All of the heroes in My Hero Academia pledged to save lives rather than take them. But in the face of extreme situations and ultra-powerful villains, can heroes kill in My Hero Academia?
This question has not been directly addressed, and given the direction of the anime and manga, it appears that the time has come to find out!
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Can Heroes Kill in My Hero Academia?
While there is no official rule in My Hero Academia that says heroes can't kill, Hawks demonstrated in Season 6 that he can commit taboo by killing Twice even if it goes against his moral principles, for the sake of the vast majority.
Sure, the public mocked him for it when it was reported, but Hawks knew it was the right thing to do, even if it meant carrying the stigma for the rest of his life.
Accurate enough, without Twice, the heroes don't need to deal with him and his Doubles, even if Himiko transforms into Jin and produces her doubles in the manga's recent events.
It only shows that heroes can kill, but it does not imply that they can kill whoever they want.
They should save lives rather than take them, and what would become of them if they became a hero who killed every villain in sight?
When all options, including resources, have been exhausted, a critical decision must be made.
Moreover, the heroes can kill if the situation is desperate. They can commit the act if they believe it is necessary since lethal force will be justified.
Keep in mind, however, that the hero license is not a license to kill, and there are strict regulations that they must follow to avoid weaponizing their quirks.
The police chief addressed this in Season 2 after the Stain arc, saying that heroes should limit their quirks and only use them when authorized.
In reality, if the villain's death is caused by an accident beyond the hero's control, it is generally acceptable, even in the public's eyes.
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Should Heroes Kill in My Hero Academia?
Yes and no, depending on the situation or who the adversary is. If we use All For One as an example, it should be evident that heroes must kill him because otherwise, the cycle of hatred will continue and more people will fall victim to his devious plans.
All For One is an evil beacon, a hopeless case, and there is no other way to deal with him, which is why killing is an option.
In fact, All Might has killed him once, but All For One needed to return for plot reasons to pass down his quirk to none other than Shigaraki Tomura.
Many fans wondered why he was still alive at this point in the series, and why the heroes waited so long to kill him, but we all know how important he is to Shigaraki's development, so we can't do anything about it.
Another example is the High-End Nomus, who Endeavor roasts with his flames without regard for their lives.
Nomus are also hopeless cases because they lack independent thought, making them a very dangerous villain who endangers innocent lives.
Even if they are former humans, Endeavor understands that he must eliminate them as soon as possible or the situation will worsen.
After all, it is the right thing to do to relieve them of their burdens.
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What Would the Implications Be?
As previously stated, heroes who kill will be a source of contention. The hero will be investigated, and his methods and actions will be scrutinized to determine what compelled him to kill a villain.
Like Hawks, he will suffer from public scrutiny, from those who do not understand his way of thinking or morals.
The hero's reputation will be forever tainted because everyone will remember him for killing a villain, breaking a taboo, and taking the easy way out.
The worst part of killing a villain is not the stigma that attaches to the hero, but the damage done to the hero's morals and code of ethics, which he will carry with him for the rest of his life.
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Will Deku Kill?
Judging from what we've seen in the manga, there's a chance Deku will kill a villain, especially if we're talking about All For One.
He is the one causing trauma to everyone, including Shigaraki, and removing him from the picture will make it easier for Deku to reach an agreement with Shigaraki.
That is if the situation requires it. There's no telling what an angry Deku will do if All For One does something extreme, like killing All Might or some of his friends.
On the contrary, we can't be sure about Shigaraki because Deku vowed to save him despite everything that happened.
He knows Shigaraki is in pain, so Deku hopes he can still save him when the time comes.
But, at this point in the manga, Deku has all the power to kill Shigaraki. In the end, it will come down to his morals if he decides to kill Shigaraki.
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