Summary
Following the Provisional License Exam Arc events, where Midoriya, Bakugo, and friends earned their licenses to perform heroic duties legally, the team of heroes was quickly thrust into the next significant threat. The Shie Hassaikai Arc adds elemental realism to the supernatural and fanatical powers ofMy Hero Academia, testing the willpower and mental fortitude of the heroes engaging in the battle. Fortunately,Midoriya and his friendsnow have the proper licenses, which enable them to undertake work studies with one of the pro heroes.
The aspiring heroes ofMy Hero Academiaare tasked with a difficult challenge, as an underground operation is sweeping the city by storm. To make matters worse, any citizen with a quirk can have their quirk removed, including any hero trying to stop the operation. The jump fromthe Provisional Hero License Exam Arcto this one is an enormous leap in tone, going from an amusing series of episodes aimed towards earning their license to being thrust into the underbelly of a central drug production ring. This arc takes place from chapters 122 to 162 in the manga and covers episodes 62 to 78 in the anime series.
The Threatening Quirk-Destroying Bullet
The Shie Hassaikai were a former branch of the Yakuza, though they worked together towards a similar goal: Destroying the world’s justice system. Led by Kai Chisaki, known better by his villain name Overhaul, the Shie Hassaikai are developing a quirk-erasing bullet. This object can erase the quirks of anyone it hits, which puts the entire country on high alert. The city’s safety relies onthe quirks of heroes inMy Hero Academia, and without them, it would lead to total anarchy and villains taking over. Stopping the Shie Hassaikai becomes the number-one priority of any hero embarking on this mission, including Midoriya, who is entering an intense first experience.
Unfortunately for him, Midoriya runs into the center of the entire operation after bumping into a little girl named Eri. This is Midoriya’s introduction to Overhaul andthe quirk-erasing drugas Eri attempts to escape the ring leader. Eri is a young girl with the ability to reverse time, which is used to create the drug. By infusing her quirk into the bullets, anyone hit with them will have their bodies reversed back to when their quirk was still dormant. Due to this knowledge, Midoriya must simultaneously stop the Shie Hassaikai from developing more of the quirk-erasing drug and using it while saving Eri from the clutches of Overhaul.
Additionally,Overhaul’s quirkallows him to harm his opponents and heal himself simply by touching anything with his bare hands. His quirk can disassemble and reassemble anything by touching it, which includes objects to any part of the human anatomy. This reality makes the heroes' job of getting close to Overhaul, much less fight him head-on, an operation suited for the best heroes in town. Midoriya’s inexperience leaves him vulnerable, and his inability to let emotions get in the way of critical thinking will be his most challenging hurdle. Fortunately for Midoriya, he’ll have plenty of help with this mission.
Introducing the U.A. Big Three
Due to the severity of the Shie Hassaikai, their intentions of destroying the city, and every hero’s quirk,My Hero Academiaintroduces the U.A. Big Three, a trio of heroes with advanced abilities and fighting expertise. Leading the charge is Mirio Togata, a compellinghero with the quirk of permeationand a charming personality that always carries a high sense of optimism. Mirio’s standing in the U.A. is at the top of all students, as he was chosen to inherit One For All from All Might before Midoriya received the quirk instead. Mirio’s quirk is vital, as it allows the smiling hero to phase through objects and people, including their attacks. The quirk makes hitting him virtually impossible when aware of the attack.
Nejire Hado is excellent for the mission at hand, as her high belief in the justice system and doing good by citizens pushes her and everyone around her to achieve more. Nejire’s quirk allows her to use her vitality, converting it into spiraling shock waves. This quirk is a double-edged sword, as it can leave a mark on anything it hits but depletes Nejire’s stamina quickly through overuse. Of the Big Three,Nejire is the most charismatic personality, often providing an energy contagious to the rest of the group. Though her quirk is the weakest of the three heroes, her personality and aura compare nicely with those of her two counterparts.
