Summary

The Sludge Villain's return surprised fans, giving Kirishima a prominent moment and showcasing his Quirk's power.
Gentle Criminal finds redemption and saves the day during the Final War arc, having a tearful reunion with Deku.
Lady Nagant's clutch shot stops All For One, displaying the series' ability for emotional moments with many characters.

The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia.

As the My Hero Academia anime gears up for its final season, fans are eagerly anticipating how the story will be adapted into beautiful sakuga. This anticipation has stirred online discussions about some of the most hyped moments in the final act, including the surprising return of past characters.

With My Hero Academia coming to an end, it’s now or never for forgotten characters to have a satisfying payoff in the final war arc. Just which character returns were the most surprising, and which created an impact so large that they momentarily stole the show from everything else on screen?

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By Rei Penber

The Sludge Villain

A Callback to the Series’ First Episode

Many My Hero Academia fans seemed most surprised by the return of the Sludge Villain. Despite having a minor role at the beginning of the story, people underestimated how strong his Quirk is and how hard it is to deal with if you aren’t All Might. Much like he did for Deku, the Sludge Villain’s reappearance gave an excellent opportunity for other heroes to have an iconic end-of-series moment.

“His appearance gave Kirishima his Deku-like moment. In season 4, he reflects on the fact that he didn’t help his middle school classmates when they were cornered by Machia. Then talks about how he heard about a kid who jumped into action to save his friend (Deku). This gives him the chance to jump in and save Shinso against the very same villain.” -Reddit user ThiccGuy01 praising the return of the Sludge Villain.

While we see the Sludge Villain among the escapees from All For One’s efforts to set villains free, it isn’t until the Final War arc that we see him take center stage. He attempts to take over Hitoshi Shinso’s body and proves himself to be a formidable villain. It takes the combined powers and wits of Hitoshi Shinso, Eijiro Kirishima, and Mina Ashido to finally defeat him.

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By Ewan Lewis

Gentle Criminal

A Loving Redemption Story

Another popular choice for surprising returns among series fans was Gentle Criminal and his sudden appearance to stop the UA floating fortress from falling out of the sky.

“Gentle’s hero moment was a top 10 moment from the entire show.” -Reddit user FTNChicken praising the show’s handling of Gentle Criminal.

“Gentle saving the day was my most hype moment of the whole arc” -Reddit user Marcus9T4 respecting the redemption arc Gentle Criminal received.

After being defeated by Deku back in Season 4, he was sent to Mizuku prison, where he reflected on his original dream of becoming a pro hero. During his time away, he found redemption, fighting back against the villain's prison breaks. He would then unexpectedly show up during the Final War arc to have a tearful reunion with Deku and save the day. Using the power of his connection with La Brava, Gentle Criminal leaps straight into the air, using his newly empowered state to hold up fortress UA nearly all on his own.

“It’s you, Gentle Criminal!” Deku tearfully reunites with Gentle Criminal in Episode 154.

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By Laura Gassert

Lady Nagant

A Clutch Shot Saves the Heroes

Perhaps the most plot-critical reappearance happens when All For One almost tastes victory. Just as his hand is about to touch the ground and activate his powers, Lady Nagant’s bullet comes out of nowhere to just barely stop him.

“Honestly, monoma, shinso, gentle and lady Nagant seemed well thought out and interesting plot twists. Couldn't stay in my seat most of the time. Most shocking one was Lady Nagant because there was virtually no buildup to her appearance.” -Reddit user No_Till8429 laying out their favorite character returns in the final war arc.

Episode 154 had a string of sudden reappearances one after the other, making it difficult for someone watching to catch their breath. Despite being injured in the hospital, Lady Nagant remembered Deku’s words and pressed on to take a stand against All For One. After blowing off Shigaraki’s hand, she starts bleeding, declaring that she only has one shot left. Lady Nagant then blows off Shigaraki’s other arm, giving Deku a critical moment to rush him while he is distracted and pushing him away from the other heroes.

These moments are where My Hero Academia truly shines compared to other series. While its sheer number of different characters can be a weakness when it doesn’t develop them properly, having so many characters in the back pocket is the perfect setup for back-to-back emotional moments as the series draws to a close.

My Hero Academia can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Hulu.

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