Summary
- Becoming a hero in My Hero Academia is challenging due to quirks and qualifications.
- Koichi failed to become a hero because he prioritized saving a life over the entrance test.
- Despite his heroic actions, Koichi may still have a chance at becoming a professional hero. (117 characters)
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes tells the perspective of vigilantes who, as self-made heroes, serve their version of justice in society. While many of these vigilantes hold the same morals as professional heroes, they lack or fail in one way or another, which stops them from becoming heroes. The fifth episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes revealed why Koichi couldn't become a hero.
Becoming a hero in My Hero Academia is not as easy as it seems. The path to obtaining a professional hero license is a difficult and lengthy one. Most people are stopped by the limitations of their quirks, while others fail to qualify through the right channels. But Koichi's failure is much deeper and more heroic.
My Hero Academia Vigilantes: What's the Difference Between Vigilantes and Heroes?
The law separates the vigilantes and heroes in My Hero Academia Vigilantes.
Why Koichi Failed to Become a Hero
The Path to Becoming a Hero
While there isn't a concrete path to becoming a hero, the most common practice starts with joining a high school that offers a hero course. A hero course trains its students to effectively use their quirks, work with teammates, and build qualities essential to a hero. Joining most schools will require an entrance test that will primarily test their applicants' combat strength while also assessing their mindsets as heroes.
A True Desire to Become a Hero
Koichi confessed that earlier in his life, up through middle school, he was genuinely serious about becoming a hero and, as a result, decided to appear for a hero course entrance test at a high school. But on the morning of the test, he was already late and even got lost in the streets of Tokyo. But when he found a kid drowning in a river, he stopped in his tracks to save the kid.
He decided to put his own life at risk and immediately jumped into the river, only to realize it was too shallow to drown him. After saving the kid, he even gave away his prized All Might hoodie to warm up the kid while he was freezing himself. When he reached the high school, it was too late for the test.
Failed to Become a Hero While Living As One
Koichi's fate is ironic because the reason behind his failure to become a hero is actually heroic. He gave up on the chance of becoming a hero to do something as heroic as saving someone's life. We have seen Midoriya go through a similar fate when, during the U.A. Entrance test, he chose to save Ochaco over getting villain points.
Unfortunately for Koichi, unlike Midoriya, his heroism wasn't seen and rewarded. He continues to wonder to date that if he had not missed the test, maybe he would still have pursued being a hero.
Sometimes I wonder, would I still be trying to become a hero if that event hadn't happened?
But I figure, I left my hero spirit, along with my prized hoodie, to that boy whose name I don't even know.
- Koichi, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Episode 5
How Will the Past Affect Koichi?
Creation of a Stronger Bond
Koichi revealed his past during a conversation with Pop. Unaware of the kid's identity, Koichi always assumed that it was a young boy. But instead, the kid he saved is actually his vigilante comrade, Pop. When Pop finds out about Koichi's past, she partly feels responsible for his failure as a hero, but also grateful that he saved her life.
She decides to tell him the truth and thank him, but Knuckleduster's presence embarrasses her, and she fails to do so. Regardless, now knowing the truth, Pop is likely to get closer to Koichi, and they'll have a stronger bond.
Retracking the Path of a Hero
Koichi's past confirmed that Koichi has all the qualities of being a real hero. His recent interaction with Ingenium also suggested that it might not be too late for him to still become a hero. Sooner or later, we might see him go back on the track of becoming a professional hero.
Are Vigilantes Really Needed in the My Hero Academia Universe?
My Hero Academia's world is full of iconic heroes. In such a world, are vigilantes really needed?
Koichi's past justifies vigilantes' images as unrecognized heroes. Though they are not officially heroes, they hold the same sense of justice and spirit as real heroes. As the anime goes on, will they continue to blur the line between professional heroes and vigilantes?
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available to watch on Crunchyroll and Netflix.