The first episode of My Hero Academia was released on 3rd April 2016. Having run for 18 years the anime concluded its last episode on 13th December 2025. The finale episode saw the end of the war between ‘All for one’ vs ‘Heroes’, the 8 year time skip and Deku returning back in action as a Pro Hero. Most would have been satisfied with this end, however the writers of MHA decided to give us more. Episode 171 which adapts chapter 431 from the Manga, aims to give us the perfect epilogue, the happy ending. 

Breakdown (Spoilers ahead)

Episode 172  is an addition to the 8 year time skip we saw in episode 170.  The episode opens with Ochaco Uraraka standing in the middle of an open field, face to face with Himiko Toga. It was later revealed when Uraraka was talking to Tsuyu Asui that she has been seeing Himiko in her dream for a while now, however she cannot remember the details of her dream. Uraraka feels Himiko wants to tell her something but she cannot seem to remember the details of a dream. 

The scene then cuts to Katsuki Bakugo,Eijiro Kirishima and Izuku Midoriya, on the way to the reunion/celebration in Bakugo’s new car. One of the key moments of this scene is when Bakugo asks Deku whether he still wants to continue to be a teacher even after being back into the pro hero business, indirectly asking Midoria to join his agency and obviously Deku did not take the hint. He obliviously goes on to say that he does want to continue to be a teacher along with being a hero, just like all the other MHA teachers do, balancing both their hero and teacher lifestyles. He goes on to say how; even with all the hardships he has been through, his mentors were always there to support him and he wants to be such a mentor to the next generation. This serious interaction is interrupted by Krishima laughing at Bakugo, teasing him about getting rejected, helping Deku too; to realise what Bakugo’s true intentions were. Bakugo then goes on to tell Midoriya,

“If you keep going about everyone is special… that’s a way of saying no one is”  (Fan translation)

This line shows us exactly how much Bakugo has matured over these 8 years. Through this line he is advising Deku to focus more on his own happiness rather than on others. 

The scene then cuts to everyone gathered to celebrate Shoto Todoroki ranking as the No.2 Pro hero. The scene slowly progresses to show us the current status of all the Class 1-A students, their Pro Hero ranks, what they’re currently doing, if they are working in an agency or as an independent Hero and more. Shoto then reveals how he has come to accept his past and himself as a whole. He also reveals how; following Toya Todoroki aka Dabi’s death, he discovered his love for food especially when eating Sabo from a bowl he made himself and his desire to learn to make more Sabo bowls as a hobby.

We see all the Class 1-A students having fun, chit-chatting, catching up with each other, a break from their busy, daily lives, however the calm is interrupted by the sounds of a crime alert, which brings all of them to their feet rushing to the scene of the crime. When everything is under control, we see that even if they have matured, they have still not lost their childish nature. We especially see this when Bakugo argues with Midoria about reaching the scene first, to which Deku responds by saying that Tenya Iida reached before any of us, making Bakugo erupt. It’s refreshing to see how the Deku and Bakugo’s dynamics have not changed even after 8 years. The scene concludes with the Heroes admitting that they won’t be out of this business anytime soon, and that the people still need them, followed by everyone saying their Goodbyes with promises to meet again soon. 

Then comes the final climax of the episode. We see Deku recollecting Bakugo’s words about how there would be no one special to him, while he reminisces about his various interactions with Uraraka. The scene then shifts to Uraraka thinking to herself, how she wasn’t able to talk to Deku, being seated at two different tables, but is satisfied with just seeing his work everyday. We see a short moment of conflict faced by Uraraka, where she comes to the conclusion that she wished she could have spoken to him. This chain of thought is interrupted by a running Midoriya, who comes face to face with her and says how he tends to want to talk to Uraraka more than usual, indirectly hinting towards wanting something more with her. The reason for Himiko appearing in Uraraka’s dreams is finally revealed to us. We see how Uraraka finally remembers the details of her dreams, how Himiko said that she wants her to live her life to the fullest just like Himiko did when she was alive, pushing Uraraka towards Midoriya, directing her to what her heart truly wants. The episode concludes with Uraraka saying that the feelings are mutual.   

Conclusion

It is confirmed that there will be more MHA content even after this final episode, with the first project scheduled to release in summer 2026. This will be an anime short titled ‘My Hero Academia: I Am a Hero Too’. This will follow the life of; the now grown up high school student Eri, who is navigating through her life, pursuing her hobbies and her dream of becoming a hero. This is set years after the original series ends.