ most spectacularly animated sequences to date.
Endeavor and Hawks vs Nomu
The 4th season of MHA featured a fierce battle that allowed Endeavor to demonstrate his worthiness for the title of No.1 Hero to the public. This was a significant accomplishment for Endeavor, who had struggled to feel accepted as the top hero following All Might’s unexpected retirement.
The battle between Endeavor and the Nomu started off with Endeavor feeling completely overpowered by the Nomu’s incredible strength and regenerative powers. Despite receiving help from Hawks, they found themselves in a difficult situation. However, with the entire world, including his family, watching, the former UA graduate summoned all of his strength and, with Plus Ultra fueling his determination, unleashed his Prominence Burn attack to obliterate the enemy.
Shigaraki’s Awakening
This particular moment in the 6th season of MHA is likely to have elicited a chilling sensation for any viewer. As Shigaraki absorbed all of All for One’s quirks, he also underwent numerous physical transformations that ultimately amplified his monstrous nature.
Shigaraki’s Decay quirk was already incredibly powerful from the start. However, he has now gained the ability to transmit his Decay through the ground without physical contact. Even with his quirk being erased by Eraser Head, Shigaraki’s superhuman strength, which rivals that of All Might, proved to be a formidable threat. This was evident as many of the top 10 heroes, along with Deku and Bakugo, were needed to subdue him.
Mirko vs The High End Nomus
This is undoubtedly one of the greatest battles in MHA, as Mirko, the fifth-ranked hero, truly displayed her worth. When she boldly enters Garaki’s laboratory to thwart his schemes, Garaki unleashes five high-end nomus upon her. These nomus possess remarkable intelligence and are Garaki’s strongest creations.
Despite facing all five opponents head-on, Mirko successfully kills one alone during the intense battle. As a result, she sacrifices an arm and a leg, but she lives her life without any regrets. Determined to bring down Shigaraki, she utilizes all of her abilities to locate him in the laboratory and shatter the walls of his containment unit.
Given that Endeavor and Hawks struggled to defeat a regular nomu, Mirko’s accomplishment of single-handedly defeating a high-end nomu is truly remarkable.
Shigaraki vs Star and Stripe
Despite her brief appearance, Star left a lasting impression on the anime. When she learned about the dangerous threat posed by Shigaraki, America’s top hero, Star and Stripe, came to assist Japan. Star possesses an incredibly powerful quirk called New Order, which allows her to control the world around her by imposing rules using the correct name of the person or object she wishes to control.
Despite its incredible power, Star’s quirk ultimately caused her downfall as Shigaraki, who was struggling with his identity at the time, identified as both Shigaraki and All for One. As a result, her quirk had no effect on him. Seizing the opportunity, Shigaraki used his decay quirk to steal Star’s quirk, successfully adding it to his own arsenal. In a final act of defiance, Star used her quirk’s ultimate ability, New Order, to rebel against all other quirks.
This resulted in the self-destruction of New Order and the annihilation of several other quirks within Shigaraki, validating Star’s ultimate sacrifice.
Izuku Midoriya vs Class A
This episode from the 6th season undeniably embodies the essence of “Shounen”. It is likely that every fan experienced chills as they watched class A approach Deku, their friend, and urge him to return to his hero academy.
Despite the entire class joining forces and using all of their strength, they are unable to get a hold of Deku, who proves to be too powerful. He tries to flee, but with the combined efforts of Mina, Ochako, Bakugo, Shoto, and Iida, they are finally able to catch him in the end.
Following this, Bakugo expresses his remorse to Deku for his past mistreatment and offers words of reassurance, letting him know that they would be there to support him whenever he needed it. Any fan who remained dry-eyed at this moment might want to consider scheduling an eye exam.
One for All vs All for One
This battle is widely considered to be the most iconic in the entire MHA series, as it left fans around the world devastated to see their beloved No.1 hero, All Might, forced into retirement.
After successfully evacuating the scene, Deku and the others watched as All Might made a vow to defeat All for One once and for all. Despite exchanging several blows, All Might appeared to be struggling against All for One’s power. It was then that All for One pointed out All Might’s diminished strength and suggested that he no longer possessed the power of One for All.
Despite the complete destruction of the ward and the shocking sight of All Might in his weakened state, the entire country was still in shock over the state of their beloved Symbol of Peace. In response to the thousands of fans gathered around him, All Might mustered the last of his strength and defeated All for One, effectively putting an end to his reign and officially retiring on the spot. This was the final flicker of his flame of One for All.
Where to Watch My Hero Academia
About My Hero Academia
“Kōhei Horikoshi is the author and illustrator of the Japanese superhero manga series, My Hero Academia. It has been continuously published in Weekly Shōnen Jump since July 2014 and its 37 tankōbon volumes have been released as of February 2023.”
The story centers on Izuku Midoriya, a quirkless boy who aspires to become the greatest Hero alive. Despite being born without a quirk in a world where almost everyone has one, Midoriya has always admired heroes and their heroic deeds since he was born.
One day, he encounters All Might, widely known as the greatest Hero in history, and learns that he also did not possess a quirk. Through his determined mindset and unshakeable determination to become a hero, Midoriya impresses All Might and is selected as the successor to the One for All power.
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