The ending of My Hero Academia has sparked considerable debate and criticism from fans for many reasons, one of the most notable being the way Kohei Horikoshi treated its main character, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya.
Fans have been scrutinizing a number of moments in the final chapter, but one particular scene that seems to have slipped under the radar of widespread discussion involves Deku's conversation with a boy named Dai.
On the surface, this moment seems to reflect Deku's own origins, but upon deeper analysis, it highlights many inconsistencies and contradictions in Deku's character development and the story's ultimate conclusion.
While My Hero Academia has long been praised for its unique take on the hero genre and its exploration of what it means to be a hero, the final season and subsequent time period have left many fans feeling that the ending failed to live up to the expectations set by the series' previous seasons.
Deku's final actions and his conversation with Dai are just one example of how the ending failed to resonate with the majority of fans.
This scene in particular is a stark reminder of how some aspects of Deku's journey were ultimately left open-ended or poorly handled.
A look at the scene between Deku and Dai
The above conversation takes place in the final chapter of My Hero Academia, which takes place eight years after the passage of time.
In this scene, we see Deku working as a teacher at UA, the school that trained him to become a hero.
Now powerless, Deku has given up his hero life to take on the role of an educator.
During this time, Deku meets a boy named Dai, who expresses his doubts about becoming a hero. Dai has a Quirk, but he believes it is too weak to help him become a successful hero.
In a moment clearly meant to evoke nostalgia, Deku tells Dai that he can still become a hero, similar to the advice Deku himself received from All Might when he began his own journey.
To the uninformed observer, the scene seems heartwarming, a full-circle moment as Deku, now an adult, passes on the encouragement that inspired him to pursue his dreams.
However, when viewed in the context of Deku's character development and the decisions he makes towards the end of the series, this interaction begins to feel hollow and inconsistent with what has come before.
Why this scene doesn't work
The first and most obvious problem with this scene is that Deku himself is no longer a hero.
After losing the power of One For All, the powerful Quirk passed down by All Might, Deku no longer fights bad guys or participates in hero work.
He has decided to retire completely, even though he has the necessary training and resources to continue contributing to society as a hero, even without his Quirk.
Throughout the series, Deku is portrayed as someone willing to sacrifice everything to achieve his goal of becoming the greatest hero.
He trained tirelessly, faced seemingly insurmountable hardships, and risked his life many times in pursuit of heroism.
For a character who has spent much of the series fighting to prove that anyone, even someone as powerless as him, can be a hero, Deku's decision to abandon heroism seems contradictory.
This is what makes his conversation with Dai so out of place. Deku, who is no longer a hero, is now telling a boy with a weak Quirk that he can become a hero.
This message sounds pointless since Deku, after losing One For All, chose not to follow that advice.
Despite having the experience, knowledge, and technology to continue being a hero, Deku decides to retire and live a quieter life as a teacher.
This begs the question: If Deku no longer believes in his ability to become a hero without One For All, how can he truly tell Dai that he can achieve the same dream with a weaker Quirk?
Furthermore, Dai's circumstances are fundamentally different from Deku's. When Deku first started his journey, he was completely quirkless, meaning he didn't have any powers.
In contrast, Dai has a Quirk but not a particularly strong one. While both characters face challenges, Deku's initial struggle is considered much more dire because, in a world where almost everyone has a Quirk, not having a Quirk is considered a major disadvantage.
Dai's doubts, while well-founded, stem from somewhere else, and Deku's advice fails to take this into account. By telling Dai that he can become a hero just like he did, Deku ignores the fundamental differences in their circumstances.
The Contrast Between Deku and All Might
One of the main factors that makes this scene even more problematic is its contrast to Deku's initial encounter with All Might.
When Deku first meets All Might at the beginning of My Hero Academia, All Might hesitates to tell Deku that he can become a hero.
In fact, All Might originally advised Deku to reconsider his dream because hero work is dangerous, especially for someone without a Quirk.
All Might's caution stems from a deep understanding of the harsh realities of being a hero, something that Deku, at the time, did not fully understand.
This hesitation by All Might is a pivotal moment in the story because it highlights the risks of heroism.
