Episode Air Date
22-06-2025
Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for My Hero Academia, Episode 149, “Light Fades to Rain”, now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Bakugo hasn’t always been the easiest character to like; he was a bully, his personality was trash, and the subtleties of his development over six seasonswere too little, too late for some. Speaking personally, there were times I couldn’t stand him, but perhaps it’sbecauseof that arduous journey with him that the latest episode ofMy Hero Academiais one of its most emotional in years.
Last week’s episodeput Bakugo and Endeavor in the spotlightas the two most divisive characters in the series launched daring and powerful attacks against Shigaraki and All for One respectively. We praised the episode, calling it a demonstration of these characters' growth and their resolve despite their flaws, but Bakugo’s time in the spotlight was nowhere close to ending.
Please Protect Bakugo
With Bakugo’s Howitzer Impact rendered null and his arm broken for good measure, Shigaraki reveals he has plans for him. The villain wants to present the corpse of Deku’s best friend in the hopes of awakening a rage in the hero like the one he showed back in Season 6 when Bakugo got stabbed. So, at first, this episode is largely about the remaining heroes protecting Bakugo, including the return of an old friend.
Lemillion is Here (To Do The Bare Minimum)
Maybe this will sound harsh, butMirio (AKA Lemillion) hasn’t had a lot to doin this story since Season 4, and even when he’s there, it doesn’t feel as though he’s living up to his reputation. It’s no overestimation to say that when he first appeared, he was the coolest, and it was believable that in another timeline, he could have been the wielder of One for All in Deku’s place. He was just that charismatic and admirable of a heroic figure.
One of Season 4’s greatest tragedies, then, was him losing his quirk, and looking back, maybe it should have stayed that way. It feels like Horikoshi wanted to bring him back to please the fans, but couldn’t figure out how to properly implement him into the final arc. As a result, he’s just sort of there for moral support, seeing how he can’t do much damage to Shigaraki without Nejire’s shockwaves enhancing him. Speaking of which…
U.A.’s Big Three Versus Shigaraki
Everyone already loves Mirio, but this episode reminds us all why the other two-thirds of U.A.’s “Big Three” are equally cool.Recently, we analyzed the teamthat was assigned to the Coffin in the Sky, and the sheer potential of Suneater’s quirk alone made him out to be a formidable foil to Shigaraki. Sure enough, with Nejire’s help, he combines a bunch of animals he’s eaten to create - of all things - a plasma cannon.
It’s a dazzling display and by far one of the most gorgeous moments of animation in the season thus far. The Big Three put everything into an attack that wouldn’t be possible without Suneater, who feels more underrated every time he appears on-screen. Together they land a devastating strike that should have changed the landscape of the battle indefinitely… and it failed, for reasons that seemed obvious as soon as Shigaraki raised his voice through the dust and debris:
Think about it! Would Golden Age All Might have died from something like this?
This, combined with Shigaraki’s speech from the end of Episode 148,reinforces the level that Shigaraki has reached. Comparing himself to All Might wasn’t speaking relative to his opponents. It was an honest assessment of the strength he had reached. As disheartening as this moment is, it hits no one as hard as it does for Bakugo.
Bakugo’s Despair/Awakening
Just as quickly as this episode seemingly peaks with Suneater’s plasma cannon attack, it surpasses itself yet again with what might be Bakugo’s greatest scene in the series to date. Even with a broken arm, he stands and approaches Shigaraki, except something’s different. He’s faster, and even without his gauntlets, his blasts keep his opponent on his toes. Bakugo’s been paying attention; he’s seen through Shigaraki’s pattern, just like a certain “nerd” he knows would have.
Bakugo has always been far smarter than what his archetype might suggest, so it’s no wonder thathe’d take a note out of Deku’s playbookwhen pushed to the brink. He mirrors Deku in numerous ways here - more than ever - from the careful observation of his opponent to the way he endures extreme pain to exploit an opening. Where Bakugo from Season 1 would have been blinded by pride, here he utters Deku’s name as if seeking affirmation.
It’s the kind of moment where a character’s entire thesis seems to come into focus, and where six seasons of television are felt in every action taken or line spoken. As expected, Yuki Hayashi’s soundtrack pulls an astronomical amount of weight to fill this scene with the drama it deserves, but the visuals do not falter in delivering their share of emotional gut punches. The reactions of the other heroes alone do a lot to ramp up the emotion, especially Best Jeanist’s looks of concern.
A Revelation Seven Seasons in the Making
The biggest gut punch of them all by far isBakugo’s imagined conversation with All Might, where his prickly exterior crumbles and, for once, he’s just a genuine fan. His pride, his insecurity, his desire to catch up with Izuku the same way Izuku used to talk about catching up to him, and how they both wanted nothing more than to be like All Might. All of his barriers come down, and he is more vulnerable than ever, yet simultaneously the strongest the audience has seen him.
It’s one of the most glorious moments since All Might fought All for One…
Bakugo’s final attack provokes rage from Shigaraki but just as powerfully inspires the rest of the heroes to rush in, where they’d have previously exercised extreme caution. It’s one of the most glorious moments since All Might fought All for One, andit makes the outcome all the more devastating. This episode wrecked me, as it likely did many other fans to whom the manga remains mostly unspoiled, and the coming episodes likely won’t be any easier on the heart.
In the past, Bakugo felt like an imperfect attempt at a complicated character because, despite the assertions from fans who defended his arc as a whole, his aggression could still be annoying. Now, however,My Hero Academiabegs to question if all of that frustration was entirely worth it for this episode alone - to see how monumentally he has changed. Sure, many characters are far easier to like, but very few can earn the admiration of an audience like Bakugo can.
