My Hero Academia's Pro Hero Arc Establishes a New Era

Summary Endeavor starts redeeming himself & reflecting on what it means to be the #1 hero.

Hawks admires Endeavor for his determination, showcasing how hard work can inspire others.

Deku learns the complex origins of One for All, receiving wisdom from previous users, setting the stage for future powers.

The Pro Hero Arc of My Hero Academia is one of the smallest arcs in the series, but its impact is far greater than that size would suggest. With a split focus on Midoriya's growth with One for All and Endeavor's rise to prominence, the arc introduces some important characters while illustrating just how the world has changed in the wake of All Might's sudden retirement.

The arc places a major focus on Endeavor, who has thus far looked almost more like an antagonist in the series than a proper hero. He let his rivalry with All Might drive him to do some stupid and even horrible things to his own family, and now that he finally has the top spot he so craved, he's left feeling empty due to the circumstances of how he achieved it. Being at the top in My Hero Academia means a lot more than just winning at being a hero, and Endeavor has to learn that the hard way.

The Pro Hero Arc in My Hero Academia covers chapters 184-193 in the manga and episodes 87-90 of the anime, bridging seasons 4 and 5.

The Pro Hero Arc Kicks Off Endeavor's Redemption

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As noted above, Endeavor hardly comes across as a heroic figure in the first half of My Hero Academia. He is domineering towards his son and extremely rude to almost everyone he interacts with. As the audience learns more about him, it becomes apparent that his behavior towards his family is beyond unacceptable, having beaten his wife in the past and had children primarily for the purpose of creating someone whose abilities could surpass those of himself and All Might. While he might have been the #2 hero in the rankings, his personality was as far from heroic as one can get.

However, Endeavor begins reflecting upon himself, his behavior, and what it means to be #1 after All Might's epic battle with All for One. He speaks with All Might during Shoto's remedial courses and comes to realize that he needs to set a better example. He decides to start repairing his relationship with his family during this arc, and while they're largely not receptive to it, it's understandable; he needs to really prove that he's changed with his behavior.

Endeavor gets to show how much he's changed in battling the High-End Nomu, which is his first fight as #1. It's a battle that has to be done out of a sincere desire to protect people, rather than to achieve a feat that will propel him towards his ambitions. Endeavor understands that this battle will ultimately define what his era as the top hero will be like, and he can't afford to lose, lest it cause the people to lose faith in Endeavor and his ability to protect them.

Hawks' Introduction Changes Endeavor's Vibe

Hawks is an important character who's introduced here for the first time (not counting his early appearance in the second movie). One thing that's notable about Hawks right off the bat is his somewhat flippant personality; his speech at the Hero Billboard Chart reveals a carefree sort of attitude, but over the course of this arc, it's apparent that this is something of a cover for his true personality, which is far more serious and business-oriented.

Hawks is one of the few characters to admire Endeavor, and it's interesting to see the character from the perspective of someone that admires him. Endeavor's determination to advance to the top at all costs, even when everyone around him saw it as impossible, certainly does present his ambition as more of a positive trait, and that kind of determination is critical when it comes to winning battles. It gives a glimpse of what a #1 hero like Endeavor could inspire in people, acting as proof that hard work combined with skill really can get one to the top.

Hawks is also an important character for his double agent status, playing the villains by pretending to be aligned with them. While the series initially introduces some ambiguity as to Hawks' true loyalties, this is resolved rather quickly, as the next episode opens with him being given his double agent assignment. My Hero Academia likely would've been better off to keep Hawks' allegiance ambiguous for longer, but it's understandable that Horikoshi might not want to do that and risk making the character too unlikable prior to the reveal.

Deku Learns the True Origins of One for All

The other component of this arc is Deku receiving his first communications from the vestiges of previous users that live within One for All, in the form of a vision of the Quirk's origins. Deku learns that One for All came to be when All for One forcibly gave his brother a Quirk, even though his brother stood against all that All for One was doing with his power. It's a moment of arrogance from All for One that's very characteristic of the villain, creating the very thing which would go on to be a thorn in his side for generations to come.

This was a very exciting reveal when it first happened, showing that One for All was actually a far more complex ability than the sheer power that All Might had wielded. While there's not yet any indication of the additional powers that Deku would unlock, it set the stage for those powers to be revealed by showing that the essence of its former wielders wasn't entirely gone from this world with their deaths. It also gave Deku an opening to make use of the wisdom of his predecessors, helping to mitigate the disadvantages of being so young and inexperienced.

While these two elements don't have much to do with each other, they work together as a one-two punch, providing an epic battle for fans while simultaneously striking them with the incredible reveal of One for All's origins. For such a short arc, the Pro Hero arc has a major impact on the story going forward, both in terms of Deku's personal story as well as that of the world at large, making it stand out as one of My Hero Academia's best.