Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter #420

Summary

• Deku's dramatic loss of arms is quickly undone, robbing the story of potential consequences and dramatic tension.
• Deku's recovery may lead to an underwhelming final battle, where his role could be more emotional than physical.
• While Deku's injuries are reversed for now, the impact of losing his arms could have added depth to the story.

My Hero Academia's newest chapter has already gone back and undone the most dramatic moment from the previous chapter, almost immediately erasing the consequences of Deku's actions. While this may be a necessary step for the conclusion of the narrative, the speed with which this was undone removes almost all the dramatic tension from the scene.

In chapter 419, it was revealed that the damage that Deku suffered to his hands in the subconscious realm had translated to reality, with the young hero missing both his arms up to the elbow. Up against an All for One who had once again seized control of Shigaraki's body, Deku was left essentially helpless, without a Quirk or even fists to fight back with. That's when Aizawa showed up with several of the other students from Class 1-A, holding the solution to Deku's problems.

Deku was given Eri's horn, which contained enough energy to briefly rewind him, far enough back that his arms began to rematerialize.

Deku Paid a High Price That's Immediately Refunded

Deku's Loss is Reversed Too Quickly

While it obviously wouldn't do to have the hero die of blood loss due to his missing arms, this turn of events has all but ensured that there will be no consequences for Deku's actions. It might've been better to have Deku forced to deal with his missing limbs for at least a few chapters before having them magically restored. After all, Deku's hands and arms have long been a weak spot of his; he was warned many times by Recovery Girl and other doctors that continued damage to his arms would render them useless, and this was just the most extreme possible version of that.

Deku would certainly be a lot worse off without arms, but he does have his Shoot Style to fall back on, which would allow him to continue fighting even without his arms. Of course, Deku is also without the powers of One for All now, so his kicks would likely lack the necessary strength to defeat All for One/Shigaraki. But then it hardly matters whether Deku has hands or not--he's not going to be dealing much damage to the villain regardless, thanks to having no Quirk.

Unless Eri's rewind is somehow able to restore One for All, there's not a lot Deku can even contribute to the fight at this point. He clearly needs to be a part of this finale, but what is he able to do as a powerless teenager at this point? He's been forced into a situation where he has to rely on his friends and the connections he's made throughout the series, proving the power of bonds between people, but that still leaves Deku just as defenseless, arms or no arms.

Deku's Recovery Robs the Story of a Lot of Drama

Deku's Situation Might've Been Better Like Bakugo's

A good point of comparison for Deku's situation might actually be Bakugo, who was on the verge of death from overusing his Quirk earlier in the Final War arc. Bakugo was down for a long time, dozens of chapters, before getting back up and being ready to fight again, all thanks to a massive sacrifice by Edgeshot. It made Bakugo's eventual return to the field of battle all the more impactful, and lent the moment a lot of extra drama.

Would the story have been nearly as strong if Bakugo had gotten back up in the very next chapter? Of course not. The same applies here; Deku's injuries being reversed so soon after occurring robs the story of a lot of potential drama surrounding Deku's survival and what he's still capable of. The problem isn't that Deku's injuries are healed so much as it is how quickly they're healed. It almost makes even suffering the injury pointless, since Deku's lack of arms had effectively no impact on the story.

A point has been made that the rewind will be slower than usual, so perhaps Deku will have to deal with having incomplete, still-regenerating hands for a while, forcing him to find other ways to fight back. None of that addresses Deku's Quirk situation, however, and exactly what power (if any) he's been left with from One for All now that the vestiges and their Quirk factors are gone. Will Deku getting his arms back matter any more than losing them did?

Deku's Role in the Final Battle with All for One

Deku Takes on a New Role to Save Shigaraki?

Now that the stage is set for a final confrontation with All for One to save Shigaraki, the question becomes just what Deku's role here will be, especially if he's not able to fight back without a Quirk. Deku could be entrusted to act as the "heart" here, reaching out to Shigaraki with words and attempting to get through to him, past All for One's control and encouraging him to fight for control of his own body.

Deku, having finally seen Shigaraki's tragic origin for himself, and having learned the horrible extent to which All for One manipulated his life to cause that tragedy to happen, is in a unique position to reach out to Shigaraki. He's the only character who can really understand all the suffering Shigaraki has been through, and he still seems to be dead set on saving "Tenko." Deku's role in the final battle may not be to fight at all, but to use words to break through All for One's hate-fueled armor and reach Shigaraki, a job that wouldn't require he has any Quirk.

While it's rather disappointing that the dramatic reveal of Deku having lost his arms won't have any significant impact on the story, there are still ways that even a powerless Deku can help to defeat their foe. All for One may be able to fight off the heroes, but can he do that while also struggling for control of the body with Shigaraki? My Hero Academia's final battle is certainly taking an odd turn, but despite this seeming misstep, there's still plenty of drama left for the series in the struggle for Shigaraki's soul.

Read on MangaPlus