High lacks action and conflict, yet it’s still deeply satisfying to see everyone get a chance to earnestly talk about everything that’s going on after such a reactionary and busy season. It’s the complete opposite of the danger that rubs up against All Might in the finale’s first half. In fact, there’s an extended sequence in this episode where Deku and the rest of the Class 1-A’s male students scrub up and unwind in a bath. All Might’s inherent heroism shines through.Īll Might looks deep into his soul to help get his groove back, but Deku’s journey in “No Man is an Island” is much more low-key. A vicious villain who’s claimed the lives of more than 40 Pro Heroes can’t help but prostrate himself in All Might’s presence, even if on some level he doesn’t fully believe that it’s him. There are some genuinely wicked forces in the world, but when threats like Stain become allies it’s hard to argue with the idea that everyone occupies shades of grey and has the capacity for both altruism or evil. The villainous vigilante provides All Might with a pep talk, reality check, and vital intel, all of which underscore how much things have changed over the course of My Hero Academia’s past few seasons. It’s Stain who triggers this mood shift in All Might. Progress only happens if you stay resilient and All Might has inspired a whole nation to fight back. All Might has moments of weakness, but he learns that he needs to just keep at it, piece-by-piece, day-by-day, like cleaning the scum off of a statue. It’s not easy to stay optimistic in the face of overwhelming evil. This whole cycle of self-pity helps All Might understand that he’s still essential to society even if his name is tarnished and his monument gets vandalized. He worries that he’s the furthest from a hero that he’s ever been and if he even has anything to offer Deku anymore. Stain offers All Might an ear, not an edge.Īll Might mourns his life in service to heroism when he’s currently left with a demolished city and dissidence. What instead follows is considerably more magnanimous. The past few episodes have teased Stain’s return following the Tartarus jailbreak and for a moment it even feels like this finale could feature an impromptu All Might assassination by Stain’s blade as a way to properly motivate Deku–and hero society as a whole–to take this threat seriously. “No Man is an Island” follows this formula, but the biggest surprise to come out of this episode is that disgraced villain and season two antagonist, Hero Killer: Stain, becomes the episode’s MVP. My Hero Academia is no stranger to laid back and restrained finales that take stock of the year’s events. “No Man is an Island” stays true to its name with a bifurcated structure that follows All Might and Deku, both united by the power of One For All, but also both required to make some major decisions to help protect the public’s future.
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