My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising - Ending Explained

The most significant plot twist in "Heroes Rising" is Deku's decision to transfer his One For All Quirk to Bakugo. Believing there is no other way to defeat the powered-up Nine and protect the children, Deku sacrifices his lifelong dream. This allows Bakugo to wield One For All at 100% alongside his own Explosion Quirk, creating an overwhelming force that, combined with Deku using the last embers of his power, finally defeats Nine. This moment is a culmination of their rivalry, turning it into a powerful partnership. After the battle, Deku is seemingly Quirkless, having fulfilled the ultimate heroic sacrifice. However, the twist is reversed when All Might arrives and discovers that One For All remains within Deku. The explanation given is twofold: either Bakugo falling unconscious interrupted the transfer, or, more poetically, the past wielders of One For All chose to let the Quirk remain with Deku after witnessing his incredible heroism. This effectively acts as a narrative reset, preserving the status quo of the main series. Bakugo, conveniently, loses all memory of wielding the Quirk. The film also reveals that Nine is unable to steal One For All because it is not a single Quirk, but a fusion of multiple Quirks from its past users, a major piece of lore that had only recently been explored in the manga at the time of the film's release. The film concludes with the weakened Nine being located and killed by Tomura Shigaraki, subtly tying the movie's events back to the larger machinations of the League of Villains.

The film's ending is the primary subject of alternative interpretations. The miraculous return of One For All to Deku after he seemingly gave it away permanently is a point of contention. One interpretation is that the transfer was incomplete because Bakugo fell unconscious. A more popular and symbolic reading is that the vestiges of the previous One For All users, having witnessed Deku's ultimate act of heroism, intervened to allow him to keep the Quirk. This suggests a level of sentience and will within the Quirk itself, making it more than just a transferable power. Another interpretation is that the entire event, being non-canon to the manga, is a "what if" scenario, showcasing a potential finale for the series where Deku truly becomes the greatest hero by sacrificing his own power and dream. This reading views the ending's reset as a necessary narrative device to avoid conflicting with the ongoing manga, treating the film as an emotional exploration of the series' core themes rather than a strict plot progression.