Deku Rejects Bakugo’s Offer? Uraraka x Deku? My Hero Academia Chapter 431 SPOILERS!!!
The epilogue to My Hero Academia seems to conclude the 10-year story of Heroes with a ship confirmation and a “ship” sinking?
The final volume of My Hero Academia has arrived and we get a new chapter, Chapter 431, which shows events that take place after the official final chapter that was released on August 5, 2024.
Thanks to ever for the translation and updates.
My Hero Academia Chapter 431 is titled “More.”
Which sounds like the fandom’s desire for more My Hero Academia content, I suppose.
This chapter has 38 pages.
Before we go on to the chapter itself, let us look at the changes within the volume itself and some additional information.
Volume 42 Cover
Early on, we received a look at Volume 42, which parallels with the first volume cover, this time replacing the facade of All Might with Deku wearing his All Might shirt during the final battle against All For One.
In Volume 1, the Pro-Heroes, the celebrities of this world, are shaded in red like you would see in a comic book.
Now in Volume 42, Class 1-A, those who fought against All For One, show themselves in their full colors, representing a change in the status quo from an idolized class of celebrities to a more honest and earnest group of advocates and helpers.
Taking the place of a young, Quirkless Deku in Volume 1 is a new boy, Dai, who was bullied for his seemingly useless Quirk but has since been inspired by the example of Deku, who becomes a UA High teacher at the end of the story.
Volume 42 Back of the Cover Message
Inside cover for volume 42: pic.twitter.com/BBP3tBGTPI
— ever (@DabisPoleDance) November 29, 2024
At the back of the cover of Volume 42, we see an image of Tomura Shigaraki smiling and waving back at the readers, his footsteps showing him moving forward.
Kohei Horikoshi left behind a message for the readers:
”Thank you for picking up and reading until the very end! From now on, every time you take a step forward in life, when taking a bath even though it’s bothersome, when waking up is though, when you have failed, when you are regretful, when you are feeling down/depressed. At times like these, if memories of Deku, All Might and the rest come to your mind, then I think that gives meaning to their work/effort.”
This illustration of Tomura is followed by a similar illustration where Deku with his tattered backpack and bandaged arms turns back and looks at his own footstep.
— izuku salva (@SalvadorCa24376) November 29, 2024
This is connected to the last pages of Chapter 430: “My Hero Academia”, where Deku sees a glimmer of a happier Tomura as he heads to join his friends that have become Pro-Heroes.
Ochako Remembers Toga
The chapter begins with Ochako Uraraka in her hero costume visiting the place where Himiko Toga passed away during their final battle in Chapter 395: “Built Upon the Joy of Others”.
In Chapter 428: “The Girl Who Loves Smiles”, Ochako had mourned for the loss of the Villain, whose tragic desire to love others was rejected by the world and twisted her into a Villain.
Ochako remarked on how much paperwork she has to do, meaning this is during the epilogue timeskip eight years after the Final War.
Ochako is now 24 years old and working in her own agency.
However, right now she is on this beach at night but she is surprised to be in this place, indicating she was somewhere else prior to this.
Suddenly, she sees a vision of Toga standing in front of her, greeting her.
Ochako is surprised but then finds herself back in her office in her agency, having stayed up late to do some paperwork.
This was a dream and it seems that it keeps happening.
The next day, together with her friend Tsuyu Asui, Ochako invites her former UA seniors, Mirio, Nejire and Tamaki to a quirk counseling session.
The three remark on the success of Ryukyu’s agency, which Nejire has been a part of for most of the story.
It seems there have been plenty of new Pro-Heroes joining agencies like Ryukyu’s since the Final War eight years ago.
We see the following Hero ranks:
Mirio Togata
Comedian Hero: Lemillion
No. 1 Hero
Nejire Hado
Wonder Hero: Nejire-Chan
No. 7 Hero
Tamaki Amajiki
Bizarre Diet Hero: Suneater
(Fatgum’s Sidekick)
Ochako Uraraka
Zero Gravity Hero: Uravity
No. 24 Hero
Tsuyo Asui
Rainy Season Hero: Froppy
No. 34 Hero
The Quirk counseling session is to help children adapt to their Quirks with a wider goal of preventing the rise of Villains who were made by societal discrimination and misunderstanding of Quirks.
Quirks are powers that are tied to the body and the case of Himiko Toga is an example of how helping a child process the way their Quirk is their bodily expression would give them a better life.
Ochako noted that even children who were fine and well-off experienced problems, mostly attributed to their home environment
It is also a tough job to counsel since few children would open their problems to a total stranger.
Ochako also assures the Heroes that her job will not be too burdensome as each case can be handled within a month’s time.
Her goal is to make many friends.
