My Hero Academia's Controversial Ending: Would More Time Have Made It Better?

My Hero Academia has been one of the most loved anime and manga series of the last decade. Fans around the world have followed Izuku Midoriya's journey, also known as Deku, from a powerless boy to a true hero.

But after the manga ended, not everyone was happy. So, would more time have made the ending better? The short answer is yes. Many fans believe that the story needed more space for a full and satisfying wrap-up.

My Hero Academia ends with Deku returning to U.A. after his final battle with Shigaraki. Even though he suffers serious injuries and loses One For All, he keeps going. Deku finishes school, graduates, and later becomes a teacher at U.A.

Eight years after the final fight, while we see his classmates becoming top heroes, Deku works quietly at the school. The ending also exhibits Deku receiving a mechanical battle suit, created by Mei Hatsume and funded by his friends, giving him the chance to fight alongside them again.

On paper, this ending sounds fine. But after looking closely, the fans noticed big problems. My Hero Academia always focused on friendship, hope, and personal growth. Yet in the last chapters (up to chapter 430), Deku feels strangely isolated. He is depicted working alone, looking a little sad, while his friends go on to achieve fame as pro heroes.

Fans felt that Deku was left behind, even though he gave up so much to save the world. With the passage of time, the story could have focused on Deku’s social life, his friendships, and how much his friends still cared about him.

A major complaint raised is how Deku lost One For All. My Hero Academia spent years building up Deku’s bond with this power. He trained hard, mastered new abilities, and sacrificed his body time and time again. It was clear that Deku earned his place as the symbol of hope.

But in the end, the power is gone, and Deku returns to being quirkless. And as soon as he became quirkless, he stopped “heroing” and became a teacher. This change of career path conflicts with the first lesson we learn from All Might.

From the beginning of the show, the message was that being a hero came from within, not from your quirk. While the message seems to be that you don’t need a quirk to be a hero, fans felt this came out of nowhere. Why did Midoriya stop after all his efforts just to become a teacher?

If My Hero Academia had more chapters, it could have explored this idea deeply. What does it really mean to be a quirkless hero? How does Deku feel about losing the power he fought so hard to master?

The ending skips over these emotional moments. Instead of showing Deku struggling with his loss and finding new strength, we just jump to eight years later, where he’s handed a suit that gives him new powers. This felt too easy to some readers.

The eight-year time skip was also a sore point. My Hero Academia skips over Deku’s graduation and early hero years, leaving fans wondering what happens during that time. How does Deku adjust to life without One For All? How do his classmates support him? What challenges do they face together?

Fans wanted to see these moments, but the manga rushed past them. More time would have allowed the story to slow down and show these important steps in Deku’s life.

There were also missed chances to explore relationships. My Hero Academia hinted at romantic pairings, like Deku and Uraraka, but never gave clear answers. Some readers were fine with this, enjoying the open ending. But some others also felt that an update on their dynamic, after so many years, would have aided the narrative. Even small moments, like Deku talking to Uraraka or Bakugo, would have made the ending feel warmer and more connected.

Some fans also wanted to see Deku keep One For All. They felt that he earned the right to hold onto the power he worked so hard to master. Losing it at the end felt like the story was sending the wrong message. My Hero Academia has always been about hope, growth, and perseverance. Keeping One For All would have shown that Deku’s hard work paid off in the long run.

Also, instead of All Might just handing the suit over to him with no one else present, his classmates could have come together and made a day out of it. It could have been a bigger, more intimate celebration to welcome him back into the journey he once gave his life to.

Another improvement could have been a deeper exploration of Deku’s feelings. My Hero Academia could have depicted Deku coping with being quirkless. Does he feel sad? Does he doubt himself? How does he find his new strength? Exploring these emotions would make his final return as a hero feel earned, not just handed to him through technology.

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My Hero Academia should show more appreciation for Deku

I also think My Hero Academia’s ending would have been stronger if it showed more of Deku’s daily life. Fans wanted to see Deku living happily, not just working. Maybe something along the lines of him joking with friends, helping young students, or enjoying quiet moments.

These details matter because they remind us of Deku’s heart — the part of him that always cared about others. Without these moments, the ending feels cold and distant.

Even if the anime keeps Deku quirkless, it can still improve the ending. My Hero Academia could show Deku’s impact in small, meaningful ways. The children could be seen pretending to be him as he played around with All Might. These moments would show that he did not just become a background character after saving the world.

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Conclusion

As a longtime fan myself, I believe My Hero Academia’s ending had the right ideas but needed more space to breathe. Deku’s journey has always been about more than just powers. With a little more time, the story could have fully captured that spirit.