WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia, Season 5, Episode 7, "Match 3," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
By this point in My Hero Academia Season 5, many Class 1-A and 1-B students alike have had a chance to show off their incredible new moves and clever battle strategies. Momo Yaoyorozu nearly defeated Itsuka Kendo despite getting knocked out, and Fumikage Tokoyami has some impressive new skills too. But what about Tenya Iida, the Class 1-A rep?
Tenya is a runner hero, using quick dashes and powerful kicks to maneuver around the battlefield and demolish his enemies. That sounds like a rather straightforward package at first, but Tenya surprises everyone with his new trick in Episode 7. And he paid a high price for it.
Tenya and The Iida Family Legacy
Tenya Iida comes from a family of runner heroes, including his big brother Tensei and their grandfather. In years prior, Tensei was the fast-running hero Ingenium, sometimes seen in the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes spinoff. Tensei set an excellent example for Tenya, right up until the moment he ran afoul of Stain the hero killer and nearly lost his life. Tenya caught wind of this during the U.A. sports festival and recklessly rushed off to avenge Tensei, only to face defeat. Clearly, that was not the way to defend Tensei's legacy as Ingenium.
Filled with rage and hatred, Tenya nearly went to the dark side, but his classmates set him back on the heroic path at the last moment. What can he do now? His classmates -- such as Izuku and his new One For All powers -- are surging ahead, and Fumikage is growing stronger at the hands of Hawks. Tenya must keep up to maintain his dignity as class rep, and his brother Tensei knows how. Here in Episode 7, Tenya is putting that training to use during the fight against Class 1-B's third training team.
Tenya Iida Bears The Pain
The third match is off to an awkward start for Tenya's team, with Class 1-B's Tetsutetsu luring them in with a huge ruckus, only for Juzo Honenuki/Mudman to soften the entire battlefield. Tenya can't possibly run on such squishy ground and sinks right up to his neck. Juzo thinks he's won, but not so fast -- Tenya's previous time limit has been updated, and he's been using his Quirk's full power the entire time. With a great burst of effort, Tenya blasts his way free of the softened ice and charges straight at Juzo once again.
Tenya did this thanks to Quirk mutilation, an extreme step that not many trainee heroes will take. His Engine Quirk features several exhaust vents per calf, and Tensei advised Tenya that if those vents are forcibly removed, stronger ones will grow in their place. It's an agonizing and difficult procedure that requires great willpower, but reflecting on Tensei's near-fatal encounter with Stain is all the motivation Tenya needs to persevere. A brief flashback made it clear that Tenya was prepared, including a medical kit and an improvised mouth guard to avoid damaging his teeth while gritting them in pain.
It all paid off as Tenya is now capable of the Recipro Turbo move. It's likely that Episode 8 will see Tenya go Plus Ultra and kick his way to victory against Juzo's and Tetsutetsu's team. Few -- if any -- other characters in My Hero Academia have ever been seen taking such a radical step to improve, but Tenya will do it. As class rep, he can do no less.
