Summary
Gentle & La Brava are the only official couple in the final chapter of My Hero Academia. The series may have left major romances unresolved to avoid backlash and harassment from fans. Izuku & Ochaco's relationship may have been subtly confirmed thanks to some notable frames and dialogue between the two of them.
Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #430 of My Hero Academia. Romance has never been the main focus of My Hero Academiabut it has always been present to some extent. Over the ten years it has been on air, the series has found time to develop Izuku and Ochaco relationship as a budding romance and seemingly spawned smaller pairings like Kirishima and Ashido or Kaminari and Jiro, and for better or worse, those pairings and others have been a persistent topic of discussion among fans for years.
My Hero Academia ended in early August 2024, and the way it handled the romantic subplots, both explicit and implicit, was certainly surprising. One couple seemed to have become an official couple, but to the surprise of many, the only romance My Hero AcademiaThe final chapter officially released is not any of the main romance of the story.and ended with many issues still unresolved.
There's probably some reason behind that, and it might not be as simple as it seems, but either way this isn't how anyone expected the series to end.
Gentle & La Brava are the only official couple of My Hero Academia
The Only Couple of My Hero Academia Being Followed
Since their debut in the Cultural Festival arc, Gentle and La Brava's relationship has been framed as romantic due to La Brava's obvious feelings for Gentle and the attention Gentle shows her, in turn. The two have always been stated to be a couple, and sure enough, Gentle and La Brava make a brief appearance in the final chapter of My Hero Academia showing them wearing a pair of wedding ringsmeaning they got married at some point after the finale, most likely within the eight years of the final chapter.
The ending of My Hero Academia definitely established Gentle and La Brava as a couple, and surprisingly they were the only ones treated as such. Even after all the various romances over the years, especially Izuku and Ochaco's, My Hero Academia ended without confirming the status of any relationships beyond Gentle and La Bravawhether someone is married or they simply dated when they were young. It's a surprising decision for a shonen manga, and whether or not it's for the best will be a major topic of debate for years to come.
My Hero Academia May Have Secretly Confirmed Izuku and Ochaco Are a Couple
Two details give fans of this romantic drama hope.
While Gentle and La Brava were the only couple explicitly confirmed in the final chapter of My Hero Academia, the series may have subtly confirmed Izuku and Ochaco's relationship. At the beginning of the final chapter, Ochaco can be seen wearing Izuku's scarf. in a montage scene, and as an adult, Ochaco's outfit has a breathing apparatus that looks very similar to Izuku's. Those moments all suggest a surprising level of intimacy between them, and because of that, it's easy to see Izuku and Ochaco as a couple, even if My Hero Academia doesn't officially say so.
The biggest piece of support for Izuku and Ochaco becoming a couple comes from the penultimate chapter of the series. When Ochaco breaks down in guilt over Himiko's death, Izuku comforts her and reassures her that she'll always be his hero, and with the intimate scenes of Izuku and Ochaco in both that chapter and the final chapter, My Hero Academia #429 could be the moment when Izuku and Ochaco become an official couple. A more official confirmation of that would be ideal, but regardless, it's hard to see their relationship as anything other than romantic.
Why My Hero Academia Leaves So Many Romances Unresolved
It's disappointing that My Hero Academia doesn't confirm any major romantic relationships, but at the same time, it's understandable why. While romance is rarely the focus of shonen anime and manga, people are often so invested in it that not seeing their favorite ship make it to canon has drawn heavy criticism from fans for years afterward. Naruto and Bleach are both so notorious in that regard that people have allegedly sent death threats to their creators, so Kohei Horikoshi may not confirm any main pairings in the My Hero Academia to avoid harassment from the fan community.
Sadly, even the lack of confirmation didn't escape backlash. Even before the final chapter was officially released, My Hero Academia Fans reacted extremely negatively to the series not resolving any major relationship storylines.and while it's not on the same level as other famous brands, it's not going away anytime soon.
At the very least, any criticism of how My Hero Academia The handling of the romantic plotlines outside of Gentle and La Brava doesn't completely overshadow the more important commentary on the ending, both positive and negative, and hopefully that won't change in the years to come.