My Hero Academia Is Deeper Than Critics Assume, and Its Saddest Moments Prove it

Despite its happy-go-lucky reputation, My Hero Academiais certainly no stranger to the sorrow the world holds. Although series like Attack on Titan or Demon Slayer may seem a lot sadder and darker on the surface, My Hero Academia delves into the depressing, grim side of life too, as its heroes and villains fight to the death in a seemingly endless battle between good and evil.

My Hero Academia's manga recently concluded in fall 2024. Although the ending was hopeful and humanity was saved from All For One's power-hungry schemes, many casualties and traumatic moments occurred in the process. My Hero Academia is definitely not all sunshine and rainbows and actually tackles some extremely tough topics in its story.

Deku Finding Out He Was Quirkless During His Childhood

Deku Came to the Hopeless Realization That He Would Never Develop a Quirk Like His Peers

Deku has dreamed of being a hero since his youth, when he spent his free time admiring online videos of All Might saving people. His idolization of All Might runs deep, and inspired him to plan to follow in All Might's footsteps once his Quirk developed. However, an earth-shattering visit to the doctor revealed the heartbreaking news that Deku was actually Quirkless.

Deku was destroyed by this revelation, and even his own mother suggested that he should consider pursuing a different dream for his future in light of his Quirklessness. Thankfully, All Might came along to notice Deku's potential and pass down One For All to him, but had their paths never converged, Deku may have lived a life of regret and missed opportunity.

Bakugo’s Guilt and Tearful Apology to Deku and All Might

Bakugo Finally Took Responsibility for His Mistakes, In a Tearful, Moving Moment

Bakugo earned himself a reputation as My Hero Academia's most hot-headed, fiery character, and not just because of his Explosion Quirk. After he was kidnapped by the League of Villains and All Might lost One For All in the subsequent fight to get him back, Bakugo was racked with guilt and began reconsidering his behavior and outlook on life.

In a touching and completely unexpected display, Bakugo apologized to All Might for causing the last embers of his Quirk to fizzle out for good, even though All Might assured him One For All was already fading, and he would have lost it soon anyway. It is a very rare occurrence to see a character like Bakugo shedding genuine tears, which makes this moving scene even more emotional.

All Might Losing One For All

In a Final Clash With All for One, the Last Embers of All Might’s Quirk Died Out

All Might received his "Symbol of Peace" nickname for a reason: he offered assurance to humanity that they would always be safe from threats as long as he was around. As All Might aged and then passed his Quirk to Deku, his powers began to dwindle, and one defining moment resulted in the once seemingly invincible hero losing his ability for good.

In a battle with the villain All For One, All Might was forced to exert all his strength to defeat the villain, since he knew humanity was watching and needed the comfort of knowing they were protected from evildoers like All For One. He accomplished his task and took down the villain. But this sapped his remaining power in the process, and although the man, Toshinori Yagi, may have survived, the cultural symbol, All Might, was no more.

Eri Revealing She Does Not Know How to Smile

Being Used as a Pawn in Overhaul’s Schemes Caused Eri To Lose Her Joy

Eri was only a child when she was kidnapped by Overhaul, so she endured an uncertain, terrifying childhood that no one should ever have to face. As a result, joy was a feeling she was completely unfamiliar with for most of her life, and she admitted to Mirio and Deku that she did not even remember how to smile.

Eri was rescued by Deku and his fellow heroes, who defeated Overhaul and put a stop to his cruelty, but it took Eri a while to recover from the trauma he put her through. It is heartwrenching that Eri was forced to be a pawn in Overhaul's plans, and this tumultuous upbringing left her sorrowful for years, until she was saved and able to finally begin rediscovering the happy parts of life.

Todoroki’s Childhood Trauma and Getting His Scar

Shoto’s Mother Threw Boiling Water on Him Because His Left Fire Side Reminded Her of Endeavor

Todoroki's backstory is one of the most tragic in My Hero Academia. His father, the Pro Hero, Endeavor, held him to impossibly high standards and subjected him to hours of intense training, offering no praise or encouragement for Shoto's efforts. Endeavor also terrorized the rest of the family, and his abuse led Todoroki's mother, Rei, to lash out.

