(Photo credit to Kōhei Horikoshi)
Written by Hayley Samulski, Staff Writer
Class is dismissed, and it’s the last time for ‘My Hero Academia’!
‘My Hero Academia’ has ended, following the manga’s nearly ten-year run in Shonen Jump. The anime signed off with a heartfelt farewell, bringing its nine-year story to a close and earning widespread praise; each episode of the final season scored over nine on IMDb. Kōhei Horikoshi delivered a story that helped define modern Shonen anime as we know it. ‘My Hero Academia’ is a superhero story centered on hope, personal growth, and the belief that we can surpass our limits.
Studio Bones goes all out in the series’s last arc, culminating with the long-awaited showdown between Izuku and Shigaraki in the hero-villain war. The final episode gave fans lots of callbacks to meaningful moments in the series, like Playing Hero Too Class 1-A’s graduation ceremony and the last scene with them going out as heroes, mirroring the anime’s first opening!
The animation elevates each fight to cinematic levels, combined with Yuki Hayashi’s emotional scores, especially “You Say Run” and “You Can Do It.” The finale sticks the landing, feeling like a love letter to longtime fans.
Central to it all is Izuku Midoriya, an ordinary kid chasing a dream in a world that said it was impossible without a Quirk. Throughout the series, Izuku continually pushes his limits—so much so that he inherited a power that injured him, bore the weight of a war, and ultimately sacrificed his Quirk to save Shigaraki. He later becomes a teacher, content to guide others as Aizawa once guided him. Yet, he never gave up on his dream, nor did his friends—especially Bakugo—who united to give him another shot. Midoriya demonstrates that being a hero isn’t about power, but about choosing to keep moving forward, a message that resonates throughout the series.
The series gives its supporting characters real weight, especially Bakugo. Bakugo’s arc is arguably the strongest in the entire anime. He grows from a self-centered bully into becoming Izuku’s rival and a hero in his own right. When Deku lost his Quirk, he responded with quiet resolve, using his own earnings as a pro hero to help create a new hero suit for Deku so they could chase their dreams of being a hero together.
Still, the ending is not without its frustrations. Early in its run, ‘My Hero Academia’ hinted at questioning the hero society, pointing to a flawed system built on popularity and public approval. Hawks, who became the No. 2 Pro Hero and later the head of the Hero Public Safety Commission, once said he dreamed of a society where heroes aren’t so busy. Few characters critiqued hero society more than Stain, who believed that most modern heroes had become hollow symbols, serving as Heroes for fame, money, or other selfish motives, and were unworthy of the title, rather than the moral pillars challenged to uphold society like All-Might.
An attempt at change is made, such as Spinner’s (Shuichi Iguchi) book, ‘The League of Villains,” an autobiographical account of Tomura Shigaraki and the villain group’s legacy, telling their side of the story after the war. Class 1-A members work to change society, now as pro heroes. Uraraka, with Froppy’s help, runs a quirk counseling program for mistreated kids. Shoji and Koda hold peace talks to end discrimination against heteromorphs. A notable cameo features the same old lady who refused to help Tomura as a boy, but later aids a traumatized Koki.
In the end, despite these small moments, the series sticks with a familiar conclusion, hinting that a sense of unity is enough to fix society on its own. Despite the deeper issues that remain, the hero system is essentially still intact.
It may have been messy at times, but it was always earnest in its storytelling and the belief that people can grow into something better. Despite its flaws, the series leaves behind a true legacy.
Deku getting his hero suit was truly a special moment. You feel the emotion and weight of the scene, knowing that while Izuku accepted his new life as a teacher, being a hero was always the dream that he never gave up on. The final scene is the greatest callback to his first interaction with All Might as he encourages Dai to be a hero despite not having a flashy Quirk. ‘My Hero Academia’ is the story of how we became the greatest heroes.
The story will continue with a special episode of chapter 431 and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2, airing now on Crunchyroll! For now, fans eagerly hope for a future sequel movie featuring Class 1A as heroes.
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