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My Hero Academia plot points have been widely disputed and debated among fans, especially now that the series has finally concluded its decade-long journey. While Kohei Horikoshi forged a narrative rich in heroism, sacrifice, and growth, not every storyline received closure.
Many of the more disturbing My Hero Academia plot points were left open in this final chapter, which was supposed to provide some closure to this industry-leading manga, leaving fans puzzled and worried.
Be it the mysterious motives of certain villains, the unexplained quirks of key characters, or the ethical dilemmas that were pushed aside, some aspects of the story still haunt the community to this day.
Here are the twenty most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points that Horikoshi failed to address properly.
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Disclaimer: This list is ranked in no particular order and contains the writer's opinions. Readers' discretion is advised.
Midnight's death, All Might's declining health, and 18 other My Hero Academia plot points that Horikoshi failed to address properly
1) Eri’s trauma
Harshly abused by Overhaul, who used her quirk to produce quirk-erasing bullets and disassembled and reassembled her body multiple times, Eri is traumatized. Though she is freed by the heroes, the psychological scars from her torment run deep.
While Horikoshi introduces her trauma, he doesn't delve much into her long-term recovery. Her emotional healing is almost untouched. Although the story does lightly touch on Eri's struggles, the lack of substantial focus on her mental health, given the lasting impact of her abuse, makes this one of the most unsettling and unresolved My Hero Academia plot points.
2) The society's flawed hero system
One of the more disturbing My Hero Academia plot points is the flawed society of heroism. The Pro Hero Ranking system turns heroism into a business rather than a philanthropic effort. Even when Hawks rises to oversee the Public Safety Commission, neither he nor All Might can change the very system that propelled them into power.
The ranking system makes heroes sustain their celebrity status and advance their careers at the expense of actual kindness. This commercialism removes the soul from heroism and makes it just one of the careers available, marking it among the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
3) Bakugo’s near-death experience
Bakugo’s near-death experience during the Paranormal Liberation War is one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points. It highlights the cruel reality of forcing children into a war for which they were not prepared. Despite the presence of the Pro Heroes, it places these students on the front line; the result places Bakugo near death and several others with really bad injuries.
This event exposes the failure of the 'hero society' to protect its youth, shifting responsibility in war onto children. The societal reaction is even more disturbing, where instead of blaming the Pro Heroes, the shift goes to the students, away from treading on the ethical implications of putting children into this kind of deadly conflict.
4) Midnight's death
One of the biggest shocks of the series came when Midnight died in the Paranormal Liberation War. Her character's arc felt unfinished and lacked closure.
She is brutally killed off-screen, and her body is left lifeless amid the chaos. This is more shocking given her role as a kind mentor to Class 1-A, yet her death is dealt with in the most disturbingly unbothered way.
No closure, no emotional reckoning for her students, just a chilling void where once stood a hero. For that reason, the lack of a proper send-off or dealing with her loss makes it one of the biggest and most distressing unresolved My Hero Academia plot points.
5) Dabi's background reveal
The dark background of Dabi being revealed as Toya Todoroki is one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points. His tragic nature, plus the emotional baggage that was never dealt with or resolved, really shows how he went from a tormented child to a vengeful villain.
Dabi, formerly Toya Todoroki, had a stormy childhood of disregard, abuse, and manipulation. Enji Todoroki, known as Endeavor, was into the training of his child, Toya, since he was little to build a hero that would surpass All Might no matter what.
Despite Toya's quirk not matching his body and being unable to handle this training, he was pushed beyond his limits until he was seriously burned and emotionally scarred. The lack of focus on Dabi's agency in his own actions and choices becomes one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
6) Aoyama’s betrayal
Aoyama's betrayal stands as another most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points, representing a deep trust violation. He was revealed to be a mole leaking information to the villains, and his actions turned out to be quite a shocking undermining of the bonds within Class 1-A. His betrayal being induced by fear for his family brings moral complexity, touched on very superficially.
The internal struggle of Aoyama and, in general, the long-term effects on his classmates are inadequately resolved by Horikoshi. The narrative fails to deeply explore the life of Aoyama under AFO's thumb, missing the opportunity to showcase the disturbing nature of forcing a child to become a spy.
