8 Seasons Later, My Hero Academia Still Refuses To Answer Its First & Most Important Question

My Hero Academia‘s anime is nearing its end, and eight seasons later, the series still refuses to answer its first and most important question. My Hero Academia made its debut back in 2016, with the anime becoming an instant classic. Given the popularity of Kohei Horikoshi’s manga, this is no surprise. It helps that Izuku Midoriya is someone you genuinely want to root for. His story is one of an underdog whose dream of being the number one hero seems out of reach — and it sends the uplifting message that, with enough work and perseverance, he can still make it happen.

Of course, that message is a bit murky throughout the anime, as Midoriya starts the series as a truly unlikely hero. He’s one of the rare people in My Hero Academia‘s world who is missing a Quirk, and his lack of power leaves us to wonder how he’ll ever face villains or save people. It’s a fair question and one that even he asks, with All Might assuring him that he can still be a hero in the second episode. However, All Might gives him the power of One for All directly after, and it’s largely thanks to this that Midoriya pursues his dream in earnest. This contradicts All Might’s original sentiment, and by My Hero Academia Season 8, the anime is still no closer to taking a definitive stance on it.

Warning: SPOILERS ahead for My Hero Academia Season 8, Episodes 1-8.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Still Can’t Answer Season 1’s Earliest Question

My Hero Academia‘s first two episodes insist that Deku can be a hero without a Quirk, but they don’t fully commit to the message. As All Might points out, his interference with the Sludge Monster helps save Bakugo, but it’s still a team effort. Midoriya stalling for time only works because All Might is able to step in. Additionally, the anime’s premise contradicts itself, only allowing its Quirkless underdog to become a Pro because he receives a power. His good nature and drive are what get All Might’s attention, but Midoriya likely couldn’t take up the mantle with those qualities alone. His story requiring him to inherit One for All puts it at odds with the message it wants to send.

And My Hero Academia Season 8 continues to contradict itself on this front, even as its ending wants to take a side. During its final battle, Midoriya relinquishes the power of One for All to defeat Shigaraki, then uses the last embers of it to get rid of All for One. This renders him Quirkless once more, with the anime suggesting that his sacrifice is what truly makes him a hero. It’s fully in line with the series’ idea that saving people and winning go hand-in-hand and are about more than physical power. It’s the answer the anime wants to give to Midoriya’s initial question, but it ignores a glaring issue.

Midoriya’s sacrifice is only possible because he has a Quirk to give up in the first place, and that presents a problem with both All Might’s answer and the series’ message overall. As Midoriya speaks to Aizawa on the battlefield, expressing gratitude to have possessed it for a short time, it’s obvious that One for All is the reason Midoriya becomes “the world’s greatest hero.” He could have made a difference on a smaller scale if he remained Quirkless. However, he certainly wouldn’t be facing off with two of the series’ greatest villains, and that makes it hard to fully buy into what the anime is selling.

My Hero Academia’s Contradictory Premise Was Inevitable From The Beginning

Unfortunately, My Hero Academia‘s contradictory message was inevitable from the beginning. The series needs Midoriya to have a power to keep viewers’ interest. In a setting full of superhumans, following a main character who’s largely removed from that world just wouldn’t be interesting. The writers could have shoehorned him into some of the same storylines, but the results wouldn’t have been as satisfying. By giving Midoriya a power, the anime guarantees there’s great action and thrills. Unfortunately, it also ensures that it can never fully commit to the argument it so clearly wants to make: that anyone can be a hero without a Quirk. Midoriya’s entire narrative is only possible because he’s given one.

Warning: SPOILERS for My Hero Academia‘s manga ending ahead.

My Hero Academia’s Coming Episodes Will Fix the Problem, but Not Fully

The final episodes of My Hero Academia will make a bit more progress towards answering Midoriya’s opening question, as it will show us how his hero career can continue without a Quirk. The anime has already laid the groundwork for this, with All Might entering the fight against All for One in an armored suit in Season 7. Those who have read the source material know that Midoriya goes on to teach at U.A. High, then receives a similar suit to do actual hero work in. Both are pursuits that allow him to prove All Might right, demonstrating that he can be a Quirkless hero.

Of course, the series doesn’t fully make this point, as he’s still in this position because of the last eight seasons — a journey only that fully stems from One for All. This reality takes viewer back into the anime’s loop, which can’t answer its opening question. No matter what, it ends up supporting both possible answers, which might be why My Hero Academia‘s ending remains so divisive.

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