REVIEW: 'My Hero Academia' Begins Its Final Season In An Unexpected Way
- Christopher Mills
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
This review contains minor spoilers for the first episode of 'My Hero Academia's' final season.
After nine years of My Hero Academia, it is finally coming to an end with one final season. It’s to be expected that with the return of a My Hero Academia season, we’re likely to get a recap of what previously occurred, but for a final season with everything on the line and only 12 episodes long, a recap is exactly what this premiere episode didn’t need.
The first episode of the final season opens up with a recap of the fight that began in the previous season with a quirkless All Might donning the armoured suit to take on All For One with his Rewind ability. The recap takes away from precious screen time that allows for more to take place in the episode, and additionally, the episode falls into the trap of taking away from a moment at the height of its suspense, and instead of building on that, it struggles to return to the same pace.
The episode is titled “Toshinori Yagi: Rising Origin”, and yet, it doesn’t feel like All Might himself was the focus of the episode. As All Might prepares for a powerful attack against All For One, we cut away to the battle against Kuneida, with Team Troy restrained in defeat. While this builds up to a scene that has some great animation, which Jason Yao does yet another fantastic job in animating, it unfortunately overall slows down the pacing of the episode.
The combination of Aoyama and Hagakure working together to take down Kuneida ends up being the highlight of the episode, and instead of feeling like an episode focused on All Might, it ends up feeling like an episode focused solely on Aoyama. A shining moment, but at what cost?
Aside from that, I can’t help but have a grin on my face witnessing All Might be the hero that he always was, using the armoured suit which utilises the quirks of Class 1-A. We see a child from another country witnessing the battle, and while his guardian tells him that the outcome of the fight won’t be their concern, the glow and intensity in his eyes once again show that he believes in All Might, similar to how Deku did as a kid. All Might has always been a hero for the people, ensuring that there’s a smile on his face at all times and metaphorically bringing the light in all of this darkness around them.
The final moments of this premiere episode save it as Stain jumps in, paralysing All For One and urging All Might to finish the battle. A moment filled with momentum that’s once again taken away from the scene that plays after the credits with Aoyama discovering Hagakure's quirk is on the fritz due to his quirk affecting hers. It isn’t My Hero Academia if there isn’t some fan service, but at least the scene might play into an interesting dynamic between the two.
It’s not all negativity when it comes to Hagakure’s scene at the end, as the anime manages to improve on how she’s depicted when her identity is revealed compared to the manga. This simply could’ve been for the fact that a minor would’ve been too explicitly nude, but the combination of her quirk with Aoyama’s providing this light refraction and prism look isn’t only genius but also, outside of what is a fan service moment, provides her with a more unique identity.
My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 1 isn't exactly the start that was expected after such an anticipated wait, but it provides a lot of promise for what's to be expected with a season that's bound to be action-packed and filled with emotion. If the direction and animation continue to stay as consistently impressive as they are right now, then this final season might have the chance to elevate the manga's ending, but only time can tell.
Rating: ★★★1/2
About My Hero Academia
Premiere Date: October 4, 2025
Episode Count: 12
Executive Producer/Showrunner: Kenji Nagasaki
Writer: Yōsuke Kuroda
Director: Naomi Nakayama
Production: Bones
Distribution: Crunchyroll
Cast: Daiki Yamashita, Yūki Kaji, Kenta Miyake, Kosuke Kuwano, Kaori Nazuka, Akio Ōtsuka
Synopsis: The fate of the world hangs in the balance. With both sides pushing themselves to the limits, Izuku is determined to save the world and become the greatest hero while depicting the future of hero society and characters' lives.