REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 162 — “The Final Boss!!”

The final battle between the forces of good and evil continues, and Izuku Midoriya and friends have a tough battle ahead of them. With All Might seemingly defeated, the fight ahead gets tougher as My Hero Academia Episode 162, “The Final Boss!!” brings us closer to the end.

All Might puts everything on the line in his fight against All For One, but it isn’t enough. The first two episodes of the final season did a great job of showing his willingness to be a sacrifice and leave the heroing to a new generation, and My Hero Academia Episode 162 is where we finally get to see that new generation take the reins.

The opening scenes show All Might on his last legs, with people all around the world watching his battle. These scenes are particularly powerful because they show the impact All Might has, but they also set the stage for Midoriya and the newly resurrected Bakugo to take center stage.

The final battle is not just showstopping but signals the beginning of a new age.

Bakugo’s return to the fray is as epic and surprising as his death was. Bakugo and Midoriya’s journeys as heroes have been the central focus of the series, so it is fitting to see them play such a central role here in My Hero Academia Episode 162. The duo, once seen as rivals, are now destined to take on the prayers of the world and defeat Shigaraki and All For One. There is a great flashback sequence showing Bakugo wrestling with his role and relationship with All Might, and he finally gets to feel the respect and love that he has obviously craved.

All Might also has to deal with the fact that his time as a hero is done, but that doesn’t mean he has to die like the previous owners of One For All did. He sees a vision where he is told, “You are a hero, and a human. You don’t get to die so easily,” and that line is so freeing for him. He can let go of the responsibility he felt, but that does not mean he has to give up on living. It almost seemed like All Might wanted to die, and now he has a reason to live. He gets to see Midoriya and Bakugo carry his torch, something his predecessors never got to witness.

While the emotional notes in My Hero Academia Episode 162 are incredible, the real highlight is seeing Bakugo back in action. He has always been quite powerful, but here we see him at his absolute best. His speed and ferocity are on full display, and Studio Bones nails the fluidity of his explosion quirk in action. He has always been a violent hero, and now he gets to use that power to prove once and for all that he is a hero worthy of the status he has earned.

My Hero Academia Episode 162 hits all the necessary emotional notes, bringing everything full circle.

It helps that the music in My Hero Academia Episode 162 is so well done. There are high-octane rock beats that drive the action forward, while more orchestral suites help increase the emotional impact. One moment, with choral voices in the background and sweeping low chords, is incredibly powerful, highlighting how important music is in shaping impactful stories.

Midoriya and Bakugo don’t do this all on their own, either, with more allies helping out despite being on their last legs. We get to see how Bakugo survived, and Edgeshot takes on a similar role to All Might, giving everything he has to save Bakugo. It is another way for My Hero Academia Episode 162 to emphasize that the new era belongs to a younger generation of heroes, and the older heroes are proud to give their all to make it happen.

My Hero Academia Episode 162 is a perfect example of what makes this series so special, with epic battles and resonant emotional highs. Bakugo is proving how special a hero he is, but the heroes still have more to do if they want to save the day.

My Hero Academia Episode 162 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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