My Hero Academia #328 Introduces a New American Hero

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia #328, by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.

The battle against villainy continues to heat up, and Stain himself provides a pep talk to keep All Might in the fight. All For One is still out there, and by now, pro heroes from all over the world are taking notice and vowing to destroy him.

The newest My Hero Academia chapter makes it clear that international hero aid is difficult to come by, but the #1 American pro hero, Star And Stripe, jumps the gun and hops aboard a stealth bomber to finish the fight All Might started in distant Japan. Her arrival raises many intriguing questions.

The Role of Star And Stripe in MHA

star and stripe my hero academia

While most pro heroes scramble to face Tomura Shigaraki and the hordes of villains out there, hope becomes the scarcest resource of all, and Izuku urgently needed a break at U.A. to rest and recuperate mentally as well as physically. Fortunately for him, a powerful and symbolic new hero is poised to join his side -- Star And Stripe, the #1 American pro hero.

Star And Stripe promises to be not just a powerful ally, but also a psychological weapon against the villains, since she has a strong, patriotic connection to All Might. After all, All Might spent years in the United States, and he met more people than just David and his daughter Melissa Shield -- clearly, he also trained and inspired Star And Stripe as well. She refers to All Might as her "master" and feels determined to help him finish what he started against All For One.

Star And Stripe may be the American Izuku -- a fresh-faced youth whose potential was realized when All Might inspired them with his indomitable strength and heroic will. If so, she and Izuku may form a quick partnership and friendship in the fight against villainy. Star And Stripe may be to All Might what Falcon is to Steve Rogers in the MCU -- a loyal friend who becomes a star-spangled successor.

The idea of All Might and Captain America goes beyond a single individual. Star And Stripe and Izuku also share a proactive mindset, being willing to charge into the fray and save the day while everyone else hesitates. Her brash arrival in Japan proves this, exasperating an American politician at an international meeting in the process.

Star And Stripe Vs. Captain Celebrity

Star And Stripe's arrival promises to bring great change to the battle of good vs. evil in Japan, but it also raises questions concerning another American pro hero -- Captain Celebrity. He appeared in the canon Vigilantes manga series as the top American pro hero, and while obnoxious and arrogant, he had formidable strength, including the ability to fly like Superman. His main appearance took place a year or two before the current events in the My Hero Academia manga, so something has clearly changed between then and now.

Star And Stripe is introduced in Chapter 328 as the #1 American pro hero, making it clear that Captain Celebrity somehow lost that distinction. One strong possibility is that Star And Stripe simply surpassed Captain Celebrity, and Captain Celebrity is now ranked #2 or lower, becoming the Endeavor to Star & Stripe. Another darker possibility is that Captain Celebrity suffered serious injury in the line of duty or was outright killed in action, leaving the top slot free for Star And Stripe.

In any case, the return of Captain Celebrity seems unlikely, and his ultimate fate may be forever a mystery. The MHA manga has no room for two top-ranked American heroes -- the spotlight is now on Star and Stripe, and her character is already more compelling than Captain Celebrity's for many reasons.

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