![]() It takes destroying his arms and punching at 1,000,000% to finally beat the villain, but Deku emerges victorious, and the viewer can breathe again. Only when Muscular’s attention falls back on Kota does Deku find the strength to even open his eyes. In the darkest moment of the fight, while Deku is lying beneath a crushing weight of muscle, he starts to panic, his internal monologue changing from being focused on the fight to apologizing to his mom and preparing for death. Even when using his quirk to its fullest ability, Deku can neither fight nor flee from Muscular, especially with Kota in tow. Who knew that the protagonist versus a one-off villain could be so intense and unforgettable? Even though Deku's voice-over reminds us that this is the story of how he became the greatest hero, it’s easy to get lost in the moment of this fight and think that Deku might not make it out alive. Dark, memorable, and exciting, the battle against Stain rounds out Season 2’s stellar fight scenes with gusto. Showing how Iida's sense of justice can be warped by hatred is an intense and intriguing way to add layers to his character. As Deku and Todoroki demonstrate the values of true heroes, Iida sees the error of his ways, just in time to deliver a finishing kick to the villain alongside Deku’s punch. When Todoroki shows up, the fight gets even more intense, as Stain shows that he is capable of taking on both Deku and Todoroki at full strength as Iida lies paralyzed. ![]() ![]() Iida is lucky that Deku is interning nearby and able to use his new move, Full Cowling. Not knowing what else to do with the hatred he feels toward the villain, Iida makes Stain his personal vendetta, straying more into vigilantism than heroism and even teetering on the edge of villainy. The end of the tournament arc heralds a darker storyline: Iida’s brother becomes the newest victim of hero-killing villain, Stain. And though Deku lost the match, he gained a friend. Due to its extremely personal nature, the Deku versus Todoroki fight is the highlight of the tournament, complete with tense buildup, rising action, and exquisite animation that all lead to a surprise ending. Because Deku is the protagonist, he’s expected to at least make it to the finals, but he is knocked out during round two. Though the episode title ("Shoto Todoroki: Origin") labels this as Todoroki’s origin, his victory comes as a surprise. Now able to use both fire and ice, Todoroki drops the temperature low and then hits with a blast of flame, causing an explosion that is as beautifully animated as it is perfectly timed to his newfound freedom. But as Deku encourages his friend, all the while putting pressure on him by even breaking and re-breaking his fingers in an effort to win, Todoroki’s revelation spells defeat for Deku. While Deku wants nothing more than to advance to the next round of the tournament and make All Might proud, he is overcome with the need to convince Todoroki that he can use the quirk that his father gave him. Though the fight is centered around Uraraka, this is also an important character moment for Bakugou, proving that he is capable of showing respect and fighting honorably, despite appearances. Uraraka eventually gives in to fatigue, but her fighting spirit is strong, and she shows off her ability to plan ahead. While the audience boos Bakugou from the stands, Bakugou himself recognizes Uraraka’s strength and shows enough respect not only to be careful of her but to call her by her name for the first time. Uraraka is determined to become a hero and financially take care of her family, so she uses every trick and tactic she can think of, from making her jacket float as a diversion, to tricking Bakugou into blowing up the floor of the arena so that she can have objects to float and let fall. However, this fight follows the patterns that many of the tournament arc fights include, which is a strong connection to personal motivation and an element of surprise. At first, the sweet and cheery Uraraka doesn’t seem to stand a chance against established bully and majorly aggressive fighter, Bakugou.
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