My Hero Academia's Ending Isn't Just Great, It's Redeeming the Series (2024)

My Hero Academia's ending is proving to be a game changer, redeeming the series' recent issues. Kohei Horikoshi's blockbuster manga has taken the world by storm since it began serializing in Shonen Jump in 2014. Since its release, the action shonen has spawned a successful anime adaptation with six seasons, three spin-off films, and three spin-off manga series.

However popular the series may be, My Hero Academia has been plagued with what many fans consider to be muddled writing, bringing down much of the series' core narrative as the manga has progressed.

Lackluster arcs like the Deku Vigilante arc and the Traitor arc left many fans turning their back on the series, but the ongoing Final War arc – My Hero Academia's grand finale – has managed to redeem the series.

The Ending Arc Revisits My Hero Academia's Core Themes

Something crucial about My Hero Academia that has always stood out and resonated with fans of the series is its dedication to showing an empathetic and nuanced side to heroes and villains. The Final War arc brings this heartbreaking thematic back to the forefront through the fan-favorite villain, Himiko Toga. Blinded by rage and sadness for her family, the League of Villains, Toga and Ochaco face off in a ferocious battle that pushes Toga's Quirk, and her heart, past their limits.

Chapter #394 of My Hero Academia explores Toga's grief and resentment towards hero society through a gorgeously illustrated conversation between her and Ochaco, depicting the two girls as children, representative of the innocent bond shared between the pair, despite their circ*mstances on the battlefield. The conflict between them ultimately resolves with Himiko revealing her deepest insecurities to Ochaco, who reassures her, calling her the cutest girl in the world – ending the conflict without any violence, only pacifism and communication.

My Hero Academia's Final War Arc Proves Why the Series is so Huge

Toga is far from the only villain still being shown with an impressive degree of empathy. Even as Dabi was burning himself away to cinders, his family came and risked their lives to try to get through to him one last time. Similarly, Deku has infiltrated Shigaraki's mental realm and begun witnessing his tragic backstory, allowing him to truly understand the villain for the first time. While most shonen stories would be reduced to a slugfest at this point, My Hero Academia is still showing its villains with nuance.

The Final War arc has done an excellent job of bringing in and involving almost every character to have played a significant role in the series. Many other former adversaries of Deku, moved by his resolve, have come to his aid in this hour of need, such as Gentle Criminal and Lady Nagant. While the story hopping from battlefield to battlefield has slowed the pace significantly, it was necessary to ensure that every character with outstanding storylines could be addressed.

By having even smaller villains still be important this late in the story, and allowing some of them to redeem themselves, My Hero Academia is setting up for a fairly different sort of ending than many of its contemporaries. It shows how the series has always treated its villains as full characters, and these more rounded villains have made the story that much more compelling to watch. This has been a crucial element of My Hero Academia's success, and the final arc is tying these up expertly.

The Final War Arc Addresses Hero Society's Biggest Issue

These recent chapters of My Hero Academia continue an important narrative thread that the Deku Vigilante arc tragically failed to explore, being that hero society is inherently flawed and sets well-meaning individuals with Quirks that don't quite fit in with societal standards up to fail. In Himiko's case, her backstory reveals her community shunned her from childhood, and despite her intense desire to connect and love those around her. Toga was treated as an outcast for a power that she couldn't control being born with, ultimately leading her to find a home among some of the series' most deadly villains.

Chapter #395 succeeded in discussing this crucial flaw in My Hero Academia's world by proving that regardless of how much anger and bitterness Toga felt towards heroes, Ochaco's kindness helped her remember who she is at her core and that she is worthy of being loved, whether it be from her friends in the League of Villains or by making connections with heroes like Deku and Ochaco. Should My Hero Academia's Final War arc continue to explore these specific conflicts with its other villains, the series is poised to have one of the most impactful endings in Shonen Jump history.

New chapters of My Hero Academia release in English every Sunday through Viz Media's Shonen Jump app and Shueisha's Manga+.

Read On Manga+

My Hero Academia (2016)

Action

Superhero

Animation

In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamash*ta

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Website

https://www.funimation.com/shows/my-hero-academia/

Franchise

My Hero Academia

Seasons

5

Production Company

Bones

Number of Episodes

113