MHA: Ochaco Uraraka is the Hero Himiko Needs, But Doesn't Deserve

Ochaco Uraraka went above and beyond to save Himiko Toga, but that wasn't what either character needed in this endgame battle.

In the most recent My Hero Academia manga chapters, the supporting hero Ochaco Uraraka fought her final and most personal battle against her villainous counterpart, the yandere Himiko Toga. Chapter 395's events finally resolved Himiko's character arc, which had been going in circles for many chapters now, but even so, it didn't feel like a proper resolution for that arc.

The stubborn and independent-minded Himiko Toga was determined to be her true, authentic self as a societal reject, and she scorned Ochaco's attempts to redeem her with a heartfelt talk jutsu. Then, Himiko changed her mind, and in Chapter 395, totally reversed her position and actually gave her life for Ochaco's sake. Himiko had heartfelt reasons for doing this, but her sacrifice still felt like a waste. Ochaco was Himiko's personal hero, but probably shouldn't have been.

Himiko Toga's Character Arc Didn't Need Redemption

Being a shonen superhero franchise, My Hero Academia is fairly forgiving toward all its characters, giving even the biggest bullies like Katsuki Bakugo and Neito Monoma a chance at redemption. This extends to the villains as well, although sometimes My Hero Academia is actually a little too forgiving. It's always inspiring when a shonen antagonist is convinced to see the error of their ways and make amends, such as Nagato in Naruto and Ultear in Fairy Tail, but not every charismatic antagonist needs such a resolution to their arcs. Even the most popular and compelling villains should sometimes die as their true selves, and face a bittersweet end if they still have a glimmer of good in them. A few villains need personal heroes to change their ways, but not Himiko Toga.

Most My Hero Academia fans may agree that as a villain and criminal, Himiko Toga is too far gone to deserve redemption at this point, and she really dug in her heels on her villainous ways throughout the story. Her redemption might have felt more justified earlier in the story before she committed more criminal acts, but by Chapter 395, that ship had sailed. This means that Himiko's redemption in Chapters 394 and 395 felt unearned and awkward, and gave her a second chance that she had already squandered earlier. Ochaco Uraraka succeeded in becoming the personal hero Himiko Toga needed, but she's not the one Himiko deserves, which is the key distinction.

For the sake of her own happiness and being able to die in peace during this endgame battle, Himiko Toga really did need an empathetic girl like Ochaco to see and admire Himiko's true self. Hence, Himiko was happy that Ochaco saw her as a "normal girl with a cute smile," the kind of acknowledgment she has wanted since her childhood. However, that wasn't the kind of resolution Himiko's character needed for narrative reasons. Above all, Himiko Toga's character is a commentary on hero society's unfair treatment of people deemed to have the "wrong" Quirks or personalities, since for there to be "right" members of society, there must be wrong ones. Instead of getting redemption just moments before giving up her life, Himiko Toga could should have either died or been captured as she ruminated on all this, and wondered what could have been if either she or society had been different. Redeeming Himiko now, whether she dies or gets captured, means very little.

Ochaco Uraraka Didn't Need a Talk Jutsu

On a personal level, Ochaco Uraraka was the empathetic hero who the lost and miserable Himiko Toga needed, but neither character needed this particular resolution for their intertwined character arcs. Ochaco took a serious risk by trying to talk Himiko out of her villainous ways, especially in the context of the final heroes vs villains war to decide the fate of Japanese society. Pro heroes are meant to take the high road and show mercy to villains, capturing them rather than killing them, but even so, Ochaco was too merciful. Ochaco already tried and failed several times to empathize with Himiko and convince her to get redeemed, so Ochaco should have been more practical by choosing to cut her losses with Toga. It's true that Ochaco's risky talk jutsu paid off in this final clash, but Ochaco didn't know for certain ahead of time that it would work. For in-universe reasons, Ochaco made the wrong call, regardless of the eventual outcome.

Despite Ochaco being a naturally kind and helpful person (like her love interest Deku), she is also a young pro hero who, like all heroes, is expected to risk her life and fight to defend society from all villains. A talk jutsu is the wrong kind of risk, and one that Himiko didn't deserve, regardless of Ochaco's contrary beliefs. The stakes were too high for a talk jutsu, and the surviving villains have all made their choice about their criminal ways, including Himiko, Dabi, Tomura Shigaraki, and certainly All For One. By now, all of the villains are beyond a talk jutsu, or at least should be, and a fight to the death is the only way to properly resolve the conflict for society's future.

Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco are a bit too idealistic for their own good, and they should not try to talk Himiko and Tomura Shigaraki out of their villainy considering that everyone is past that point by now. Deku and Ochaco have already said and done enough to save other, more redeemable villains and change people's hearts for the better, so they have little left to prove in that regard. Ochaco's heartfelt speech to the panicking crowd at UA was her own symbol of peace moment, and Deku already showed kindness to villains like Gentle Criminal and La Brava. The stakes were lower then, and a talk jutsu was the right call in those situations, but this is different, and Deku and Ochaco must harden their hearts for the sake of ultimate victory. They may not like it, but it's necessary, and it won't diminish their personal heroics in past story arcs, so they can fight to the finish without hesitation as the war reaches its bloody endgame.