Tamaki remarks on how exhausting it must be for Ochako but she notes that she has plenty of people to help her out.
As the current President of the Hero Public Safety Commission, Hawks has negotiated with the Ministry of Education to provide aid from time to time to improve Quirk education.
Tamaki remarks that Ochako might have some more “me time”, which surprises her as she has been so focused at her work.
In the last chapter, Ingenium, Froppy, Creati, and Uravity have been touring elementary schools, with Uravity also spearheading the expansion of Quirk counselling.
The fans come for the Pro-Heroes, with Lemillion performing his “See my Peaches” gimmick by phasing through a peach tree with his Permeation Quirk as part of his commitment to make people laugh as a hero.
Nejire, as usual, finds this weird.
In this gimmick, he asks the fans to pick up his peaches but then says that they cannot because they are “his” and laughs.
One boy, Ooshima, managed to get one of the peaches, which makes Mirio comment on him being a peach farmer.
Ochako does tell Tamaki that she has a lot of responsibilities, especially with an upcoming project but she loves to see the smiles of people around her.
Nejire then points out to Tamaki that this is a similar motivation to his own but it makes Tamaki feel awkward.
Ochako does note that she has “me time” because Tsuyu works with her and she is able to see her friends all the time.
Oh, so she does still see Deku and the others often.
Beating the abandonment allegations already.
At night on the train home, Tsuyu and Ochako talk about her dreams regarding Himiko started a month ago.
In her checkups, it seems the conclusion was that Ochako was under a lot of stress but Tsuyu tells her not to keep things to herself and try other avenues.
Ochako wonders if Toga is trying to tell her something.
Ochako recalled how Toga transfused her blood to save Ochako’s life so she wonders if some of Toga’s blood, her own self, is still inside her similar to One for All’s users in Deku.
Bakugo’s Offer
Meanwhile, we see Izuku Midoriya and Eijiro Kirshima in the new car driven by Katsuki Bakugo, who decided to drive because Kirishima’s hardening would scratch the car.
Kirishima mentions how proud Bakugo was with the car, especially with the seats that sink, which Deku enjoys as he rides the back.
Deku had just finished a report on his students’ Quirk training
Kirishima asks Deku if he has students that fit his style, revealing that he has started solo and is looking for sidekicks.
Kirishima mentions how he is still getting help from Fat Gum and Tamaki and quotes Fatgum, saying “there are things you only find out when you’re looking after people.”
Tenya Iida and Momo Yaorozu were on a league of their own in the Hero ranks and most of Class 1-A already went solo, which meant Kirishima was the most recent one to make this move.
Deku mentions how Bakugo received a lot of applications to be his sidekick due to how impressed they were by his solo fight against All for One but each one left quickly, crying and giving up, much to Bakugo’s embarrassment.
However, Bakugo points out that he would have easily accepted anyone who wanted to surpass him, which is a neat showing of Bakugo’s own growth and wanting to build a new generation of heroes like what All Might wanted.
We see the following Hero ranks:
Toyomitsu Taishirō
BMI Hero Fat Gum
No. 11 Hero
Eijiro Kirshima
Sturdy Hero: Red Riot
No. 12 Hero
Katsuki Bakugo
The Explosive Hero: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight
Former No. 4 Hero but dropped down to No. 15 Hero
Bakugo then asks Deku if the latter was still teaching.
Recalling how he got the Support Gear Armor from the last chapter, which took place a month prior to Chapter 431, Deku mentions how he continued collecting data and refining the Armor when he is off from teaching the same way Aizawa did with his fighting style and equipment.
Although he enjoyed this as a hobby, Deku ultimately remained content being a teacher, even if he still had One for All.
Especially as it gives him opportunities to deliver lectures to many other schools and people, fulfilling his passion to share what he knew to others.
Kirishima tells Deku that Bakugo was actually inviting Deku to join his agency.
It seems that Deku was a bit dense here, which is quite a sad turn for the story.
Although not the right person to say this, according to himself, Bakugo then tells Deku to think more highly about himself or
Deku points out that Bakugo is one to talk, even though that is precisely why he is saying these things, as Bakugo has grown cooler and more self-aware.
Bakugo does give a really important line that Deku (and the audience) should consider:
“Giving special treatment to everyone means that no one is really special to you.”
This has some layers:
For anyone who has watched Pixar’s “The Incredibles”, one of many classic superhero inspirations, this is a recurring line throughout the movie “If everyone is special, no one is.”
It mixes preferential treatment and the view that all powers or people are not unique after all but “the same” special type.
It means that in the attempt to equalize ability or our treatment of others, we lose sight not only of every individual’s distinct value (without saying stuff like “you are only fit for just this one thing”) but also of the importance specific people have to us that no one else can or will ever truly occupy, which could also be Bakugo pointing to Deku’s feelings for a certain someone.
