My Hero Academia's Ending Was Just Okay, But I Know How The New Epilogue Can Make It Incredible (2024)

The ending of My Hero Academia was rather controversial with fans, and even as a superfan, I'll admit that it could've been better than it was. With news coming that the final volume will include as many as 60 pages of additional content, however, it may well change how fans view the ending--if it's willing to make a few adjustments in that extra content.

My Hero Academia's epilogue arc contained quite a few moments which irritated or even enraged some fans, while skipping over some moments which it desperately needed to address. These factors led to quite a few fans decrying the entire series as bad, when just a few weeks ago it was still being regarded as quality. It's understandable why some fans might feel this way, but the ending really isn't as terrible as these readers like to claim. With a few new scenes, set both before and after the timeskip, it could easily ascend to being a fantastic ending.

My Hero Academia Had Critical Issues It Needed to Address

The Ending Skipped Elements Fans Were Dying to See Resolved

One of the most obvious problems with the ending is that it provided absolutely no resolution to the Ochaco/Izuku romance that had been boiling under the surface throughout the series. That doesn't mean that Ochaco and Izuku have to get together, however; it could still be a satisfying ending if they didn't, at least for most fans, provided her reasons for not pursuing a relationship with Deku are sensible ones. Either way, though, it's important for the story to show fans exactly what happened with these two after teasing their relationship for hundreds of chapters.

This is a simple enough change to address--just add a scene where the two are allowed to discuss their feelings and come to a resolution. It could be before or after the timeskip, depending on whether or not the intent is for them to end up together. A post-timeskip scene could be as simple as a single panel of the two holding hands, or even Deku just discussing his relationship with another character--"How is Ochaco doing?" is all it would take to prove that the two haven't lost contact since school, and that Deku's not nearly as alone in his ending as some fans feared he might be.

For that matter, more scenes in the post-timeskip era in general would be a better idea. My Hero Academia has made fans care about its core cast of characters, but several of them weren't mentioned in the ending at all, or were merely name-dropped in an unsatisfying way. Show us what characters like Mina, Jiro, and Sero are up to; they may not be the most popular, but they have their fans, and they deserve to know what happened to their favorite characters.

My Hero Academia Could Address Some Other Controversial Elements of Its Ending

While What to Do is Less Clear, These Loose Ends Should Be Tied Up

There were several elements of the final chapters which fans took issue with aside from Deku's apparent loneliness. Some fans were upset about how certain villains were treated. For example, why is it that Spinner gets to live and go free, while Toga is believed to be dead? It is possible that Toga is still out there; her body was last seen lying on top of Ochaco's, but when Ochaco is rescued by the helicopter, Toga's not there anymore. Did she get up and walk off? Or did someone merely move her body? It certainly didn't look like anyone was attending to Ochaco's injuries, after all, so who would've moved her?

The story could easily reveal that Toga is still alive and out there, living a new life under a new identity. This would certainly please Toga fans, some of whom felt her fate was a bit cruel compared to other members of the League who survived. This is also a problem with Dabi's fate; keeping him alive in this state of near-death struck some fans as exceptionally cruel, something being done only to make Endeavor feel better without any regard for the hell that Dabi is enduring. It's less clear what could be done to make Dabi's fate any less severe, but at least an acknowledgment of the bad optics would help.

Of course, other fans may not have a problem with what happened to Dabi or Toga, seeing as they're villains, but since My Hero Academia encouraged its fans to empathize with its villains, it should still treat the characters with a degree of respect. At the very least, the story could show how their memories live on in Ochaco and Shoto, the same way Shigaraki's memory lives on in Deku.

The Ending of My Hero Academia Needs Expansion

The Series' Ending Would Benefit Greatly From More Material

The final chapter of My Hero Academia definitely feels a bit rushed, looking back on it now. It feels a bit absurd to say that an ending 430 chapters in the making was rushed, but there are simply too many characters and story elements which needed to be addressed in such a small number of pages at the end. A long story needs a long ending, and the brief post-timeskip era (which isn't even the whole chapter) just doesn't quite cut it. The ending actually does surprisingly well, considering how densely the information is crammed in at times.

With these extra pages in the final volume, Horikoshi has the opportunity to give his ending a chance to breathe, to slow down a bit and showcase how far our heroes have come--all of them. If society has changed for the better, then show us how it has changed. If Deku hasn't been abandoned by his friends, then show them reaching out to him to prove he's not forgotten. These extra pages can resolve a lot of the criticisms of My Hero Academia's ending, but only if they're used intelligently to expand upon the ending that we already have.

My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is a multimedia franchise that follows a young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming a hero despite being born without superpowers. These superpowers, known as "Quirks" are found in most people after birth, but Izuku wasn't so lucky - until a fateful encounter with All Might, Japan's greatest hero, Izuku inherits his Quirk and enrolls in U.A. High School to learn the true meaning of heroism. Alongside his classmates, each endowed with unique abilities, Izuku faces rigorous training and lethal threats from villainous forces.

Movie(s)

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018) , My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019) , My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021)

First Film

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)

Cast

Daiki Yamashita , Kenta Miyake , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Ayane Sakura , Yûki Kaji , Aoi Yuki , Kaito Ishikawa , Toshiki Masuda , Marina Inoue , Yoshimasa Hosoya

TV Show(s)

My Hero Academia

Character(s)

Izuku Midoriya , All Might , Katsuki Bakugo , Ochaco Uraraka , Shoto Todoroki , Tsuyu Asui , Tenya Iida , Eijiro Kirishima , Momo Yaoyorozu , Fumikage Tokoyami

Video Game(s)

My Hero Academia: Battle for All , My Hero One's Justice , My Hero One's Justice 2