My Hero Academia fans are likely familiar with the fact that the ending originally intended for the super powered action shonen was eventually used in the film Heroes Rising in favor of something the mangaka believes fits better, but Black Clover is showing what a similar development would have looked like.
At the end of Heroes Rising, Deku passes the power of One For All to Bakugo in such a way that when the two of them momentarily possess it during the transition process, they both use All Might’s power to overwhelm their nemesis. As a result, Bakugo becomes the successor of One For All while Deku lives on quirkless once again. In a groundbreaking Newtype magazine interview, Heroes Rising‘s director, Kenji Nagasaki, revealed that Horikoshi had originally planned to conclude his manga this way but allowed him to use it in Heroes Rising because Horikoshi had already come up with a better ending.
Black Clover’s My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising Ending Starts Sooner
Although fans will never get to see My Hero Academia end this way within canon, Black Clover recently went in a similar direction during its final arc before the series switched from Shonen Jump to Jump GIGA. In chapter 367 of Black Clover by Yuki Tabata, Asta learns that he is able to give people Anti-Magic properties by allowing that energy within him to flow into them and does this with his companions in the Black Bulls. Asta is encouraged to pursue this particular tactic since Anti-Magic is the most effective weapon against the current big bad, Lucius Zogratis.
Besides the obvious parallels of a hero sharing his power with a friend or ally, Black Clover diverges in critical ways. The obvious difference is that Heroes Rising‘s transfer in power occurred in the last battle’s final moments and only included one recipient. Black Clover‘s alternative has happened before a major battle has even started and affects its version of My Hero Academia‘s Class 1-A. This in turn gives Black Clover‘s Black Bulls more relevance in a war that originally made them irrelevant while providing them with more time to shine. Obviously, My Hero Academia’s Class 1-A would greatly benefit from such an honor. The possibilities of how Anti-Magic could augment each Black Bull member’s own magic are promising and could be just as satisfying as how certain Black Bulls’ magical powers have already pleasantly evolved, especially Charmy’s transformation.
Black Clover Could Flip Deku’s Situation In My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
On a similar note, the fact that the Black Bulls are now imbued with Anti-Magic presents some morbid implications that mirror Deku’s experiences at the end of Heroes Rising. Like how Deku loses One For All when passing his power to Bakugo, Asta could be eliminating the magical powers of each Black Bull member he bestows Anti-Magic upon. Such a development would be just as bittersweet an ending as the one that My Hero Academia was originally going to have. The Black Bulls were the first mages to accept Asta for lacking magic, and now their kindness would be repaid by them losing their own powers to help him fight against Lucius. It would also be ironic because the Black Bulls’ magical abilities have finally received recognition and respect after years of ridicule only to lose them.
Moreover, Asta is sure to feel responsible and guilty for having played a major role in his friends losing their magic. This is much different than Deku whose decision only negatively affected himself. Regardless, these latest developments in Black Clover show just how effective My Hero Academia‘s ending could have been in the manga if Horikoshi didn’t change his mind.
My Hero Academia is available through Viz Media and Black Clover is continuing in Jump GIGA.
