The hit anime My Hero Academia thrusts us into a world of superpowered people, from scary villains terrorizing the night to valiant heroes who show up just in time to save the day. In the middle of all this is Izuku Midoriya, a trainee hero enrolled at UA. Along the way, he meets many new friends, battles new enemies, and witnesses some serious heartbreak.
This is an action-packed Shonen series, and it has plenty of great humor, solid character development, and more than a few references to classic manga and American comic book characters and themes. But some scenes are truly tragic and heartbreaking; a great way to up the stakes and keep the narrative grounded. So, let's revisit ten scenes when the series tugged on those heartstrings.
10 Losing Bakugo to the villains
During the forest training arc, the heroes were convinced that security was airtight, and they wouldn't experience a repeat of the USJ villain attack. But guess again. The villain vanguard action squad, led by Dabi, arrived and launched an all-out attack.
But they weren't here to spill blood: they wanted to take Katsuki Bakugo alive, and try as Izuku might, the abduction was a success. Izuku wailed in despair when his friend vanished into Kurogiri's gate, and the rest of his classmates weren't doing much better.
9 Inko and the cost of training
Izuku is pushing himself really hard to become a hero. Or maybe too hard, if you ask his mom, Inko Midoriya. She is highly protective of her only child, and she worries nonstop about all the fighting Izuku is doing on the TV.
But when Izuku comes home with badly mangled arms, Inko resolves that Izuku must quit training and protect his health. Inko, Izuku, and All Might talk it over, and after a tense and tearful conversation, they come to an understanding. On one hand, we don't want Izuku to just quit, but then again, Inko is right to look after her son's safety.
8 Izuku and Mirio missed their chance to save Eri sooner
Early in season 4, Izuku and Mirio are working for the Nighteye Agency, and they spot Eri on the street. Overhaul is not far behind, and Izuku and Mirio avoid making a scene and allow Overhaul to leave with Eri.
But in a hero meeting, both boys learn the full scope of Overhaul's plans, and they are wracked with guilt over missing their chance to rescue Eri from that brutal life. They were so close... and yet so far. Surely, next time they will succeed. Right?
7 Tsuyu's tears
This scene took place in the goofy episode where the UA students moved into their dorms and had fun comparing each other's bedrooms. Near the end, this episode's tone shifted sharply, and Tsuyu called all her friends outside for a chat.
In tears, Tsuyu explained that she was worried sick about the classmates who ran off to rescue Bakugo, and she feared that the lot of them would never laugh and smile together again. It was really hard on her, and it took until now for her to gather the courage to explain herself.
6 Ochaco's phone call after losing to Bakugo
The UA Sports Festival featured a fantastic tournament sequence, with students facing off in an arena before the crowds. In the final match of round one, Ochaco faced Katsuki Bakugo, and gave him a good fight. But she couldn't overcome her opponent's explosive power.
Ochaco then called her parents to talk it over, and they were immensely proud of her and how far she's come, and how far she will go. Ochaco was grateful for the support, but at the same time, she was devastated that this loss had jeopardized her plans to become a real pro and support her family.
5 Shoto's flashbacks
Here is another tragic scene that takes place during the high-voltage UA Sports Festival arc. Shoto battles Izuku in the first match of the second round, and during that battle, Izuku pressures Shoto to accept his flame half and fight for real.
Shoto is reluctant, and he recalls his tough upbringing. Back then, Endeavor pressured him greatly to succeed, and his mom, who couldn't stand this situation, snapped and poured boiling water on Shoto's face (the flame side). It's heart-wrenching to see an innocent child intentionally mistreated by one parent, then suffer at the hands of the other.
4 Kota faces Muscular
During the forest training arc, Izuku meets a standoffish young boy named Kota, who openly scorns the very idea of pro heroes. We soon learn that both of Kota's parents, who were once pro heroes, lost their lives to a villain.
It gets worse. One of the villains in Dabi's vanguard squad, Muscular, is the very same one who killed Kota's parents, and this poor boy is consumed with renewed grief and terror at the sight of him. Fortunately, he finds the courage to stand up to this monster and help Izuku defeat him once and for all.
3 Tenya with Tensei in the hospital
When your ultra-cool, beloved big brother is a popular hero, it's only natural that you want to follow in his footsteps. In fact, readers of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes got a few chances to see Tensei Iida in action.
In the anime, meanwhile, Tensei nearly lost his life to Stain, and Tenya fell apart when he saw his brother on life support. This shattered his illusion of Tensei's invulnerability and spurred him to recklessly seek revenge.
2 Sir Nighteye's Death
Now this one really hit us hard. Sir Nighteye, the pro hero, appeared early in season four, and he is an associate of All Might's. As of now, he runs his own agency, and he can see into the future. He also treats Mirio as a protege.
Sir Nighteye took part in the battle against Overhaul and his thugs, and while Overhaul was indeed defeated and Eri was rescued, Sir Nighteye succumbed to his serious injuries in the hospital. Still, he got a chance to ask everyone there to cheer up, and he stated once again how proud of Mirio he is.
1 All Might reveals his weakness
This is one of the first major scenes of the entire story, and it's still the most impactful. At first, Izuku (along with the entire world) is positive that All Might is the avatar of justice, power, and hope. Then he meets the real hero.
Although this scene starts off goofy, it gets serious fast, and All Might reveals the grievous wound that All For One once inflicted on him. All Might's time as a hero is fading fast, and Izuku's illusion about his idol is shattered. What is more, All Might openly doubts that Izuku even has what it takes to follow his footsteps. Then he leaves. Suffice it to say, this sunny rooftop conversation turns bleak before you know it.