With Kohei Horikoshi’s acclaimed manga series “My Hero Academia” officially drawing to a close earlier this month, the fanbase has been buzzing with reactions and reflections on the series’ finale.
While many readers are thrilled with the ending, a significant portion of the fan community has expressed disappointment, particularly regarding the protagonist Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and his journey with the One For All Quirk.
One of the most scrutinized aspects of the series’ ending is Deku’s failure to fully harness his signature One For All Quirk.
Despite being a logical narrative choice considering the developments in the Final War arc, this outcome has left some fans feeling unsatisfied.
A particular point of contention among fans is the seemingly unresolved plotline concerning Deku’s inability to reach 100% utilization of the One For All Quirk.
This goal, which was central to the story’s early arcs, has left a void that many readers feel was never fully addressed by the series’ ending.
The Abandoned Plotline: Deku’s 100% One For All
To provide context, there is a moment in “My Hero Academia” where Deku does indeed use One For All at its full 100% capacity.
This significant event occurs during his climactic battle against Kai Chisaki in the Shie Hassaikai arc.
However, this feat was only achievable with the aid of Eri’s Rewind Quirk, which healed all the damage Deku sustained from using such immense power.
He went through all this growth just to never achieve true 100% btw pic.twitter.com/0JF93NsfZU
— Hero 🍭 (@7HonensYushI) August 4, 2024
The inherent dangers of this power-up highlighted why it was a unique and unsustainable solution for Deku.
Beyond this isolated instance, Deku never again employs One For All at full strength across his entire body throughout the series.
Despite his incremental increase in power usage being a core component of the narrative early on, Deku never fully realizes the potential of using 100% of One For All consistently.
He undergoes a significant training arc aimed at mastering this power, culminating in the development of the Full Cowling technique, which becomes a cornerstone of his combat style.
While Deku employs 100% of One For All in specific moves, such as the Texas Smash and Wyoming Smash, his ultimate aim was always to utilize the Quirk at full capacity in every instance.
The fact that he never achieved this goal, only reaching a peak of 45% Full Cowling, has become a point of frustration for fans.
The Shift in Focus and its Implications
Despite this, Horikoshi deserves some acknowledgment for the evolution in the series’ approach to One For All after Deku reached 45%.
The revelation that One For All harbors multiple Quirk Factors, each with its own unique abilities, led to a shift in focus.
This development not only expanded the scope of Deku’s powers but also necessitated a change in his fighting style to incorporate these new abilities.
The introduction of these Quirk Factors was essential for showcasing the series’ expansive world and for demonstrating that Deku was leveraging the full range of his inherited powers.
However, this pivot to exploring additional Quirk Factors inevitably took attention away from Deku’s original goal of mastering One For All at 100% strength.
The integration of these new Quirk Factors did not diminish the importance of One For All but rather complemented it.
Nonetheless, this change highlights why fans feel disappointed that Deku never fully realized the potential of the One For All Quirk as originally envisioned.
The Unfulfilled Goal of Living Up to All Might
Another significant source of discontent among fans is the belief that Deku never fully achieved one of his primary objectives: to live up to the legacy of All Might by utilizing the One For All Quirk at its full 100% capacity.
This goal, which was pivotal to Deku’s journey and development, remains unfulfilled by the end of the series.
With the final chapter confirming the demise of the One For All Quirk along with Tomura Shigaraki, it seems unlikely that Deku will ever reach this milestone.
The narrative choice to end the series with the One For All Quirk’s termination reinforces the idea that this particular goal is now beyond Deku’s grasp.
I just wanted to see if him at 100% would be as buff as Prime all might…this series let me down pic.twitter.com/YFSdwObJvm
— IV (@KingGeorgeIV04) August 4, 2024
The ending of “My Hero Academia” has sparked a wide array of reactions from its audience, with many fans grappling with the unresolved plotline regarding Deku’s mastery of the One For All Quirk.
While the series concludes with significant narrative developments and a broader exploration of Quirk Factors, the unresolved goal of achieving 100% usage of One For All remains a poignant point of contention.
As fans reflect on the series’ final, it is clear that the journey of Izuku Midoriya and his quest to fully realize the One For All Quirk is one of the most debated aspects of the finale.
The combination of new powers, shifting focuses, and unfulfilled goals has left a lasting impact on the fanbase, highlighting both the strengths and shortcomings of Horikoshi’s ambitious storytelling.
