Summary
Ochaco and Toga's deep relationship and psychological conflict make their rivalry unique in My Hero Academia. Their contrasting upbringings and emotional journeys highlight the dysfunction of hero society. Their final confrontation demonstrates empathy and understanding, emphasizing the themes of the series.
Since the Training Camp part of My Hero AcademiaOchaco and Toga clashed, and it became clear that the blonde villain would become Ochaco's fated opponent. This type of relationship is not unique in the series, as Deku and Shigaraki are also fated enemies, although much more predictable than the girls. The relationship between Ochacho and Toga is significantly deeper than any other hero-villain relationship in the series.
Ochaco and Toga only physically fight three times in the entire series: in the Training Camp arc, in the Mystic Liberation War, and the climactic battle in the Final War arc. Tsuyu (Froppy) is also present in all of these encounters, but she is left out of the emotional equation. More than supporting each other in the fight they achieve, Ochaco and Toga are in conflict psychologically and ideologically. This element is not present in other rivalries and it makes Toga and Ochaco very interesting to watch.
Ochaco Uraraka and Himiko Toga: Two Sides of the Same Coin
Girls need confrontation to open their minds.
My Hero Academia's author, Kohei Horikoshi, is very good at drawing parallels between characters and situations. He also takes stereotypical shounen heroine is reduced to a love interest and creates a turning point. Both Ochaco and Toga are very emotional and have romance surrounding their character development, and while Izuku is somewhat involved in the mix, as they both have crushes on him, he only is an accessory for girls to express their worldview and priorities. However, they are opposed to each other on this issue.
As early as the Arc Sports Festival, it was shown that Ochaco tries to hide and ignore her true feelings.. She tried to pretend like she wasn't nervous when facing Bakugo, or disappointed when she lost to him. She also tries to stay away from her classmates when they start pointing out her feelings for Deku. Toga is on the opposite side. She goes around declaring what she likes, who she likes, and how she feels. Toga grew up being told to suppress what makes her who she is, so now that she's relatively free, she goes around imposing herself.
The relationship between Ochaco and Himiko is emblematic of what My Hero Academia is truly about.
Idealizing heroes doesn't benefit anyone
Hero society is dysfunctional. Perhaps that's the whole plot of the series, deduced from the circumstances that brought the story to where it is now. All the villains became evil because society failed them, and Toga is no exception. She grew up as a relatively normal girl, until she couldn't control her powers, and she wasn't appreciated enough to do so. Sucking blood wasn't considered graceful or useful, so she was told to hide her impulses. Ochaco came from a poor family that struggled, which made her glorify heroes because they helped people and made a lot of money.
The differences in their upbringings cause these girls to have biased views of hero society. Toga feels rejected by society at large, as she thinks she will never be accepted for who she is. Ochaco idolizes heroism at the beginning of the series, but upon witnessing what it does to Deku and Toga, she reconsiders her values. This is what makes her curious about Toga after she sees her cry, and why she thinks about her until their final battle, trying to empathize with her. That final battle is nothing short of emotional.
The final moments of their battle, depicted in chapters 394 and 395, show Ochaco finally being able to look beyond her prejudices and understand Toga, who finally feels seen, appreciated, and accepted. Toga could have easily won the battle and ended Ochaco's life, but their conversation caused a change in their thinking.He decided to sacrifice her safety to save Ochaco. to the end. It's not an epic battle, but it's incredibly moving and puts the whole story into perspective.
With My Hero Academia officially ended early, and most of the dynamics and rivalries between heroes and villains had come to an end, looking back at what the series did best is not uncommon. For example, Ochaco and Toga's relationship, despite having less screen time than Deku and Bakugo, is still some of the best storytelling in the series. Hopefully the competition between these girls will pave the way for more interesting depictions of women in shounen.