7) All Might's declining health
One of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points relates to All Might's declining health, marked by his constant blood coughing, and how society really doesn't seem to care about heroes. Despite clearly appearing to be suffering, nobody acknowledges his frailty, not even Deku, who idolizes him.
Everybody wants All Might to remain as the unyielding Symbol of Peace, overlooking his humanity and deteriorating condition. This subtlety gives a pretty grim point of view regarding the kind of society where heroes are seen as flawless symbols rather than vulnerable human beings.
8) The Quirk singularity theory
The Quirk Singularity Theory states that, at their current evolution rate, Quirks will eventually become too powerful to control, leading to a disaster where society is endangered by Quirks. In other words, it gives a grim foresight into uncurbed power, pointing out the risks of quirk proliferation.
Horikoshi barely touched upon the implications of this theory or how it could be stopped, leaving it to simply exist as an unsettling backdrop without much development. It's one of the most unsettling My Hero Academia plot points for never quite delving into this rather ominous concept or giving it a clear resolution.
9) Shigaraki's abuse
The backstory of Shigaraki Tomura is marked by extreme abuse from his family, which changed him into a villain. This physical and psychological neglect played a major factor in forming his distorted perspective.
Later, he falls into AFO's hands, and it is revealed that his whole life was planned by AFO. This lack of agency that led him to essentially be groomed for destruction is only touched upon in brief instances. While the effects of this manipulation are evident, the details of the horrors AFO thrust upon a younger Tenko needed to be explored further. This remains one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points, even after the finale.
10) Lack of focus on vigilantes
Vigilantes are people who carry out heroic acts not sanctioned by the state out of a twisted necessity brought about by the severe regulations on Heroes and laws that control the use of Quirks. This creates a disturbing gray area in which good intentions could result in the criminalization of characters who just might have saved lives.
The hero system itself comes from some kind of vigilantism, and yet, at the bottom of it all, the current system just creates a world where unsanctioned heroes are dismissed into darkness or even illegality. Horikoshi introduces this complicated issue but then doesn't dig deep into what it implies. This lack of depth makes it one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
11) The League of Villains' redemption
Despite hints by Horikashi about the possibility of redemption, none of the League of Villains members—much less the major three: Dabi, Toga, and Shigaraki—have survived to show it is possible to have a redemptive arc. Much like with Dabi or Toga, deep backstories hinted that these characters could somehow find their way out, but they all ended tragically.
This denial of their potential for salvation, with their deaths sealing their fates as villains, undercuts the moral complexities introduced earlier in the story. Only Spinner survives to tell the tale, and even then, Horikoshi fails to show an understanding of the nature of their actions. Such lack of care of these redemptive arcs becomes one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
12) Endeavor redemption
Endeavor's redemption is symbolic of his journey from being an abusive father to a responsible hero, but this is extremely problematic. Society lets him off the hook for his monstrous past, which includes abusing his wife, Rei, and their children.
Not only that, in the final chapter of the manga series, Rei is shown taking care of him as he becomes disabled after the Final War. Endeavor claims he will atone for his sins, but for all intents and purposes, he never really tries to redress them. This kind of redemption is shallow, never really going into the real depth of the harm he caused, making it one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
13) Villains’ humanity
Horikoshi humanizes villains like Shigaraki, Twice, and Toga by delving into their tragic pasts, but does so in a superficial way that leaves room for many problematic readings. He harps on trauma to make instances of their heinous actions almost justified or inevitable, expressing sympathy without true regard for moral responsibility.
For instance, while Ochaco may know Toga's backstory, nobody else does, so she remains unknown as a human being. In this way, these characters risk becoming disaffected or their crimes simplified upon balancing the condemnation with an understanding of the trauma at the root of their actions, making it one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
14) Quirk-destroying bullets
Overhaul creates the Quirk-Destroying Bullets, which can rip a person's quirk away forever, and land them as a direct threat against hero society. Quirks in the world of My Hero Academia are much more than just superpowers; they relate to personal identity, being connected to a sense of self and a sense of purpose.
The Quirk-Destroying Bullets effectively strip away this ability, akin to cutting a vital part of a person's soul. For many, the quirk spells out their civilian status, their ambitions, and how they relate to the world.
