HOW WILL THE WORLD OF MHA CHANGE AFTER THE LATEST WAR

Chapter 296 of MHA settled the smog over the horrific destruction brought on by the villains. The hero status quo is in shambles. The city is decimated to rubble. Many pro heroes are pondering if the hero profession is even worth it anymore while the new heroes are trying their best to save the survivors. Most of the top rank heroes have suffered high injuries to the point of incapacitation. Endeavour is out of commission and Deku has suffered extreme damage in his legs and arms. Amid all the destruction and major physical and emotional trauma, the new heroes are still unwavering in their spirits to save as many civilians as they can.

 

As if this arc wasn’t grim enough, pro hero midnight is dead. This came as an unprecedented shock for both the readers as well as the students of UA. Killing off such a major and beloved pro hero amps up the tragedy of this war even more. Her death is a major blow to the heroes, especially the class of 1A, with Mina, Momo and Kirishima among others, breaking down upon finding that she has passed away.

Apart from the immense death and destruction, this chapter marks a turning point in the story. While the Recovery Girl may be able to fix the physical damage inflicted upon the heroes, suffice it to say, it won’t be enough to fix the damage done to the confidence of many pro heroes or the damage to the public’s confidence in the number one hero – Endeavour, thanks to Dabi’s revelations. The chapter showed that some heroes are dubious of their commitment to the hero profession, realising they didn’t sign up for this grim reality of death and casualties, which echoes the words and philosophy of Stain once again. As for Endeavour, only time will tell if he steps down as the number 1 hero or keeps on with the mantle as he goes on to confront Dabi/Touya.

The villain side has also suffered huge losses and destruction with Gigantomachia and Compress along with other 17,000 members of PLF (Paranormal Liberation Front) being detained and Shigaraki defeated into an unconscious state. But this chapter does not seem to be a predecessor to stability, well, only a momentous one if the last shot of All For One is any indication. All For One is shown to hint towards his complete possession of Shigaraki’s body. It seems Horikoshi is not planning on giving any breathers after this devastating and tragic blow to the hero society. With the crumbling confidence in the heroes, the damage to the reputation of the number one hero, the loss of Midnight and other pro heroes and extreme injuries all around, the plot has already shifted gears into the next arc which is likely to be the Tartarus Prison Break arc.

The oncoming battle might not be similar to the current one. The next biggest direct threat is going to be All For One who is planning on his attack at this opportune moment while the iron is red hot. But it might not be as easy taking control of Shigaraki’s body for him. The fans are already bubbling up with theories regarding the dynamic between AFO and Shigaraki, the will and animosity of Shigaraki might have a role to play in the inevitable tussle among the two in the future.

Are heroes going to survive and come out of this tragic unfolding of events, better and prepared for what awaits them next? Have the war’s consequences already taken an irreparable toll on heroes’ psyche and spirits? These are some of the questions this crucial chapter in the story of MHA poses. With the near immediate threat of Tartarus prison break and the ever-looming battle against All For One, the heroes are in the worst shape ever and grieving the loss of loved ones, it will be interesting to see how the new heroes recover and rise up from this unfortunate state and the possible moral sidings of villains in the face of a greater threat in the form of All For One.