Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #424 of My Hero Academia.
Summary
With the series' ultimate antagonist defeated at last,My Hero Academia’s climactic battle has finally come to an end, and the series' epilogue yet again proves what sets the series apart from countless other shonen manga. ThoughMy Hero Academiahas become the target of cringe culturein recent times, the series' finale has proven to be exceptionally well-written with the latest chapter demonstrating exactly what makes Kohei Horikoshi’s storytelling so unique and refreshing.
Chapter #424 ofMy Hero Academiafinally delves into the aftermath of thebig battle against Shigaraki and All For One. The chapter reveals that heroes from around the world have arrived in Japan and are contributing to the reconstruction process which has been going very smoothly. However, while the landscape is recovering,the battle has had serious consequenceson the heroes involved in the battle, including Bakugo, Deku, All Might, and many others.
The chapter takes care to highlight that while the city, the buildings, and the homes that were destroyed can be rebuilt, things will not simply go back to normal and the scars of the battle will remain, changing hero society for good. This by itself is quite uncommon among modern shonen battle manga, which usually do not commit to lasting consequences, especially when it comes to their protagonists.
My Hero Academia Embraces the Natural Consequences of its Story
Created by Kohei Horikoshi, Chapter #424 “Epilogue”
Shonen manga, especially battle shonen manga, have developed a tendency to avoid deaths, debilitating injuries, or any lasting consequences, which has been criticized by readers time and time again. More often than not, consequences simply do not exist in the genre—characters recover from impossible injuries or walk away from life-threatening situations as if it were nothing, and this has become so common that it is often difficult to take any such situations seriously anymore.
Admittedly,My Hero Academiahas also been guilty of doing the same, the most recent instance beingDeku recovering his arms using Eri’s quirk, which was understandably criticized by fans. That said, the series' latest chapter proves it is in fact capable of embracing the consequences that naturally arise from its story when needed.
Of course, a battle of such magnitude that threatened to destroy the entire country and even the whole world cannot simply be brushed off. The latest chapter makes this point rather cleverly by juxtaposing a panel of the reconstruction site directly followed by a doctor warning Bakugo about how his arm will not go back to normal even with extensive rehabilitation.
Chapter #424 also makes it clear that whileDeku still has the embers of One For All, he may never be able to compete with Bakugo on equal footing ever again. Deku’s future as a pro-hero also hangs in the balance but his fate is perfectly acceptable as his character arc has already come to its natural conclusion. One For All has already fulfilled its purpose by defeating All For One, Deku has successfully saved Shigaraki from his own grief, and Deku has already become the great inspiring hero he claimed he would become at the start of the story.
Shigaraki Ensured Hero Society Will Not Go Back to Normal Either
Other than the physical destruction and the injuries suffered, the latest chapter ofMy Hero Academiaalso confirms that the battle will inevitably change hero society for the better. Chapter #424 reveals a bit more of Shigaraki’s final conversation with Deku, wherein Shigaraki asks Deku to do his best to ensure that his attempt to destroy everything does not go in vain.
The final battle has already made it quite clear that Shigaraki’s destruction was motivated by the desire to create a better world for his friends who like him were conveniently ignored and brushed under the rug by the system. Shigaraki fought to destroy for the sake of this cause until the very end. As such, Shigaraki’s final words symbolize him asking Deku to ensure that hero society does not go back to its corrupt old ways.
Overall, Kohei Horikoshi has crafted a truly beautiful finale forMy Hero Academiawhich truly proves the series is his magnum opus.My Hero Academia’s final sagahas defied shonen tropes and conventions at every turn and the epilogue of the series is sure to be just as unique, not to mention an absoulte roller coaster of emotions.
My Hero Academiais available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
