WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia episode "A Season for Encounters," streaming now.
My Hero Academia has taken its characters on an emotional roller coaster. In the past 11 episodes, the students of Class 1-A have been bombarded with the pressures of becoming heroes, living on their own, passing an incredibly difficult examination, and confronting their inner demons. All of that would be impossible if All Might had not retired following his climactic battle with One-For-All.
However, the show has up until now focused exclusively on how the characters have been affected by All Might's retirement. This week's episode, "A Season for Encounters," addresses the next elephant in the room: How has All Might's departure affected the rest of the world? After several episodes focused on an examination, My Hero Academia returns to the problems facing the larger world.
Villains
Previously, the League of Villains hoped to break the influence of heroes on the world by making them appear to be incompetent or inferior. While U.A. has mostly attempted to alleviate society's concerns, we didn't see the long-lasting effects of how the villains' actions influenced society. Or, rather, how the villains might have benefited from their defeat.
The early portion of the episode focuses on Twice, that villain who looks a lot like Deadpool. He watches television, on which the news anchor discusses the now-No.1 hero, Endeavor, who has yet to earn public trust. Thus, everyone is put on edge, wondering whether this hero will ultimately bring society together or push it further apart.
However, Twice runs into a group of villains robbing a store. Without All Might, they feel emboldened to commit crimes in the open. While Twice is watching other villains steal and feed off society, fellow League of Villains member Dabi appears to be torching as unworthy several petty criminals rising up in the ranks.
Twice's Origins and Overhaul
The divide is apparent: Petty crime is on the rise, and "glorious" criminals with a higher purpose are uniting. Twice reflects on his own origins. It's obvious to anyone who has met Twice that the villain has lost his mind. That's because Twice's Quirk allows him to replicate himself. He kept several of his clones as slaves, even though each one retains Twice's personality. They converged, and ultimately killed each another, until just one remained. But Twice doesn't know whethere he's the original, leaving him with no grasp on reality.
It's apparent that directionless people, unsure where they fit into society, become villains. The world, as held together by All Might, had a very set direction.
Attempting a Return to Normalcy
As for the students of U.A., following an assembly with Nezu, they're informed they need to adjust to their lives. While the villains are left directionless, the heroes are encouraged to return to a sense of order.
The students of Class 1-A are told they will soon take part in internships once more. However, unlike their post-Sports Festival internships, this time they will be more intensive. Sure, Midoriya fought Stain on his internship, but most students were given menial tasks. This time, they'll be closer to the real hero experience.
However, because Midoriya and Bakugo fought the night before, they aren't allowed to learn about any of the key details of what is to come.
Oh, and the Big Three Show Up
In arguably one of the most memetic moments of the episode, Midoriya encounters a mysterious face stuck in the wall when taking out the trash. The face begins to emerge throughout the area, telling Midoriya what to do and how to do it. Before Midoriya can figure out who this person is or why, the face vanishes.
That seems odd, but what makes it even stranger is that it doesn't take long for Midoriya to encounter the owner of the face once again. It belongs to one of three students Eraserhead brings in to teach his class about the upcoming Hero Internships: the Big Three, the top students of U.A.'s hero program. And that face belongs to Mirio Togata, aka Lemillion.