I was ready to feel melancholy when My Hero Academia ultimately concluded the story, but I was taken aback by my sense of letdown.
Upon my initial discovery of My Hero Academia, I didn’t find it particularly remarkable. While the Quirk concept seemed entertaining and reminiscent of a typical battle-shonen series, the overall story appeared to be just another underdog tale.
After some time, my opinion about the series shifted. The more I watched it, the more captivated I became. One of the main factors for this change was the likability of the characters, even the villains who were portrayed as relatable humans rather than just being completely evil.
I had high hopes for the ending of the story, believing it would be just as impressive as the rest of the narrative.
The Beginning and the End
It can be argued that the ending of My Hero Academia cannot be deemed as terrible or surprising, as it remains faithful to its overarching theme throughout. From the very beginning, the series conveyed the important message that one’s powers do not define their ability to be a hero.
Despite being Quirkless, Deku idolizes All Might and aspires to become a hero like him. Despite facing constant mockery from his bullies, particularly Bakugo, Deku possesses a true kindness and a strong desire to help others, which ultimately defines his true worth.
Despite returning to his Quirkless state at the end of the series, Deku remains determined to help others, even if it means guiding the next generation towards their dreams. Though he may not be a professional hero, he remains the same kind-hearted Deku.
Despite author Kohei Horikoshi’s intention to convey this message to his readers, it remains undeniably gloomy. Perhaps even he came to this realization, as in Chapter 430’s conclusion, we witness Deku fulfilling his long-held aspiration of becoming a Pro Hero thanks to his support gear.
Lessons are fine – but to a point
Despite the strong consistency of the My Hero Academia ending with its theme, it ultimately left a sour taste in my mouth.
I’m certain that I’m not alone in this sentiment. Hardly anyone desired for Deku to become a lackluster adult with a conventional job, especially when his aspiration was to follow in the footsteps of his role model and become the next Symbol of Peace.
To clarify, having a day job is completely acceptable – in fact, it’s what the majority of us do. However, in a world where individuals possess extraordinary abilities, it can feel mundane, especially when considering that Deku possessed the most powerful power of them all.
On the other hand, the author’s intention was to return to the initial point and bring the story full circle. In my opinion, it was a brilliant move for Deku to lose his Quirk to Shigaraki during the war.
Despite the belief that One For All was necessary to defeat Shigaraki and save Tenko from himself, it was ultimately his inherent kindness and empathy that proved to be the true source of his strength. This further emphasized the idea that he became the greatest hero through his own abilities and not solely because of his Quirk.
However, that is the point at which this entire lesson should have concluded. Continuing it until the very end is excessive, regardless of how admirable the lesson may be.
Upon realizing that Deku had been left behind as a civilian while the rest of the Class 1-A students had become Pro Heroes, I couldn’t help but facepalm. It felt unfair that the person who had given the most and made sacrifices was not being rewarded like everyone else.
In my opinion, that is not a valuable lesson to teach.
Unexplored possibilities
Despite the multitude of potential My Hero Academia endings, it is most disheartening that none of them were ever explored. Fans tirelessly developed countless theories, ranging from outlandish to ingenious, on the potential means for Deku to regain his Quirk.
From the moment Shigaraki passed on All For One to him during their last confrontation, we had high hopes for potential plot developments as the cycle of One For All restarted with Deku. However, the reveal about Deku’s strained relationships with his friends due to their diverging paths was a disappointing turn of events.
The level of realism in the series was excessive, in my opinion. It was not what fans had been anticipating after investing years into the series. It feels similar to the disappointment of following Daenarys’ journey towards the Iron Throne, only to see her killed in the end and the throne destroyed. It makes one question the purpose of it all. (However, the ending of Game of Thrones is still considered inferior to that of My Hero Academia.)
Despite the addition of high-tech armor and support gear from All Might and his friends, the disappointment of the entire chapter cannot be overlooked. It is revealed that the gear was funded by the Class 1-A students, with Bakugo playing a significant role, and created by Mei and Melissa. While this is a nice detail, it does little to change the overall disappointment.
Ultimately, Deku does take on the role of a Pro Hero and embarks on his journey to reclaim the title of No. 1 Hero. However, will we have the endurance to accompany him on his path to the top once more? I, for one, do not possess such patience.
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