The following content contains spoilers fromMy Hero Academia,Season 6, episode 16, currently streaming onCrunchyroll.Dabi’s bold confession regarding his ties to the Todoroki family has arguably made just as much of an impact as All For One’s escape. Both schemes have systematically broken the spirits of society and the Heroes who protect it as they struggle to find their footing in the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War.
The Symbol of Evil leads the masses to freedom as seven penitentiaries get targeted, releasing some of the most dangerous criminals back onto the streets (including Moonfish, Stain, and Overhaul) while most of the Heroes are still preoccupied with licking their wounds. Shigaraki seems to have lost all control over his host-body situation and has essentially been kidnapped,while the comatose Deku(and the flabbergasted Spinner) is the only one who realizes that the helpless marionette needs rescuing.
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Hawks' Tragic Past
The Heroes favorite double agent takes a trip down memory lane and shares his troubled past with the audience, many of whom are amazed that this wasn’tactually avillainorigin story,considering all the facts. Clearly an unwanted child, Keigo Takamispent most of his days confined to the dump his criminal parents called home, while they berated their child for his very existence and cursed his conspicuous plumage.
Amidst the abuse, little Keigo found solace in his “fictional” friend, Endeavor, who eventually “came to life” and rescued the boy by arresting his good-for-nothing father one day. It didn’t take long for his mother, Tomie, to throw in the towel and practically sell her son, as she was generously compensated when young Hawks joined the Public Safety Commission (which is currently inoperative) as a hero-in-training.
The Songless Feathered Friend
Having barely survived his dance with Dabi back atGunga Mountain Villa in episode 11, Hawks is now on the move; however takes great care to remain out of sight, evidently still in recovery as he seems incapable of talking (due to the severe burns.) Communicating through a text-to-speech setup, Hawks and Best Jeanist assess the villains' destruction firsthand as they realize that most of the civilians' hope in their beloved Heroes has long since dissipated. Although Endeavour is bearing the brunt of the blame, all professional saviors are presently under fire, and Hawks apparently agrees with their sentiments (to a certain extent.)
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Soundingeerily similar to Dabi and Shigaraki,Hawks admits that his heroic actions have been to the detriment of his (not altogether innocent) mother, whom he never even attempted to save when he set his sights on grander ventures. It turns out that Tomie divulged her son’s secrets to the enemy after all; however, Hawks is unsurprised by her treachery and criticizes himself for failing as a son in the first place.
Essentially, Hawks is just as “deplorable” as Endeavor; even the roots of Bubaigawara’s villainy are firmly planted amongst good intentions; what makes this winged wonder any better than the flawed men he admires? The self-critical Hero makes a sweeping declaration, painstakingly using his own voice as he promises to seek retribution for his past mistakes, even if that means potentially leaving Endeavor out in the cold to fend for himself.
Best Jeanist, Best Survivalist
The fact that Best Jeanist is alive and well does very little to discredit Dabi’s big announcement, although it does beg to question: what actually happened to the Hero? After his run-in with All For One, Tsunagu Hakamada is left with one lung to work with but is alive and well, until he suddenly goes missing. After voluntarily entering a “state of temporary death,” Best Jeanist’s corpse was snuck into the underbelly of the criminal operations and preserved alongside the other experimental Nomus inDr. Ujiko’s secret laboratory. Hiding right under the enemies' noses, the “deceased” Best Jeanist bided his time until Hawks found the right moment to reanimate him, just before the #3 Pro-Hero slipped back into the shadows, left to his own devices.
The Todoroki Troubles
Despite being the namesake of this episode (again), the Todoroki’s didn’t get a great deal of screentime, apart from Endeavor’s pity party and Rei’s not-so-surprising return. She reminds her husband that he is not the only family member burdened by guilt from the past; everyone has regrets, but there is still time to make amends. It appears this family drama is going to spill over into yet another episode, while the comatose Deku is virtually forgotten amidst all the melodrama.
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AlthoughEndeavor has not been the best father figurearound, Rei could have plausibly also had a hand to play in Toya’s trip to the dark side, seeing that she doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to her sons' resemblances to their father (of which the Dabi had many.) Furthermore, Hawks' ties with Endeavor’s past seem to go further than basic childhood admiration; could his statement about the #1 Hero being in trouble have more meaning than the current state of affairs, or is their relationship purely professional (with a tonne of adoration?)
“Just a King and A Rusty Throne”
WhileMy Hero Academia’sfandomhas been spoilt with non-stop action since Season 6 commenced, the time has now come for the drama to take center stage (and give viewers' heart palpitations a chance to re-stabilize!) However, gone are the good old days of delving into the U.A. students' backstories or navigating through school politics during this “downtime”; the somber, gloomy tone has settled in, and it doesn’t seem to be budging any time soon. What’s more, the Pro-Hero Ranks are a complete mess, the current status being:
Although the professionals are at half-capacity, they always have theirtrusty, yet underrated, students to rely on,who have basically been carrying the Heroes team since the U.S.J. Arc. However, there are now technically two All For Ones in the running and zero One For Alls, rogue villains popping up out of every nook and cranny (the influential Stain included) while the inexperienced vigilantes with their ill-suited support items seem to be running the show. From what viewers can tell, at least none of the kids are considering a career change (for the time being), but do they have the emotional capacity to handlethiscolossal chaos?
