Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Marvel's Spider-Man Secret Lair promotional image

    Get a Look At the Secret Lair x Marvel’s Spider-Man Superdrop

    09/08/2025
    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions gameplay still

    Starseeker: Astroneer Expeditions Is All About Adventure (with Friends)

    09/08/2025
    Chord in Persona 5 The Phantom X

    Now Is The Perfect Time To Jump Back In ‘Persona 5: The Phantom X’

    09/05/2025
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Anime » REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Season 4 Offers Up Growth, Emotion, and a New Future

REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Season 4 Offers Up Growth, Emotion, and a New Future

Kate SánchezBy Kate Sánchez04/07/20205 Mins ReadUpdated:12/23/2023
My Hero Academia Season 4
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

The student’s UA’s Class 1-A have been through the wringer. Having continually come up against the League of Villains and been pushed beyond their limits, the students couldn’t go through much more. With Season 3 ending in emotional growth between Bakugo and Deku and the introduction to the Big Three, My Hero Academia Season 4 was had a lot to deliver on. Covering chapters 125 to 184 of the manga, this season focuses on one thing: growth.

In the standard 24-episode format, this season gives dynamic growth and episodes to characters other than our protagonist in a way I’ve rarely seen in Shonen anime. While this isn’t new for the series, My Hero Academia Season 4 seems to have showcased everything we loved about the characters and brought their true powers to the forefront. This season has three arcs that are all strikingly different in tone.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

The first arc is the Overhaul arc. While the students begin their internships, a new villain arises. A Yakuza leader, Overhaul, has developed a way to remove a heroes’ quirk with one shot of a bullet. When Deku and Mirio have a chance run in with him and the young Eri, they become a part of the plan to bring him down for good. While this arc takes time to ramp up, with Deku settling into his internship under Sir Nighteye, it becomes one of the strongest arcs in the entire series once it reaches its apex.

My Hero Academia Season 4

There are shining and devastating moments for members of our Big Three, specifically Tamaki (Suneater) and Mirio (Lamillion). Additionally, Kirishima gets the spotlight for a full episode as he and his mentor Fat Gum are left to fight for their lives against two of Overhaul’s henchmen. Then, of course, you have Deku using his Full Cowl at 100% for the first time in the final fight against the big bad for the season. Each and every one of the episodes is hard-hitting and emotional and shows that My Hero Academia isn’t scared to give power to heroes other than its protagonist. Truthfully, while Deku’s moment is earth-shattering, you can’t say that he is the only star of this series, and that’s the heart of the series.

After the lull, we have the provisional license exam arc, which showcases the members of Class 1-A who weren’t featured at the beginning of the season, namely Todoroki and Bakugo. While this small arc is fluff, it does work to show the way two of the coldest members of the class have developed into empathetic and nurturing teachers in their own ways. In order to receive their licenses, the students don’t need to defeat a villain stand-in. Instead, they have to take care of a group of troubled students. Initially, it looks like a lost cause, with each potential hero not truly grasping how to meet the kids where they’re at.

But when they finally realize what they need to do, we get to see the softness and growth that both Todoroki and Bakugo have been through over the course of the seasons. Specifically, Bakugo’s words—”If you keep looking down on everyone, then you won’t notice your own weaknesses”—ground these episodes as more than a filler arc, and showcase how he, one of the strongest of students, has learned to change.

My Hero Academia Season 4

Additionally, the School Festival arc wasn’t just the lighthearted salve fans needed after an intense season, but it also showcased the dynamics between the different classes of UA and how they see the students of Class 1-A. Instead of seeing them as classmates, the other students see them as the reason behind any hardship the school has suffered.

To them, 1-A aren’t heroes; they’re nuisances, and Bakugo picks up on it quickly. Additionally, this arc shows us what everyday life can be like at UA while using traditional high school anime events. It’s a moment of happiness for the students, and as a fan, it’s reassuring to watch. Plus, we get the inclusion of two new characters, Gentle and La Brava, for heartwarming moments.

