The Point to MHA’s “Unsatisfying” Ending (spoilers ahead!)

By Lyvia Maloa

As 2025 neared its end, so did the beloved series “My Hero Academia” (also known as MHA). Many were left with questions and expressed irritation with the ending. I’ve come across many forums, videos, and podcasts discussing the “disgraceful” ending to MHA’s legacy. Most agree that the ending was written sloppily and hastily, following the downfall of JJK after its abrupt ending. In this article, I’d like to talk about why the choices made for this ending are the best ones Horikoshi could have made.

A big reason why people disliked the ending was because Izuku Midoriya (the main character of the series) lost his quirk (powers). This power, known as One for All, had been passed down to Midoriya and was the reason why the series had started in the first place. It was a powerful quirk that had been passed down from person to person and generation to generation. Midoriya, a once quirkless boy, inherits this power from All Might, the strongest hero. The story had followed his development, from getting a grasp of the power and how to use only a small amount of it, to surpassing those restrictions and using the power to its full extent. He bests the villain, but in turn loses his power. The series continues eight years later, with Midoriya as a teacher at his former high school, before going back into the hero field without a quirk with a suit that Bakugo got for him.

Many people were upset by this. He had spent all this time and had put in so much effort just to not be number one? Atrocious! But, as readers we should think of what type of personalities these characters have, what motivates them, and how they deal with loss. The one thing we know as an audience is that Midoriya will always do the best with what he has, and if he doesn’t have everything he needs, he’ll compromise. Just like in the fight when he didn’t have the means to move his body, but he made it work. And having Bakugo give Midoriya a tool to use to come back into heroism was the best option as it closed the gap between them that they had their whole life.

Bakugo and Midoriya are (I would say) the two most developed characters in the series, going from rivals to comrades to something akin to friends. Midoriya came out of his shell, having more confidence as he got stronger and learning how to be a team leader. Bakugo had everything handed to him on a silver platter, his quirk, his looks, and his financial status. They completely contradict each other, one who didn’t have to work as hard to get where he got, and the other having to work the hardest to end up where he was. Bakugo had rejected Midoriya his whole life, he hated how forgiving he was and envied his connection to his idol. But the ending showcases how far they’ve come as friends and rivals, and how Bakugo had finally accepted Midoriya and mourned the loss of the thing Midoriya fought for. Giving Midoriya something he can use to fulfill his dream was the most Bakugo thing ever. We also have to remember that the only reason One for All existed was to defeat All for One, so when it’s use was fulfilled, it didn’t need to stay. It was a power to protect people and defeat evil, and if the most evil person was defeated, why would it still be there?