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Summary

Episode 150 of My Hero Academia highlights the importance of protecting the next generation in the face of tragedy.
Bakugo's death symbolizes the weight of youth and the legacy left behind by heroes in a story about generations.
The villains take the upper hand in a turning point episode, with All for One's motives revealing a nuanced perspective on trauma.

Title	My Hero Academia Season 7
Director	Naomi Nakayama, Kenji Nagasaki (Chief Director)
Studio	Bones
Episode Air Date	8/3/2024

The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, Episode 150, "Those Who Defend, Those Who Violate", now streaming on Crunchyroll.

150 episodes is a landmark worthy of celebration for any TV production, yet My Hero Academia's story must continue, and as gripping as the current events are, they aren't exactly a happy affair. Regardless, this week no less encapsulated one of the series' most natural and enduring lessons right when it is most crucial; that being the importance of protecting the next generation.

In the last episode, a battered and bloody Katsuki Bakugo took a stand against Tomura Shigaraki, and in the heat of battle, briefly achieved an awakening of his quirk that put his opponent on edge. Having lit a spark in his comrades, Bakugo truly lived up to his hero name, only to be struck down and - most shocking of all - killed, leaving the heroes devastated at his loss.

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What Bakugo's Death Represents

Early in this episode, as the heroes reel from the loss they've experienced, Shigaraki gloats to a defenseless Mirko, telling her that she need not feel so bad about failing to kill him. There were plenty of other heroes before her who failed, and it was simply natural that, with heroes' numbers depleting, a child would fall victim eventually. And it's strange; at no time has the weight of Bakugo's youth felt more apparent than once he had died.

This is nothing if not a story about generations. It’s obvious from its school setting, from Deku’s inheritance of One for All, and most crucially, the continued emphasis on older characters, who labor to spare the next generation from their burdens. None of these individual elements are necessarily unique to My Hero Academia, but they are tackled well, especially so this week when the older heroes have seemingly failed their most important mission.

In a meta sense, shōnen protagonists are young because the readers of these stories are often young people themselves and thus logically respond well to characters closer to their age. But within the text - and especially in a story about superheroes - they are young because humans intrinsically associate children with the future. Bakugo's death, then, is a tragedy that torments the adults, whose future lies dead at their feet.

A Life We Must Not Lose

The heroes' collective anguish and rage are on full display. Best Jeanist's desperate attempts to shut Bakugo's wounds, Mirko's animalistic rage, and Mirio's futile advances - are all portrayed brilliantly under the dark clouds that eclipse the stage. Bakugo is similar to Endeavor, in that he arguably represented the worst habits of hero society, just passed to the next generation, and yet even Bakugo was able to recognize his flaws and improve himself.

His future held so much promise, and therefore it looms over the survivors that much more, spurring them on. Especially Mirko, who's willing to endure so much more bodily harm that she honestly makes Deku's self-harm streak look like child's play. But nothing quite compares to Edge Shot entering Bakugo's body to supplement his damaged heart. This symbolic gesture ties the episode together perfectly.

The heart that stopped just now is a life that we must not lose!

Perhaps the previous review was a bit harsh concerning Mirio. While it is true that he hasn't been presented as strongly as back in Season 4, there isn't much that his quirk can do against one as strong as Shigaraki, which ramps up the tension considerably when his friends are being knocked down one by one. His despair is handled well and, in keeping with the theme, his scenes call back to his last moments with Sir Nighteye, who encouraged him to become a great hero.

At the end of the day, Mirio's greatest strength as a hero was his ability to make others laugh, so weaponizing that to throw off Shigaraki was honestly perfect, no matter the tonal dissonance. It's a shame then that the ending of the episode, namely Deku's arrival, felt a bit rushed. On the bright side, the fight between him and Shigaraki couldn't be more hyped if they tried.

The Villains Get Their Groove Back

If it wasn't obvious already, Episode 150 is yet another turning point and the biggest in favor of the villains, as every step forward seems to have been undone and set the heroes back. Even Dabi's emotional defeat is undone, leaving the door open to an even more explosive battle that might test Todoroki to his limits. All the while, All for One has repaired his body and then some, giving anime fans their first look at his true face.

My Hero Academia's villains, as we have written in the past, are pretty awesome most of the time. Their backstories, their unique powers, and the genuinely touching bonds they occasionally display with each other make them extremely satisfying to watch. With that said, All for One is a peculiar antagonist. He has the magnetic presence and intimidation of a great villain, but his motives and personality can seem a bit shallow at first glance.

What is All for One's Dream?

In past episodes, he has cited the comic books of his youth to the extent that he comes across as a fan who took the wrong lessons from them. Instead of looking up to the heroes, he aspired to be a villain "feared by everyone in the world." The way he describes his dream to Hawks is fascinating because it's hard to tell if it's a lazily roundabout way of saying "world domination" or something more meaningful.

In this world, with its infinite number of cultures and values, the action that makes everyone frown and hate you - it's something that keeps people from the future they imagine for themselves. That's why I'm going to keep everyone in the world from their futures.

All for One is saying that he wants to be a villain so threatening to the world, that the very thought of him derails a person's ability to think about what lies ahead, and that's surprisingly nuanced. Consider the way a major world event (a war or a pandemic) might grind a person's day to a halt, either due to anxiety or its direct impact on a person's daily life. He wishes to be a god-like embodiment of trauma living rent-free in every person's head. That's pretty cool.

To be honest, All for One's speech was irritating at first because it does come across as a roundabout way of expressing what every classical megalomaniacal villain wants. Yet considering My Hero Academia's persistent theme about the future, the fight for it, and the sacrifices made to protect it, his motives aren't just sufficient; they're pretty interesting. Altogether, another week off was a small price to pay for what was a very well-animated and thematically powerful episode.

Which Is Your Favorite Story Arc In My Hero Academia?

Be it the manga or the anime adaptation, My Hero Academia's story arcs are generally quite consistent, even if some are notably better than others. The Paranormal Liberation War arc is nonstop action and tension, while the U.A. Sports Festival is important for quite a few characters. However, the Vs. Hero Killer arc does not set a single foot wrong.

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