Spoiler Warning: This article dives deep into the events of My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8, which aired today, November 22, 2025, on platforms like Crunchyroll and Netflix. If you’re not caught up on the series’ climactic battle arc, turn back now—major plot points and emotional gut-punches await.
In a landscape dominated by high-octane shonen battles and sprawling ensemble casts, My Hero Academia has always stood out for its unyielding focus on the human cost of heroism. Episode 8 of the Final Season—titled “Izuku Midoriya: Rising” and clocking in as the 167th overall installment—crystallizes this ethos in a 24-minute whirlwind of animation wizardry, soul-stirring voice acting, and a soundtrack that weaponizes nostalgia. Directed by Studio Bones with music from the incomparable Yuki Hayashi, this episode isn’t just a fight; it’s a cathartic farewell to a decade-long saga that redefined what it means to be a hero. As Deku hurtles toward his destiny, the screen bursts with the raw, unrelenting spirit of PLUS ULTRA.
The Battle Ignites: Heroes Unite for One Last Push
Picking up from the mind-shattering revelations of Episode 7, where All For One (AFO) seizes full control of Tomura Shigaraki’s crumbling psyche, the episode wastes no time plunging viewers into chaos. Shigaraki’s body, now a grotesque vessel for the series’ ultimate big bad, rampages across a war-torn Japan. Izuku Midoriya—our armless, quirk-overloaded protagonist—lies battered but unbroken, his body pushed beyond limits after a psychic dive into Shigaraki’s trauma-riddled past. It’s here that the episode’s genius shines: rather than opting for pure spectacle, it weaves vulnerability into the violence.
Enter the cavalry. Class 1-A and a cadre of pro heroes descend like a tidal wave of determination, creating a human (and quirk-fueled) corridor for Deku to charge through. Sero’s tape swings allies into position, Ojiro’s tail clears debris, and Sato’s sugar-rush punches hold the line against AFO’s quirk arsenal. But the real magic? Eri’s Rewind quirk, channeled through Aizawa’s ingenuity, regenerates Deku’s mangled arms just in time for the counterattack. This isn’t mere plot convenience—it’s a poignant callback to the series’ roots, emphasizing how even the smallest heroes can tip the scales. As civilians join the fray with cheers of “You can do it, Deku!”, the sequence swells into a symphony of collective hope, a stark contrast to the isolation that defined early seasons.
Emotional Core: Reaching Out in the Darkness
At its heart, Episode 8 is less about fists and more about fingers extended in empathy. Deku’s “final smash”—a blistering fusion of One For All’s vestiges, including Gearshift’s reality-warping speed—lands with earth-shaking force, but it’s the prelude that lingers. In a hallucinatory standoff, Deku confronts Shigaraki’s fading essence one last time. “Ever since that day, you have been my greatest hero,” All Might’s voice echoes, flipping the mentor-student dynamic on its head as Deku becomes the beacon for the broken. Shigaraki, the boy who decayed everything he touched, offers a fleeting smile—a silent acknowledgment of the connection Deku forged through sheer willpower.
This moment humanizes the villainy, echoing the manga’s themes of inherited pain and redemption. Kurogiri’s spectral farewell adds another layer of melancholy; the warp gate villain, once a twisted echo of a lost friend, dissolves with quiet dignity, whispering goodbyes that hit like emotional haymakers. Fans on X (formerly Twitter) were quick to dub it “peak storytelling,” with one user capturing the sentiment: “The hero that broke limb after limb… couldn’t be stopped from reaching out to those in trouble.” It’s a testament to creator Kohei Horikoshi’s vision: villains aren’t born; they’re forged, and heroes aren’t defined by power, but by persistence.
The episode’s animation elevates these beats to breathtaking heights. Fluid sakuga sequences blend gritty realism with ethereal dreamscapes, while Hayashi’s “You Say Run” remix erupts during Deku’s charge—a nostalgic gut-punch that had viewers worldwide sobbing from the opening notes. Voice actors Daiki Yamashita (Deku) and Koki Uchiyama (Shigaraki) deliver career-best performances, their raw screams and whispers turning dialogue into daggers.
Fan Frenzy: Tears, Triumph, and a Touch of Debate
The premiere has ignited X, with #MyHeroAcademia trending globally within hours. Reactions pour in like quirk explosions: “Tears in my eyes… Thank You Yuki Hayashi,” one fan gushed over the OST’s return, while another proclaimed, “10/10… The final moments of All For One and Shigaraki are perfectly done. And that last smile of Shigaraki… 🥹.” Posts flood with clips of the rally scene, Deku’s smash, and Shigaraki’s poignant end, racking up thousands of likes and reposts. Even international voices chime in, from French polls rating it a near-perfect 9/10 to Malaysian fans hailing it as “one of the best anime ever made.”
Not everyone’s unreservedly euphoric, though. A minority critiques the action’s pacing, calling it “disappointing for the last big scene” despite solid quality. Yet, these quibbles are drowned out by acclaim for the episode’s emotional depth, with reviews like FandomWire’s noting how it “shows everything right and wrong with the Shonen hero genre—Deku never gives up, but it highlights the undeniable toll.”
A Hero’s Legacy: What “Rising” Means for MHA’s Endgame
“Izuku Midoriya: Rising” isn’t just an episode; it’s the saga’s emotional apex, where Deku’s journey from quirkless dreamer to symbol of unyielding heroism reaches its zenith. By defeating AFO—not through superior might alone, but by embodying the series’ mantra of saving everyone, even the irredeemable—it cements My Hero Academia as more than escapist fare. It’s a mirror to our world, urging us to extend hands amid decay.
With only a handful of episodes left (teased as an epilogue focusing on the Todoroki family’s hellish closure), anticipation builds for a finale that honors Horikoshi’s bittersweet blueprint. As one X user put it, “This is the story of how I became the greatest hero… ER HAT GEWONNEN!!!” Indeed, in a year of farewells, MHA reminds us: true heroes rise not despite the pain, but because of it.
Stream Episode 8 now on Crunchyroll or your regional service, and join the conversation—what hit you hardest in Deku’s final charge?
ALSO READ: Echoes of Eternity: The Top 10 Must-Watch New-Gen Anime (2011-2025)
Hello, I am a huge anime fan with a decent experience in writing articles regarding the anime industry.