As such, losing the ability is akin to losing part of one's soul, not only does it physically diminish them, but it also leaves a person emotionally and psychologically devastated. This makes Quirk-Destroying Bullets one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points that was left incomplete.
15) Post war impact on the younger generation
After a dense, cruel battle in the Paranormal Liberation War, the psychological scars of students like Deku, Bakugo, and others remain barely touched. The series jumps over their trauma and doesn't talk about how these experiences affect their mental health and future outlooks.
Given the counts of death and violence, it is obvious that the emotional and psychic toll would be high. However, the storyline does not seem to pay much attention to this factor.
The lack of highlights on their recovery and post-war growth is unsettling, and their trauma is not adequately acknowledged, making it one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points that did not get enough coverage.
16) All For One's obsession with Yoichi Shigaraki
All For One's obsession with his younger brother, Yoichi Shigaraki, was among the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points and, at the same time, a very creepy thing. In person, he regarded Yoichi's One For All as an insult and a danger to his power, hence the forced isolation of Yoichi and All For One's relentless pursuit of dominance.
This dark obsession reveals a very troubling side of his personality, full of envy and hunger for control. The psychological and emotional impact that he has not dealt with is ignored by Horikoshi, thus creating a space where understanding the deep impact on both characters is lost.
17) Stain's legacy
Stain, the Hero Killer, influences society by revealing the flaws within the hero system, such as superficiality and corruption. Stain's ideology, which was deeply relatable as a beacon of true heroism above fame and profit, incited violent extremes in imitation.
While Stain's actions and ideology have an overwhelming effect on the heroes and villains, his long-term effects on society from these extreme views are left unexplored.
How his ideology changed the hero landscape and turned public perception became one of the most disturbing My Hero Academia plot points that Horikoshi never really addressed properly.
18) Public Safety Division weaponizing children
The fact that the Public Safety Division uses children as weapons is highly concerning. Hawks, although rescued from the household of an abusive father and turned into a weapon, has willingly committed murder without fully reflecting on the moral implications. Similarly, Nagant, a once hero, was forced into the role of a villain because she couldn't take the mental pressure her job was putting on her.
While the series suggests such sinister undercurrents, it lacks further depth in analysis that could point to the psychological aspects and the ethics involved in the practice.
The varied welfare of these characters and the long-term impacts of their exploitation remain insufficiently discussed, leaving a gap in how the story discusses its ethical boundaries, making it one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points.
19) The dark side of quirk marriages
Quirk marriages, as shown by the Todorokis, reflect a very disturbing practice of parents using children as tools. Endeavor's passion for the creation of a hero with the most powerful quirks burdens his children, most especially Shoto, with heavy emotional and physical tension.
The pressure from society and parental control is another facet of the story, which is only touched on briefly. Whether the children have to face some emotional or moral effect from being treated as nothing more than an asset is not delved into, which makes this one of the more disturbing My Hero Academia plot points Horikoshi failed to properly address.
20) Creation of Nomu
Nomu's creation is an unpleasant process where human subjects are experimented on to enhance Quirks, turning the crime into some unique, powerful monsters.
This practice is very dark, it involves the gross violation of human rights by Kyudai Garaki and Shigaraki, which inflicts brutal modification and brainwashing on the victims.
The series does point out this disturbing method but has nothing much to say in terms of the full ethical implications or emotional trauma of the victims involved. It makes Nomu's creation one of the disturbing My Hero Academia plot points that mangaka has failed to explore completely.
Final thoughts
As the manga concludes its decade-long journey, there are still several disturbing My Hero Academia plot points left undercooked. Eri's ongoing trauma, the flawed hero system, Bakugo's near-death experience—if those were any indications of bigger cracks within the resolution of this narrative.
It left My Hero Academia plot points like Midnight's sudden death, Dabi's tragic past, and Aoyama's betrayal all floating in the air. The finalization by Horikoshi barely touches on matters like the creation of Nomus or the morality of quirk marriages, which leaves the dark themes in his world highly underdeveloped.
Related links:
- My Hero Academia: What do the Todoroki family's names mean? Explained
- Does Tenya Iida deserve focus in My Hero Academia epilogue? Explored
- 9 ways My Hero Academia's story could've been extended by Horikoshi
- Why My Hero Academia's remarkably short epilogue will be prefect to end the series, explained
