My Hero Academia gave fans a major thrill this week when it finally brought a fan-favorite hero back to the battlefield. (SPOILERS) No. 3 hero Best Jeanist arrived just in time to save no. 1 hero Endeavor and U.A. students Izuku Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki from an onslaught by Dabi and the League of Villains. The rescue came just in the nick of time, too: Dabi’s big revelation of his true name and origin have shaken the heroes to their core. However, even though it looks like Best Jeanist has come to save the day, there are also big hints that this could be Jeanist’s ultimate sacrifice!
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Warning: My Hero Academia SPOILERS Follow!
Earlier chapters of My Hero Academia teased Best Jeanist’s arrival at the Battle of Jaku City. Brief teaser scenes showed the fashion icon hero being flown in on a cargo plane while standing off-panel, and in chapter 291 he finally makes his big entrance.
Dabi’s reveal that he’s Endeavor’s son Toya (long thought dead) has staggered the heroes long enough for Dabi to attempt to finish them off with a massive burn attack. Best Jeanist comes dropping into the battlefield from the plane, using his trademark fabric manipulation quirk to skewer the villains and wrap Dabi in a tight coil. Always polite, Jeanist tells his comrades, “Apologies for the delay! As of today, Best Jeanist is back on duty!!”
Best Jeanist’s bravado certainly has fans cheering, but let’s not forget the ominous subtext to those initial teaser scenes. While being flown in on the plane, it was clear that while Best Jeanist is eager to get back to the fight and help out his friends, he’s not fully recovered from his wounds.
If you don’t recall, Jeanist was critically injured while facing All For One in the Battle of Kamino, and lost one of his lungs. He effectively retired from hero duty, even though he still was moved up in the hero ranks after All Might’s retirement. In order to infiltrate the League of Villains, no. 2 Hawks staged Best Jeanist murder to prove he was a villain; now Dabi has used that betrayal to frame Hawks as a traitor to the hero code. So even if he doesn’t do well in the fight against the villains, Jeanist just showing up again could do a lot to restore the public’s crumbling faith in heroes.
