My Hero Academia Is the Most Inspirational Superhero Show On TV

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 3

What does it mean to be a hero?

Being a hero goes beyond punching bad guys in the face or fighting criminals with a cool ability. Being a talented fighter certainly helps, but there's much more to it.

Being a hero is about having the courage to help people, even when the odds are stacked against you. It's about being humble and open to improvement, even when you know you're already one of the best heroes around. It's about realizing that your actions have consequences, even when your emotions begin to overshadow your rationality. And above all else, it's about inspiring people to find the strength to be the best version of themselves each and every day, not because it's cool, but because it's the right thing to do. No superhero show displays this quite like the anime My Hero Academia.

My Hero Academia is currently in its third season, and the first half focused heavily on the importance of hope. In the world of My Hero Academia, the hero All Might is the "pillar of hope." He can't be beaten, and his optimism makes children want to be just like him. Yes, he's super strong, but it's his confidence, smile and determination that truly makes him stand out.

However, All Might is hiding something from his fans. He's not the tall and muscular figure that everyone knows and adores. He's actually skinny and stands without confidence when his quirk (i.e. power) isn't activated. Season 3 finally revealed this big secret to the world when All Might faced his toughest battle yet. Even though he wins in the end, he suffers his first "defeat" by showing the world who he really is when he's not using his quirk.

Still, even in his first "defeat," All Might inspires. It didn't matter that the world finally saw their greatest hero look weaker than ever before. It didn't matter that he almost lost. What mattered is that he never gave up. He went beyond, "plus ultra." He pushed past not only his physical limits but also his mental ones. All Might couldn't simply charge and punch. He had to question his thinking and adapt to win. He faced seemingly impossible odds, yet he ended up (barely) standing victoriously.

All Might is the pillar of hope, and the show continues to prove why he earned that title. All Might is the inspiration for two of My Hero Academia's most promising aspiring heroes: Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, and Katsuki Bakugo. Both U.A. High School students thrive for different reasons, and that's front and center in Season 3.

Deku's ridiculously driven, and that's the focus of the first two seasons. In Season 3, he continues to shatter his own limits and grow as both a hero and a person. Even though he's still young and constantly learning, he's every bit as inspiring as All Might. This is made crystal clear when he puts his life on the line to save Kota, a child who hates heroes due to the tragic death of his parents. However, despite facing a significantly more powerful opponent, Deku overcomes the foe. (With a little help from Kota.)

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Deku isn't afraid of losing, though -- he's afraid of failing to help someone. It's what forces him to constantly push forward, and that's what makes him so praiseworthy. His quirk is impressive, but his motivation is his greatest strength. His actions made Kota realize that not all heroes are in it for the fame. Deku inspired Kota, and the entire sequence was gripping, but also moving. My Hero Academia's great in throwing in some heart during its action-packed scenes.

Deku's dedication to his dream of becoming a hero is admirable. He's open to criticism and is regularly reevaluating his actions. He knows there will always be more to learn, and there's always room for improvement. Likewise, Bakugo is equally as passionate about becoming a top-ranked hero. However, contrary to Deku, he suffers from anger issues (and that's putting it lightly).

Bakugo's undeniably skilled and motivated. Fans of Season 1 and 2 would view him as exceptionally gifted, but also irrational because of his seemingly uncontrollable anger, especially towards Deku. In all likelihood, Deku could say "hello" and Bakugo would go off on him. Season 3, however, puts his rage in a more positive light. He even puts himself in harm's way to save his fellow classmates during the second half of the season.

With Bakugo, My Hero Academia takes a character with (sometimes over-the-top) anger issues and makes him commendable. His fury derives from the fact that he holds himself to a higher standard -- he refuses to lose. Bakugo's commitment to his dream is honorable. His personality, on the other hand, is an entirely different story. Nevertheless, while other shows could make someone like Bakugo frustrating and irredeemable, My Hero Academia shows there's much more to him.

My Hero Academia is a total blast. The fights are thrilling, the humor is frequent and hilarious, and the world is constantly expanding. However, it's not just another fun superhero show. At its core, My Hero Academia is about working hard to reach your goals, and it's full of encouraging characters.

All Might's personality gives us an ideal to strive towards; Midoriya's journey should renew your encouragement to fight for what you want; and, despite his fury, even Bakugo's resolve is worthy of admiration.

My Hero Academia constantly reminds us that if we truly want to turn our dreams into a reality, we need to be willing to push ourselves beyond our own limits to obtain them. We need to go beyond, plus ultra.

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