My Hero Academia Season 3 Episode 12 Recap – End of the Beginning, Beginning of the End

Fallout

The police hold a conference regarding the Nomu and the villain’s hideout. They may have caught their mastermind, but Shigaraki and the other villains are still loose. On top of that, they’ve lost the Symbol of Peace. They may have been reckless to rely on solely one hero for deterring villains, but Shigaraki and his crew also showed what can be accomplished by gathering a few ragtag individuals. This could lead to bolder moves in the future. The police force call for reform in order to better stop them.

All Might reveals to Tsukauchi and Gran Torino that One For All is completely gone inside him. They discuss Shimura’s connection to Shigaraki, which All Might feels indebted to fix. Gran Torino volunteers to take care of it with Tsukauchi while All Might continues his duty at UA.

The student rescue group accompany Bakugo to the police for questioning. The trip back home was long and it left all of their families worried. Todoroki finds his father in his training room, who finds it hard to accept what happened. 

 
Midoriya comes home and wonders what could happen with All Might. That night he gets a call from him to meet at the beach. All Might greets him with a punch for disobeying him and reveals that he’s officially retired. One For All’s residuals have vanished. He cannot even maintain Muscle Form anymore.

All Might praises him for acting smart and not getting injured this time. He also promises to do his best to train him from now on. Midoriya weeps for the end of his era.

End of an Era

At UA, the principal thanks All Might for continuing to teach despite the public’s criticisms. He assigns him to visit the student’s homes to convince their parents of their new dorm system.

Jiro and Bakugo’s parents agree with it due to All Might and Eraserheads favorable actions. Before they leave his home, Bakugo asks All Might what Deku is to him. He replies that he’s simply a student.

All Might volunteers to meet with Midoriya’s family alone. Midoriya’s mother, Inko is against it. Ever since his quirk appeared, the boy has always been subjected to reckless injuries, and it could soon cause him his arms. Inko thanks All Might for what he did, but she doesn’t want the same future for her son. She thinks that maybe being quirkless could’ve made him live a happier life and therefore doesn’t want him in UA any longer.

Midoriya protests that it’s all his fault and not All Might’s, but the school has to take responsibility regardless. Inko suggests he try the other courses at UA instead.

Promise

Midoriya runs away in dismay, but then he comes back to show his mother the letter from Kota to prove that he’s made an impact on others. He tells her that even if it’s not in UA, he’ll still become a hero regardless.

All Might goes into muscle mode as he realizes his student is laying down his own path. To that end he must support him, so he bows to the floor to Midoriya’s mother and tells her that he’s a worthy successor to him. He is the one who could be the next Symbol of Peace. He offers an apology and admits to have been negligent with his teachings.

His path may have been a bloody one, but he can impart those lessons to Midoriya to give him an easier path. He pledges that UA will improve for the sake of everyone and he will save Midoriya even if it costs him his life.

Inko disagrees, telling him to keep living to protect and guide him. If he can promise that, then she would allow his son. Midoriya then promises to not make her worry.

Our Thoughts:

That final sequence with All Might and Midoriya’s mother felt just as gripping as the other battles in the show, 4.8/5.