Summary
Deku’s absence from the final battle in My Hero Academia allows the series to focus on the other characters and their unresolved character arcs. The strategic division of the characters created opportunities for growth and development, such as Endeavor and Hawks stepping into their roles as top pro heroes. Various battles and conflicts were explored during this period, including those that were not originally staged, providing opportunities for supporting characters to deal with their own emotions and stories.
While Deku is the main character of My Hero Academy, the series boasts a large cast of characters, many of whom still have unresolved character arcs. Chapter 348 puts Deku on a race to Shigaraki’s location, taking him away from the final battle for a long time. This extended absence gave the series an opportunity to end.
My Hero Academia, a superhero manga by Kohei Horikoshi, is currently in its final arc, the war between the Hero Association and the League of Villains of My Hero Academia. The war is taking place on many fronts in many different locations, with both heroes and villains divided between them. The heroes tried to arrange these battles in such a way that they had the maximum chance of winning, but Deku was taken away from his intended battlefield by Himiko Toga. This puts the group of heroes fighting Shigaraki at a great disadvantage, even though there are many heroes present.
My Hero Academia has guaranteed its characters a chance to grow
At the end of chapter 348, Deku leaves the battle with Toga to head to the battle with Shigaraki. Even though Deku can use his powers to move very quickly, Shigaraki is about 200 kilometers away from where they are fighting Toga, so it will still take a fair amount of time to get there. In several chapters, Deku looks ahead to My Hero Academia’s big battle with Shigaraki, leaving the series to focus on other characters and fights in the meantime. Horikoshi was able to tackle some character arcs without compromising the combat that the series has been building to.
The characters are divided up in a very special way, setting up battles that benefit the heroes as well as providing opportunities for character development. Endeavor, Hawks, and All for One are all sent to the Gunga Mountain Villa location, which offers the opportunity for Endeavor and Hawks to truly step into the shoes of top pro heroes. Shoto Todoroki must face his estranged brother, Dabi, at least until Dabi is teleported away to fight Endeavor. Dabi’s war against his own family gave them the opportunity to bring the long-running Todoroki family drama to a climax. The battle between Ochaco and Toga also gives the two girls a chance to resolve their own complicated feelings.
Other battles were also visited throughout this period, including those not clearly established before. For example, there is also conflict between Spinner and his mutant followers, trying to free Kurogiri, pitting them against Shoji and Koda, two of Class 1-A’s mutants. The story also takes time to check in with Shinso, who is finally able to use his voice modification device to control Gigantomachia. Even characters who haven’t appeared in multiple chapters, like Gentle Crime and Lady Nagant, reappear in the final battle, although admittedly they appear after Deku’s (temporary) return outstanding.
All of these battles and character arcs could have been lost if the battle between Shigaraki and Deku started right away. The battle between the successors All for One and One for All is what the entire series has been building towards. By taking Deku out of the picture for a while, My Hero Academy expertly sets the stage for the large cast of supporting characters to complete their character arcs before the final battle truly begins.
