REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 159 — “Battle Without a Quirk”

With Uraraka’s (Ayane Sakura, My Happy Marriage)  attempts to reach out to Himeko (Misato Fukuen, Heavenly Delusion) finally bearing fruit, the Sad Man’s Death Parade fades from existence. But even as one battle fades away, another begins as All Might (Kenta Miyake) seeks to stall his old enemy, All For One (Akio Ôtsuka, The Grimm Variations), in My Hero Academia Episode 159 “Battle Without a Quirk.”

Before this titular battle begins in My Hero Academia Episode 159, we return to Uraraka and Himeko. As Uraraka bleeds out from her stab wound, she continues to make sure that everyone can return safely to the ground. Seeing Uraraka once more put others first, Himeko is soon moved to perform her act of selflessness. Using some of the blood seeping from Uraraka’s wound, Himeko transforms into her friend so she can keep Uraraka alive via a blood transfusion. As she gives her life’s blood to the friend who refused to walk away from her, we get a moving speech from Himeko expressing her final feelings about Uraraka.

At the core of this sequence is a profoundly emotional moment that hits with a lot of punch. Himeko’s sacrifice for Uraraka is a huge, beautiful, and redemptive moment. Her realizations about her life and where it could’ve gone had she understood things the way she does now bring a new depth to the character. But ultimately, Himeko is true to her core personality trait and lives as she wishes. So, despite Uraraka’s protests, she lets her life slip away for the sake of the one she loves.

While this core brings a lot of emotion, My Hero Academia Episode 159 sours the moment with its long duration. This sequence takes roughly the first ten minutes of the episode, and it tries to take too many swings with its emotions, ultimately lessening the final result.

After Himeko’s sacrifice, My Hero Academia Episode 159 jumps back in time a few minutes to catch up with All Might as he prepares to face his old foe one more time. Donning a suit of armor backed up by an AI assistant named Hercules, All Might seeks to stall All For One from reaching Shigaraki. He gets the villain’s attention by announcing himself with his trademark “I am Here!” Despite knowing what All Might is up to, the hate festering in All For One due to his merger with Shigaraki compels him to face his enemy.

I’ve heard people say that All Might is the best version of Superman we’ve ever gotten. This episode reveals that he is also the best version of Batman as well. With his black armor encompassing his entire body, save his trademark smile, All Might use numerous gadgets to slow down his foe. These tricks, based on his students’ abilities, can be more effective than one may expect, thanks to meticulous preplanning on the part of the quirkless hero. But while he manages to land some massive hits, it is clear how the fight will ultimately end. No amount of tech can stop the monster All For One has become.

As his defeat looms, My Hero Academia Episode 159 sprinkles in flashbacks of All Might’s first meeting with his master, Nana Shimura. While these moments don’t reveal anything about All Might’s early years we didn’t already know, seeing them reinforces to the audience the aspirations and motivations that continue to compel the hero, even as the final curtain seems to be drawn.

During all the big hits and emotional moments that make up this battle in My Hero Academia Episode 159, we also get a sweet call back to one of the movie releases in the franchise. As the fight continues, we learn that All Might traveled to America to get his suit built. As we realize this, we get a shot of Melissa Shield. The young genius who fans first met in  My Hero Academia: Two Heroes is the one who first gave Deku his red arm braces. The implication that she was the one who built All Might’s suit not only makes sense but works as a great way to tie in the movie, allowing it to have weight in the core canon.

As All Might and One For All prepare to clash one last time, we get a shot of Deku (Daiki Yamashita) as he senses his master is fighting alongside him. Just as the fateful clash is about to occur, the credits roll, and the season ends. So fans will have to wait to see just what happens for the two rivals to finish their fight.

At its core, My Hero Academia Episode 159 has great moments filled with beautifully animated action and heartfelt emotions. However, the opening sequence is allowed to linger a bit too long, while the back half is used as a cliffhanger rather than allowing it to hit with its full force as would feel best.

My Hero Academia Episode 159 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.