While My Hero Academia does not have a reputation for being all sunshine and daisies, Kōhei Horikoshi certainly pumps up the waterworks for the emotional rollercoaster of Season 6, with back-to-back episodes of harrowing content. They don't call it the Dark Hero arc for nothing!
The situation in Season 6 is just one setback after another, with a few fortunate occurrences sparsely sprinkled throughout the storyline. The villainous forces are on the rise and the Heroes are struggling to keep up, all the while Japan crumbles around them as their iconic Hero Society is decimated from the inside out.
The following content contains spoilers from My Hero Academia, Season 6, episode 24.
9 The Todoroki Reunion
It's a very rare occurrence to have all the Todoroki's gathered in one room, and when there is a congregation of this nature, conflict tends to follow. However, this time around, with Rei surprisingly taking the lead (after only just being released from the hospital herself) the family tackles their demons, together.
Instead of taking the easy road and laying all the blame on Endeavor (who was, arguably, the major instigator), each of them takes responsibility for how Dabi turned out, admitting that they failed the boy in some way during his childhood. They all turned a blind eye towards Toya's self-immolation tendencies, but now they will stand side-by-side to fix their mistakes.
8 Twice's Death
The comradery that sparks between Hawks and Twice may be a little misplaced, however, is wholesome and heartwarming nonetheless, as poor Jin Bubaigawara deserves some happiness for a change! Hawks is technically Twice's enemy, but that doesn't mean he's completely heartless, and he begs his buddy to pursue a life of redemption before it's too late!
Hawks is certainly in a tough spot, but disbelief and despair are brazenly plastered across Bubaigawara's face. Not only for Hawks' betrayal but because Twice has endangered his beloved "family" once again, truly unforgivable in his eyes! Dabi and Tokoyami's arrivals don't help with drying the tears either, while Hawks nearly dies trying to save his newfound companion (who he is forced to murder in cold blood, for the sake of winning the war.)
7 Dabi's Origin Story
Even though it's incredibly easy to hate on Dabi, watching the vulnerable Toya Todoroki's flashbacks, as he runs around zealously seeking his father's approval, is simply heartbreaking. Dabi's psychopathy was not a natural-born instinct but rather a learned behavior, after being cherished and suddenly rejected by the man he looks up to most.
Desperate for acknowledgment, the boy pushes his Quirk to the extreme and subsequently sets himself on fire, as his abandonment issues reach a breaking point in the Sekoto Peak mountain range. The usually stern-faced Endeavor has a complete breakdown after discovering his son is alive, and a ruthless villain no less! Witnessing the #1 Pro-Hero dissolve into a puddle of tears is not a sight for sore eyes, either.
6 Mr. Compress' Sacrifice
While he mightn't be the most predominant member of the League of Villains, Atsuhiro Sako immortalized his memory by sacrificing his life to save his precious clan. Refusing to go down without a fight, the underrated entertainer literally tears chunks of flesh from his body to evade Best Jeanist's attacks and spends his final bloodsoaked moments rounding up his teammates, granting them the opportunity to escape.
Mr. Compress does his best to prolong his death, not so that he may have a chance of survival, but to give Shigaraki enough time to regain consciousness and take control of the situation. Atsuhiro leaps fearlessly into battle, without any hope of walking away with his life. The Bandit King would be so very proud!
5 Ms. Midnight's Death
Nobody really knew quite what to expect when Gigantomachia bulldozed his way through the forest with the League of Villians secretly concealed on his back. Team Edgeshot gave it their all in slowing the "natural disaster" down; however, they were completely unprepared to deal with such intense power.
Ms. Midnight heads into the frontlines on Kamui Woods' back, hoping to knock Gigantomachia out with her Somnambulist, but takes the full brunt of Mr. Compress' sneak attack instead. Midnight miraculously survives the fall, but rather than calling for help or escaping to safety, the vixen uses her final breaths to give the UA kids a fighting chance. Her strategy arguably saves the day for every Jaku survivor (and beyond), but it's such a shame that her beloved students were the ones to find her lifeless body.
4 The Aftermath Of The War
If the Paranormal Liberation War wasn't tragic enough, the aftermath of Dabi's big reveal made things significantly worse. Those Heroes fortunate enough to survive the attack are instantly overwhelmed by the destruction and crushed by the responsibility of trying to clean up this mess. Emergency response teams simply do not have the resources to treat every injury either and are faced with tough choices, as the bodies pile up around them and pleading screams fill their ears.
Meanwhile, the enraged civilians' contrasting sentiments berate the heartbroken Heroes even further; talk about kicking a dog when it's down! This combination of disasters sends many Pro-Heroes into a downward spiral, as they flee from the public eye or give up their lifelong dreams entirely. The pure hatred in the citizens' eyes is surely heartbreaking for the Heroes to witness, especially after sacrificing so much. And defacing All Might's statue is simply taking things too far!
3 Deku Vs Class A
While the adults run around claiming to have lost all authority over Deku and barely supervise the youngster's suicide mission, the rest of Class A refuse to throw in the towel and insist on bringing their friend home. After tracking Deku down, each of the kids tearfully tells their classmate how much he truly means to them, while desperately trying to prevent him from fleeing the scene.
Deku cannot bare to soak in their gratitude, as his heart must remain cold so that he can isolate himself and hopefully reduce All For One's casualty count. Everyone's determination and earnestness are palpable in this life-or-death situation, as each side fights their hardest to save the other, pouring their hearts and souls into their goal.
2 Bakugo's Apology
Even though Bakugo professes his admiration along with the rest of Class A (in Season 6, episode 23), this significant moment deserves its own spot on the list! This hot-headed Hero has made a great deal of personal progress since Shigaraki's awakening in Jaku and wants to share two revelations: his heroic instincts have officially kicked in, and he genuinely regrets bullying Deku for all these years.
Bakugo pushes his ego aside to confess, in front of everyone, that he is actually jealous of Izuku and always has been (calling him by his birth name for the first time, maybe ever!) These weighty words finally dissolved Deku's self-destructive stubbornness, allowing him to admit he needs help, as he is not solely responsible for saving the world.
1 Ochaco's Speech
Ochaco doesn't waste any time giving Bakugo some competition in the tearjerker department with her impassioned speech at UA, imploring the angry citizens to stop villainizing Deku and look at the battered and broken boy before them. She emphasizes the symbiotic relationship that Heroes have with the rest of society, and that Deku has done nothing to deserve such foul, inhumane treatment.
Ayane Sakura's accompanying VA performance in this scene is prizeworthy; the sound of Ochaco screaming from the rooftops is enough to open the floodgates, while her genuine, words of encouragement get the whole crowd a-crying (nevermind all the viewers at home, sobbing in front of their screens!) Season 6, episode 24 is arguably the most emotive moment in My Hero Academia history, and may just cause a revolutionary wave of peace to ripple across Japan.