Yes, this part of the chapter is quite a pain to read through
Although Bakugo spent most of his childhood bullying Deku, the two did share a bond and grew from each other, especially as Bakugo matured into a more earnest hero.
With Deku by his side, even if Bakugo would have learned from the lesson of Endeavor’s terrible mistakes, he might have grown into the Number One Hero he wanted to be in the near future.
Deku’s goal was to be the world’s greatest hero, or at least it was the leading idea of the narration, and while a humble (actually, prestigious) role as a teacher was a path quite fit for him, to reject his close friend’s attempt to build a better relationship with Deku comes off as disappointing to readers who wanted more out of their relationship, which would especially become more concerning with other developments in this chapter.
Here, even Bakugo admits he is not the best person to tell Deku to treat himself better, yet here he is right now being a distinct voice amidst the comfort zone Deku occupies himself in as a teacher.
If Deku slowly moves forward, maybe taking this advice, we might see him reconsider Bakugo’s offer or even make his own agency while perhaps managing a way to teach new heroes, especially those without Quirks like himself.
Class 1-A Reunion
The three boys join the entire class in a Japanese restaurant as Kirishima makes a vigorous toast for Shoto becoming the Number 2 Hero, who apologizes for making them all gather.
We see the following Hero ranks:
Shoto Todoroki
Air-Conditioning Hero: Shoto
No. 2 Hero
Mezo Shoji
Tentacle Hero: Tentacole
No. 9 Hero
Tenya Iida
Turbo Hero: Ingenium
No. 13 Hero
Fumikage Tokoyami
Dark Hero: Tsukuyomi
No. 17 Hero
Momo Yaorozu
Everything Hero: Creati
No. 19 Hero
Mina Ashido
Ridley Hero: Pinky
No. 28 Hero
Kyoka Jiro
Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack
No. 30 Hero
Mashirao Ojiro
Martial Hero: Tailman
No. 32 Hero
Hanta Sero
Taping Hero: Cellophane
No. 36 Hero
Toru Hagakure
Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl
No. 39 Hero
Denki Kaminari
Taser Hero: Chargebolt
No. 44 Hero
Minoru Mineta
Fresh-Picked Hero: Grape Juice
Number 108 Hero (first hero in the Billboard)
Hitoshi Shinso
Hypnosis Hero: Nighthide
(Out of the ranking)
Koji Koda
Petting Hero: Anima
Sidekick at Tentacole’s Agency
Rikido Sato
Sweet Hero: Sugar Man
Sidekick at Wash’s Agency
Yuga Aoyama
Shining Hero: Can’t Stop Twinkling
Sidekick at Invisible Girl’s Agency
However, Kaminari tells Shoto that the celebration was just an excuse so they could all see each other, which Shoto takes seriously even though this was a joke from Kaminari.
Hanto Sero mocks Kaminari for trash-talking the Number 2 Hero but Tenya Iida reminds Sero not to take the ranking at face value with the ranking criteria getting more complex, so Kaminari rising up to his current rank is also something worth noting.
Both Sero and Kaminari state that Momo and Iida are more noteworthy.
Meanwhile Mineta feels mocked, though Jiro tells him that Rank 108 is actually good for him.
In the backdrop, Koda remarks how those with a solo career are doing well, since he is still a sidekick for Shoji while Shinso wonders why everyone is obsessed with the spotlight, a sentiment that Invisible Girl Hagakure agrees with, in spite of her being No. 39
Sato is glad that everyone from Class 1-A managed to make it to the event even though they already met up the other day, indicating that they have been seeing each more often ever since the last chapter.
Ojiro attributes this to the incremental decrease in the number of villains with each passing year.
The broody Tokoyami notes that the villains may never disappear but they are losing strength because of the heroes that continue the fight.
The New Pro-Hero Billboard Chart JP
As the conversation went on, we see the new Pro-Hero Billboard, containing the new top heroes of Japan.
- Mirio
- Shoto
- Mt. Lady
- Kamui Woods
- Best Jeanist
- Mirko
- Nejire
- Wash
- Shoji
- Monoma
- Fatgum
- Kirishima
- Iida
- Honenuki
- Bakugou
- Inasa
- Tokoyami
- Tamaki
- Momo
- Shindo
We see some notable character design changes for Mirko, Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods in particular.
Not including Class 1-A, the rest are:
21. Gang Orca
22. Setsuna Tokage
23. Itsuka Kendo
26. Tetsutetsu
33. Manga Fukidashi
40. Ryokyu
41. Seiji Shishikura
42. Death Arms
45. Present Mic
Death Arms has returned after his retirement during the post-timeskip
Camie Utsushimi is a sidekick in Seiji Shishikura’s agency while Tatami Nakagame and Shikkui Makabe work for Shindo.
