Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia, Chapter #421

My Hero Academia‘s newest chapter wonderfully subverts the villain’s observations about suffering, and in so doing manages to upend one of shonen manga’s most ingrained tropes. Surprisingly, this pearl of wisdom is brought up by a character one might least expect: Sero.

In chapter #421, All for One, having taken over Shigaraki’s body once again, laments the loss of his brother Yoichi’s spirit from within One for All. He then draws a broader comparison, stating that “tragedy engenders true strength,” suggesting this loss has only made him more powerful, as there’s little left to lose. That’s when Sero, a character who has been quite underused so far, speaks up, denying that by saying his own life wasn’t “full of wild highs and tragic lows.”

Sero comes to the opposite conclusion: that anyone would be better off without undergoing so much tragedy and suffering.

Tragedy and Suffering are Intrinsic to the Shonen Hero

What makes Sero’s statement such a bold one is that it goes against common conventions of writing, particularly for shonen series. In many shonen series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, a tragic event is what spurs the characters to go on their quest to begin with. A tragic backstory is an easy way to instantly make a character sympathetic and relatable, and thus it’s commonly used (and used well, at that).

But tragedy doesn’t have to be limited to a character’s backstory. Deku himself has no tragic origin, but he’s suffered a lot over the course of the series, from destroying his own body with his Quirk to being forced isolate himself from his friends and family to protect them. Tragic events over the course of a story can help keep readers engaged, as they’re inherently dramatic and suspenseful. There’s nothing wrong with this from a storytelling perspective, but shonen series often rely on this in a very particular way.

In shonen in particular, heroes often have to suffer and make sacrifices in order to make their dreams come true. That suffering can be as simple as enduring brutal training, or as dramatic as the loss of parents or other loved ones. Take Goku’s ascension to Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z, for example: Goku is only able to attain the transformation after watching his friend, Krillin, be killed by Frieza. This tragic event literally unlocks a new level of power for Goku, one that he might not have been capable of without the emotional shock of Krillin’s death.

Since shonen heroes are so looked up to and admired, that often puts the suffering that they undergo in order to attain their power in an odd place. Some fanbases will brush it under the rug, choosing to focus on their achievements moreso than how they achieved them, while others become obsessed with the suffering, as if that itself is the key to becoming stronger. That can be a problematic position to take, as it suggests that only those who’ve endured tragedy are capable of greatness, when the truth is anyone can be at any time.

Sero Proves You Can Be a Hero Without Tragedy

The line of dialog denying All for One’s observations about tragedy coming from Sero is particularly important, specifically because Sero isn’t one of those characters who has suffered. So far as fans know, Sero has a happy family life, unlike Todoroki, and doesn’t have a self-destructive rivalry like Bakugo. Sero admits that his life has been (relatively) easy, yet he’s still standing there alongside all the other heroes, ready to help out in the final battle.

Sero’s presence on the battlefield proves that he didn’t need tragedy and suffering to become a hero. In fact, it’s arguably true of most of the students in Class 1-A–very few of them have tragic pasts, but they all aspire to be heroic figures that can help people in their times of need. Even without undergoing all the suffering that Deku has, his classmates are standing on the battlefield right next to him, ready to lay it all on the line to defeat evil. Their courage comes from a place other than tragedy.

The line is a bit more poignant than it seems at first, and feels as if it comes directly from creator Kohei Horikoshi himself. As seen with Shigaraki (and many of his League compatriots), tragedy can turn one into a villain just as easily as it can turn them into a hero. Tragedy and suffering change a person, without a doubt, but it’s not always going to be a change for the best. If one can be a hero without undergoing senseless loss, then there’s no reason to elevate the suffering of heroes, as so many shonen series do.

My Hero Academia Can Use a Trope and Criticize It At the Same Time

It might seem a bit hypocritical to pull this idea of heroes not needing to suffer out at this late a moment, especially after all the suffering that’s been inflicted upon Deku throughout the series. But looking back, Deku often suffered in part because he felt he had to suffer. Think of his broken bones in the Sports Festival, for example; Deku didn’t need to go that hard for a school event, and he was rightfully chastised for it afterward. Deku has internalized this idea of a hero’s suffering, and to some extent embraces it because of that.

Sero’s statement isn’t just a rebuke of All for One and his distorted world view; it’s a reminder to Deku that he doesn’t have to bear the burden of suffering alone. He doesn’t have to be the one suffering to be a hero, and he doesn’t have to continue suffering just because he has in the past. The power of friendship is also a common theme in shonen, and the time has come for Deku to embrace this source of strength instead of drawing from his tragedy. This little speech from Sero may well mark a turning point in the final battle, as My Hero Academia‘s heroes come together, not out of fear or suffering, but specifically to help Deku because they care.