Thist list contains spoilers for My Hero Academia
For a story to stick with the audience long after they've finished it, it needs to have underlying themes that shine through in the narrative. As the name implies, My Hero Academia is an immensely popular anime series that largely revolves around the idea of heroism, and all the many different forms that it can take, but that's not the only message and meaning that author Kohei Horikoshi has baked into his story.
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In fact, when looking deeper at the story and characters, there's a plethora of fascinating themes which readers and viewers can pick up on, which all go a long way in elevating the storytelling by establishing a stronger connection to the audience. Now that the My Hero Academia manga is over, and the anime is reaching its final season, it feels like the perfect opportunity to reflect on the series, and more specifically, the underlying themes which are most apparent in the story.
Hard Work Beats Natural Talent
By Putting In The Time And Effort, Anyone Can Achieve Great Things
Being born without a Quirk can already cause someone to feel like an outcast in society, but there are also many characters in My Hero Academia who possess Quirks which can initially seem unusable or simply ineffective in battle. However, the series features tons of individuals who, despite having Quirks that seem lackluster at first, managed to put in enough time and effort to make them something worthwhile. While this obviously applies to Deku, who has gradually learned to master One For All and the other Quirks that came with it, a shining example of this is Mirio, who is introduced at roughly the halfway point of the story.
Mirio's Quirk, which allows him to become completely intangible for a few seconds, was viewed as more of a curse than a blessing when he was still young. As someone who desperately wanted to be a reliable hero though, Mirio took the time to figure out how he could use his Quirk effectively when in a fight, which eventually allowed him to rise through the ranks to become one of the Big Three in UA. Quirks may be naturally gifted abilities, but the series places a large focus on the staggering amount of work someone still needs to put in to actually use these abilities properly.
Preparing The Next Generation
The Pro-Heroes Need To Ensure Their Students Are Ready To Take Their Place
The Pro Heroes in My Hero Academia are known for being some of the strongest characters in the series, but the truth is, the majority of them are starting to near their retirement age. Therefore, it's highly important that they are able to prepare their students and agency apprentices to be fully prepared for the world ahead of them, since if they do a poor job, it will give future villains the opportunities to take over the country without any trouble.
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This theme can be seen in a broad sense with how the Pro Heroes teach and educate the students in the UA academy, but the most obvious way that it's implemented into the story is through a specific Quirk, One For All. This devastating Quirk has been passed down through multiple generations, essentially acting as a spark of hope which has been shifted to another person numerous times until eventually reaching Deku, who embarks on his own journey to save the country from All For One.
Justice
Who Deserves To Face True Punishment?
Though it would be easy to assume that the heroes in the story are automatically the good guys, as the series goes on, it starts to become clear that maybe justice isn't as equally served in this world as fans might have initially thought. There are multiple indications of this scattered throughout the story, but one of the most well-known is during Dabi's Dance, where the villain reveals how Hawks had recently killed a villain in cold blood, and also how Endeavor abused Dabi and his other children when they were younger.
While many of the villains will be severely punished for their crimes, there are some heroes who managed to get away with their actions without consequence. This forces fans to ponder how just the world of My Hero Academia truly is, and whether it's actually fair for heroes, who could be considered unethical in their actions, to still be as famous and prolific as they are.
Imitation
Following Others Can Be Useful, But It Can Also Become Unhealthy
At the very beginning of the series, Deku is utterly obsessed with All Might, to the point where he would do just about anything to one day become a strong as the number one Pro Hero. His fandom is ultimately what allowed him to make such a strong impression on All Might when they first met, who would then grant him his very own Quirk, but as time went on, it became clear that Deku needed to start presenting himself as his own hero rather than just a cheap imitation. Therefore, while it was definitely useful for him to look up to All Might to give him a burst of inspiration, it's still important that every hero becomes confident in their own abilities to show what they're truly made of.
The theme of imitation and copying others can also be seen in a slightly different way with Toga, who is able to physically assume the appearance of anyone whose blood she manages to consume. For Toga, imitation is extremely unhealthy, considering any time she does copy the face and ability of another character, she often ends up killing numerous people in the process. Therefore, while imitating someone can be useful to begin with, it shouldn't last for too long.
Repentance
Endeavor Desperately Attempts To Make Up For His Past Sins
To say Endeavor was a bad father to his younger children would be putting it lightly. In a desperate attempt to try and trump his rival All Might, Endeavor's goal was to produce a child who would be strong enough to one day reach the number one spot, but in doing this, he pushed his children far beyond their limits, to the point where he even started to physically abuse them. Once Endeavor himself was able to reach All Might's position in the story, he embarks on a long and arduous journey of repentance which sees the fiery hero trying to find a way to make up for everything he's done in his past.
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The story actually puts a massive focus on this theme, considering how difficult it is for anyone, even someone as physically overpowered as Endeavor, to somehow make up for his heinous actions against his own family. It's hard to forgive Endeavor for everything he put Toya and the others through, but it's up to the fans to determine whether they think he truly managed to repent after the amount of effort and self-sacrifice he put in to making up for his mistakes.
Going Beyond Your Limits
Blast Through Expectations And Blow Away The Competition
This is a theme which is apparent in many shonen anime series, but it is especially prevalent in My Hero Academia. It's hard to keep track of the amount of times that Deku, despite being severely outmatched in a battle, has managed to barely scrape through thanks to his sheer willpower and determination, having a raging fire inside of him that just won't let him back down no matter how tough his opponent is. Similarly, there have also been many characters throughout the story who have screamed out the words "Plus Ultra" when unleashing a final attack, which essentially means that they are going past their limits.
This whole idea of smashing other people's expectations and going above and beyond is very clear to see in My Hero Academia, and it's largely what makes the series so inspirational. It's hard not to get pumped when seeing All Might or Deku giving every last bit of energy they have to take down a dangerous villain, encouraging viewers and readers to also do their absolute best in anything they do.
Heroism
The Series Dives Deep Into What Being A Hero Truly Means
On the surface, many people would assume that being a hero simply means being a good person and protecting the world from danger, but My Hero Academia has shown that there's a lot more to this title than meets the eye. One prominent character who encourages fans to think a little more about heroism is Stain, a villain who takes it upon himself to kill heroes who have only reached the title in order to gain wealth and fame, rather than actually wanting to help others. Similarly, the character of Nagant also brings attention to the term itself, as while she was once a hero, she was also ordered to mercilessly kill hundreds of people behind the scenes, showcasing that maybe hero society isn't as glamorous as it might seem.
On the other hand though, heroism is also presented in a very favorable and positive light by many of the other characters. While the biggest example of this is obviously All Might, who is always giving his all to protect civilians from danger, there are also characters like Jiro, who manages to become a hero not through physical strength, but by using her musical talents to bring laughter and joy to those around here. Needless to say, Horikoshi goes very deep on what being a hero truly means throughout the series, exploring many different avenues in terms of what makes a hero, and the morality of their actions.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
- Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
Cast
-
Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
