As theMy Hero Academiaseries progressed, fans were allowed to witness some of anime’s most iconic and revolutionary events. From All Might’s final battle against All For One to Deku learning to harness all the power inside One For All, the series is by no means lacking in terms of epic and memorable scenes.
Nonetheless, from time to time, this amazing series would focus so heavily on a plot point, that other developing stories were neglected. Such is the case ofMirio’s return as a hero during the Paranormal Liberation War arc. Fans had waited years for this event to occur, only to find out that Lemillion’s comeback was barely significant for the story.
Mirio’s Comeback Should Have Been a Grandiose Event
His Return Was Overshadowed by the Overarching Conflict
In chapter #292 of theMy Hero Academiamanga series, Deku and his allies struggle to keep Gigantomachia and All For One from escaping the battlefield. The protagonist could do nothing but watch as Best Jeanist, the one in charge of preventing the monstrous villain from standing up, is surrounded by a group of Near-High-End Nomus. Despite beingone of the top 10 heroes in the world, Katsuki’s mentor had no way of defending himself against the creatures, so he decided to accept his fate and retain Gigantomachia as long as possible.
Jeanist did not have to sacrifice his life for the cause, asLemillion suddenly burst from the ground, stopping the Nomus from reaching their target. While the series did give fans a heartfelt flashback to Eri using her Rewind Quirk, one of the best and most powerful in the series, to give Mirio his Quirk back,this long-awaited moment was over almost as soon as it began. Lemillion quickly joined the fight, becoming another soldier on the heroes' side against All For One’s army.
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Furthermore, his return felt overwhelming because it was not even a surprise for the characters. The memory of Mirio getting his Quirk back revealed that Deku was there the moment Eri used her Quirk on the hero. Mirio himself revealed that he had already been fighting with the heroes who attacked the Paranormal Liberation Front’s villa, making his comeback that much more underwhelming. Fans could not even see his true return to heroism, and the scenes depicted in the manga failed to convey the importance of Mirio regaining his powers.
The Loss of Mirio’s Quirk Was a Game Changer
Fans Were Beyond Shocked To Learn Characters Could Become Quirkless
One of the main reasons why many fans believed that Mirio’s return felt underwhelming was the fact thatthe loss of his Quirk was considered a major part of theMy Hero Academiastory. Before Lemillion was hit by Overhaul’s bullet, there were no signs that anyone could ever lose their powers unless they had an encounter with All For One. Mirio becoming Quirkless was a terrifying idea for heroes, as they were no longer safe. The struggle of the boy to come to terms with his new reality was also an emotive and heartbreaking event for most readers.
Yet, despite how significant Mirio’s fate was for the story, his return to the battlefield proved to be nothing more than a plot device to increase the hype of an already popular arc. His comeback did not hold the same level of emotion that the loss of his Quirk managed to transmit to the audience. Worst of all, the fact that most of the important events relating to Mirio’s miraculous recovery were not directly seen by fans only made things worse for the manga.
Mirio’s Return Also Hurt Eri’s Story
Her Development Ended Once Mirio Was Cured
After Eri was rescued in chapter #159, most of the fandom believed that seeing her grow into a powerful hero would be one of the manga’s biggest plot points. Readers were excited to see her learn how to safely harness her Quirk in a safe environment, helping her overcomethe trauma of her tragic backstory. Lamentably, this never occurred, as her entire training occurred without fans knowing, concluding in her giving Mirio his Quirk back in a flashback. Even though she was hyped as a major asset for the heroes, Eri’s development began and ended before fans would even realize it.
Although theMy Hero Academiamanga did mishandle a few plot points throughout its publication, there is no doubt that the series created by Kohei Horikoshi is one of the best in recent years. Mirio’s comeback might have been disappointing for many fans, but this small mistake does not overshadow the amazing story and characters introduced in this beloved series.
