Why Did My Hero Academia's Ending Upset Fans? Just Imagine If One Piece Did the Same

The ending of the My Hero Academia manga was by far one of the most controversial entries in the entire franchise. The fate that befell the main character, Deku, left many fans unhappy, with the biggest complaint being him retiring from being a hero. Chapter #430 of the manga went against the main themes of the manga, breaking with the idea that anyone could become a hero.

While the final chapter is not one of the worst endings in anime by a long shot, it did take away from the excitement fans felt when the ending was announced. A perfect way to describe the feeling would be to compare it to the long-awaited finale of Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga. An ending in which Luffy retires from being a pirate would cause massive disappointment among fans.

One Piece Fans Can Understand the Disappointment Around My Hero Academia Finale

Imagine Luffy Not Becoming King of the Pirates

In chapter #430 of the My Hero Academia manga series, Deku is shown for the first time as an adult. It was revealed that, after losing the Quirks contained inside One For All, Midoriya gave up on his dream of becoming a hero and decided to become a teacher at U.A. High. While he still maintained his promise to help every person he could, this finale left more than one fan completely unsatisfied. The series went from claiming that anyone could be a hero and introducing Deku as the greatest hero in history to forcing him to end his career.

The disappointment felt by fans would be equivalent to Luffy ending the One Piece manga no longer a pirate. If the final chapter of Oda’s iconic franchise ended with the protagonist being anything but the King of the Pirates, as he has claimed he would become since the beginning, readers would be understandably mad. The series would have gone back on all its promises, giving fans a finale that feels out of nowhere. Worst of all, the moment readers had been waiting years to witness would be taken from them, without any justification.

Luffy Losing His Freedom Would Be Another Great Comparison

The Manga Would Go Completely Against Its Main Themes

Luffy claims that he wants to be the Pirate King to have the most freedom.

The One Piece manga has made it clear on several occasions that one of Luffy’s best qualities is his love for freedom. Liberty is one of the themes that pushes the plot of the series forward, not only by motivating the protagonist but also most of the world. The last few arcs in the manga have been excellent examples of this, by demonstrating that regular people are getting tired of the oppression of the vile Celestial Dragons. Now, imagine an ending in which Luffy has to give up on his freedom and is forced to return to his regular life.

That is exactly what happened during the final chapter of My Hero Academia, as the finale completely ignored one of the manga's main tenets. Deku’s story relied on the fact that anyone could be a hero, no matter who or what their powers were. Yet, once Izuku loses his special abilities, he can no longer follow his dreams. It was a major betrayal to his character, and it went completely against the manga’s message, confirming that Quirks are indeed vital to being a hero.

The Second Epilogue Managed to Save the Ending

Chapter #431 Was a True Blessing

Todoroki and his colleagues preparing to patrol the city.

In volume #42 of the My Hero Academia manga, Kohei Horikoshi included an emotive and memorable epilogue, mostly referred to by fans as chapter #431. This final entry has been confirmed to be canon to the story, and it is an incredible ending to Deku’s story. The epilogue fixed many of the issues chapter #430 left behind, giving fans a chance to see Deku as a hero once again, and confirming that his dream has become a reality. Most fans agree that this final entry saved the manga’s ending from being a major letdown.

Despite how unsatisfactory chapter #430 of My Hero Academia left many fans, the story created by Horikoshi is still one of the most beloved in recent years. The journey Deku went through is one that will continue inspiring readers for decades to come, letting them know that they too can be the heroes of their own stories.