My Hero Academia final season: Deku’s sacrifice reinforces that true heroes are defined by heart, not quirks

My Hero Academia's final season has been one of the most intense arcs in the franchise. In episode 5, Deku took the biggest decision of his life: He would give up the power of One For All. This would not have been an easy choice, as this power was given to him by his hero, and letting it go would also mean he would be Qurikless again.

After carrying the torch passed down through generations of heroes, he makes a choice that reflects the very core of heroism in My Hero Academia: Compassion over destruction, empathy over dominance, and the will to save rather than to win. The story of this series has built itself around the history of One For All and All For One.

AFO was the elder twin who wanted to use his ability of Stealing and gifting Quirks for his own gain and became the most dangerous villain. Meanwhile, his younger brother Yoichi was burdened with a Quirk that could only transfer its power. When All For One forcibly gave Yoichi a stockpiling Quirk, it fused with his transfer ability, creating One For All.

Over generations in My Hero Academia, there have been many characters from Kudo to Toshinori Yagi, and each inheritor has given their all in defeating this villain for the sake of humanity. But the situation for Deku is a little different; All for One has been defeated by Bakugo. He is now fighting against a different kind of evil, one that Deku really wants to save his opponent from.

In My Hero Academia, his fight wasn’t about domination; it was about salvation. That is why, in the middle of his brutal confrontation with Tomura Shigaraki, a villain molded by pain, neglect, and manipulation, Deku doesn’t choose vengeance. He chooses to give his powers up so he can save the world and the little boy who is Shigaraki's inner child, who is scarred from all these events and wants help.

Why Deku’s compassion is his greatest strength in My Hero Academia?

Many fans might not like how the story is making Deku give up his powers and would want him to have a Qurik. But we need to understand that the story is giving us an important lesson that one does not need superpowers to become a hero. Deku’s compassion isn’t a weakness; it is his greatest strength. He refuses to let power define his worth or dictate his choices.

Where All For One uses Quirks to dominate others, Deku uses them to uplift, to heal, and to protect. His decision embodies what My Hero Academia has been trying to say since its first season: a true hero isn’t made by their Quirk, but by their heart.

Moreover, this Qurik he has was borrowed and not his in the first place; the start started because of the twin brothers, and the use of their powers should not finally come to an end. There is a chance that if he had not given up his power, the same cycle would have kept on repeating.

The completion of a heroic cycle

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In many ways, Deku’s selflessness completes the cycle that began with Yoichi. Just as Yoichi’s compassion transformed his brother’s curse into a blessing, Deku’s compassion transforms One For All’s legacy from a weapon into a symbol of peace. By letting go of One For All, Deku doesn’t lose his power; he transcends it. He becomes something greater than any Quirk could ever make him: a true hero.

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