After ten years, Kohei Horikoshi’s popular superhero series My Hero Academia has ended with its final chapter. The series wraps up with Deku’s journey to becoming the greatest hero concluding in chapter #430.
In the finale, Deku returns to U.A. High School after his battle with Shigaraki, despite losing his quirk, One For All, and becoming quirkless again. The chapter skips ahead eight years to show Deku as a teacher at U.A., while his classmates have become famous heroes.
The final chapter also shows that the power of One For All has completely faded away. However, at the end of the chapter, All Might gives Deku a new mechanical suit created by Hatsune Mei and an overseas friend of All Might’s, funded by the Class 1-A alumni. With this new suit, Deku gets a chance to be a hero again alongside his friends.
In chapter #424 of My Hero Academia, despite severe injuries, Deku returns to U.A. and continues his hero studies. In the next chapter, Aoyama leaves U.A., and Shinso joins Class 1-A. Even with only the fading power of One For All, Deku keeps studying hard with Class 1-A, who graduate in chapter #430.
The final chapter shows Deku as a teacher at U.A., while Shoto and Bakugo become top heroes, despite Bakugo’s temper. Shoji is awarded the Imamura Peace Prize for resolving conflicts involving discrimination against heteromorphs.
Iida, Asui, Yaoyorozu, and Uraraka are seen touring elementary schools nationwide to offer quirk counseling. Kirishima has become very popular, especially among men, according to Deku.
The chapter also updates on other characters: Kouta joins the hero course at U.A., Mei starts her own design agency, and La Brava creates a coding company called Gel Inc. Spinner publishes a book, “League of Villains,” sharing the story of the final battle from the villains’ perspective. Most importantly,
All Might, now old and grey, is still doing well eight years later despite his injuries from the battle against All For One.
Deku as Teacher, Graduations, and Post-Series Updates
In the final battle against Shigaraki, Deku gives up One For All to get past the hatred and reach Shigaraki. Although he succeeds, One For All takes control of Shigaraki’s body again, prompting Class 1-A to come to Deku’s rescue.
Even with just the remnants of One For All, Deku continues to fight against All For One. All For One recognizes that Deku’s determination despite his weakness is what inspires others to keep going. The ending shows that Deku’s true strength is not his quirk but his ability to inspire and motivate others, bringing the story back to its core theme in an unexpected way.
In the epilogue, Deku encourages a young boy named Dai, who has a weak quirk, telling him that he can still be a hero. Dai is similar to Deku, with a shy personality and a natural instinct to help others.
Dai’s question reminds Deku of the one he asked All Might at the beginning of the series. Just as All Might reassured Deku back then, Deku now reassures Dai that he can be a hero too. While Deku does not become the next Symbol of Peace like All Might, he becomes an inspiring figure, urging society to change at its core.
Inspiring Others Beyond One For All’s Power in Final Battle
Besides inspiring young heroes like the boy in the final chapter, My Hero Academia’s epilogue shows how Deku’s last battle affected hero society at a fundamental level. In chapter #429, Hawks explains that Deku’s battle and his refusal to give up on Shigaraki showed society the importance of reaching out to those in need, rather than ignoring their suffering.
This lesson impacts both heroes and ordinary people. In chapter #429, an old woman helps a distressed boy, recalling how she once ignored Tenko on the streets. The finale shows civilians taking on some of the responsibility to help others, even those who are weak or quirkless like Deku.
The epilogue reveals that both the hero system and quirk society were flawed, but changes begin with Hawks becoming the head of the Hero Public Safety Commission. Although Shigaraki and the League of Villains are remembered as criminals, Deku and Uraraka keep their memories alive, with Uraraka making progress with her quirk counseling initiative.
This collective effort from heroes and civilians is evident in the final chapter, where the number of new villains decreases, reducing the need for many pro-heroes.
Kohei Horikoshi delivers a fitting and emotional end to Deku’s ten-year journey. My Hero Academia stands out among recent manga, and its finale confirms it as a memorable work that will be celebrated for years to come.
