Highlights
- Endeavor and Bakugo shine in an explosive and emotional episode, showcasing their growth and imperfections.
- Jiro makes history by incapacitating All for One, leading to a well-deserved team attack.
- Bakugo’s powerful moment highlights his growth and defiance against Shigaraki’s flawed philosophy.
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Title |
My Hero Academia Season 7 |
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Director |
Naomi Nakayama, Kenji Nagasaki (Chief Director) |
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Studio |
Bones |
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Episode Air Date |
7/13/2024 |
Warning: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, Episode 148, “Wounded Hero, Burning Bright and True!!”, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
My Hero Academia returned from its brief hiatus and delivered one of the best episodes of the season; an explosive and emotional triumph headlined by two of the show’s most divisive characters. Whether within the text or through fan discourse, Endeavor and Bakugo have always been imperfect, but that’s exactly what makes their moments in the spotlight this week more powerful than ever.
When Episode 147 concluded, All for One sent Endeavor plummeting to the ground with an injury and almost killed Jiro and Tokoyami before Hawks just barely saved them, still costing Jiro an ear. The villain mocked the students as extras pretending to be on the same level as the demon they were facing, but this week, the boasting baddie got a taste of what was coming to him.
All for One Learns His Lesson the Hard Way
One of the most fascinating ideas that this series has toyed around with is the implication that quirks possess some fragment of a person’s soul. It’s been visualized as such, whenever Deku communicates with previous wielders of One for All and in this season, this graduated from implication to fact. Star and Stripe couldn’t stop Shigaraki from stealing her quirk, so she turned it into a Trojan horse that cannibalized Shigaraki’s other quirks and left him writhing in agony.
Jiro Makes My Hero Academia History
This episode sees All for One receive a similar punishment at the hands of Jiro. Sure, her quirk might not do much against the man himself, but like the best rock stars, Jiro sure can rile up a crowd, and the ideal one is right there: the quirks dwelling within All for One. “Heartbeat Surround: Legato” leaves him frozen, and completely open for a good old-fashioned team attack from Hawks and Tokoyami, with Jiro still keeping the pressure on.
Of all the ways this fight could have progressed, this was by far the best and most deserved outcome, and Jiro comes out of it looking cooler than ever before. No character has ever managed to lower All for One’s guard quite like she has, and it shows. His eternal menacing grin turns into a grimace, and he’s more defenseless than ever seen before.
The Meaning of “Endeavor”
Ever since All Might officially retired, Endeavor has had to come face to face with his failings, not only in his capacity to be a symbol of peace, but especially as a husband and father. His sins are so thoroughly ingrained in his son’s origins that the prospect of his atonement seems outlandish for understandable reasons. But it is to My Hero Academia‘s credit that it takes on this challenge precisely because it is so arduous.
This may vary from viewer to viewer, but the moments in which Endeavor is tested and rises to the challenge never fail to be some of the most emotionally charged in the series. Episode 88, “His Start”, was the moment he showed a devastated nation that they could still have hope in a #1 hero that wasn’t All Might. Episode 148 echoes 88 in its execution and tone, but the meaning behind it has changed somewhat.
As always, atonement is a central theme, but rather than focusing on those looking at Endeavor from the sidelines, the emotional crux of this fight is entirely internal. He knows that he can’t fix what he has broken, but he still must fight. By the end of this series, he will be a scarred and broken mess, but it’s a punishment he’ll gladly take on so that the children who succeed him won’t have to. That’s what it means to endeavor.
Bakugo’s Bombastic Retort to Shigaraki
The second half of this episode plays off the first perfectly. A divisive character at its center, a cathartic battle reflective of said character’s growth, and a major villain to render their ultimate attack null. This time, it’s Bakugo’s turn, and considering just how hard it has been to like him in the past, they knock it out of the park here. Its success lies largely in how it plays off of Shigaraki, who chews up the scenery with grand poses, philosophizing about the world he strives to create.
When there’s too big a disparity, it breeds misunderstanding. Misunderstanding breeds fear and rejection. That result is the world we live in now, isn’t it? If I take control of it, then everyone will be equally exploited! Don’t you think that gets us one step closer to the peaceful world heroes want?
Why Shigaraki’s Philosophy Offends Bakugo
As the villains have done so before in various forms, Shigaraki articulates the problem with this world and its utter lack of balance, but when it comes to solutions, all he has to offer is domination. This is where Bakugo steals the show. He knows better than anyone about the disparities and misunderstandings of the world because his entire relationship and conflict with Deku have been built upon it. And because of people like Deku, he also knows that such barriers can be overcome.
Furthermore, he has accepted his responsibility for perpetuating that disparity. Shigaraki’s assertion spits in the face of that progress, and as Bakugo charges forward to deliver his strongest attack ever, there’s a sense that he’s doing it for Deku. It’s such a powerful moment that captures clearer than ever how Bakugo has become a better person over the years, even if it arguably took way too long.
This was an incredible episode, and it’s entirely because of how it approached who Endeavor and Bakugo have become after all this time. They are indeed imperfect people and the story hasn’t always done the best job of making them likable, but if anything, that is a fundamental part of what makes them compelling characters. These two are My Hero Academia‘s most ambitious gamble, and though some might disagree, that gamble paid off.
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