My Hero Academia’s True Hero isn’t Deku, it’s Ochako

The latest chapter ofMy Hero Academia might see Ochako Uraraka making a desperate plea to Japan’s citizens to accept Deku so he can survive and save the day against All For One. But how mangaka Kohei Horikoshi portrays Ochako creates the impression that she’s the real hero.

When All Might bestowed upon Deku his power, he essentially set the young boy up to also become the next number-one hero. Now that All Might’s main nemesis, All For One, has returned, the duty automatically falls on Deku to defeat him despite his inexperience since only All Might could stand up against the villain and Deku is the current wielder of All Might’s power. Additionally, All For One currently wants to obtain Deku’s One For All quirk, which forced the boy to flee U.A. High to face the villain alone so as not to put his friends and everyone around him in danger.

Deku almost dies on this journey, but luckily his friends in class 1-A swoop in just in time and bring him back to U.A. High where they are met by a mob. The angry citizens don’t want Deku at the school since they know All For One is looking for him and believe Deku being there could put them in harm’s way. All of Japan’s heroes try and fail to quell the mob’s anger until Ochako finally achieves some leeway in chapter 324. Her efforts (and flashbacks) prove she could be Japan’s true number-one hero.

Mangaka Kohei Horikoshi provides ample evidence throughout the latest chapter to prove this. Not only is she able to soften the hardened hearts of the mob as a few of them gather around Deku’s slumped figure, but Kohei Horikoshi juxtaposes this image against a cell that contains the words “humanity struggles to make true progress,” which creates the impression that, for the first time in My Hero Academia, humanity has made some progress because of Ochako’s help.

The chapter also includes a seemingly random image of Himiko Toga when Ochako yells, “Everyone, lend us your strength, so that we can get past this tomorrow!” This reference is undoubtedly meant to remind readers of how Himiko felt compelled to become just like Ochako and assumed her powers as a result. Even though this disgusted Ochako at the time, the fact that she could unconsciously cause a villain to want to be like her even when that villain so vehemently despises heroes and society for thoroughly rejecting her and the way in which she shows affection just underscores her ability to connect with her enemies, which is a necessary asset for heroes. This is similar to when Deku was able to convert Lady Nagant to his side, proving that he is not the only hero capable of such an amazing feat.

But maybe the most crucial factor that comes into play is Ochako’s flashback that transpires during her moving speech in My Hero Academia. As a child, she loved seeing the smiles on people’s faces upon the arrival of heroes so much that she would rather look at the crowd instead. This was what All Might truly represents. His goal was to make everyone smile and feel hope, especially during times when they are hopeless. Deku was the opposite of Ochako Uraraka. He, along with everyone else, was the one who smiled and stared at heroes like All Might. While it’s crucial for a hero to be inspired to make people feel good and smile the same way they once did at their lowest, it’s just as powerful, if not more so, when other people’s happiness moves a hero so much that they are more mesmerized by that than anything else.

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