What happens at the end of My Hero Academia? The manga's emotional ending, explained (2024)

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While we still have a few years of My Hero Academia in anime form to look forward to, the manga that started the media franchise has finally come to an end after its 10-year run. Chapter 430 marked the end of what series creator Kohei Horikoshi referred to as the epilogue of the story. We now know exactly how the story of Deku and the rest of Class 1-A ends – and what an emotional ending it is.

If you’re looking to find out exactly what happens as the final chapter of MHA comes to a close, here is our breakdown of what happens at the end of My Hero Academia. Obviously, we’ll be discussing significant spoilers for the My Hero Academia ending, so proceed with caution.

My Hero Academia’s ending explained

The final battle of My Hero Academia saw the climatic showdown between Shigaraki, who is being controlled by All for One, and Deku, who is the final vessel of One for All. In an attempt to break through to Shigaraki and calm him, Deku is forced to sacrifice to sacrifice his power in much the same way that All Might did in the battle against All for One.

Though he is successful and All for One is finally defeated, Deku once again becomes quirkless as the final embers of One for All leave his power. Despite this, he manages to complete the Hero Course at U.A. While many of his classmates become pro heroes after graduation, Deku instead becomes a teacher, hoping to inspire the next generation of heroes with his knowledge.

However, that isn’t exactly the end of the story. There is a flashforward to eight years later. Deku is a teacher at U.A. when he is visited by All Might, who has become old and grey. All Might comes bearing a gift – a mechanical suit that will allow Deku to continue hero work after all this time. The suit, which costs a fortune, was funded by All Might’s “overseas friend” and Class 1-A, led by Bakugo, of all people.

After eight years on the sidelines, Deku finally gets the chance to become a hero once again, once again with the support of his friends.

What happens to Bakugo, Todoroki, and the rest of Class 1-A at the end of My Hero Academia?

In the epilogue chapter, we only see brief snippets of what the rest of Deku’s classmates have been up to in the eight years since the final battle against All for One. Most have gone on to become popular pro heroes just like they always wanted. Bakugo is still loud and abrasive, which hurts his chances of catching up to Todoroki in the popularity polls. Shoji, Iida, Asui, Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, and Kirishima are all explicitly shown to be popular and powerful pro heroes now.

Other characters get mentioned. Kouta has joined the hero course at U.A. while Mei Hatsume has started her own design agency. La Brava has started her own coding company. It is also revealed that villain activity has greatly decreased in the years since the final battle against All for One, resulting in less demand for pro heroes. We even see Eraserhead still hard at work as a teacher at U.A., trying to convince Deku to be harder on his students.

Does Deku become the greatest hero in My Hero Academia?

The premise of My Hero Academia has always been Deku’s journey to becoming the greatest pro hero, just like his idol, All Might. However, because he is forced to retire from hero work when he loses One for All, you might think that the series didn’t deliver on that promise. Instead, we see a young student with a weak quirk contemplating his choice to try to become a pro hero. He mentions Deku alongside the likes of All Might, Endeavor, and Best Jeanist as his inspiration for becoming a hero.

Deku might not be out there fighting alongside his friends on the streets, but his actions didn’t just stop All for One from reshaping society in his dark image. Deku inspired everyone in society to become kinder and more forgiving when he managed to reach the good in Shigaraki and has become the reason why countless young people strive to become heroes themselves. Even without the suit of high-tech armor he receives at the end of the final chapter, Deku is already one of the greatest heroes in history.

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Related Topics

• Viz Media
• My Hero Academia