Rei threw boiling water on Todoroki, scorching one side of his face and leaving him with his scar. Not only did Todoroki have to deal with the emotional effects of his abuse that followed him for years and made his journey at U.A. High much more difficult, his physical scar never faded, which was an agonizing reminder of one of his worst moments.

Shigaraki’s Death and Final Words to Deku

Shigaraki’s Life Was Tragic and Even His Last Moments Offered Him No Peace

Shigaraki and Deku finally confronted one another face-to-face during My Hero Academia's Final War, and the clash was surprising in a lot of ways. Deku found himself feeling sorry for Shigaraki and the pain he had suffered throughout his life, while also realizing that he had to kill the villain to protect humanity.

Shigaraki fought back hard, but was overpowered by Deku in the end, and his last words are saddening and poignant. He urged Deku to tell Spinner, one of his League of Villains comrades, that "Tomura Shigaraki fought until the end to destroy." Even in his final moments, Shigaraki was desperate to prove himself, and his entire character arc was filled with tragedy until the very end.

Hawks Betraying and Killing Twice

Hawks Killed Twice Because Twice Was Still Loyal to the League of Villains and Posed a Threat to Humanity

Twice is a member of the League of Villains, but he joined an unlikely partnership with a Pro Hero, Hawks. Hawks recognized that Twice was a villain, but he was hopeful that the man could change and become an asset to the Pro Heroes, fighting on the good side for a change.

In the end, Twice refused to become a hero like Hawks wished he would. Hawks was discouraged and guilty, but betrayed Twice and killed him because he wanted to fulfill his duty of protecting society from villains. Hawks' deception continued to haunt him after Twice's death, and the League mourned one of their cherished members, making this a distressing scene.

Shigaraki Accidentally Killing His Entire Family

Shigaraki Decayed His Family, Which Was a Heavy Burden That Always Haunted Him

Shigaraki may have become a deadly villain, but understanding his backstory makes it easy to see why he turned to such drastic measures. Shigaraki's Quirk, Decay, is extremely volatile and, oftentimes, uncontrollable, and one day, his family members were caught in the crossfire and accidentally decayed.

Shigaraki struggled in vain to stop his Quirk or bring them back, and when he realized his efforts were hopeless, he waited for a Pro Hero to come save him from his heartbreak and loss. No one ever arrived, and Tomura was taken in by the villain All For One and manipulated instead, setting him on the path of villainy that eventually caused him to lose his life too.

Toga and Ochaco's Final Fight and Toga’s Sacrifice

Toga Traded Her Own Life For Ochaco’s, Proving She Is Not All Evil

Toga Himiko and Ochaco Uraraka could have been the best of friends despite being complete opposites, but they were separated long before they could truly bond. During a battle, Ochaco was injured and at risk of dying of blood loss, so Toga leaped into action and gave up her own blood, restoring Ochaco to health.

Ochaco survived, but Toga sadly did not, making this one of My Hero Academia's saddest sacrifices. Toga may have been a villain, and she definitely unnecessarily hurt others during her life, but her agonizing final moments alive reveal her genuine love for Ochaco and the fact that, had she had different life experiences, maybe she could have been a hero too.

Sir Nighteye’s Death and His Students’ Reactions

Nighteye Did Not Survive the Overhaul Fight, Leaving Behind His Heartbroken Friends and Students

Without Sir Nighteye's carefully calculated plans, mentorship of his students, and prophetic Foresight Quirk, Overhaul may very well have caused even more destruction than he already did. The battle against this Shie Hassaikai leader was a hard-won victory for the Pro Heroes, but unfortunately, Sir Nighteye did not emerge unscathed, and this cherished character was forced to say goodbye to his beloved friends and students.

Some of the most distressing moments of My Hero Academia occurred when Nighteye's friends and students visited him on his deathbed and shared tearful goodbyes with the man they admired so much. Mirio's reaction stands out as particularly tragic, and although Nighteye assured him he would thrive as a world-renowned hero one day, losing his mentor was one of the most difficult, tear-jerking events in Mirio's entire My Hero Academia characterarc.