As an almost eight-season anime and over 400-chapter manga,My Hero Academiafeatures countless memorable story arcscovering a wide range of topics and situations. Some of the series' arcs are more grim and dark, while some take a more slice-of-life direction, showing U.A. High’s students enjoying the more lighthearted aspects of the high school experience.
Of this multitude of arcs, one stands out as a favorite of mine, and it is one that fans too often forget about.My Hero Academia’sU.A. Sports Festival arc is truly fantastic, but a lot of viewers disregard it as filler or less important than some of the battles that follow in later chapters. However, upon closer inspection,the Sports Festival arc is filled with meaningful character development that affects the rest of the storyin a major way.
The Sports Festival Arc is One of My Hero Academia’s Most Pivotal
U.A. High’s Students Battled and Showed Off Their Quirks to Hero Agencies For the First Time
This arc occurs pretty early on inMy Hero Academia,from chapters 22-44 of the manga and episodes 14-25 of the anime. Although it is not the lengthiest, it is a fairly long arc compared to others.This portion of the story focuses on U.A. High’s first major competition,pitting its students against one another in different challenges, some one-on-one and some team-based. The event also provided these aspiring young heroes a chance to show off their Quirks to the world for the first time, making it even more nerve-racking, since all eyes were on U.A. High’s newly admitted students.
My Hero Academia’s School Festival Arc Offered a Much-Needed Breather
My Hero Academia’s School Festival arc may be lower stakes and less intense, but that’s exactly what was called for after the Shie Hassaikai arc.
Although this arc is sometimes viewed as less crucial than otherMy Hero Academiaarcs, this could not be further from the truth.My Hero Academia’sSports Festival arc was a defining moment in the lives of every U.A. High student,allowing each of them to use their Quirk in front of an audience and be scouted by potential Hero Agencies that may recruit them in the future for internships or jobs. Not only was this arc a significant experience for U.A. High’s students on a larger scale, on a smaller level, it provided considerable character development for two heroes who needed it at this time.
Deku Was Forced to Confront the Limits of His Quirk
Izuku Midoriya, known by his nickname,Deku, andShoto Todoroki both received immense character growthduring the U.A. Sports Festival arc.Since they are two of my favorite characters in the series, I was impressed by the major breakthroughs they both experienced during this arc.Deku had recently inherited the One For All Quirkfrom All Might, and was learning how to use it properly leading up to and during this event. In a clash with Todoroki, Deku used the skill at 100% power, which he had done in the past, and received severe injuries as a result.
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This was one of Deku’s first times using One For All in such a major way with so many heroes watching, and he emerged from the battle with permanent scars on his hand. Doctors and professors at U.A. began to sternly warn him that if he did not find a safer way to harness his Quirk, he may lose the ability to use his arms entirely.This Sports Festival injury forced Deku to confront the fact that he was not invincibleand needed to learn a better way to use One For All without receiving massive injuries. Later, he did just that.
Todoroki Realized He Was Only Holding Himself Back
Thanks to Deku’s Words, Todoroki Realized He Needed to Begin Using His Left Fire Side
Deku began to channel One For All through his legs instead of his arms and fingers,and even began incorporating support items into his fighting tactics, so one part of his body would not have to bear the full power of One For All and its destructive nature. Although using One For All through his hands helped him during the Sports Festival, it also helped him realize the dangers of continuing down that path of only channeling the Quirk through his arms. He had to come up with creative solutions, and eventually, became a better, stronger hero due to this setback.
Todoroki’s development during the Sports Festival arc was even more stark,and marksone of my favorite Todoroki momentsin the series. During the event, Todoroki came to an earth-shattering realization thanks to some impassioned words from his classmate, Deku. As Todoroki and Deku fought, Deku realized Todoroki was only employing one half of his Half-Cold, Half-Hot Quirk, his right ice side. Todoroki was determined at this point in his journey to become a hero without using his left fire side, since itreminded him of his tragic backstoryand the mistreatment he suffered from his father, Endeavor, who has a fire Quirk too.
The Important Moments of the Sports Festival Continued to Impact the Series
Specifically, Todoroki and Deku’s Growth During This Arc Helped Them Advance on Their Hero Journeys
With the simple but life-changing words,“It’s YOUR quirk! Not his!“Todoroki realized that refusing to use the fire side of his Quirk was hurting him and holding him back from true greatness more than it was making a statement to Endeavor. Deku’s encouragement led Todoroki to finally use his fire side, opening up endless new attacks for the hero. Although he understandably still struggled with his relationship with Endeavor and his family for the rest of the series, this revelation that his fire Quirk is his own, not Endeavor’s, improved Todoroki’s skill as a hero and his opinion of himself.
My Hero Academia Never Addressed Its Most Problematic Issue, And Shoto Deserved Better
Quirk Marriages, one of My Hero Academia’s most horrid and controversial practices, were left forgotten by the end of the series.
Overall, the Sports Festival arc is one ofMy Hero Academia’sbest because, although it is not quite as dramatic as the Final War arc or Paranormal Liberation arc,it still contains character development and major moments that have a lasting impact on the series' storyline.In particular, the growth Todoroki and Deku went through helped them both become not only better Quirk users, but better heroes altogether. WithoutDeku’s One For All Quirkinjury or Todoroki’s realization about his Quirk, they may never have advanced to the level they are at now, proving that the Sports Festival is one ofMy Hero Academia’smost meaningful arcs.
