After more than 10 years in serialization, Kohei Horikoshi’sMy Hero Academiahas finally come to an end, and its ending has caused an uproar, with plenty of fans now debating if it managed to deliver or if it was disappointing. But this is far from the first time that this has happened to this iconic manga.
There are several prominent story arcs that have been extremely polarizing among fans, which is expected from a story as long as this one. Disagreements like those can be caused by writing choices like pacing issues, unexpected characterization, bizarre battles, and more. As a result, the followingMy Hero Academiaarcshave undoubtedly caused the most controversy among fans of the series.
8Meta Liberation Army Arc
A Unique Arc That Was Ruined In The Anime
TheMeta Liberation Army Arc, better known asMy Villain Academia,is highly regarded as one of the most distinctive arcs in the entire medium. Kohei Horikoshi made the bold choice of writing an entire segment that is centered on the antagonists, the League of Villains, so the audience can witness their physical and mental growth.
However, a fair share of fans were displeased with the idea of reading over 20 chapters that had nothing to do with the main characters. And to make things even worse,the animated adaptation of My Villain Academia was quite controversial, because Bones completely reordered the events of the story and even cut some major story beats, making this legendary arc a lot less effective in the process.
7Joint Training Arc
A Necessary Arc That Felt Long And Overcrowded
Class 1-B had an important presence in the story for several years, but most fans felt like they needed to be brought into the spotlight in order for them to learn more about their personalities and quirks. Fortunately for them, Horikoshi delivered on this premise with theJoint Training Arc, where the members of Class 1-B finally got some much-needed time to shine.
The resulting arc was quite entertaining, and it had a lot of strong moments, but many people did not enjoy it all that much, claiming it felt too long, it had slow pacing, and it featured too many forgettable characters interacting at the same time. This is because a different set of fans did not care about Class 1-B and would much rather see Izuku and his friends dealing with a villain instead of taking part in a school activity such as this one.
6U.A. School Festival Arc
A Lighthearted Arc With Low Stakes
After the extremely dark Shie Hassaikai Arc, many fans felt that theU.A. School Festival Arcwas a breath of fresh air for the series, as it had a much more lighthearted tone that was focused on making Eri smile again. The inclusion of Gentle and La Brava also added some tension to the plot,not to mention that they were more tragic antagonists, which was quite interesting for this point in the story.
However, a huge part of the fan base did not enjoy the sudden change in atmosphere from the previous arc and preferred the story to keep raising the stakes instead. The U.A. School Festival Arc was also criticized for its villain duo, as some people thought Gentle and La Brava were not interesting or powerful enough to carry the arc, especially during its climax.
5Shie Hassaikai Arc
A Dark & Emotional Arc That Felt Too Extensive
TheShie Hassaikai Arcwas arguably a total game-changer forMy Hero Academia, seeing as Overhaul was a terrifying villain, Mirio Togata was an endearing character that fans immediately loved, and its many battles were among some of the best in the series.
To this day, the Shie Hassaikai Arc is still one of the most beloved by fans, but it’s definitely not without its fair share of critics. Some people, especially those who were reading the manga weekly back in 2017, felt like this arc was extremely long, to the point that it became tedious to sit through it.A few anime watchers certainly agreed with this criticism, since this arc took up more than half of Season 4, which was way longer than any of its predecessors.
4Endeavor Agency Arc
A Crucial Arc That Began The Redemption Of A Controversial Character
Endeavor has always been one of the most polarizing characters in the series, so it’s no surprise that an arc that is partially focused on him and his path to atonement would be so controversial among fans. That’s exactly what happened with theEndeavor Agency Arc, and it’s unfortunate because it also features some crucial moments of growth for Endeavor and his three new apprentices: Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto.
Some fans criticized this arc for trying to make audiences empathize with an abusive character like Endeavor, but many others claimed that Horikoshi was doing a solid job at trying to humanize and develop him. On top of that, the animated adaptation of the Endeavor Agency Arc also frustrated many fans, because it was riddled with pointless flashbacks and pacing issues that made it a chore to sit through, despite its occasional highlights.
3Star And Stripe Arc
An Action-Packed Arc That Felt Very Rushed
TheStar And Stripe Arcsaw the introduction of the titular Star and Stripe, the #1 Pro Hero of the United States who wielded an incredibly unique and versatile quirk known as New Order. She’s a fascinating character who helps expand on the concept of international heroes, and her ensuing battle with Shigaraki is simply amazing.
But an over-the-top battle and a creative new ability was not enough to please fans of the series,who strongly criticized the Star And Stripe Arcfor introducing a character that was almost immediately killed. Many fans lament the brief appearance of Star and Stripe, claiming that she was used as a plot device to both delay Shigaraki’s attack and explain why other countries were not going to get involved in the Final War, and nothing more.
2Epilogue Arc
An Emotional Ending That Some Longtime Fans Found Disappointing
Initial reactions to the finalEpilogue ArcofMy Hero Academiawere quite positive, as fans were pleased to find that Horikoshi was taking his time to slowly close every remaining plot thread in the series. Not to mention that it featured many anticipated moments, like Class 1-A moving onto their second year, the Big Three’s graduation, and Izuku and Ochaco having a close & emotional interaction with each other.
But the release of the final chapter was what ultimately divided the fan baseand made the Epilogue Arc one of the most polarizing in the series. Many longtime fans felt like the ending was not satisfying, as Deku did not become the powerful Pro Hero they were expecting, and he was relegated to being a teacher with no powers instead, after losing One For All. Many others were also disappointed by the fact that it wasn’t confirmed whether he and Ochaco got together, since this was one of the most popular romances of the entire series. On the other hand, however, many other fans felt like the final chapter was quite rewarding and that it perfectly tied with the main themes of the story.
1Final War Arc
An Exciting Arc Filled With Battles And Some Odd Writing Choices
TheFinal War Arcwas the climax of the entirety ofMy Hero Academia, a crucial moment for any shōnen action manga, and it definitely succeeded at closing off most of the plot threads that the story had established up to that point. The Heroes spread their forces all throughout Japan as they began fighting the villains in a collection of incredible fights. This also meant that the conflicts between Dabi and Endeavor, Himiko Toga and Ochaco Uraraka, Tomura Shigaraki and Izuku Midoriya, and many other important dynamics were slowly resolved one by one.
The Final War Arc definitely had a lot of different players interacting with each other and most fans really enjoyed it, but it certainly left a lot to be desired, especially for such an important arc. Some of the fights did not feel as epic or impressive as they should’ve been, and some moments were riddled with questionable writing choices that fans did not enjoy: Bakugo’s fake-out death,All For One ultimately taking over Shigaraki’s bodyor Deku sacrificing One For All are often cited as some of the most egregious examples of this phenomenon. All of this resulted in half of the fan base believing that the Final War Arc ruinedMy Hero Academia, while the other half felt like it was a worthwhile final battle.
