One irable quality of all of the Dark Hero arc. This season 6 anime arc took Deku's character development to new levels and took the series as a whole in a more grim direction.

Although this arc was exceptional and offered a unique twist on the more lighthearted storylines fans had come to expect from My Hero Academia, it was unfortunately not very lengthy. The arc only spans chapters 307-328 of the manga and episodes 132-138 of the anime, which is quite a short amount of time considering the length of other arcs. My Hero Academia's biggest mistake was cutting Deku's most serious arc short.

Deku’s Short-Lived Vigilante Arc Should Have Been Longer

Although Deku Needed to Return to U.A., the Dark Hero Arc Still Needed More Time First

In the Dark Hero arc, the U.A. High hero did something he had never done before: he went off on his own as a hero. After some particularly dangerous run-ins with the League of Villains, Deku made a life-altering decision and decided to turn his back on All Might, his U.A. classmates, and the Pro Heroes, choosing to pursue Tomura Shigaraki himself in the hopes of bringing justice to the villains and restoring peace to the world. This was an ambitious endeavor that understandably did not pan out as Deku had hoped, but the arc did showcase the hero's courage and unwavering commitment to his duty.

The story arc is packed with scenes of Deku confronting villains, like Lady Nagant and Muscular, completely by himself. Although these scenes are riveting, it would have benefited the story had there been more of them. All things considered, Deku's time as a vigilante ended almost as quickly as it began, not giving him ample time to explore this new role and work as an independent, self-motivated hero. It was necessary for Deku to eventually re his fellow heroes to track down the League as a team, but a few more episodes could have been given to the Dark Hero arc first.

The Dark Hero Arc Was Excellent Character Development For Deku

Fans Were Introduced to a New, Independent Deku They Had Never Met Before

Deku's character is developed more throughout the Dark Hero arc than any other part of the story, because all the difficult circumstances he persevered through on his own and the revelations he had as a result of them shaped him as a hero. The Dark Hero arc was a dismal time in Deku's life when he was at his most hopeless. He was beginning to worry Shigaraki would never be found and defeated, and he was also worried that by fighting alongside others, he would only drag them down with him and endanger them if he failed on any of his missions.

This section of My Hero Academia is one of the series' most interesting and unexpected, since it diverges so much from the feel of the rest of the story, revealing a completely new side of Deku. Previously, Deku was intensely team-focused, motivated, and was always the one student at U.A. High who could be depended on to offer words of encouragement to his teammates when they were feeling discouraged. The Dark Hero arc flips these aspects of Deku's personality completely, presenting a Deku that is sullen, yet fiercely driven to wipe out evil all on his own.

Seeing Deku as a Vigilante Was One of the Coolest Parts of My Hero Academia

Deku's Solo Battles Against Villains Were Some of His Most Riveting

As the arc progressed, Deku grew even further, realizing the benefits of relying on others and seeing how much more effective the heroes are as a team rather than taking on the full weight of society's problems by themselves. Deku moving through these different ways of thinking provides excellent moments of character growth for him, but since he shifted from being completely devoted to fighting alone to eager to re his teammates in just seven episodes, this development does feel somewhat rushed and should have been spread out across a few more episodes that could really illustrate this change in his thinking.

Another fantastic part of the Dark Hero arc was simply watching the hero fight by himself, where his One For All Quirk and strength could be the focal point of the battle. Since no other heroes were by his side, Deku's talents were able to shine as he battled these enemies alone with all his might. Seeing Deku go off on his own to fight villains could have created a lot of other really dramatic, intense battles aside from the ones that were shown, so it would have been preferable for him to continue this “vigilante” hero role for a little bit longer before returning to U.A.

The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime is a Step in the Right Direction

The Vigilantes Anime Will Explore a Similar Side to Heroism as the Dark Hero Arc Did

Although My Hero Academia's Dark Hero arc cannot be expanded now, since the manga is over and the anime's eighth and final season is coming soon, the new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime will be almost like an expansion of this arc, although it will feature an all-new protagonist. The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime, based on the manga of the same name, follows Koichi Haimawari, a crime-fighting citizen who does not work for the Pro Heroes, but teams up with a few other unlicensed heroes, and they begin to work as a group of vigilantes.

The Deku portrayed in the Dark Hero arc would perhaps have ed an organization like this, at least for a short time. Although it is a shame that Deku's vigilante side will never be revealed again, fans can still enjoy Koichi, Kazuho, and Knuckleduster, as they spend an entire series portraying the "vigilante" side of heroism that Deku left behind too soon. The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime will be released in April 2025, and anyone who enjoyed the Dark Hero arc of the main My Hero Academia series should definitely check it out, because it will likely have the same dark, gritty feel as Deku's best arc.