Summary
Deku's dark hero storyline focuses on his struggle to act alone and shows his growth in mastering his powers. Villains like Muscular and Lady Nagant challenge Deku, showing his need for allies and friends in difficult times. My Hero Academia's dark hero storyline focuses on Deku's character development and the importance of not acting alone.
Deku, like All Might before him, is a bright and intelligent hero, but what if circumstances force him to take a darker approach to his heroics? My Hero Academia explored this question with its dark heroics, and in doing so, pointed out some of Midoriya's character flaws and how All Might's example isn't always the best one to follow.
My Hero Academia's dark hero arc begins with Deku leaving UA, finally informing his classmates about One for All and his situation as an explanation for his sudden departure. While ostensibly to protect his friends from becoming collateral damage in one of All for One's attacks, Deku's solo era not only shows how far he has come in mastering his powers, but also how difficult it can be to do everything on his own.
Deku's steadfast refusal of help, even from All Might, shows that his fate as the wielder of One for All has become a burden to him, and the story focuses on bringing Deku back from the brink.
My Hero Academia's dark hero storyline spans from chapters 307 to 328 of the manga and episodes 132 to 138 of the anime.
My Hero Academia uses villains brilliantly to reveal Deku's strengths and weaknesses
New and old villains highlight Deku's attributes
One of the best aspects of this arc is the villains, and how it uses them to reveal aspects of Deku's personality. First, of course, is the return of Muscular, Deku's dangerous opponent from the Forest Training Camp arc. In contrast to how badly injured Deku was earlier, he's able to use his multiple Quirks in the rematch to easily take down the villain, tie him up, and hand him over to the police while barely breaking a sweat. In terms of his control of One for All, Deku is much further along than where he was just a few months ago, showing how much he's grown.
Then there's Lady Nagant, who is possibly one of the most interesting villains in the series. A former hero assigned to a dirty assassination mission by the Hero Public Safety Committee, Nagant grew disgusted with the status quo and murdered her boss, leading to her imprisonment in Tartarus. Now assigned Deku as a new target by All for One, Lady Nagant corners Deku with her incredible sniper Quirk. Deku proves that he can see the good even in someone like her, and even understands why she did what she did, to the point of convincing her to share information about All for One.
However, the final encounter with the villain Deku turns out very differently. Continuing with minimal rest and barely even stopping to eat, Deku eventually pushes himself too far, and realizes too late that not even One for All grants him the power to operate completely alone.. Dictator could have easily captured Deku if Class 1-A hadn't shown up at the right time. Deku had to be reminded that he didn't have to do this alone, that he had friends and allies he could trust, and people who would be there for him in his weakest moments.
Deku's Personality Changed by Circumstances, But It's Not Too Late
Deku has changed, but his heart remains the same
This arc shows a different side of Deku than what has been seen before, though this change doesn't come out of nowhere. Deku has always felt the need to follow All Might's example, and All Might can handle any situation on his own, so Deku feels he needs to be able to do the same. With circumstances forcing Deku to do it on his own, this trait of his comes out in full force, to the point of even pushing All Might away out of fear that something might happen to him if he gets too close.
Of course, All Might has the same personality flaw, but this is his first time on the other side of the issue, so he doesn't know how to handle Deku. What Deku needed was a wake-up call, a reminder that many of the people around him were perfectly capable of protecting themselves, and their rescue of him was the perfect way to prove it. However, Deku has been imbued with the idea of a lonely and suffering hero, so convincing him to return to UA is sure to be an uphill battle.
Overall, this is a very believable “dark” version of Deku, because it’s not stress for the sake of stress; Deku genuinely feels like he has to do it himself, and desperately wants to protect everyone by keeping his distance. He wants to be with his friends, but he also believes that he can’t. Deep down, Deku’s core motivation remains the same: protecting the people he cares about, and that keeps this arc grounded in reality.
My Hero Academia uses what it was built for effectively
The series makes perfect use of Deku's past accomplishments
The plot ends with Deku returning to UA, but even that isn't easy, as they're faced with a chaotic crowd that's afraid to be around Deku for the same reason he's afraid to be around his friends. Uraraka's speech is powerful, a reminder that heroes are ultimately human and imperfect, something All Might easily forgets. This is something that only Uraraka, with her “Hero of Heroes” approach, could do, and it used her character perfectly at this crucial moment.
The story uses other returning characters to help drive this point home, such as Kota, also from the Jungle Training Camp arc.. It's a reminder that Deku's heroism has had a positive impact on the world, and that there are people willing to protect him. Even the starry-haired man from the first episode/chapter shows up, and helps convince the crowd to drop their crazy protests. Deku can only return because of the good things he's done in the past.
The Dark Hero Arc shows Deku at his lowest, even if he doesn't realize it. A good old shounen reminder of the power of friendship was certainly needed, but more importantly, they had to stamp out the idea that Deku had to be alone. By separating him from his friends and support, All for One made a great move, even if it seemed logical from Deku's perspective. Ultimately, this arc proved that Deku doesn't need to be All Might; no one can or should do everything on their own. Deku's true strength lies in the allies and friends he's made along the way, and that's My Hero Academia at its best.
