The following content contains spoilers from My Hero Academia Season 6, episode 14, currently streaming on Crunchyroll. As soon as the Heroes attempted to gain the upper hand over the Paranormal Liberation Front with a surprise attack, they began backpedaling as the enemy pulled out some secret weapons of their own. Stopping Shigarki's awakening was arguably unavoidable, and his Decay coupled with Gigantomachia's path of destruction lay waste to a huge chunk of Japan while many Heroes were swatted away like flies.
Amidst the conflict, the rest of society received a rude awakening, compliments of Dabi, who outed himself as Endeavor's presumed dead son, Toya Todoroki, and revealed Hawks' nefarious acts, destroying people's faith in their saviors. After all is said and done, it's safe to say that no life has been left untainted by the tragedy of this brutal War, which has drawn to a close, for now, at least. It's time to pick up the pieces and assess the damage; however, some wounds (physical and emotional) will likely never heal.
Before The Jaku Raid
Prior to the Jaku Hospital raid, Re-Destro received a personal invite from the safety commissioner herself stating that she wishes to discuss the development of certain support items. The scene then displays headlines concerning out-of-control Quirks and the destruction that they have caused, suggesting that Re-Destro might hold the solution within his specialized equipment.
Rather than constructively participating in restoring order in society, the villainous leader's goal is to gain control via a compromising backdoor hidden within these products, which could possibly negate their effects (or worse), and open the door to uncovering Hawks' secret identity in the process. Plans to liberate meta-abilities didn't go as smoothly as planned, however, Re-Destro, or rather, his duplicate compliments of Twice, succeeds in killing Madam President, leaving her esteemed position open for Yokumiru Mera to assume.
Hopeless Destruction
A garish sign hangs over All Might's statue, declaring "I Am Not Here," representing everything the former #1 Hero stood for as the Symbol of Peace, prosperity, and protection. Whether or not the Heroes won the war or not is inconsequential at this point, as the disastrous aftermath overshadows any of their victories, regardless of how many villains were captured in the end. Tragedy rains down from all sides as Jaku City screams out in pain while its remaining residents fight for their lives, trapped amongst the rubble. What Heroes managed to survive rush around trying to save who they can, but it becomes quite evident that the list of casualties still has space for more entries as the hopelessness intensifies.
Somehow, Ochaco hasn't lost one ounce of determination in her mission to save everyone possible, but sadly, the same cannot be said for all Heroes, as some start questioning their abysmal career choice. Even the doctors realize all too soon that certain civilians will have to be left for dead simply because of a lack of resources and helping hands as the bodies pile up around them. Meanwhile, the surviving citizens add salt to the Heroes' wounds through their loss of faith in the system, while much of the anger and resentment is targeted toward the "deceitful" Endeavor. Yet again, the UA students' vital involvement in the whole affair is denied and covered up; however, unsurprisingly, Deku is more concerned with saving Shigaraki from All For One's clutches than gaining recognition for his heroism.
Paranormal Liberation War Outcome
|
Severely Injured Heroes |
Deceased Heroes |
|---|---|
|
Shota Aizawa |
Ms. Midnight |
|
Hawks |
Majestic |
|
Mirko |
Native |
|
Kami Woods |
X-Less |
|
Mount Lady |
Eel Boy |
|
Ryukyu |
Crust |
|
Cementoss |
Master Driller, and more. |
|
Gran Torino |
|
|
Deku |
|
|
Bakugo, and more. |
|
Arrested and Detained |
M.I.A. Villains |
|---|---|
|
Re-Destro |
Shigaraki |
|
Dr. Ujiko |
Spinner |
|
Gigantomachia |
Dabi |
|
Mr. Compress |
Himiko Toga |
|
Geten |
Skeptic |
|
Koku Hanabata |
7 Near-High-End Nomus |
|
16 929 unnamed Paranormal Liberation Members |
|
|
Slidin' Go and other "Heroic" sympathizers |
A further 132 prominent Paranormal Liberation Members escaped with their lives; however, many were eventually targeted and tracked down by authorities.
"Tomorrow Is Another Day"
The villainous forces may be a mere shadow of their former selves; however, All For One doesn't seem phased in the slightest (although the same cannot be said for Spinner.) With what appears to be a ten-man army, the "possessed" Shigaraki intends to reunite with, well, himself, by unleashing the original All For One from the confines of Tartarus. There is evidently no trace of the young Tomura tyrant in sight, which Spinner has realized all too late, as a look of pure horror adorns his face, likely regretting his involvement in awakening more than he bargained for.
Setting the Mood
The overwhelming tone of gloom, doom and despair is successfully conveyed through the emotive imagery in this episode, from the defaced All Might statue; to the tear-stricken faces of the Team Edgeshot students; to the utter panic and devastation in Jaku City. All For One's maniacal cackle at the end leaves a sour taste in the mouth, promising more deplorable things to come. Already eloquently nicknamed the "Depressive Arc" by some fans, arguably the biggest disappointment is Ms. Midnight's untimely death (and whether or not it was warranted.)
It seems rather bizarre for a Pro-Hero to lose her life from a (albeit high) fall and an attack from a group of menial thugs, especially considering what a fan-favorite Ms. Midnight is (and the insane attacks that other Heroes survived.) If her death was truly necessary, she should have at least been given the chance to go out swinging; however, Ms. Midnight's off-screen death is a dishonor to the lovable teacher's name. Nevertheless, death looms over My Hero Academia in a "Red Wedding" kind of way, where anyone could be next to knock on death's door.