This article will contain spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 6, Episodes 20,21,22.It’s no secret thatMy Hero Academiahas been slowly moving into what I would call “The Boys” territory, delving into the murkier, more sensitive corners of superhero-dominated society. The story is doing wonders to reveal the flawed human beings behind the masks and capes. With the final arc of My Hero Academia’s gripping story beginning just three episodes ago (in Season 6, Episode 19), and in light of the recent showdown between protagonist Deku and has-been hero Lady Nagant, now is the perfect time to talk about the anime’s unique brand of social commentary.
We can’t begin a topic like this without mentioning “All For One”, the main villain who never really misses an opportunity to criticize the heroes' society and the facade they are fighting for. Yet, it’s the subtle and calculated way he goes about it, like a puppeteer, that makes him stand out.
Though he breaks into Tartarus prison and allows its inmates to run amok and wreak havoc in the streets, he only gives Lady Nagant a specific mission to confront and capture Deku, saying that he is a threat to the society she dreams of with his chronic hero syndrome. The question, of course, iswhy? The answer lies in the fragility of the hero system itself.
Nagant is accused of killing her boss in frustration with the two-faced hero society. While the celebrated heroes bask in the glow of public fame and money, other lesser-known heroes–like Nagant–toil in the shadows, committing heinous atrocities and purging individuals who are deemed a nuisance to society - only to be discarded themselves when they stop complying.
She felt that she was fighting not for what was right, but for the sake of preserving the “system” or “fad,” even if it meant taking the lives of those who had not yet transgressed. To her, this system is nothing but a sham, built upon shaky foundations, and Deku is currently fighting for that same corrupt system, further exacerbating Nagant’s vexation.
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The problem goes even deeper, and it won’t just go away by getting rid of the “maggots” that infest our society. The hero society has always dangled the illusion that there is a villain responsible for all that is bad, but Lady Nagant’s very existence shatters this falsehood.
She was a hero who was “excluded” when she refused to conform to society’s vision of what a hero should be (and not an outsider), revealing that the defective society itself spawns these so-called villains from within, should these underlying issues remain unaddressed.
The crux of the problem lies in maintaining a society that excludes individuals like Lady Nagant, casting them out as outcasts and villains when it becomes tired of them. And with every step Deku takes to maintain his own idealized vision of a flawless society, he becomes a cog in the wheel that created the circumstances under which Lady Nagant currently suffers.
Well, that’s the image All For One wants you to believe. His agenda is to have us believe that any discontent, weariness, or disillusionment with society (like Death Arms, the hero who retired in this week’s episode) stems from an inherent flaw within the system itself.
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He wants to prove that everyone is living a lie until it’s exposed. Furthermore, he cunningly exploits the new societal phenomenon of shaming and ostracizing heroes for their inability to contain the villains, utilizing it as ammunition to bolster his distorted interpretation of society.
All For One sells a narrative in which heroes become weak once the positions are reversed, and they start getting punished and shamed by the harsh and selective society like the villains they are fighting against or “excluding”. Nevermind that he orchestrated this scenario himself.
This is why he advocates for the eradication of the very concept of a society in which one must work to earn constant approval, arguing that as long as you are fighting for society, society can dismiss you at any point; there will always be outcasts and rejects, and those who struggle to find their place in such a system will be branded as villains, in his own words.
What All For One doesn’t want to admit is that it’s natural for individuals to get tired and give up. What isn’t natural, however, is to suffer alone; it goes against the very nature of society to not support and comfort one another, and Deku’s gesture of extending a helping hand to Lady Nagant underscores the importance of solidarity in such times when morale is at a great low.
It reminds me of a misgiving I have about The Boys - that its very cynical about the treatment of its so-called ‘heroes’ are always irredeemably evil bastards, never humanized. It just treats ideals like illusions, unattainable to anyone, and the show ismoreoptimistic than Ennis' original comics run, if you can believe it.
Eventually, Deku comes to realize that the world is not simply black and white, but he also understands that surrendering to the other extreme advocated by All For One, giving up on society, is not the answer. In fact, reaching out and offering a helping hand is how Deku’s power was born, if you think about it.
Deku was once an outcast, without superhuman powers, alienated from a society that valued only those with unique quirks. However, his hero, All Might, changed his fate by reaching out and giving Deku a newfound purpose and strength to exist within that selective society.
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The real tragedy in Nagant’s story is the absence of support and mentorship in her life. Unlike Deku, who had All Might - or Hawks, who had Endeavor - Nagant had no role model to guide her. When her ideals failed to motivate her, she found herself lost, unsure of how to move forward.
All For One preys on the vulnerabilities of these individuals who were not raised with love and guidance. While the heroes are often oblivious to their society’s shortcomings, All For One deliberately obscures any positive aspects of society from the villains' view in kind, ensuring that they remain blinded to any glimmers of hope. He even gave Lady Nagant a false truth about Deku before she fights him.
All For One is a unique villain in the way he manipulates a lot of events to throw the heroes into psychological disarray. Even Deku is falling into this trap right now, wanting to go at it alone, refusing to ask for help, and forgetting that he should rely on his friends and family to keep him from falling into the same pitfalls as heroes like Nagant.
Next week will also be a very emotional and personal battle between Deku and his friends, which will provide even more introspection on how My Hero Academia deals with social commentary and the blurring line between heroes and villains.
