Summary
WARNING: SPOILERS FOR MY HERO ACADEMIA’S FINAL WAR ARC
TheMy Hero Academiaanime has now entered the Final War Arc, where so many characters will be in the spotlight sooner or later. Some are long-awaited, foreshadowed battles, like that of Shoto vs. Dabi, but some other heroes’ influence might be a bit overlooked, despite being equally as relevant. Neito Monoma, hero name Phantom Thief, is a side character in the story, but the role he played was definitive.
Not all heroes were given frontline offensive functions. As season 7, episode #6 showed, some heroes like Creati and Chargebolt were acting as background support, keeping The Coffin in the Sky functioning properly. Monoma, though he also wasn’t fighting on the frontlines, was givena tactical and pivotal duty that gave the heroes the upper hand, at least at the beginning of the battle. Since several events are occurring simultaneously in the war it’s easy to quickly forget just how incredible Phantom Thief’s feat is.
My Hero Academia’s Villains Could Have Won The Final War With 1 Simple Trick
MHA’s villains had one trick in their back pocket that could’ve easily swung the war in their favor, but it was wasted earlier in the story.
Keito Monoma Proves to Be a Well-Rounded Character
Kohei Horikoshi Shows the Audience Once Again That None of the Details Are in Vain
Monoma was first introduced inthe Sports Festival Arc, and the first impression he gives is anything but charming. He promptly takes a frivolous antagonistic role while trying to prove that class 1-B is just as good, or even better thanthe celebrated students of class 1-A. Ever since, all of Monoma’s appearances have only added to his reputation, making him an annoying character at his worst moments in the Joint Training Arc. He’s had a constant need to prove his superiority and be the center of attention.
The moment he finally got the spotlight he craved so much for felt incredibly satisfying, as it gave meaning to his past behavior. His Copy quirk was harnessed to the maximum, and by making himreplicate Kurogiri’s Warp Gate, he alone was responsible for the success of phase one of the heroes’ plan for bringing the villains down. The fact that he could master Warp Gate in a matter of days is simply astonishing. On top of this, he’s also supporting the main battlefield against Shigaraki, copying Aizawa’s Erasure quirk to nullify Decay.
The Final War Could’ve Unfolded Unfavorably If It Weren’t For Phantom Thief
The division into several battlefields gave the Final War a good pacing since the attention shifted constantly from one fight to another. This made sense in the story and also from the spectator’s point of view. Having the villains miles apart was also crucial, All For One and Shigaraki couldn’t be close,Dabi’s firepower was too intense to withstand, and Toga’s ability to use Sad Man’s Parade was a threat the heroes weren’t aware of.
Being separated is what gave the heroes the tactical advantage to face those threats.Monoma’s big feat came in early, but it was the foundation of everyone else’s victories, even if his role was cut abruptly due to Twice’s copies that warped to his location thanks to Kurogiri’s quirk, giving the whole situation a touch of irony. Much like Shinso, who also played a key role in tricking All For One, Monoma demonstrated that his determination and abilities have developed greatly. While maintaining his loud personality, he showed he can be a crucial hero too.
This amazing achievement resulted in Monoma rising several spots in theMy Hero Academiamanga official popularity poll, peaking at 11th in the most recent one when he barely ranked higher than 20th in the previous results.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
