‘My Hero Academia’ Gives Midoriya A Major Hero Upgrade

Izuku Midoriya hit a major milestone in this week’s My Hero Academia, officially putting the hero Deku on the streets.

Midoriya and the rest of class 1-A have spent the last several weeks wrapped up in the provisional hero licensing exam. The test finally came to a close this week, with nearly everyone in the class passing. This is huge news for the students — and for the series’ intrepid hero, Midoriya — as they can now legally use their quirks in public, and even patrol the streets alongside other licensed heroes.

The episode opened with an infuriating cliffhanger. Midoriya gave an inscrutable expression as he looked at the results board, and the truth about whether he had passed or not was withheld until after the credits. Finally, it was revealed that all but three students on the field had passed: Bakugo, Todoroki and Inasa, the powerful and enthusiastic student from Shiketsu High School.

Thee administrators also finally reveal how the last part of the exam was scored. Rather than earning points, each contestant began with a full score. They could only lose points by making errors in the rescue process. This distinction left one odd question: why did the administrators allow students who had fallen below the minimum of 50 points to stay on the field?

Midoriya himself ponders this question, casting a sidelong glance at Todoroki and Inasa. However, in his parting statement, the administrator, Mera, explained that they wanted to watch all the contestants until the end decide whether or not to test them further afterward. Ultimately, he decided to let Todoroki, Inasa and Bakugo take an individual exam after three more months of study and training.

Mera also explained that the provisional license exam gave all the students the full rights and authority of a pro hero in the case of an emergency. However, he warned them that this was more of a responsibility than a perk, and that they would be judged harder and harder on their actions from here on out.

No one understands this better than our hero, Midoriya. The fledgling Symbol of Peace has spent more time studying and theorizing on hero comportion than anyone else in the series. His years of fixation and obsession give him a strategic advantage that has allowed him to get this far even when his quirk was all but useless. Now that he has a comfortable grasp of Full Cowling, he is quite possibly the most capable student in his class.

The episode ends with his long-time rival, Bakugo, calling that exact fact in question. As the episode ends, Bakugo leads Midoriya out of the dorms after dark, challenging him to a one-on-one fight. After his infuriating loss at the exam, Bakugo wants to test his strength against Midoriya to see if he is somehow falling behind. Based on the preview, the fight could get pretty heated, as the two are shown covered in blood and soot, going at each other in mid-air — lighting in Midoriya’s hand and fire in Bakugo’s.

Fans will just have to wait until next weekend to find out. My Hero Academia air on Saturdays on TokyoTV. A subtitled simulcast airs at 4 a.m. ET in North America every week, on services including Hulu and Crunchyroll.