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In My Hero Academia's story, things have gone straight downward for the Hero Society. Following the cataclysmic events of the Paranormal Liberation War arc, Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, went off on his own to seek out All For One to end his threat once and for all. It took all of Class 1-A to convince him to return to the U.A. when he could barely stand.
Owing to civilians who had a less than stellar reaction to him being dragged back, Ochako Ururaka was forced to make a grand speech to calm everyone's nerves and turn the tide. It wound up doing much better than she could've ever anticipated, not only with the people but with the Heroes.
This article will explain how this occurred and why My Hero Academia always has elevated group efforts over individual acts.
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Disclaimer: The following article contains significant spoilers for both My Hero Academia's anime and manga. The opinions expressed therein only reflect the author.
Why Ochaco Uraraka's speech in My Hero Academia matters more than just for Deku
"Who helps the heroes when they suffer?"
A pertinent question Ochaco asks throughout the My Hero Academia episode and manga chapter, A Young Woman's Declaration, is the age-old question of heroism and its burdens. The question is: when heroes suffer, falter, or even break down, who helps them?
Throughout My Hero Academia, heroes are always put on almost untouchable pedestals. All Might is "The Symbol of Peace," and Endeavor is "The Number One" after All Might is forced into retirement. After a while, maintaining that symbol, and that status, becomes too much. The cracks begin forming, the body slows down, injuries pile up, and everything one day looks very different.
In short, all the revelations that sprung up would eventually get loose. Whether via edited footage and manipulation like Dabi managed to spread towards the end of the Paranormal Liberation War arc or the confessions and early retirements in the aftermath, people began to see heroes less like symbols. They treated them more like scapegoats for all the problems that arose.
To answer the question that Ochaco asked, My Hero Academia showed that Ochaco's speech not only helped Izuku start to get back on his feet but fundamentally began healing the rift caused by the League of Villains. Civilians who would've tried beating the young hero down in rejection instead welcomed Deku to U.A. and began to reconcile with the young heroes of Class 1-A.
Healing the rift between heroes and citizens
Aside from the obviousness of Izuku being welcomed back with open arms by Kota, the unnamed Heteromorph woman, an army of umbrellas, and a desperately needed shower, there are others that Ochaco's speech ended up bolstering. One example was Endeavor, Hawks, and Shoto, who were all nearby and out of sight for fear of crowds becoming more unruly and ugly.
One important thing to note is that the Todoroki Family and Hawks were firmly in the public's crosshairs at the end of the Paranormal Liberation War arc. They were firmly condemned for their actions and for keeping so many devastating secrets. Unfortunately, it seemed even saving people didn't help as well as they thought, as they encountered more resistance and spite from citizens even after saving them.
What Ochaco's speech did was fundamentally begin to heal the rift between citizens and heroes. Ochaco wasn't just speaking about Izuku when she said to allow heroes to get dirty in the mud and muck or to rest. She meant all the heroes who fought and continue to do so for everyone's happiness.
Without that speech, Deku would have been mobbed, the Todorokis and Hawks wouldn't have known a moment of peace, and the other heroes would not have known a moment of peace. Even Principal Nezu, who stated he'd tried his best to calm the crowd alongside Present Mic, applauded and recognized Ochaco's efforts.
The U.A. Traitor saved and atoning
Although Izuku was aided by everyone from Kota to the nameless heteromorph woman and Class 1-A finally got to breathe, the fight continued. After learning about Stars and Stripes' death, Stain's intel about All for One, and that Tomura's plans were stalled by a week, they underwent intense training with the Wild, Wild, Pussycats.
Unfortunately, one among them didn't quite share their optimism: Yuga Aoyama, aka Can't Stop Twinkling. Among the many things revealed about the Naval Laser hero in My Hero Academia's U.A. Traitor arc was that he, too, was Quirkless until granted his ability via All for One.
Since then, he and his parents have all been All for One's slaves and inside moles: leaking information about the U.S.J. and the location of the summer training camp.
