Episode 53

The Test (試験) is the fifty-third episode of the My Hero Academia anime and the fifteenth episode of the third season.

Summary
Mei is excited at Izuku's new idea of using his legs for combat. She decides to create some "super cute leg-part babies" for Izuku, but Izuku tells her that he doesn't want a major change to his costume design. Mei comforts Izuku by telling him that she can take every one of her client's desires into account in her designs. As the two discuss Izuku's tactics and abilities, Ochaco stares at the two with a dejected expression. Back in Gym Gamma, Izuku shows off his upgraded costume and new move, One For All: Full Cowl: Shoot Style, by kicking a rock to pieces as it falls towards All Might from Katsuki's practise area.

Denki and Eijiro commend Izuku on his new moves, showing surprise that he now has a completely new fighting style. Izuku explains that the metal soles on his shoes came from Mei and that he learned technique from Tenya, and that he only figured out the direction in which to go with his fighting style. Izuku calls his new direction a stopgap, lamenting that he doesn't quite have an ultimate move yet, but All Might begs to differ, telling Izuku his new style will be plenty for the Provisional Hero License Exam. Katsuki angrily stares at Izuku, before scolding All Might and telling him to be careful.

Izuku asks Denki and Eijiro about their costume modifications, and they tell Izuku that the others are also making small changes to their costumes. Denki tells Izuku his style has changed a lot, but Vlad King interrupts him, telling Shota that it is Class 1-B's turn to practise now. Neito taunts Class 1-A as usual, but is stopped dead in his tracks when Shota reveals that Class 1-A and Class 1-B will be taking the provisional license exam at different test centres, so they do not compete against each other. Shota tells Class 1-A that they will be up against predominantly second-year students, who will have had more training than Class 1-A has had so far.

Back in Heights Alliance at night, the girls relax together in the common area. Mina, Toru and Momo discuss how hard they have been working and that the exam is coming up shortly. The group discuss their training, with Momo saying she can't quite keep up with something she wants to do just yet, and Tsuyu saying that she has a new move that is more frog-like than ever before. The group tries to get Ochaco's attention, but her mind is elsewhere. Tsuyu gets her attention, and Ochaco tells the group that her heart has been feeling stirred recently. Mina puts her finger on love being the culprit, asking Ochaco if it's Izuku or Tenya who have her feeling this way, since she is always with the two. Ochaco makes herself float away out of embarrassment as Toru and Kyoka try to eke the truth out of her. Tsuyu suggests not to dig too deep, and Momo agrees, suggesting for the group to turn in for the night. As she floats, Ochaco catches sight of Izuku practicing his kicks outside the window, and stares at him affectionately.

On the morning of the exam, Class 1-A travel by bus to the exam centre. After some encouraging words from Shota, Eijiro starts a group cheer, and is approached by Inasa Yoarashi, who joins in on the class' "Plus Ultra!". Inasa's classmate, Seiji Shishikura, tells him that he shouldn't barge in like that, and Inasa apologizes by slamming his head into the ground and screaming his apology at the class. Shota recognizes Inasa, and Kyoka recognizes his uniform, which is from Shiketsu High School, the rival school to U.A. Shota reveals that Inasa scored the highest on the exam for students admitted to U.A. by recommendation, but turned down his offer of acceptance for an unknown reason. He tells his class to watch out for Inasa.

Shota is approached from behind by Emi Fukukado shouting his name. Shota, visibly upset by Emi's presence, sharply declines Emi's sudden request for the two to get married. Izuku happily exclaims that Emi is the Smile Hero: Ms. Joke, and that her Quirk is named Outburst, which causes her victims to laugh uncontrollably, dulling their abilities. Emi explains to the class that her and Shota's offices used to be next to each other, and that in working together, their mutual love grew. Shota categorically denies Emi's allegations of mutual love, and prompts Emi to introduce her class to his. Two of her students, Tatami Nakagame and Yo Shindo, excitedly greet Class 1-A. Yo introduces himself individually to some students, but Katsuki brushes him off, doubting Yo's sincerity in his words. Tatami asks Shoto for his autograph, having watched him perform in the U.A. Sports Festival. Shoto tells his students to get ready for the exam, and Emi asks Shoto if he has told his students a seemingly important piece of information.

The exam participants congregate in a large, rectangular room. Yokumiru Mera, a worker from the Hero Public Safety Commission, addresses the students. He begins by telling the students how tired he is and how the Commission is understaffed, and then says that the exam is a free-for-all. Yokumiru explains that Heroes respond to crises extremely quickly nowadays, and as a result, the students will be tested on speed. To accomplish this, only the first 100 students out of the 1540 gathered to take the exam who complete the first test will move onto the next one. Yokumiru explains how to complete the first test: each student has six red balls, and three targets to attach to their body where they are visible to others. The students must other students' targets - once a student has all of their targets hit, they are out, and whoever attached the third ball claims the defeat. A student needs two defeats to pass.

The room that the students are in unfolds like a cardboard box to reveal a large arena with varying environments. Yokumiru attributes his tiredness to the work spent on the elaborate terrain reveal. In the stands, Emi sits near Shota, and jokes about his fly being down. She remarks about Shota having twenty students, and that it is unusual he hasn't expelled anyone yet, and brings up the piece of information that Shota did not tell his class yet.

Izuku suggests to the rest of the class to move as a group. Katsuki immediately walks off, followed by Eijiro. Shoto also announces that he will go alone as his Quirk does not do well in groups. Emi explains that the exam differs every year, and that high schools from across Japan compete in the provisional licensing exam. She says that U.A. has a disadvantage due to other schools knowing the students' Quirks, fighting styles and weaknesses, because of the Sports Festival that is broadcast to the public. As the test begins, the other schools immediately gang up on U.A., which Izuku correctly predicted just moments before. The other schools bombard Class 1-A with the red balls, but the class successfully staves off this initial attack. Shota reveals that he knew that this would happen, but did not tell his class because it is up to them to overcome and succeed regardless. Izuku rallies his classmates together, as they prepare to fight as a team.

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