The Second String Shines in My Hero Academia Episode 43, ‘Drive It Home, Iron Fist’

Episode 43, Drive It Home, Iron Fist /Hulu Midoriya may have defeated Muscular last week, but the assault of the Vanguard Action Squad on our heroes-in-training continues. The students are still split up and struggling for survival, and their teachers are desperately trying to turn the tide against the League of Villains. One of the more interesting scenes in the episode occurs when Spinner prevents Magne from harming Midoriya. All Might’s apprentice is on the high priority kill list the Shigariki gave the villains. Yet Spinner is not concerned with following Shigariki’s orders. He’s inspired by Stain’s ideology. As Stain protected Midoriya, Spinner feels compelled to do so as well. It’s a great choice because it lets us know that Stain’s ideas really have changed the world of My Hero Academia. Whether Stain himself returns or not, his influence continues to be felt. Establishing a split between the villains along ideological lines injects tension among the League. It offers the antagonists greater motivation than being bad for its own sake.

The Heart of the Series I’ve often said that the greatest strength of My Hero Academia is its single-minded focus on what it takes to be a good hero. I stand by that statement, but in very close second place is the quality of the relationships between the characters. Take the friendship between Bakugo and Kirishima. It’s developed quietly in the background, with a throwaway scene here or there. I thought the purpose of those scenes was t…