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My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 was a rollercoaster from start to finish, both in terms of plot and the emotions it evoked within fans.
But while the episode itself took the internet by storm on account of its shocking reveals, the symbolism and the parallels drawn between several characters give more depth to the story as a whole. They also provide insight into how both the characters and the plot of the manga will develop.
This article attempts to analyze the development of the UA Class 1-A hero-students in particular, since they have played an increasingly vital role in the disastrous operations at Jaku City and Gunga Villa.
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Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia anime.
My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 is a play on the parallels between Deku, Bakugou, and Yaoyorozu
The evolution of Bakugou’s character
My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9, titled Katsuki Bakugou: Rising, immediately established that the episode will feature the blonde hero student significantly. Although the episode showcased Deku’s newest OFA quirk, Float, the highlight of the article began with Katsuki’s flashback.
Season 6 episode 9 included several throwbacks to the blonde’s strained relationship with Deku and its deterioration over the years, after he began systematically bullying the latter for being Quirkless.
Katsuki admitted to bullying the other boy during his conversation with All Might, confessing that it irked him that he could not understand Deku’s weakness and his innate instinct to prioritize other people over his own well-being even when he didn’t have a quirk.
My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 revealed just how far Katsuki as a character has evolved since the beginning of the series, even admitting to being worried about Deku and being alarmed at the prospect of One For All putting Deku’s life at risk.
Katsuki continued to openly express concern for the green-haired boy on the battlefield, warning him repeatedly to stay away from Shigaraki.
He recognized the quirk for what it was, calling it a cursed power, and jumped into action when he realized that Deku’s body had reached its physical limit and it was a matter of time before Shigaraki took the former’s quirk and killed him.
Throughout the series, Deku has been seen risking his life for Katsuki multiple times, beginning with the sludge-villain incident in My Hero Academia season 1, when he stated that “his legs moved on their own.”
Katsuki echoes the very same words at the end of My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 when he pushed Deku out of the way and was impaled by Shigaraki’s quirk.
The episode cemented Katsuki’s growth, not just as a character, but also as a hero. The development of his relationship with Deku was further emphasized with the special ending sequence to episode 9, featuring the two boys' childhood selves.
Bakugou and Yaoyorozu’s plans fail
My Hero Academia has built up the groundwork for Momo Yaoyorozu’s leadership skills from very early on in the series, specifically towards the end of season 2. Her competent planning was also highlighted in season 5 during the Class A vs. B team matches comprising the Joint Training arc.
The same arc also revealed Katsuki’s leadership and coordination skills, anticipating that both students will be forced to take charge when all else fails.
My Hero Academia season 6 showed both Momo and Katsuki come up with well-rounded analytically sound plans to save their allies, but both ventures fail miserably.
This would have been testament to their lack of experience in real battle, but it was Mineta’s words that put the situation into context by asking if the heroes had made the right decisions either.
Garaki’s taunts further emphasized that it was the seasoned heroes who had failed and made fatal mistakes, forcing the teenagers to enter the fray and put themselves at risk.
The parallels between Katsuki and Momo’s failed ventures also highlighted the terrifying power levels of the villains they were pitted against, and ultimately, depicted the first crack in the foundation of a society “saturated with so-called heroes.”
Deku lets his anger take over
An analysis of the development of Class 1-A hero-students would be incomplete without the series protagonist, Deku. The green-haired hero student has often expressed righteous anger in the past, ranging from desperation in season 3 when Katsuki got kidnapped, to an unwavering determination to protect Eri from Overhaul in season 4.
Deku’s impulsive nature and obsession to save others at the expense of his own well-being caused his teacher to refer to him as a “problem-child.” But even when he was overcome by his emotions, Deku remained logical and made detailed plans before leaping into the fray, as was the case with his plan to rescue Katsuki in Camino Ward in season 3.
But My Hero Academia season 6 explored a more dangerous and violent side of Deku’s personality, fueled by his unbridled rage at Shigaraki harming Gran Torino and Aizawa.
Seeing their homeroom teacher cut off his leg but still losing his quirk possibly hit a very personal spot for the boy as well, causing the analytical side of his personality to become less conscious and more instinctive.
This was best showcased by his split-second decision to bind Shigaraki using Blackwhip while using Float to stall him mid-air. The preview for My Hero Academia season 6 episode 10 showed this maniacal side of Deku taking the spotlight after Katsuki pushed him out of harm’s way and got impaled by Shigaraki’s quirk.
Shoto’s relationship with his father
My Hero Academia introduced the complicated dynamics of the Todoroki family during the Sports Festival arc of season 2, with Shoto being resentful enough towards his father to refuse to even acknowledge or use his fire quirk.
Their relationship began improving gradually after the Provisional Hero License Exam arc, where Endeavor’s conversation with All Might allowed the Pro hero to overcome the insecurities he had forced upon his wife and children.
In My Hero Academia season 5, Shoto voluntarily joined his father’s agency along with Deku and Katsuki, but made it clear he was only doing so to learn from Endeavor as a hero, rather than with the intent of reforging their personal relationships.
Although Shoto maintained a grudging respect for his father as a hero, his seamless cooperation with Endeavor in My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 is a testament to his growth as a character.
This can be directly compared to his inability to work with Inasa during the Licensing Exam, which made them both unsuitable to become heroes at that moment.
The effect of the remedial classes Shoto and Katsuki were forced to attend became clear in season 6 as the two hero students looked beyond their personal failings and dilemmas during a major crisis.
Shoto’s competence in the battlefield in My Hero Academia season 6 episode 9 showcases how he's getting better at dealing with his personal emotions and preventing them from interfering with what is currently at stake.
Final thoughts
My Hero Academia season 6 upsets several long-running concepts in the series, beginning off with Hawks blurring the line between heroes and villains. With society being depicted as a much more morally ambiguous space, the current generation of hero students have been forced to mature and adapt themselves for what is to come.
The heroes and villains of the series have been developing simultaneously, with mangaka Kohei Horikoshi using repetition to point out landmarks in the characters’ development.
While the development of Katsuki and Shoto had caused them to evolve in a more positive direction, Deku’s evolution might take a much darker turn, especially with the looming uncertainty regarding the effects of the 4th OFA holder’s quirk.
