Tartarus Unleashed From the Depths of Hell!

My Hero Academia S6, Ep 15 Review

In Greek Mythology, Tartarus was the equivalent of Hell itself. The gods of Mount Olympus used it to imprison the worst of the worst. The souls of the most wicked people in life, or their predecessors, the Titans. It’s very fitting that Tartarus’ also the name of the prison keeping All for One locked up. At least, it was. In one of the best episodes of a season that’s already given us some great episodes, Tartarus falls, and the Demon King’s set free.

Tartarus Mass Breakout! Japan’s Worst Criminals Freed!

Tartarus is the name of Japan’s maximum security prison, home to the most dangerous criminals the country has to offer. It’s protected by an army of heroes, guards, robots, and professional soldiers. However, Tartarus is still breached by Shigaraki, the League of Villains, and All for One is set free. Then, to make matters worse, the freed inmates raid other prisons and set their inmates free. As a result, there are hundreds of criminals now running loose in Japan, and the heroes are left powerless to stop them. 

This whole situation reminded of the second-act climax to Marvel’s Spider-Man on the PS4. In that game, Dr. Octopus raided the Raft and set hundreds of inmates free, along with a cadre of Spider-Man’s worst enemies. My Hero Academia multiplies that scenario a few hundred times onto a national scale. For good measure, some of the escapees from Tartarus include enemies Deku and the others helped put away: Muscular, Stain, and Overhaul. The grim circumstances make it feel like the mythical Tartarus burst open, releasing an army of monsters and demons led by the Devil himself.

This is really good.

No One Believes in Heroes anymore

Between the events of this episode, the losses in the Paranormal Liberation War, and the revelations about Endeavor’s personal life, the public has all but lost faith in its heroes. I do not blame them, either. No matter how you look at things, they’ve failed. They were so close to stopping Shigaraki, and they messed up. All that’s left for them to do now is lick their wounds…and mourn the dead.

In the hospital, Endeavor, Eraserhead, Gran Torino, and many other pros have to heal from their injuries. Bakugo manages to wake up from his injuries and learns how bad things fell apart, and is, predictably, furious about things.

Deku, though? Deku remains in a coma and shows no signs of waking up. 

Compounding the issue is the fact that the hospital’s surrounded by protestors demanding answers from Endeavor and the other heroes. Everything’s falling apart, and the preview for the next episode shows that things only get worse. And I’m enjoying every minute of it.

I hate seeing the heroes of a story reach an all-time low like this. However, I also recognize that it’s a good way to raise the stakes for the climax of a good story. It makes the heroes comeback looking even cooler. Until then, though, expect things to keep getting darker in the story of My Hero Academia. Firstly, though, we need to learn more about the Todoroki family and what happened to Dabi. Or rather, what happened to Toya. 

Tartarus has been breached. The Demon King is freed. Anarchy shall reign. GO BEYOND, PLUS ULTRA!

I Give “Tartarus” a 4.5/5

Click here to see more animanga stuff.