How creator Horikoshi went wrong with My Hero Academia's final arc, explained

Author and illustrator Kohei Horikoshi’s original My Hero Academia manga series is currently progressing through its final arc. With the final war between All For One and the power known as One For All on the horizon, fans have been excitedly following the final arc for over a year.

While the arc has had its peaks, a vast majority of My Hero Academia fans would agree that it has been largely disappointing so far. Confusing narrative decisions, half-baked plotlines, and shoehorned spotlight moments all contribute to a jarring and ultimately upsetting reading experience.

There’s also the incredibly high number of breaks Horikoshi is taking, which he has every right to and should take. However, to do right by both himself and his fans, he should be taking extended breaks rather than suddenly putting the series to a halt for two weeks at a time.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down exactly how Horikoshi has gone wrong with My Hero Academia’s final arc thus far.

Note: Parts of this article are subjective and solely reflect the opinions of the writer

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My Hero Academia’s final arc is suffering from lack of planning, constant need for breaks, and more

Before this article goes any further, it’s worth mentioning that at the end of the day, My Hero Academia is Horikoshi’s story, and he has every right to end it however he wants. Regardless of what this article or any fan says, if Horikoshi feels he is doing right by his series, then he’s probably doing it right.

That said, there are objectively a number of missteps that have been taken along the way. The first is a lack of planning and exciting setups simply not panning out or being fakeouts. Several issues released throughout the final arc have felt truly improvised. At best, they seem to shut down setups made in the prior issue.

A key example is Suneater’s Quirk, which was said to have the ability to affect Tomura Shigaraki at one issue’s end. However, it is shown to be ineffective in the next chapter’s opening scenes. There’s also the decision to have Edgeshot, essentially a background character, sacrifice part of his lifespan to save Bakugo, rather than having Best Jeanist do so. Jeanist was Bakugo’s mentor in previous arcs.

Similarly, Horikoshi’s health issues have also majorly impacted fan reception of the final arc. While Horikoshi has the right to and should take health breaks as needed, he obviously needs to do so on an extended basis to fully recover. Several expected chapter releases throughout the final arc have instead been canceled at the last minute for a sudden two-week hiatus.

While Horikoshi is likely pressured by Shueisha to not take an extended break, it nevertheless creates issues with the narrative of My Hero Academia’s final arc. An extended break would allow Horikoshi to improve his health to the point of being able to consistently release chapters and further plan out the series’ final stages.

While it's a relatively minor issue compared to others, it nevertheless contributes to the disappointment of the final arc thus far. Furthermore, a mangaka’s health obviously comes first and foremost, as it should.

As mentioned earlier, an extended break would only do wonders for both Horikoshi’s health and the planning of the series’ final stages, the latter of which can be seen currently with Yuki Tabata’s Black Clover.

The final major issue in My Hero Academia’s final arc thus far stems from Horikoshi trying to shoehorn moments for Class 1-A and other significant U.A. student characters. For example, when fans thought they’d be getting a focus on Hitoshi Shinso in chapter 383, the issue instead thrust Mina Ashido firmly into the spotlight.

While this is obviously an issue in and of itself, putting Mina in the spotlight also created a scenario where Shinso’s strength and skills as a hero were kneecapped. Considering that Ashido has primarily been an extra in the series thus far, and Shinso has been a constant point of focus, it’s a baffling and somewhat infuriating move. In a way, it serves as a microcosm of the major problems of the final arc thus far.

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