Everyone has their favorite plot arcs, that much is a given. That goes doubly so when it's a beloved series such as My Hero Academia. This series has been full of epic and dramatic moments, naturally.
Let's take a minute to focus on the events surrounding U.A. First, there's the Entrance Exam, and second is the U.A. School Festival. Both highlight different sides of the school (and students), and thus both have their own merits worth talking about.
10 U.A. School Festival: Everyone Working Together
During the U.A. School Festival, fans got a rare chance to see everybody working together. All of Class A1 decided to pitch in, using their own unique quirks in a combination that allowed them to come together.
Even those more set against the grain, like Bakugo, were willing to pitch in here. That made for an entirely unique experience, and therefore it was so much fun to see. After all, it isn't every day you see so many heroes-in-training working together like that.
9 U.A. Entrance Exam: A Chance to See Them Shine
One thing fans will always love about the Entrance Exam? It was our first chance to really get to see some of the students let go. Many of the characters introduced in this arc became so important later, from Ochaco to Iida.
Plus, it was fascinating to see how some of their quirks worked. More than that, each and every student was out for themselves in this fight, which is not something you see much in this series.
8 U.A. School Festival: Eri's Smile
Eri's smile was reason enough to love the School Festival. While most of the students had different reasons for wanting the Festival to go off without a hitch, Deku and Mirio had a different goal. They wanted this to be a day for Eri.
After all, it was her first major outing since her rescue, that's a big deal. After getting to see how events unfolded, it's clear that Eri had a wonderful time. That made all of the effort worth it, especially for our heroes.
7 U.A. Entrance Exam: The Battles
Admittedly there were fewer battles in the Entrance Exam than say, the Sports Festival, but there were still battles worth talking about. Granted, most of them occurred against giant machines. Then again, that allowed our students to really let go for the first time ever.
Who will forget who Bakugo tore through them, or the clever ways in which other students found ways around their obstacles? Yet another reason fans will always enjoy a rewatch of these events.
6 U.A. School Festival: The Lighthearted Nature
The School Festival allowed for a rare opportunity for all of the students to get together, without encouraging competition or training. Instead, these students were allowed to be exactly that. More than that, they were allowed to be teenagers. At least, for a moment.
The lighthearted nature of this event was the perfect juxtaposition to the much more intense events that came before (looking at you, Overhaul). It was the breather both characters and fans needed.
5 U.A. Entrance Exam: The Culmination of Midoriya's Work
There is little that can beat the feeling of finally accomplishing something you've worked so hard for. Midoriya spent so long training to be ready. To be ready for the exam, and more importantly, to be ready to take in One For All.
The Entrance Exam was the embodiment of all of that. After all, it was the hard deadline that Midoriya had to work towards. That alone gave a massive sense of gratification and relief since he made it.
4 U.A. School Festival: A View of More of the School
The School Festival was one of our first chances to see a bit more of U.A. and how it works. While we've already seen plenty of Class 1B, there were other classes merely hinted about. Other subjects, other buildings.
While we were not given a grand tour by any means, this still is the most we've seen of the school thus far. It also provided us a chance to see how the rest of the school feels about Class 1A, which was enlightening for a completely different reason.
3 U.A. Entrance Exam: The Determination
It was during the Entrance Exam that we first got to see how many determined students were working to get into the school. Even more lighthearted characters like Iida and Ochaco were all out during these events.
It was intense to see all of the students working towards their goal here. It was also inspiring. After all, they weren't afraid to give it their all. We should take a lesson from that.
2 U.A. School Festival: A Different Sort of Villain
Another highlight of the School Festival is the sort of villain it brought with it. Gentle Criminal is not your typical villain. Realistically, Deku's fight against him would have been completely different without the context of the Festival.
Thanks to the Festival, we got to see a different side of Deku, villains, and how they are formed. It was shockingly heartbreaking, while still carrying that tone of inspiration that we've come to expect from the series.
1 U.A. Entrance Exam: The First Time
The Entrance Exam was the first time fans got to see Deku use his newly acquired quirk. Mainly because that was literally the first time he had a chance to use it. High risk, and it made for one pretty dramatic plot point.
The Entrance Exam will forever stick out in fans' minds as the first time Midoriya was allowed to unleash All For One. It is also the first of many instances in which he seriously injures himself because of it.