The End of Heroes?
Because of these changes, Tokoyami thinks that heroes will disappear and no longer be needed.
While saying this, Tokoyami complains about an advertising company calling for being even more fabulous, saying he is darkness itself.
Shoto does agree with Tokoyami’s assessment as he reflects on how people keep telling him that he “defied a cruel fate and fulfilled his duty”.
Fate and duty.
Although Shoto believes that he personally made the right choices in spite of many obstacles, he believes that even if he and everyone were part of some big story, the determination to move forward and getting to where they are now were things that were meant to happen.
Quite a meta commentary on how authors like Kohei Horikoshi pre-determine positive outcomes.
It is fitting that Shoto is voiced by Yuki Kaji due to Kaji’s most famous character being Eren Jaeger from Attack on Titan, a protagonist defined by fate and freedom.
As if manifesting the paradox of predestination and freedom, Shoto declares that he will take bowl and chopstick making classes in Ishikawa since his favorite food is soba.
Bakugo as usual gives his own food assessment, saying that Wajima style soba is best in Ishikawa
Shoto brings up how he was praying at Touya’s (Dabi) altar and realizes that being a hero is not everything to him and that he wants to enjoy food.
This confirms that Dabi had died within the eight-year timeskip while confined in the hospital.
In Chapter 426: “The Hellish Todoroki Family: Final”, Endeavor and the rest of the family promised to keep visiting Dabi, so now the visits have been to the altar in the main Todoroki residence.
It is also in this chapter where Dabi’s parting words were about Shoto’s favorite food being the same as his own.
Shoto’s line is yet another fulfillment of his character arc, about overcoming the fate of someone who is born or forced to be a Hero.
Bakugo references Parasyte, which might be an indication of Horikoshi’s own enjoyment of the work.
Parasyte is a manga that was published by Kodansha between 1989 to 1994 about a high school student whose hand is bonded to an alien parasite.
The boys then overhear Ashido and Hagakure talk about ships, with Kuroiro and Kinoko from Class 1-B confirmed to be dating, which surprised Ashido since she went on a mission with them but showed no signs.
This makes Deku look at Uraraka as she is smiling and laughing with the other girls.
New Mission
The reunion is interrupted by a beep as the police are chasing a stolen car on Gareki Street in the 2nd South District and the police are concerned due to the Villain’s quirk causing lots of damage that could lead to an escalation.
Then we see an amazing panel of Class 1-A in their Hero Costumes, with Deku in the lead in his Support Gear
Shoto’s ice stops the truck while the dog-headed police arrest the Villain, who apologized because it was a sudden impulse that caused all of this while Bakugo and Deku bicker over who came first, with Deku insisting Iida came first, which makes sense due to his Quirk.
Iida remarked that if this incident was a sudden impulse, then the man is not a Villain but someone who needed saving.
Kirishima feels assured that they will not lose their jobs at this point since Heroes now exist to help people’s Quirks from going out of control and to help them adjust with society rather than just fight the Villains.
As everyone packs up their Hero Costumes, Shoto tells the others that he already paid for the bill, with Ashido suggesting they split instead since Shoto is the one they are celebrating.
Shoto goes to Jiro and Momo, both giving him physical cash that Shoto remarks is still useful even in this day and age.
Bakugo tells Deku not to take too long as he has to wake up early and see Edgeshot, who is returning to Japan.
Let’s hope he has grow more than in centimeters back.
Bakugo heads off, with Deku telling him to come to UA as a guest lecturer more often as Aizawa has classes on communication, which immediately had Bakugo saying he did not want to be made a bad example.
Uraraka and Deku Get Together
Remembering Bakugo’s words about how making everyone special means no one really is, Deku begins walking.
Meanwhile, Urarakatells the others she is heading off herself.
As she walks, she notes that she is far away from Deku, which means they could not talk but she is fine with it since she still always sees him because of work.
Suddenly, Uraraka hears a voice calling out to her.
It was Toga and it was moving Uraraka to see Deku coming towards her.
Deku blurts out how he has always respected everyone but here he confesses that among all the people he knows, he wanted to talk to Uraraka more not just today but from now on.
In her mind, Toga tells Uraraka that she has lived the way she wanted, so her wish, out of love for Uraraka, is for her to live exactly as she wanted too.
So Toga pushes Uraraka closer to Deku.
Uraraka realizes that it has been a month already and she has seen Deku more often.
Now she can realize her own feelings for him and the chapter ends on them clasping hands.
My Hero Academia Volume 42 will be officially released on December 4, 2024.
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