My Hero Academia: What Is Stain’s Perfect Ending?

My Hero Academia has introduced countless heroes and villains that have risen to the top of anime fans’ minds since the series first debuted on the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. One of the most striking has been Stain, the hero killer who believes that few heroes are able to actually live up to his high standards in protecting innocent civilians. With the villain eliminating a number of crime fighters that failed to meet his high expectations, now is as good a time as any to dissect what a perfect ending for Stain looks like.

Currently, My Hero Academia’s final arc is playing out in the pages of its manga series, with My Hero Academia Season 7 already confirmed for a future release. With the sixth season finale giving us a scene featuring Stain taking All Might to the side and having the former symbol of peace question what it means to be a hero, the hero killer might be leaning closer to the heroic side of things in the final battle. Stain also made an appearance in the latest chapter of the manga, watching the final battle featuring the students of Class 1-A fighting against All For One, Shigaraki, and their villainous hordes.

Can Stain Ever Find Peace?

Stain’s modus operandi has been an interesting one, in which the villain truly believes that what he is doing is for the benefit of Hero Society. Believing that current crime fighters are simply fighting crime as a way to gain fame and fortune, the antagonist took matters into his own hands and has killed those who do not meet his high threshold. When thinking of what could be a “perfect ending” for Stain, it would clearly be one where he is confident that he was able to shift the tides in Hero Society, though it could also be one wherein he does not survive to see it through.

Anime franchises, especially shonen ones, haven’t been shy when it comes to the idea of redemption, as countless stories in the medium have seen villains becoming heroes. While Stain’s body count might make it tough for him to gain trust as a future hero, we could definitely foresee him lending the heroes a hand in the current fight against All For One and Shigaraki following his prison break. Ultimately, Stain dying in a blaze of glory while attempting to aid the heroes in their darkest hour might be the perfect crescendo to the terrifying character.