REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia,’ Episode 136 – “Deku vs. Class A”

It’s finally here, the moment fans have been waiting for. My Hero Academia Episode 136 forces Deku to confront his friends after abandoning them to go after All for One on his own. The bulk of Season 6 has been building up to this moment, but will Deku listen to the people who care about him?

Deku’s decision to set off on his own didn’t sit well with his friends, nor did it sit well with many fans. He has slowly been turning into a dark, angsty version of himself that virtually no one recognized. The change was shown visually with some really cool costume changes, but how much had he changed on the inside? It seemed out of character for Deku to leave his friends and go off on his own, but My Hero Academia Episode 136 shows that, actually, it was perfectly within character.

See, Deku feels like he can’t protect his friends, that he isn’t strong enough to keep them safe, and so he needs to distance himself from them. What he doesn’t see, or doesn’t want to see, is that his friends are every bit the hero he is. He is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders but almost selfishly believes he has to do it on his own. The members of Class A don’t take this well, understandably so, and have devised a plan to force Deku to hear them out. They know how to counter his moves well, so the ensuing fight does not go well for Deku. His friends might not be able to stop him entirely, but they slow him down just enough so he has to hear from each and every one of them.

Story after story of how Deku inspired them hit like crashing waves of emotion for both Deku and me as a viewer. They each have a distinct moment that they can point to where Deku showed them what being a hero really meant. Deku struggles with hearing all of this but starts breaking down and admitting he isn’t strong enough to save them. The problem is his friends don’t want or need to be saved. Instead, they just want their friend back and want to be there for him like he was for them so many times.

There are two moments in all of this that really struck me. The first is when Iida tells Deku he is trying to help a lost child because that’s what heroes do. Deku is a child, even though the fate of the world is in his hands. This season has shown that the pro heroes know how messed up that idea is, but even Deku’s friends realize it, and they refuse to let him go alone. When Deku says that he is scared, it’s an expected reaction and a welcome moment of vulnerability.

But the real tearjerker moment of My Hero Academia Episode 136 is when Deku, having escaped most of Class A, comes face to face with Bakugo. Their relationship has always been a unique one, with Bakugo serving as the antagonist for Deku as his childhood bully. There has been significant growth for Bakugo over the years, and My Hero Academia Episode 136 brings that all to a head when he admits to Deku how he really feels about him. You can see on Deku’s face how it floors him to hear nice things from Bakugo, but the sincerity really drives the point home, that it’s time for Deku to let others help save him. He doesn’t always need to be the lone hero; he’s done more than enough of that already.

My Hero Academia Episode 136 stands as one of the more emotionally powerful episodes of My Hero Academia. Deku’s friends pull no punches when it comes to forcing Deku to let them help him, and seeing him slowly accept their help is fascinating to watch. Deku hasn’t changed, not at his core, but he isn’t fully himself without his friends by his side.

My Hero Academia Episode 136 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.