Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter #420
Summary
The dramatic loss of Deku's hands is quickly undone, robbing the story of potential consequences and dramatic tension. Deku's recovery could lead to a less-than-successful final battle, in which his role could be more emotional than physical. Although Deku's injuries have now been recovered, the impact of losing his arm could have added more depth to the story.
My Hero AcademyThe latest chapter went back and undid the most dramatic moment of the previous chapter, almost immediately erasing the consequences of Deku's actions. While this may be a necessary step to bring the story to a close, this undoing speed removes almost all of the dramatic tension from the scene.
In chapter 419, it was revealed that the damage Deku had subconsciously suffered to his hands had become reality, with the young hero losing both arms up to the elbow. Confronted by All for One, who had once again taken control of Shigaraki's body, Deku was essentially powerless, without a Quirk or even his fists to fight back. That's when Aizawa appears along with several other students of Class 1-A, offering a solution to Deku's problems.
Deku was given Eri's horn, which contained enough energy to briefly rewind him, far enough for his arm to begin regenerating.
Deku's loss was reversed so quickly
While it's obviously impossible for the hero to die of blood loss due to the loss of his arm, this development almost guarantees that there will be no consequences for Deku's actions. It might have been better if Deku was forced to deal with his missing legs for at least a few chapters before they were magically restored. After all, Deku's hands and arms have long been his weak points; he had been warned multiple times by Recovery Girl and other doctors that continued damage to his arms would render them useless, and this was just the most extreme version possible.
Deku would certainly be a lot worse off without his arms, but he has his Shooting Style to rely on, which would allow him to continue fighting even without his arms. Of course, Deku also doesn't currently have One for All's powers, so his kicks will likely lack the power needed to defeat All for One/Shigaraki. But then, whether Deku has arms or not hardly matters – either way, he won't do much damage to the villain because he doesn't have a Quirk.
Unless Eri's rewinding can somehow restore One for All, Deku might even contribute a lot to the fight at this point. Obviously he needs to be a part of this finale, but what can he do as a helpless teenager at this point? He is forced into a situation where he has to rely on his friends and the relationships he makes throughout the series, proving the power of human connection, but that still leaves Deku without the ability to defend oneself, with or without weapons.
Deku's recovery robs the story of its drama
Deku's situation could have been better like Bakugo's
A good point of comparison to Deku's situation could actually be Bakugo, who was about to die from overusing his Quirk earlier in the Final War arc. Bakugo was down for a long time, dozens of chapters, before getting up and ready to fight again, all thanks to Edgeshot's great sacrifice. It makes Bakugo's final return to the battlefield all the more impactful and gives the moment more drama.
Would the story be as strong if Bakugo appeared again in the next chapter? Of course not. The same applies here; Deku's injuries being recovered so soon after they happened robs the story of a lot of the potential drama surrounding Deku's survival and what he's still capable of doing. The issue isn't so much how Deku's wounds are healed, but how quickly they're healed. It almost makes enduring the injury pointless, since Deku's lack of arms really has no bearing on the story.
One point brought up is that rewinding will be slower than normal so perhaps Deku will have to deal with his incomplete hands, which are still regenerating for a while, forcing him to find another way to fight back. However, none of that addresses Deku's Quirk situation and exactly what power (if any) he has left from One for All now that the vestiges and their Quirk elements are gone. Is Deku getting his arms back more important than losing them?
Deku's role in the final battle with All for One
Deku takes on a new role to save Shigaraki?
Now that the stage is set for the final confrontation with All for One to save Shigaraki, the question is what Deku's role here will be, especially if he can't fight back otherwise. has Quirk. Deku can be tasked with acting as the “heart” here, reaching out to Shigaraki verbally and trying to overcome him, overcoming All for One's control and encouraging him to fight for the right to control one's own body.
Deku, having finally seen for himself Shigaraki's tragic origins, and learned the terrible extent to which All for One manipulated his life to make that tragedy happen, is in a unique position to reach Shigaraki. He is the only character who can truly understand all the suffering Shigaraki has gone through, and he still seems determined to save “Tenko”. Deku's role in the final battle may not be to fight but to use words to penetrate All for One's hate-fueled armor and reach Shigaraki, a job that does not require him must have any Quirk.
While it's disappointing that the dramatic reveal of Deku losing his arm won't have any significant impact on the story, there are still ways in which even a powerless Deku could help defeat his enemies. Surname. All for One can fight against heroes, but can he do it while still struggling to gain control of his body with Shigaraki? My Hero AcademyThe final battle certainly takes a strange turn, but despite this seemingly misstep, the series still has plenty of drama in the struggle for Shigaraki's soul.