Throughout its run, My Hero Academia introduced fans to an array of powerful heroes and villains. During the war against Shigaraki and All For One, the pro heroes and Class 1-A were pushed to the brink in major, defining battles. As the conflict gradually escalated, unforeseen twists occurred, with new and old characters stepping onto the battlefield.

However, not every hero who showed up was able to get a worthy stand in the battle. One such hero had their story cut short, even though they seemed poised to completely change the tide of the war. Star and Stripe, America’s Number One Hero, arrived with immense promise, only to be taken out just as quickly as she had been introduced.

Star and Stripe Was America’s Number One Hero and Was Inspired by All Might Himself

Star Held So Much Potential and Deserved More Screen Time Than She Got

Star and Stripe’s introduction to My Hero Academia was exciting, and her character arguably held the most promise in the series. From the moment she appeared, her presence was larger than life, and she was quickly established as a force to be reckoned with. As the United States’ Number One Hero, she was one of the few who represented the height of heroism, rising to the top in a country with more than twice Japan’s population.

Having been influenced by All Might, she carried his ideals into her own training and hero work. This connection was much more than a nod to All Might’s international influence but proof of Star and Stripe’s emulation of his legacy in the States. She had an unwavering determination and a heroic spirit that mirrored All Might’s, making her feel like a hero worthy of being another of All Might’s successors.

Star and Stripe's quirk New Order, was one unlike any other shown before in the series. New Order allowed her to impose her will upon reality, setting the rules for the world around her. This ability wasn’t only powerful but terrifying and versatile, giving Star and Stripe immense potential that should have been much more difficult to defeat—even for Shigaraki. Her quirk alone should have been a massive game-changer in My Hero Academia and could have been more deeply explored.

It would have been thrilling to see her character face off against All For One or team up with fan favorites in the final battle. Instead, despite her status and power, she was written out of the series as soon as she was introduced. Star and Stripe had the potential to expand My Hero Academia by serving as a gateway to heroes beyond Japan’s hero society. In doing so, it would have pushed the narrative that Shigaraki had grown into a global threat and brought about the unification of international hero societies.

Star and Stripe Was Killed off Practically as Soon as She Was Introduced

Star and Stripe Was a Mere Plot Device To Highlight the Threat Shigaraki Posed

Star and Stripe’s death in the series was abrupt and undermined the buildup surrounding her introduction. She was positioned to become a pivotal character in turning the tide against Shigaraki and All For One. Yet, instead of becoming a major powerhouse in the story, she was reduced to a sacrificial pawn to showcase Shigaraki’s evolving and terrifying power. Her death, while presented as a spectacular and noble sacrifice, felt rushed and left Star feeling like an underexplored and developed character. Fans were barely given any time to invest in her personality or history before she was removed from the storyline.

The speed at which Star and Stripe was killed off in the series made her feel more like a plot device than a fully fleshed-out character. Her introduction and subsequent death served a single primary purpose, to emphasize Shigaraki’s overwhelming power and threat level. By taking and ultimately destroying her quirk, Shigaraki solidified his status as an unstoppable force that presented the same risk as All For One.

Additionally, the briefness of her arc greatly diminished the emotional weight of her death. Characters like Nighteye and Twice had deaths that resonated deeply with fans because their stories were woven into the series over time, allowing viewers to form a connection to their characters. However, Star and Stripe was such a fleeting character that her death was more of a spectacle than a true loss in the series. Her sacrifice was meant to be saddening and honorable, but instead, due to the lack of screen time for her character, it failed to leave an emotional impression on audiences.

Star and Stripe Will Forever Remain My Hero Academia’s Biggest “What If”

Star and Stripe had the potential to become much more than a benchmark for Shigaraki’s growing power. As a hero who stood on par with the best in the world, her presence could have expanded the series’ exploration of international heroes. By cutting her story short, the series missed an opportunity to explore the top heroes of other countries as well as having a powerful female character take center stage and display a jaw-dropping action sequence.

Star and Stripe had a solid character design, a backstory that had been considered, but not explored deeply enough, and a quirk that could have become a major wildcard and secret weapon for the cast. Had she the chance to work alongside other heroes, her quirk could have complimented and amplified her allies’ collective strength against All For One and Shigaraki. With New Order, Star could have easily become one of the most decorated heroes in My Hero Academia rather than being reduced to a single showdown that didn’t last longer than a couple of episodes.

As a girl who was saved by All Might and became determined to live up to his legacy, Star and Stripe could have easily become one of the series’ greatest characters. She could have served as more than an ally and served as a mentor in the series. Her late introduction and quick demise cut off the possibilities her character could have achieved in the series, leaving her role to be largely unfulfilled and rather anti-climactic.

If Star and Stripe had at least been introduced to the series earlier, her death may have held greater significance and emotional toll. Instead, she was only given a mere six chapters and two episodes. Her death felt like a shortcut to emphasize Shigaraki’s threat, but due to the speed at which she was written off, it failed to resonate with fans. In the end, My Hero Academia missed out on a major opportunity to explore international heroism, expand on one of the greatest quirks in the series, and, most devastating of all, the chance to truly know Star and Stripe’s characters.