Written by Alex Criscione
My Hero Academia closed its Shie Hassaikai Arc with a stunning finale. Over the course of this 16 episode arc we learned and experienced some of the most intense action in the whole series. Between Red Riot going Unbreakable, to the final battle between Deku and Overhaul — it was nonstop action. There were a vast number of quirks that were shown in this arc and it showed how some quirks are terrible alone yet strong with a group, showing that many villains can act stronger than heroes. We see this in the fight with not only Fat Gum and Red Riot against Rappa and Tengai, but mainly with Suneater against three dangerous Yakuza.
A major point of this arc was the in-depth character development of all the heroes and villains. Deepening how they feel about the real world and the different forms of justice that can take place.
Singlehandedly one of the best scenes is when Deku and Lemillion meet Eri for the first time. The suspense and tension was at its peak especially with the unknown of both quirks and seeing the true fear in all of the characters’ eyes really made for an impactful scene.
With this being one of the most emotional arcs of the series there came a lot of loss. In the final battle Sir Nighteye becomes impaled and Lemillion loses his quirk while defending Eri against Overhaul showed the dangers of being a hero and the cost of being one is to save another.
Deku’s One-for-All 100% with Eri’s rewind ability after she jumped into his arms while falling was possibly one of the highlights of the show. Impressive animation, with an even more impressive soundtrack really nails the final battle sequence. This arc delivered a very emotional point that seems to be toned down in the following arc, overall a great ending for a great villain.
My Hero Academia: Shie Hassaikai Arc is now streaming on Hulu, Crunchyroll, and Funimation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd6i3Kv2yIs