The UA Sports Festival Arc is the first real glimpse into the many quirks in My Hero Academia and the first real test of Izuku Midoriya's abilities against his classmates. Until then, the My Hero Academia cast had faced battle trials, written exams, and a brush-up with the League of Villains, but the top heroes were there to save the day. This time around, Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A were entered into a sports festival, putting them in tough challenges and head-to-head battles, which included the students of Class 1-B.

Despite Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo running into each other on multiple instances, including the battle trials, this was the first opportunity where the two rivals could compete against one another. Since childhood, Bakugo and Midoriya have collided many times, pushing each other to their limits and finding ways to surpass them. While Midoriya aims to get to Bakugo's level and admires his rival for how strong he's become, Bakugo can't stand the idea of ever being on the same level as someone who was once quirkless.

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Shoto Todoroki's Troubling Past Introduced

The ever-so-mysterious Shoto Todoroki was a puzzle to solve, leaving many to wonder what was up with him. This arc does a fantastic job setting the stepping stones for the dissection of the Todoroki family and Shoto's distaste towards his father. As the number two hero, Endeavor must put on a brave face and intimidate anyone who crosses his way, but once in the same vicinity as his son, the pain begins to leak through his stoic persona. It becomes evident when the two cross paths and Shoto completely disregards his father's presence.

During his one-on-one battles, Shoto resists using his left side — which possesses the power of fire — out of rebellion against his father. As a result of a quirk marriage, an event that sees two individuals marry and attempt to birth a child with both powers combined, Shoto was born with both powers, using his left side for fire and right side for ice. However, Shoto only used his ice powers against his first opponent, resisting his father's wishes and claiming he would never break his promise to himself — a commitment to never become like his father, which will be explained in later arcs.

Once pushed back during his confrontation with Midoriya, Shoto resorted to using his fire powers, setting the left side of his body ablaze. Despite becoming exponentially stronger, Shoto broke the promise he made to himself. To make matters worse for him, his father was ecstatic about the decision and cheered Shoto on. This decision weighed on Shoto post-battle, as his powers were the product of a broken marriage, splitting up the Todoroki family and sending Shoto into his rebellious phase and disdain towards Endeavor.

One For All Quirk Isn't Just About Strength

In the events leading up to the UA Sports Festival, Midoriya was beginning to understand the pros and cons of his One For All quirk, handed down by All Might. While Midoriya received a momentary boost in strength and physical abilities, the wear and tear on his body proved to be significantly damaging. The concern was enough for those more knowledgeable about the situation to advise Midoriya not to use his quirk recklessly. Midoriya compromised by focusing his energy on one finger at a time, allowing him to use the quirk multiple times in one fight.

This plan eventually backfires as the fingers he uses become weakened beyond belief. During his battle against Hitoshi Shinso, a Class 1-C student, Midoriya falls into a trap set up by his opponent's quirk. Shinso's ability, the Brainwashing quirk, allows him to control anyone responding to his words. Though Midoriya understood the quirk's usage, he eventually answered one of Shinso's statements, sending him into paralysis. As the rules of one-on-one battles include a ring-out clause, Shinso just needs to instruct his opponent to walk out of bounds and lose the match.

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During Midoriya's stasis, the hero possessing the One For All Quirk saw what resembled shadow figures with glowing eyes staring back at him. Eight figures could be seen, and the sight of them sent Midoriya's body into complete defense, allowing him to launch an attack with his fingers to break up Shinso's possession. Though it is not known at this point, the shadow figures Midoriya caught sight of were the past users of the One For All Quirk, and the future would see each of their abilities passed down to Midoriya.

Class 1-B Students And Their Quirks

The introduction of Class 1-B provided some quality comedic moments, but most importantly, characters that helped flesh out existing members of Class 1-A. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu is a prime example of bringing in a secondary character to supplement one of the main cast, as his steel-hardening quirk resembles Kirishima's hardening quirk. The two are nearly identical in physical stature and design and share a similar haircut. His arrival allows Kirishima to learn valuable lessons through Tetsutetsu's experience and knowledge, shaping him into a more complete character.

Neito Monoma serves as the class' goofball, showcasing an eccentric personality and openly mocking the members of Class 1-A. While he may come off as loud and obnoxious, his intelligence is among the top of the class, which he portrays during his combat trials. Monoma can utilize his classmates' quirks to create a plan of attack, and his Copy quirk allows him to temporarily gain access to a user's quirk that he touches. He also wears three watches everywhere he goes, tracking the time he left with a stolen quirk. It's also quite a deceptive trick, as most opponents will believe he can copy three quirks when, in fact, he can copy four quirks at a time.

As the story progresses, the heroes of Class 1-A and 1-B will continue to mingle and clash, learning more about one another. The value of bringing more characters throughout the first couple of arcs allows the leading group of heroes to breathe and learn more from secondary characters, opening up their personalities and forcing them to push through their limits.

How Bakugo's Victory Set Up The Hideout Raid Arc

Bakugo's victory over Todoroki was a monumental step in the right direction for his confidence, but it had its consequences. Looking on from afar, the League of Villains had taken note of Bakugo's attitude throughout the Sports Festival and believed he could be a suitable villain someday. His boisterous behavior, hostile communication, and flair for the dramatics drew their attention. The group decided that their next plan of action was to find a way to kidnap Bakugo and bring him back to their hideout, where they would attempt to convince him to join their side and become a member of the League of Villains.

They could not foresee Bakugo's allegiance to the hero he admired: All Might. Kidnapping him may be the easy part of the plan if the League of Villains plays its cards right, but convincing him to turn on his friends and the very person he believes himself to be may just blow up in their faces. The Hideout Raid Arc follows this one, featuring plenty of twists and turns and some heart-wrenching moments.

The My Hero Academia manga is available to read on Viz and the Dragon Ball anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, Young Deku is born into a world where people commonly have something called quirks, also known as superpowers. He himself is born without any, but circumstances lead to that changing. He enrolls at the UA High School, a prestigious academy where the worlds future heroes learn how to use their powers.