Summary
- Reaching out a hand symbolizes heroism and connection in My Hero Academia.
- Characters in the series grow by accepting help and reaching out to save others.
- Saving someone from darkness within themselves is an essential aspect of heroism in the show.
Time and again, the characters of My Hero Academia held their hands out as a means of peace and wanting to save and rescue. Reaching out your hand is deeply rooted in heroism and signifies your ability as a hero.
It is easy to save others; however, holding out your hand and saving others from the darkness within them takes a Hero. Reaching out your hand is more than just saving someone from danger; it also symbolizes the connection and bond you create when you do so. So, what does it mean in MHA?
My Hero Academia: Why Is Deku Obsessed With Quirks, Explained
Deku's obsession with Quirks helps them shine brighter as his deep understanding of them is showcased in how he uses them. But why is this?
What is the Significance of Reaching Out Your Hand?
Whether It’s Physical or Emotional, it's Rooted in Heroism
The act of reaching out one's hand has been seen countless times throughout the series and has several meanings behind it. My Hero Academia is a series filled with heroism, discrimination, and the prospect of fighting and never giving up your dreams.
One of the first instances we see was during the Hideout Raid arc, where the League of Villains kidnaped Bakugo Katsuki in an attempt to recruit him into the League. During this time, the Pro Heroes could locate Bakugo but could not rescue him due to the Nomu and the threat All For One posed. However, thanks to Midoriya Izuku’s strategic thinking, the makeshift group of UA high schoolers was able to rescue Bakugo from the fray.
My Hero Academia: Will Edgeshot Survive After Healing Bakugo?
Bakugo sustained a fatal wound during the Final War and was saved by the Pro Hero Edgeshot. However, will Edgeshot survive after healing Bakugo?
At that time, it was Kirishima who held out his hand for Bakugo to take. This symbolized a willingness of wanting to be saved and trust in the group and the friendship Bakugo had made along the way. In this instance, Kirishima reaching out his hand is also a way in which Bakugo Katsuki changes as a character. Previously, Bakugo acted as a lone wolf, believing everyone was beneath him. However, the ability to take another's hand in a time of need also symbolizes his ability to change as a character.
To further broach the topic, this is not the first time Bakugo has had someone reach out their hand. Previously, when Bakugo and Midoriya were younger, Bakugo fell into a river to which Midoriya held out a helpful hand. In this instance, it symbolized innocence and wanting to help a friend in need. Thus, Bakugo’s unwillingness to accept help would lead him and Midoriya to have a rocky relationship.
My Hero Academia: Will Hitoshi Shinso Transfer to the Hero Department?
Shinso may have a seemly weak and villainous Quirk; however, with hard work and determination, he may yet become a Pro Hero.
As mentioned above, the series concerns heroism and how it affects those around it. It also plays a vital role in determining how heroic these heroes are, which adds to the significance of reaching out your hand. Becoming a Hero means you are willing to risk your life for others, to save and rescue them from harm, whether from villains or the characters themselves.
Are Characters Able to Grow From It?
To Accept Help From Others is A Way to Help Yourself
My Hero Academia tells the tale that everyone can be saved as long as someone is willing to go the extra mile to save them. The series is about saving innocent civilians from disasters and villains and the willingness to save the villains from themselves and seek redemption. We’ve also seen this represented in Shigaraki Tomura.
While it was believed that Shigaraki was truly evil and wanted to destroy the world that didn’t save him, the truth was that All For One was manipulating Shigaraki and his family unbeknownst to them. All For One wanted to create a perfect vessel for himself, thus nurturing Shigaraki’s villainous character.
My Hero Academia: Who Took Over the Hero Public Safety Commission After the Final War?
The Hero Public Safety Commission is the backbone of the Hero Society. However, its leaders have all faced death. So, who has taken on this new role?
However, beneath all the destruction and hate for the Hero society, Shigaraki wanted to be saved. During the Final War, Midoriya uncovered that as a young child, Shigaraki wished to be saved from the horrors he faced. However, no one reached out their hand to save him from his circumstances. Although Midoriya has tried to save Shigaraki, he ultimately chose to die as a villain for those in the League of Villains who followed him on this path.
In the aftermath of the Final War, we see another child treated similarly to Shigaraki, indicating that history can and will repeat itself. If the granny had not been the person to reach out her hand to provide the warmth and care of another person empathizing with him, he likely would have turned out like Shigaraki. However, the granny, reaching out her hand, has saved him from his past neglect and a future of possible destruction.
The significance of reaching out your hand is more than just helping a friend or your partner up. Reaching out your hand signifies that you want to save someone, whether physical or emotional. Throughout the series, there are several instances where characters have felt lost and without cause; an example of this would be Aoyama Yuga revealing that he is the UA traitor.
Accepting the hand that has been given also indicates growth in character, a willingness to accept one's own truth and grow from that. It also suggests that although you may feel lost, someone will look out for you, wanting to carry your burden and get you through a tough time. Overall, reaching out your hand is rooted in Heroism; it's not only saving others from peril but also from the darkness within them.
My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
- Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
Cast
-
Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
- Seasons
- 8
- Studio
- Bones
- Story By
- Kōhei Horikoshi, Yōsuke Kuroda
- Number of Episodes
- 159
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll
