My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, the second movie in the franchise, introduced fans to a new cast of unique and intriguing villains. One of the most memorable isChimera, an individual with a Heteromorphic Quirk that gave him the appearance and abilities of various animals combined.
During his battle against the members of Class 1-A, Chimera made a comment to Shoji that brought attention tothe discrimination Heteromorphs sufferin the series. While at the time this comment seemed like a simple taunt,the topic of equality for individuals like Shoji and Chimeraended up becoming key to the Final War arc of the series.
Chimera’s Comments Predicted the Reason Shoji Would Fight
His Mockery of Shoji’s Looks Ended up Being a Precedent to the Heteromorph Movement
During the battle between Chimera and a group of Hero students from class 1-A, Shoji gets captured momentarily by the villain. While holding his opponent, the wolf-like man mocks the student for his appearance, claiming that it wasextremely likely that Shoji was either bullied or attacked for scaring others. This topic is never brought up again in the movie, asthe intense battle against Chimera and his alliescomes to an end shortly after. Yet, the topic of Shoji’s mistreatment did become relevant for the My Hero Academia finale.
The struggle of Heteromorph individuals took center stage during the Final War arc of the series, in which a group of heteromorphs who have been discriminated against for their appearance attacked the hospital where Kurogiri was held prisoner.Shoji was vital for the heroes’ success during this encounter, as his words of hope for a better future for his kind managed to calm down the angry mob. Chimera’s words were trying to rile his opponent up to make Shoji commit a mistake during their encounter. Instead,the villain may have caused Shoji to become even more determinedto help his peers.
Shoji Was Indeed Mistreated for His Looks
Chimera’s Words Were Not Too Far From Reality
In chapter 371 of theMy Hero Academiamanga, Shoji’s backstory was finally revealed, proving that the comments made by Chimera in the past were not too dissimilar from what occurred. As a child, Mezo was attacked several times for his appearance, with some of his most intolerant neighbors even trying to end his life. Shoji was shown to be aware of the effect his face has on others, which is why he chooses to use a mask, to prevent scaring people who do not know him.
While not confirmed by any official sources, Chimera’s allusion to Heteromorphic discrimination was likely a preview of what Shoji’s story would bring. TheMy Hero Academiaseries has several instances of subtle foreshadowing that fans have discovered as the series progresses. Fortunately for Shoji, the manga did bring awareness to this issue, preventing others from suffering as much as he did.
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.
