New Symbol of Peace

My Hero Academia Season 4, Episode 25 Review/Recap

Well, folks, here we are at the end of this season of My Hero Academia, and what a season it’s been! In a world without the Symbol of Peace, All Might, society’s more on edge than ever. As a result, Deku and his classmates have had to step up far sooner than they would otherwise. Which led to one of the biggest anime moments of 2019 when Deku beat down the evil Overhaul to save Eri, a girl with the power to rewind people.

Things have been low-key since Overhaul’s defeat, with the show focusing on the students. Yet in the penultimate episode, we saw the Pro Heroes return to the spotlight, now lead by Endeavor. He’s always wanted to be the Symbol of Peace (or at least No. 1), and when a deadly new Nomu attacks, he has his chance to prove himself. He. Does not. Waste it.

Recap

As Hawks works to evacuate all the civilians in the area and provide aid to Endeavor, the fiery hero throws everything he has at the Nomu. To everyone’s horror, though, this Nomu can not only regenerate, but is smart enough to come up with plans to fight Endeavor, putting him on the defensive. It turns out, if he uses his fire powers too often, they’ll eventually overheat. As a result, the Nomu manages to briefly overwhelm him. All across Japan, people watching fear that there’s no more Symbol of Peace.

However, Endeavor gets a second wind, as the Nomu reminds him of how he used to be: someone who kept trying to attain more power (or something). Bottom line, he wants to prove that he’s trying to change for the better, and after forcing the Nomu high into the sky, manages to burn him into ash. When the dust settles, Endeavor proudly stands with his fist in the air, having earned his place as the new Symbol of Peace.

Review

Studio BONES manages to create some of the most action-packed fight scenes in modern anime, as this season of MHA proves. Watching Endeavor go toe to toe with the Nomu was the best fight the anime has seen since Deku’s glorious beatdown of Overhaul. The animation was superb, the emotional stakes were high, and when the dust settles, you can’t help but want to cheer for Endeavor.

Yes, I know that Endeavor has been a horrible father and an overall jerk in the past. Though, to be fair, a lot of heroes in Shonen anime start out like that! Piccolo, Vegeta, Gaara, and more. The point is that he’s trying to change and make things right. Why else would he visit his wife in the hospital and give her the flowers she said she liked?

Endeavor’s more than proven himself as the Symbol of Peace. He can take things from here until Class 1-A graduates.

In the meantime, though, we have confirmation that there’s going to be a Season Five, and based on the post-credits, things are about to getting crazy with Midoriya. Those who read the manga will know what’s coming, but for the anime only people, my lips are sealed. I will say this, though: we’re going to learn more about One for All and it’s past in the next season, and it’s going to be awesome. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “His Start” a Solid 4/5.

See You Next Season! Stay Safe From the Virus!

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