Finally, the last episodes of the season dive into the world outside of UA as we get to see the new top 10 heroes be picked for the Hero Billboard Chart, which includes Endeavor taking the place of the former Symbol of Peace as the permanent number one hero. While these episodes seem slightly detached from the previous arcs, they wrap back around the overall question that has been on the students’ minds since Kamino: Who will replace All Might? Sure, Endeavor can be the number one hero. But as an abusive father, a fearsome presence, and the fourth-ranked hero by public approval, he couldn’t possibly be the new symbol.

My Hero Academia Season 4

While I’m not a fan of the redemption arc we’ve seen Endeavor begin this season during Todoroki’s provisional license exam, the finale to My Hero Academia Season 4 made me root for Endeavor. The weight of his moments fighting a nearly unbeatable foe, the way it resonated with the crowd, pulled every emotion I had out of me. I still don’t like redemption arcs, but this one is off to a start that I can get behind.

Overall, My Hero Academia is packed with giant dynamic moments of character development that climax in high impact action sequences. But beyond that, this season excels by giving audiences an emotional core in not only the large moments of death, loss, or triumph but also in the small moments in episodes that some could consider filler. My Hero Academia Season 4 made me cry, laugh, and had me so excited that I finally began reading the manga.

You can watch all of My Hero Academia Season 4 on Crunchyroll.

My Hero Academia, Season 4
  • 10/10
    Rating - 10/10
10/10

TL;DR

This season excels by giving audiences an emotional core in not only the large moments of death, loss, or triumph but also in the small moments in episodes that some could consider filler. My Hero Academia Season 4 made me cry, laugh, and had me so excited that I finally began reading the manga.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleSo Here’s What Happened in March 2020
Next Article 7 Documentaries to Watch on Disney+
Kate Sánchez
  • Website
  • X (Twitter)
  • Instagram

Kate Sánchez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of But Why Tho? A Geek Community. There, she coordinates film, television, anime, and manga coverage. Kate is also a freelance journalist writing features on video games, anime, and film. Her focus as a critic is championing animation and international films and television series for inclusion in awards cycles. Find her on Bluesky @ohmymithrandir.bsky.social

Related Posts

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

09/11/2025
Sakamoto Days Episode 20
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Sakamoto Days’ Episode 20 — “Mutual Fans”

09/08/2025
Tougen Anki Episode 9 still from Netflix
4.0

REVIEW: ‘Tougen Anki’ Episode 9 — “Momotaro Spirit”

09/06/2025
My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Episode 10 promotional image from Crunchyroll
10.0

REVIEW: ‘My Dress-Up Darling’ Season 2 Episode 10 — “So We’re Gonna Do It All Right Now?”

09/06/2025
Arknights Rise From Ember Rosmontis

REVIEW: ‘Arknights: Rise From Ember’ Is Phenomenal But Drags On Too Long

09/06/2025
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Episode 1
7.5

REVIEW: ‘The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity’ Episode 1 – “Rintaro and Kaoruko”

09/05/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
The Long Walk (2025) film review promotional image
9.5
Film

REVIEW: ‘The Long Walk’ Is The Most Heartfelt And Heartbreaking Stephen King Adaptation

By Kate Sánchez09/11/2025Updated:09/11/2025

The Long Walk is a brutal watch. Equally heartfelt and heartbreaking, it’s one of the best adaptations of Stephen King’s work.

EA Sports FC Icons Match promotional image from Nexon News

2025 Icons Match Returns With Football Legends Bridging The Pitch And Video Games

By Kate Sánchez09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

NEXON has announced the return of the ‘2025 Icons Match,’ a live event that brings a full roster of legendary players to the pitch.

Black Women Anime — But Why Tho (9) BWT Recommends

10 Black Women in Anime That Made Me Feel Seen

By LaNeysha Campbell11/11/2023Updated:12/03/2024

Black women are some of anime’s most iconic characters, and that has a big impact on Black anime fans. Here are some of our favorites.

DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11
8.5
Anime

REVIEW: ‘DanDaDan’ Season 2 Episode 11 – “Hey, It’s a Kaiju”

By Allyson Johnson09/11/2025

The ragtag group faces down the mysterious kaiju in the thrilling and beautifully animated DanDaDan Season 2 Episode 11.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here