All Might didn't want Deku to pursue such a dangerous career without fully understanding what he was getting into.
All Might eventually gives Deku the chance to become a hero by passing on One For All, but only after ensuring that Deku is willing to put in his best effort to succeed.
In contrast, Deku's conversation with Dai lacks this nuance. Deku offers no warnings or advice about the challenges Dai might face as a hero with a weak Quirk.
He does not share any of his experiences or give guidance on how to overcome these obstacles.
Instead, Deku simply tells Dai that he can become a hero, without acknowledging the dangers or hardships that come with the profession.
This lack of concern seems out of character for Deku, who has seen firsthand how dangerous and demanding heroism can be.
He also felt irresponsible for just encouraging Dai without offering any practical advice or support.
Bigger Problems with Deku's Character Storyline
While the conversation with Dai is one of the most prominent issues in the final chapter, it's not the only issue with how Deku's character is handled in My Hero Academia's ending.
The eight-year period left many questions about Deku's life unanswered, and fans expressed frustration that the character's storyline seemed to remain unresolved.
One of the most notable complaints is that Deku no longer being a hero feels like a betrayal of the series' core message.
Throughout My Hero Academia, the story emphasizes the idea that anyone can become a hero, regardless of their circumstances.
Deku, as the main character, embodies this message, from a boy with no quirks, no chance of becoming a hero to the one who eventually saves the world from the greatest villain, All For One.
However, by the end of the story, Deku has given up on heroism and lives a more peaceful, quiet life.
For many fans, this decision undermined much of the character development Deku had undergone throughout the series.
His journey is to push his limits and prove that hard work and determination can lead to success.
His eventual abandonment of heroism shows that Deku no longer believes in the idea that anyone can be a hero, at least not without a Quirk as powerful as One For All.
This feels like a betrayal of the theme the series spent so much time building and leaves the ending unsatisfying.
Lack of personal satisfaction in Deku's life
Another problem with Deku's character in the final chapter is the feeling that he still hasn't found fulfillment for himself, despite everything he's achieved.
After saving the world, Deku doesn't seem to have achieved much happiness or personal fulfillment.
His relationships with his classmates, especially with Ochaco Uraraka, remain unresolved.
Throughout the series, there are hints of a potential romantic relationship between Deku and Ochaco, but until the story's end, there is still no confirmation of any romantic development between them.
The lack of clarity in Deku's personal life further adds to the feeling that his character is incomplete.
While My Hero Academia primarily focuses on Deku's journey to becoming a hero, his relationships with his friends and classmates are also an important part of the story.
The fact that these relationships are left hanging at the end of the series only adds to the feeling of dissatisfaction with how Deku's story ends.
Ending Struggles with Thematic Consistency
Ultimately, the conversation between Deku and Dai is just one symptom of the larger problems in My Hero Academia's ending.
One of the biggest problems with the series' ending is its lack of thematic consistency.
For much of its story, My Hero Academia focuses on the idea that anyone, regardless of their starting point, can become a hero.
Deku embodies this theme as he overcomes his initial quirklessness to become one of the world's greatest heroes.
My ending is still crazy to me because Deku wasn't even recognized on the street
A 16/17 year old defeated a villain who was an INTERNATIONAL THREAT powerful enough to kill America's #1 hero, probably with billions of followers, just calmly going to work.
— Kiro🟣🇵🇱🇵🇸 (@Just_Kiro_lmao) August 30, 2024
However, by the end of the story, Deku has abandoned this ideal. He no longer fights as a hero and instead lives a more peaceful and normal life as a teacher.
This decision feels like a betrayal of the series' core message, and it makes Deku's advice to Dai meaningless. If Deku no longer believes he can be a hero without One For All, then how can he
Can he really tell Dai that he can succeed with a weak Quirk?
My Hero Academia's ending leaves many questions unanswered, and the thematic inconsistency between Deku's initial journey and his final decisions makes the ending feel unsatisfying.
While the conversation between Deku and Dai may seem like a small moment, it sums up a lot of the problems with how Deku's character and the story as a whole were handled in the finale.
Fans who have followed Deku's journey from the beginning feel that the story's resolution doesn't honor the character or themes that made My Hero Academia appealing in the first place.