Tamaki Amajiki completes the trio of heroes and is the group’s most complex character. Known by his hero name, Suneater,his transformation quirkallows him to manifest the characteristics of whatever he eats. Suneater displays this when he eats various foods, turning one of his arms into an octopus' tentacle, the other into a giant clam, and growing the wings of a bird on his back. This flexible quirk allows Suneater to combine different animals for endless possibilities, shaping him into a dangerous combatant. While all three have excellent quirks that can turn the tables on the battlefield, none possess the potential quite like Suneater’s quirk.
Deku Breaks Through Glass Ceiling
During the Shie Hissaikai arc,My Hero Academiafans are introduced to Sir Nighteye, an experienced hero who once served as All Might’s sidekick. Sir Nighteye’s quirk allows him to see into the future, helping him predict the outcome and giving him time to devise a plan of action. Sir Nighteye reveals that his future-predicting quirk has always been proven right, which becomes a danger to Midoriya when a vision is seen of him dying at the hands of Overhaul. This revelation doesn’t prevent Midoriya from engaging in the battle, as the young hero sets his sights on Overhaul and ending his entire operation while saving Eri in the process.
After Mirio is struck with the quirk-deleting drug, the army of heroes is dealt a significant blow to their chances of winning the fight. Sir Nighteye also sacrifices his well-being to protect Eri, later succumbing to his wound and serving asMy Hero Academia’s first deathof a main character. With half of his prophecy on its way to being fulfilled, Midoriya clashes head-on with Overhaul in a one-on-one battle. Brilliantly, Midoriya uses the help of Eri’s reversal quirk to heal injuries suffered in battle, allowing him to use his One For All quirk endlessly without the repercussion of becoming too injured to continue.
Teaming up with Eri allows Midoriya to get the upper hand on Overhaul, launching a barrage of attacks and suffocating him with tremendous offense. Defeating Overhaul helps break up the Shie Hassaikai and proves Sir Nighteye’s future vision wrong for the first time ever. Unfortunately, Sir Nighteye doesn’t survive the ordeal, becoming one ofthe sadder moments inMy Hero Academia’s run. Following Overhaul’s defeat, the League of Villains re-appears, led by Shigaraki, Dabi, and Mr. Compress. Noting Overhaul’s loss at the hands of Midoriya, Shigaraki declares the League of Villains as the next rulers of the underworld.
My Hero Academia’s First Death Of A Main Character
The shocking conclusion to the Shie Hassaikai arccaught many fans ofMy Hero Academiaby surprise, as Sir Nighteye’s inclusion in the series was welcomed by many. His backstory and history with All Might, as well as his mentoring of Mirio, made for a more robust character to build upon. Following the death of Sir Nighteye, many of the main cast of heroes were mentally and emotionally distraught, having never experienced the death of one of their more prominent heroes. Midoriya, Mirio, and All Might were significantly affected by the death, as the three heroes were inconsolable over the departure of Sir Nighteye.
What made Sir Nighteye’s passinga significant moment inMy Hero Academia’s tenurewas its impact on several main heroes. Mirio lost a mentor and a friend but received one final farewell from Sir Nighteye, who peered into his future and promised Mirio he’d be an outstanding hero. All Might lost his former friend and sidekick, burying a plethora of history between the two. For Midoriya, losing an important hero was a grim reminder of their mortality and the real possibility of suffering the same fate against greater dangers. While Sir Nighteye wished everyone to smile more and think positively, none could muster up an upward curve to their face or prepare for the looming threat that awaited them.
TheMy Hero Academiamanga is available to read onVizand theDragon Ballanime is available to stream onCrunchyroll.
My Hero Academia
In My Hero Academia, Young Deku is born into a world where people commonly have something called quirks, also known as superpowers. He himself is born without any, but circumstances lead to that changing. He enrolls at the UA High School, a prestigious academy where the worlds future heroes learn how to use their powers.
