WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter #300, “The Hellish Todoroki Family, Part 2,” by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
Chapter #300, "The Hellish Todoroki Family, Part 2," of My Hero Academia has exposed the fragile infrastructure of hero society. Following the fall of Endeavor and the reveal of Dabi as his son, many heroes and civilians are not sure what to believe in anymore. All eyes are on Endeavor, and all hope seems to be lost for a bright future. As a result, what we're seeing in the manga now is a split in hero society: some are quitting the business while others are trying to pick up the slack in their absence.
With the decline in active Pro Heroes, the freed villains from Tartarus are able to wreak havoc and do as they please. One such villain highlighted in Chapter #300 is Stain, shown with a menacing face, ready to take up his brutal calling again, but odd as it may sound, this could prove to be beneficial for this new, fracturing society.
With all the chaos happening in My Hero Academia's world, it’s difficult to say if the original status quo will ever return to normal. Many Pro Heroes have abandoned their post and are questioning their own ideologies. Stain’s ideology actually aligns with All Might’s, to a certain extent, as he was known for exposing and eliminating "false" heroes. Therefore, Stain could use all the chaos to not only rid the playing field of these fakes but also stand as a new symbol, giving rise to new heroes that better understand what it takes to be a meaningful Symbol of Peace.
Stain may be classified technically as a villain, but he can also be seen as an antihero or vigilante. Sure, he is responsible for killing many heroes, but the reasoning behind his methodology had a twisted logic to it. With so many current heroes on the fence as to whether or not they are serving their true purpose, Stain could capitalize on this moment to expose them, and even fight back against villains preying on civilians.
Maybe the heroes who are left will be the ones who can adhere to the real meaning of what it takes to be a hero, like All Might. Stain has been known to respect those who align themselves with All Might’s ideals, and this might be the perfect precursor for a hero/Stain team-up. Now, whether the heroes will accept his assistance is hard to say, but with the current sharp decline in heroism work, civilians need all the help they can get.
Many civilians are being forced to defend themselves against villains. Some have even equipped support items to protect themselves, but unfortunately, they’re still no match for veteran criminals. Pro Hero Wash’s experience is showcased in Chapter #300 after he arrives at a crime scene filled by only corpses and destruction. Even though there were those who tried to hide, they were unfortunately caught in the crossfire of this particular scrap and suffered heavy wounds. Their fear and resentment towards Wash is valid because, at the moment, peace is the one thing no one is able to attain.
Stain won’t necessarily be viewed or welcomed as a hero, but he's never viewed himself as a true villain. And should he take action, he could cause issues for the League of Villains and their plans. Stain was never interested in the League's ideas, he just wanted to expose corruption, and if there is a confrontation with the League, Spinner might even play a bigger role in the manga since he idolizes Stain.
Stain coming out as a rogue hero for My Hero Academia's vulnerable civilians seems like a stretch -- and a controversial twist, perhaps -- but at this point, who else can they really rely on? With All Might out of the picture, the current top ten Pro Heroes almost out of commission, and a rise in villain activity, the bar is pretty low.
