WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5 Episode 13, "Have a Merry Christmas!" now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
My Hero Academia's shonen star has always been Izuku Midoriya, but his story arc was once defined by his tireless efforts to catch up to his more talented peers and prove himself worthy as a U.A. student, as well as All Might's incredible legacy. By now, however, he's ahead of the pack -- and that comes at a price.
Izuku has trained hard, especially with Gran Torino back in Season 2, and understands that he needs allies and rivals, not just friends, to reach the top. It's paying off in huge ways, and even his One For All Quirk knows it. But the story might get a little warped if this continues, and Class 1-B especially will pay for it.
Class 1-B's Moment Of Glory May Be Too Little, Too Late
Season 5 of My Hero Academia began with the Joint Training arc, an opportunity for Classes 1-A and 1-B to come together and show off what all forty of these students are capable of. The five battles were certainly exciting, and proved how far Class 1-B's students have come despite lacking Class 1-A's experience of fighting actual villains. In that sense, this story sequence did its job, but it almost feels as though My Hero Academia is merely humoring Class 1-B, finally tossing them a bone after being in the background for so long. Many of its students, such as Hiryu Rin, Reiko Yanagi and Setsuna Tokage, are only now getting more than one or two lines of dialogue.
In a way, Class 1-B's moment of glory here feels obligatory, being the first and only chance to show off what they can do before the overall plotline goes in a completely different direction. That's not necessarily a bad thing in its own right, and certainly doesn't mean the Joint Training arc isn't worth watching, but it still doesn't bode well for some characters.
Most of all, Izuku's rise to prominence and his rapidly-evolving One For All are threatening to make this the last time Class 1-B matters at all. As the shonen star, Izuku's story arc and struggles must remain in the fore, and more of the cast is probably about to return to the background. When One For All takes center stage, there is zero room for certain characters, now or in the future. Even most of Class 1-A's students are becoming background fluff in the face of One For All's fascinating developments.
When One For All Becomes A Character Unto Itself
One For All is an extraordinary Quirk in many ways, almost like a living being unto itself. It was "born" when a younger All For One granted a power-storing Quirk to his sickly brother. Ever since then, One For All has been passed from one wielder to another, growing stronger with each passing year while also having many natural Quirk factors built into it. In this sense, One For All underwent its own training arc of sorts, and of course, the story of My Hero Academia will make plenty of time to show the payoff. Izuku got a power-up when the Blackwhip Quirk emerged, and All Might has mentioned how One For All's destined time has come. Evidently, only Izuku and One For All can take on All For One and Tomura Shigaraki to restore world peace. The plot is rapidly condensing the battle of good vs evil to these few characters.
It is understandable that My Hero Academia is ready to get to its narrative's core and set up the big finale. It would be silly to create a circular plot for 300-odd episodes before finally facing the main villain. This is the right call story-wise, but it comes at a high price. Class 1-B's students have shown their talents -- just in time for One For All to take the spotlight and shove everyone else out of it. Many Cass 1-A students are likely to get the same treatment too, and even the likes of Shoto Todoroki and Katsuki Bakugo may not be immune to this. Class 1-B was given a bone, then told to clear the field so One For All can become the star player.
This may have been Class 1-B's last chance to shine in any meaningful way at this rate, and it's a real shame. Many excellent characters could stand to get more development before One For All completely takes over the tale, but it may be too late. They will likely stand back and cheer Izuku on as he resolves the battle of good vs evil alone. The recent return of Tomura Shigaraki makes this especially clear. My Hero Academia's endgame is soon to begin, and there probably won't be any room for the vast majority of U.A.'s second-rate students.
