My Hero Academia is a shonen action series packed with exciting and highly consequential fight scenes, from All Might's final duel with All For One to Izuku's heroic rescue of the young Eri against the mighty Overhaul. However, some fight scenes are enjoyed once and then forgotten by fans, even if those scenes are on par with the series' best.
The joint training story arc, for example, pitted class 1-A against its rival, class 1-B, and fans mostly remember Izuku's battle where he manifested the Blackwhip Quirk and Hitoshi Shinso and Ochaco helped him restrain it. That was a cool scene, but the third battle of the joint training arc was likewise a highly meaningful one that covered a lot of ground for many characters.
The Third Joint Training Battle: Expect The Unexpected
Any good fight scene will be unpredictable, like a good mystery story, and the best moments in My Hero Academia are those where fans are thrown for a total loop. Izuku's sudden manifestation of Blackwhip is an example, not to mention Shoto finally using his fire during the U.A. sports festival story arc. The third joint training battle, meanwhile, was made up almost entirely of unexpected twists and shocking revelations, which made it among MHA's least formulaic and predictable fights of all. During every turn, viewers had no idea what they were in for, and for all the right reasons.
All of the joint training battles helped showcase class 1-B's many Quirks, and the third battle surprised fans not only with new Quirks such as that of Juzo Honenuki, but also the personalities and strategies of these students. The battle ended in a tie -- one of the very few My Hero Academia fights to end that way -- and all because of the sound judgment and caution of Pony Tsunotori of class 1-B. She had only moderate firepower at best, and she was also realistic about her limits and what really mattered to her. She didn't gamble with the stakes like a reckless shonen hero -- she shocked everyone by using her levitating Quirk horns to stay out of Mezo Shoji's reach and run down the clock.
Such a possibility probably didn't even occur to fans, who always expect one side to demolish the other in spectacular fashion. Pony's strategy may have been anticlimactic, but it was her most realistic option, and it proved that not all fights end in bloodshed and not all heroes are the do-or-die type. Pony reminded viewers that there are more options to consider, even if they aren't glamorous or exciting.
Along the way, it was equally surprising to have a support hero like Mezo Shoji take center stage, as he was the only class 1-A student left to face the lone Pony Tsunotori. The soft-spoken Mezo tends to blend into the background, and no one would have expected him of all people to be class 1-A's best and last hope in this battle. Normally, such a role would go to Mezo's classmates, such as Tenya Iida and Shoto. But once again, the third joint training battle was full of surprises.
Shoto & Tenya Iida Became Humbled & Balanced As Heroes
The five joint training battles helped update viewers on who was an underdog and who wasn't, and the results were often surprising, especially in the third battle. By this point, everyone took it for granted that Shoto was an unstoppable powerhouse and his loss to Katsuki Bakugo in the sports festival had been a fluke. This time, Shoto was handled not as a gifted prodigy, but as a balanced fighter with protagonist-worthy strengths and weaknesses.
For the first time, Shoto truly felt like a rounded-out character, as he was slowed down by his mistakes such as his over-reliance on ice, and he pushed himself to go Plus Ultra and fix the deteriorating situation. The result was mixed, since Shoto did turn things around but got knocked out, proving that he doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing deal. He's strong but flawed, like a proper hero, and has some ground left to cover -- hence his internship with his father, Endeavor.
The same is true of Tenya Iida, the runner hero. He went Plus Ultra as well, surprising viewers with his use of the new Recipro Turbo move and breaking free of the softened ice trap. Tenya got knocked out too but did a lot of good until then, and he felt perfectly balanced and flawed, just like Shoto. Juzo took Tenya down a few notches, and Tenya took this opportunity to struggle and fight back with sheer grit and ingenuity rather than peerless talent. Just like the debacle with Stain, this scene helped humanize the otherwise perfect student Tenya Iida -- and that's exactly what his character needed.
