Man, looking back at My Hero Academia Season 3, it’s wild how much that specific stretch of episodes changed the entire trajectory of the series. If you were following the hype back in 2018, you remember the energy. It wasn't just another seasonal update. It was the moment Kohei Horikoshi basically decided to tear down the status quo he spent two years building. Most shonen anime take hundreds of episodes to reach a "passing of the torch" moment this heavy, but MHA did it in sixty.
It’s heavy.
The season kicks off with that doomed Forest Training Camp arc, but honestly, that’s just the appetizer. The real meat—the stuff that people still clip for TikTok and YouTube tributes—is the showdown at Kamino Ward. We’re talking about the literal end of an era. When All Might points his finger at the camera and says, "Next, it's your turn," it wasn't just a message to Deku. It felt like a message to the audience that the safety nets were gone.
The Brutality of the Forest Training Camp
Let’s be real for a second: the Vanguard Action Squad didn't come to play. Up until this point in My Hero Academia Season 3, the stakes felt... manageable? Sure, the USJ attack was scary, but the Forest Training Camp felt like a hunt. You have Muscular, a literal psychopath with a quirk that makes him look like a walking anatomy textbook, cornering a terrified kid.
Then there’s Deku.
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This fight is probably the most visceral the show has ever been. It isn't a flashy, strategic chess match. It is a desperate, bone-breaking brawl. Deku using 1,000,000% Delaware Detroit Smash—which, let's be technically accurate here, isn't an actual power level increase but an emotional adrenaline surge—is peak shonen. He was willing to lose both arms just to save one kid he barely knew. That’s the core of his character, but seeing the physical cost in such high-definition animation from Studio Bones was a wake-up call. The students weren't safe anymore. The League of Villains actually succeeded in kidnapping Katsuki Bakugo, which shifted the tone from "school life" to "rescue mission" real quick.
Why All Might vs. All For One Is the Gold Standard
If you ask anyone about My Hero Academia Season 3, they’re going to talk about United States of Smash. It’s unavoidable. But the genius of this fight isn't just the animation; it’s the psychological warfare. All For One isn't just trying to kill All Might; he’s trying to dismantle the concept of the "Symbol of Peace."
He reveals Shigaraki’s true identity as Nana Shimura’s grandson. That hit All Might harder than any physical punch could. It was cruel.
The fight is a masterclass in tension because we see All Might's "true form" exposed to the entire world. The secret he spent the whole series guarding was suddenly out in the open. He looked frail. He looked like he was dying. Yet, the public didn't turn away. That’s a nuance people often miss—the shift from All Might being a god-like figure to being a human hero. When he uses the last embers of One For All for that final punch, it’s the most definitive "ending" a character can have without actually dying. He survived, but All Might, the hero, was gone.
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The Bakugo Problem and the Provisional Licensing Arc
After the high of Kamino, the show takes a breather, but it’s a tense one. The Provisional Hero License Exam arc gets a lot of flak for being "slower," but it’s actually essential world-building. We get introduced to Shiketsu High, which proves UA isn't the only powerhouse in Japan.
But honestly? The real highlight of the latter half of the season is "Deku vs. Kacchan 2."
Bakugo’s breakdown is one of the most well-acted scenes in modern anime history. Nobuhiko Okamoto (Bakugo’s VA) deserves every award for that performance. You finally see the cracks in the armor. Bakugo wasn't just mad that Deku got a quirk; he was blaming himself for All Might’s retirement. "Why was I the one who ended All Might?" That line is gut-wrenching. It’s the first time we see Bakugo as a vulnerable kid rather than a walking explosion. Their fight in the rain is messy and emotional, and it finally sets them on a path toward becoming actual rivals instead of just a bully and a victim.
Technical Details and Production Quality
We have to give flowers to Studio Bones. The production of My Hero Academia Season 3 was a massive undertaking. Kenji Nagasaki’s direction kept the pacing tight, especially during the first 12 episodes. The soundtrack by Yuki Hayashi—specifically "United States of Smash"—is the kind of music that makes you want to run through a brick wall.
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- Animation Direction: Yoshihiko Umakoshi’s character designs remained sharp, especially during the All Might fight where the art style shifted to a heavier, more ink-brushed look to emphasize the impact.
- Pacing: The season covers chapters 70 through 124 of the manga. That’s a lot of ground, but it never felt rushed.
- Voice Acting: The English dub also held its own, with Christopher Sabat delivering a career-defining performance as All Might during his final stand.
Actionable Takeaways for Rewatching or Starting
If you’re revisiting the series or jumping in for the first time, here is how to get the most out of this specific era of the story:
Watch the "Save! Rescue Training!" OVA
It’s often overlooked, but this side episode (technically Episode 58) fills in some gaps regarding the students' mindsets before the big exam. It’s fun, lighthearted, and acts as a necessary palate cleanser after the darkness of Kamino.
Pay attention to the background characters in Kamino
The civilian reactions during the All Might vs. All For One fight aren't just filler. They represent the shift in society’s psyche. This is the moment the "Hero Society" begins to crumble, leading directly into the chaos of later seasons.
Study the "Big Three" introduction
The very end of the season introduces Mirio, Tamaki, and Nejire. Don't just dismiss them as new side characters. Mirio Togata, in particular, becomes the emotional heartbeat of Season 4, and his introduction here is a crucial setup for understanding what "perfection" in a hero looks like compared to Deku’s raw potential.
Check out the "Two Heroes" Movie
The first MHA movie actually takes place between the Final Exams arc and the Forest Training Camp arc. If you want the full narrative experience, watching it right before starting Season 3 adds a lot of weight to All Might’s dwindling power. It makes his final stand feel even more earned because you’ve just seen him at his peak one last time.
The legacy of this season is the loss of innocence. The students of Class 1-A started as kids playing hero, but by the end of the semester, they were soldiers in a brewing war. It’s a transition that very few shows execute this well. If you haven't sat down to watch the Kamino Ward arc in a while, go do it. It still holds up as one of the best produced sequences in the medium.