Summary

• Deku's Dark Hero Arc is crucial and a callback to his vigilante days, emphasizing the importance of comion and empathy in the series.
• Chapter #418 highlights Deku's growth and understanding towards villains like Shigaraki, reflecting the lessons learned from the Dark Hero Arc.
• The Dark Hero Arc challenges Deku's beliefs, widening his worldview and preparing him for the final battle, showcasing the complexity of hero society.

Warning: Contains spoilers for chapter #418 of My Hero Academia.

Deku has finally managed to break through Shigaraki's defenses in order to save him. In trying to reach out to him, Deku is reminded of a crucial moment from his vigilante days hinting at just how important the Dark Hero Arc is to Deku's character and the final arc of the series.

In chapter #418 of My Hero Academia, Deku continues to hold on to Shigaraki despite the latter's objections. Despite his arms disintegrating away, Deku grabs little Tenko's hand tightly as he specifically re the peace it brought him when Iida similarly took hold of his hand during the Dark Hero Arc.

The moment when Class 1-A banded together to reach out to Deku and put an end to his isolation is easily one of the best moments of the Dark Hero Arc and clearly left quite a lasting impact on Deku. Not only did the arc help Deku broaden his worldview, but also allowed him to better empathize with Shigaraki, as seen in the latest chapter.

Deku's Dark Hero Arc Highlights the Need For Comion

Dark Deku's Isolation Helps Him Empathize With Shigaraki

Insignificant as it may appear, this simple action of taking one's hand is loaded with meaning within My Hero Academia. After all, it was this very action that led to the creation of One For All, when the second , Kudo, reached out to Yoichi at his lowest. Now that Deku has witnessed the painful memories at Shigaraki's core, he too emulates this spirit of One For All by reaching out to Shigaraki, irrespective of the toll it takes on him and his body.

As hinted by the callback to the Dark Hero Arc in chapter #418, Deku has come to understand the comfort that this simple action can provide, having experienced it himself when his friends reached out to him at his lowest. Much like how Deku had to force his way through Shigaraki's walls in the present, Class 1-A too had quite a hard time making it through to Deku during the Dark Hero Arc. Like Shigaraki, Deku too was at his very lowest, isolated and burdened by the duty he had to fulfill because of the power he carried when someone finally took his hand.

The Dark Hero Arc's Purpose is Fulfilled in the Final Battle

ittedly, Deku has always been highly empathetic and his ability to believe in the good in everyone is one of his most irable qualities. However, it is only due to the Dark Hero Arc that Deku has been able to widen his worldview to better understand even those labeled as villains by society. The Dark Hero's purpose was to open Deku's eyes to the ugly truth of hero society and force him to contemplate what exactly made people villains, which finally sees fulfillment in the final battle.

While Deku is still his optimistic self, he is no longer as naive as he once was and understands that Shigaraki and the League of Villains are complex, nuanced individuals created by their circumstances and the shortcomings of hero society. Thus, Deku understands that he will not be able to understand people like Toga and Shigaraki from a normal perspective and all he can be sure of is that there is humanity still hidden deep within them.

Overall, the Dark Hero Arc was a vital part of My Hero Academia's story and Deku's character arc that repeatedly challenged Deku's beliefs and his perspective of hero society. The themes introduced in the arc continue to come into play in the final battle and the arc itself will continue to grow in importance as the series nears its finale.

My Hero Academia is available from Manga Plus and Viz Media.

Read on Manga Plus