My Hero Academia returns with another intense chapter this week! Deku going rogue was the final straw as the story bid its colourful setting goodbye. With MHA chapter 322, Horikoshi sensei further stresses on a few themes crucial to the story. From Bakugo finally owning up to reminding us why Deku is just so special, this chapter was truly emotional as we finally see 1A together again.

MHA chapter 322 starts off with Iida managing to hold onto a tired Deku, with Kirishima cushioning their fall. As Mina and the others encourage Deku to come back and he refuses, Bakugo takes it upon himself to close the fissure between the two. Once Deku regains his consciousness, he is back at UA where a mob of angry public want him to be sent away as he could be a potential threat. As he turns, Uraraka holds his hand and is determined to make him stay, as Bakugo and Iida specifically worked hard to get him a place to stay here again.

On a more light hearted note, we finally got a face reveal for support hero Thirteen! With a dangerous quirk like “Black Hole” she has been supportive comrade. My Hero Academia has no shortage of lovely ladies, and Thirteen is just another on added to the ever growing list!

Let’s go over the major happenings in this chapter!

Bakugo Owns Up

Yes, he finally did it! Horikoshi sensei is a master at character development, and he proved it by finally making Bakugo own up to his mistakes. Ever since the Class 1A vs 1B arc, there had been significant development in Bakugo. Subtly, he shows us he cares and wants to help All Might, and indirectly Deku, in figuring out the secrets of One For All.

This only escalates to during the War Arc, which Bakugo himself mentions. The weight of those words is shown to us once more, as Bakugo speaks for his class that they do not want to leave Deku alone. It is not hard to understand that Bakugo’s arrogance is a facade to hide his insecurities, so seeing him open up to Deku was heart warming.

And so, Bakugo finally calls Deku Izuku, and apologises for what he has done. Keen to start over as a loyal comrade and friend, he assures Deku that whatever he had been doing was understandable, but it is necessary to take some help from his friends. Their bond is now one of where Bakugo would be ready to bring down his walls to help Deku from losing himself. We see a physical representation of this as Bakugo saves a weak Deku from smashing into the ground.

Ah, the feels.

Izuku Midoriya: Consistency is Key

MHA chapter 322 shows us a tired Deku still pushing himself to make sure nobody gets hurt. One of Deku’s defining characteristics is the consistency in his goals and morals. Kirishima comments on exactly that. It is true; Deku has made this far not just because of One For All but because of his desire to save people.

Usually labelled the crybaby of the new shonen protagonists, Deku is a character that actually has merit to himself. His consistency and ability to overcome all obstacles while powering up at the same time is a symbol of his talent. Therefore, it is great to see Horikoshi sensei bring up Deku’s positive attributes subtly through other character’s opinion on him. This assertiveness is important as it reminds us once again what is at stake for Deku.

There is a twist to this as well, with him detaching himself from his class is a consequence of the very same thing he is praised for by his friends.

Yearning for the days gone by

Seeing 1-A like this does tug your heartstrings, doesn’t it? This seemingly naive batch of budding heroes have evolved (most of them) into great heroes that the society could lean on. However, this comes at the cost of some emotionally and physically exhausting battles, with the toughest one just ahead.

It may seem trivial that all 1-A wants is Deku back in UA and to attend classes. I say so, because UA has suspended classes and it is anything but a school as of now. But, that is what makes it so beautiful. This urge in these young teenagers to just go back to what seems like distant days only proves to us how dark the story has gotten. This yearning of wanting to joke around, and attend classes as if nothing is wrong is a testament to the fact that all of them derive stability from each other. The worried looks of class 1-A in MHA chapter 322 make you realise just how much they value friendship.

With the public at UA not keen to let Deku in, the class puts its foot down. To have even the tiniest bit of normality back in these times, they were ready to go against the public! Not only that, but their dedication to let Deku find a home in UA again is heart warming. Now this truly is the power of friendship, one we can all get behind!

Will the public change?

Another big theme in My Hero Academia has been the unrelenting public. It has only caused trouble for the heroes; it exposes one of the biggest issues in Hero Society. Taking heroes for granted is something the public has done time and time again. It only gets more annoying as the chapters go by because of how they are not ready to understand anything from the hero’s perspective.

With Deku vs All For One and the fate of UA also at line, will we finally see some progress in this theme? It has been far too long that the public fails to understand the perspectives of their protectors. In fact, they are so dense that not even a hero saving them can drill some understanding into their heads!

We see Uraraka’s most famous quote make a return on the last page. But, what next? Will this question only be pondered upon and never get a proper answer? Is the purpose of the quote in MHA chapter 322 just to remind us that Uraraka exists, or will we finally see some action taken onto this next chapter?

All in all, reading My Hero Academia every week is a pleasure! This week’s chapter definitely had lots of content to unpack with some important revelations. The pacing of the manga seems to have picked up, and we as readers are curious to see just what next week will bring us.

Did you like the chapter? What was your favourite part of it? Let us know in the comments below!