My Hero Academia’s fourth season ended with the number one and two heroes teaming up to battle the High End-Nomu, with Endeavor and Hawks barely managing to score a victory, and the creator of the Shonen franchise, Kohei Horikoshi, recently went into details about what inspired his story in creating their respective pasts. Both of the top two heroes have troubled pasts, to say the least, with the top hero’s past being destroyed by his own actions while Hawks was born in a troubled household where he was fated to become a hero by the tragic events that befell him.
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In the recent publication of Jump Giga Spring 2021, Kohei Horikoshi dove into a lot of topics with regards to My Hero Academia, the Drawing Smash Art Exhibit, and the characters he has created while being a part of the world of Shonen. When asked about making certain characters’ flashbacks “really intense”, the mangaka didn’t mince words as to where he drew inspiration:
“In Hawks’ and the Todoroki Family’s past, I tried to emulate the feeling of Sion Sono’s works as a director. With no intention of reaching that level of quality, of course. When I set a goal in my mind I start things, “how exactly am I going to get there?” Then I get in the mood and proceed to draw non-stop. If I don’t plan it right, I’ll just keep drawing sad stories one after another and get in a gloomy mood, so that’s a routine I try to keep for the sake of my mental health.”
For those who might not be familiar, Sion Sono is a big director in Japan who has created films such as Suicide Club, Strange Circus, and Tage to name a few. Needless to say, pulling inspiration from this filmmaker certainly explains how dire the past for Endeavor and Hawks is. With the Final Act of My Hero Academia playing out in the pages of the manga, we definitely foresee there being far more emotional moments for the Shonen franchise before we see the students of UA Academy take their final bow.
While the Joint Training Exercise Arc doesn’t have many tragic moments for season five of the anime, expect some heart-wrenching scenes to come, specifically during the “My Villain Academia” Arc.
Who has the most tragic past in the history of My Hero Academia? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of UA Academy.
