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 Season 5, Episode 13 takes a moment to step away from the action and set up the next arc. In a lighter, holiday-themed episode, we see the students of Class 1-A deal with some press training and bonding over the closing of their current semester. While it occasionally feels like a filler, Episode 13 includes significant events, revelations and decisions involving Midoriya and his friends.
My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 13 kicks off with a flashback to a catastrophic event nine days earlier where a city is destroyed. Amidst the destruction and rubble emerges a white-haired figure with a ghastly grin -- delighted at the destruction. He looks eerily like the original wielder of One For All, All For One's brother, with his white hair. However, the villain is none other than Shigaraki, now sporting even lighter hair.
We then cut back to the present, where Bakugo and Todoroki are dealing with the aftermath of their post-provisional license adventure, being interviewed on TV. Todoroki predictably keeps a cool head, not offering much in personality but simply speaking honestly. Meanwhile, Bakugo is (just as predictably) a hot mess, as he rants and raves about how he and Todoroki aren't friends. Back at U.A., Sero and Kaminari laugh uproariously at the interview -- which cut out all of Bakugo's responses.
The TV starts playing a news report on the destruction from nine days ago, in the city of Deika. The news commentators speak on the publics' understanding of heroes, now leveling less criticism their way. As Uraraka mentions, since the Fairy Tail-inspired "Look! Boy" pointed out how Endeavor was putting everything on the line, public perception has changed, and people understand the sacrifices heroes make to keep them safe.
After seeing Todoroki and Bakugo's not-so-great interview, Midnight and Mt. Lady decide to visit the students of Class 1-A to teach them how to interact with the press. Mt. Lady plays the role of an interviewer in a fake set, beginning with Todoroki -- who is still restrained and dull in his responses -- while the rest of the class watches. At Mt. Lady's encouragement, though, he does demonstrate some of his special moves, notably leaving out "Flashfreeze Heatwave," a move that he claims belongs to his father.
Mt. Lady gives a speech about ultimate moves, telling Class 1-A that even if they are U.A. students, not everyone knows who they are. Ultimate moves are a way to show your personality and abilities to the public, which is why heroes often shout them out as they attack. In her words, an ultimate move is a "symbol of you." Mineta, still somewhat wary of the fame-obsessed giantess, mentions how she's never spoken about hero work like this before. Aizawa points out that it isn't just Mt. Lady who's driving herself to improve -- all the working heroes are being pulled along by the Number 1 Hero, Endeavor.
The mock interviews continue, with everyone doing a good job until it comes to Midoriya. As it turns out, Midoriya is publicity-shy, and he freezes up with stage fright. However, once Mt. Lady asks if he's inspired by All Might, Midoriya starts acting like the fanboy he is, muttering away about how he's adapted his hero's moves. Finally, when the time comes to showcase his ultimate move, Midoriya decides to try and use Blackwhip. Despite locking it away, he now feels prepared to use a small percentage of it -- just as he did with One For All. He concentrates, and a tiny wisp of dark smoke comes from his arm. While everyone is underwhelmed, Midoriya is thrilled- - he's taken his first step to mastering his new Quirk.
Later, Principal Nezu comes across All Might, who's been up all night. He's putting together a document about One For All and its past wielders for Midoriya, but Nezu pulls him away for an announcement. Once U.A.'s teachers are all gathered together, Nezu tells them that they will be restarting work studies for the students -- which is met with shock and hesitation at the unprecedented move. However, the Public Safety Commission has requested that the students get back in the field -- the heroes are shorthanded right now, and the threat of the League of Villains is growing.
Things shift to a lighter note back in the U.A. dorms, where it's time for a My Hero Academia Christmas Party. The place is fully decorated with a tree, there's delicious food and everyone's wearing fun Santa-style outfits (except Bakugo). As they relax, the students speak a bit about their upcoming work studies. Midoriya is uncertain where he'll go since Sir Nighteye's death has left his agency too busy. Bakugo is in a similar boat with the recent disappearance of Best Jeanist, and he thinks back to his mentor's excitement at hearing Bakugo choose a hero name.
The mood lightens again when Aizawa shows up with Eri, wearing her own Santa outfit despite not understanding the holiday. A montage follows of Class A enjoying their party. It's a pure, joyful moment, but it feels bittersweet. Things are getting serious in the outside world, and in many ways, this party feels like the end of an era. As Midoriya narrates, all he wanted was for them to have another party this fun next Christmas. But apparently, the future had other things in store...
My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 13, closes off with Todoroki approaching Bakugo and Midoriya. He's going to do his work-study with his father, and he wants to know if they'd like to join him with the Number 1 Hero. It's a tempting offer for two aspiring Number 1s -- and with dark clouds looming on the horizon, they'll need all the training they can get.