While this betrayal stung, especially for Toru Hagakure, nobody condemned Yuga for life over it. Even Bakugo, of all people, didn't hold a grudge when it was revealed. True, Izuku was the first to lend an open hand, but Aizawa also convinced Yuga that he was not a villain and would be accepted back into U.A. following All for One's defeat.
That would be much less likely to happen if Ochaco hadn't bolstered everyone's spirits with her speech. It even helped Aoyama start to atone for his actions and helped everyone readily forgive him. Had that speech not transpired, many fans have stated that more than a few in U.A. would've probably repeatedly condemned Aoyama and not given him any benefit of the doubt.
Heroes as people and sympathy for the devil
What, exactly, makes a hero? Is it just defeating villains? Is it standing up for those who can't protect themselves? My Hero Academia as a whole has questioned what a hero truly stands for since the beginning of the show. Ochaco's speech puts it into perspective: Heroes are people too, and need rest and support.
When they don't get that support, are exploited like Hawks or Lady Nagant, or are never told "no" like Endeavor, you get heroes that break or worse. The false perfection of the hero society was artificial, as many like Tomura, Dabi, Twice, Spinner, and Toga were all victimized and became villains as a result or were driven insane like Stain or the Meta Liberation Army.
So, in other words, Ochaco's words helped people see Izuku and the rest of the heroes as regular people doing their best. That's likewise tied into the sympathy that both she and Izuku have for Toga and Tomura. Toga and Tomura may both be villains, but they're also people in pain who need help, and Izuku and Ochaco will do their best to get them some help.
One of the major themes that My Hero Academia does very well is showing that victory never comes from the efforts of individuals alone. The Paranormal Liberation Arc would've gone worse without the group effort to contain the villains, including class 1-A putting Gigantomachia to sleep.
Izuku wouldn't have returned to U.A. if only Bakugo had come to get him. Ochaco's speech is a result of major teamwork and change on her part and others.
Ochaco: Changing herself and others
As part of My Hero Academia's main cast, Ochaco has changed a lot since her first day at U.A. At first, she thought she had a selfish motive for being a hero: money for her family's struggling construction company and wanting to see people smile. It took a while for her to be dissuaded from the notion that it was selfish, especially since she was in poverty when she started.
It also took her a while through My Hero Academia's story to realize that heroes vs. villains aren't entirely black and white, much like how Izuku realized with Tomura and even earlier with Endeavor.
The notion that a villain could be a person was rocked into her with repeated encounters with Toga and other villains. By the final war arc, she's trying her hardest to save Toga even though the knife-wielding villain unleashed Twice's quirk.
This ties into another aspect her speech did for people other than Izuku: Class 1-A's spirits got bolstered. The main class of My Hero Academia let both Izuku and Ochaco sleep it off when they got back and ultimately helped the crowd further into accepting heroes.
Ochaco said it herself: how can people demand they save them and yet hurl insults, and likewise, how can they call themselves heroes if they don't try to save everyone?
Ochaco's speech did a number on her to give, but it represents a major change for herself through My Hero Academia. She's trying to help someone else (Izuku, Toga, Class 1-A, etc.) change for the better by realizing how toxic it is to ask one person to carry all of society's burdens. She also believes that everyone should get that chance to be helped and rest up from fighting so hard that they can barely move.
Final thoughts
To conclude this explanation for how Ochaco's speech helped more than Izuku, one last thing needs to be said. Both in the episode and manga, My Hero Academia outright says that One For All isn't just a Quirk. It's a network of people working together towards a common goal of bettering society.
Far more than just punching a villain in the face, what Ochaco's speech to a crowd ready to dismiss a broken teenager represents is the spirit of One for All: a community coming together to help each other. My Hero Academia said that no man is an island unto themselves, and teamwork makes the dream work.
If anyone has any other examples to add of My Hero Academia's Ochaco's speech saving people more than Izuku, don't hesitate to add them in the comments.
