Episode 88

His Start (始まりの) is the eighty-eighth episode of the My Hero Academia anime and the twenty-fifth and final episode of the fourth season.

Summary
Fuyumi and Natsuo Todoroki visit their mother Rei at Fujiya Hospital to check that she is fine, and to give her clothes as the days begin to get colder. Rei is glad to see her children, and Fuyumi complains that Natsuo is never at home and he probably has a girlfriend, to his embarrassment. Natsuo says their mom is looking very good. Rei comments that their brother Shoto regularly keeps in touch with her, sending her letters about his life at school and his friends.

Then, Natsuo abruptly says that yesterday, “he” officially became number one. Fuyumi tries to stop him since she does not want to talk about a sensitive issue in front of their mother, but Rei allows him to continue. Natsuo comments on how the outside world is unaware of the negligence and abandonment to which his father Enji Todoroki subjected his children, commenting that for him his father is a complete stranger, nor the mistreatment he did to her and Shoto. He can't stand that everyone behaves as if nothing had happened. Natsu says that after ten years Rei’s still never received an apology from him, acting like he is leaving the past and his blood relatives behind.

However, Rei says that’s not true and Natsu asks why she’s defending him. Rei reveals that her father he’s actually visited many times, which surprises Fuyumi. Rei says that on each visit he always brings her his favorite flowers. She says she told him one time, around when they first met, that she liked this type of flower. However, they still haven’t met face to face because she’s still too afraid of him and the doctors also said it is not a good idea. Despite everything, Rei believes he’s trying to face his past and his family head-on.

Meanwhile, back to Kyushu, Endeavor prepares to face High-End in midair. Hawks is surprised to see that Endeavor can fly, although he corrects him that he simply uses his Quirk to avoid falling. Their conversation is shortly interrupted when High-End regenerates his burns and taunts Endeavor if he really thought that he could beat him with that attack. Endeavor thinks back to the Nomus he’s previously encountered and realizing that there are differences between the types of Nomu, with the black Nomus having the ability to regenerate their wounds. He’s thinking that if that’s the case, this one is special even within that group because it can talk, so he wants to capture it alive to get information out of it.

He heats up the fingers of his left hand to attack the Nomu with Flashfire Fist - Hell Spider, but the creature manages to dodge Endeavor's attack and grab Endeavor with an elastic grasp, and immediately he gets Endeavor slammed through the entire building, sending him to the other side of it. Endeavor frees himself from the grasp of High-End by releasing a great flare of fire that incinerates his arm, but the creature quickly regenerates the lost limb and wraps Endeavor up from the sides. Then, he proceeds to fling Endeavor through the entire building, cutting several of the top floors. Endeavor gets a hold of himself and admits that the Nomu is stronger and faster than him.

The top of the building has been so damaged by the Nomu attack that it begins to come off. Fortunately, Hawks uses his Quirk Fierce Wings to manipulate his feathers and evacuates all the people of the damaged part, depositing them in a safe place, to immediately assist Endeavor in battle. Endeavor attacks again the Nomu with a more powerful version of Flashfire Fist - Hell Spider and strikes High-End with multiple fire streams that not only cut the Nomu in pieces but also turns the collapsing top half of the building into rubble. In spite of everything, the Nomu is not destroyed, and the part of the body that contains the head manages to move away to begin to regenerate.

Hawks uses his feathers to hold part of the debris and complains to Endeavor for cutting the building to roughly. Endeavor yells to him to stop complaining and reserve his strength for combat. Hawks replies that having used too many feathers now has trouble flying. High-End continues to regenerate his body but some heroes who had come to back up Endeavor begin to attack him. Annoyed by their interference, High-End releases several minor Nomu through the streets of the city to take care of them.

Endeavor begins to worry about the situation. The Nomu has just shown to own one more Quirk, and last but not least his body begins to overheat due to the heat generated by his own quirk. As High-End continues to regenerate his entire body, Endeavor analyzes the situation. He realizes that the Nomu is only interested in fighting the strongest opponent – in that case, him -, and is thinking rationally enough to disperse reinforcements so no one can interfere in their fight.

A pair of white Nomu pounce on civilians in the area, but Hawks uses long feathers as blades and cuts through the Nomu, saving civilians in the process, whom he immediately drives away using his smallest feathers. He tells everyone to keep evacuating, as he says to himself that power types enemies aren’t his “forte”.

In the sky, High-End is asking Endeavor if he's done shooting heat rays because he isn't able to do it anymore due to a limitation. Begrudgingly, Endeavor accepts High-End's intuition about his Flashfire Fist’s major drawback: As more flames he produces, more heat continually builds up in his body which causes his physical abilities to deteriorate. Flashfire Fist is meant to be a finishing move and continuing to reuse it over and over could be fatal. Endeavor also knows that he can't hold back against this incredibly strong monster.

In the sky, High-End is asking Endeavor if he's done shooting heat rays because he isn't able to do it anymore due to a limitation. Begrudgingly, Endeavor accepts High-End's intuition about his Flashfire Fist’s major drawback: The technique compresses and contains flames under extremely hot temperatures and releases them in a single-blow ultimate move. If he use it recklessly, his body overheats and his bodily functions deteriorate. But Endeavor also knows that he can't hold back against this incredibly strong monster. Endeavor started a family for his Quirk's major drawback.

Endeavor intensifies his flames even more. Excited by the challenge, High-End creates several arms and extends them to attack Endeavor, saying he wants to test out his new power on him. Endeavor shouts at the Nomu that he’ll incinerate him until there’s nothing left, and his regeneration won’t be enough. Endeavor ignites viciously and releases a powerful fire blast called Prominence Burn, burning Nomu's body to ash.

The High-End appears to have been defeated, however, Endeavor realizes too late he wasn’t able to disintegrate the whole Nomu because the creature tore his head off to avoid completely being incinerated. The Nomu mocks Endeavor for not killing him, and while regenerating, he attacks Endeavor with elastic bone-blades and striking him in the face, potentially destroying his left eye.

Everyone is horrified to see Endeavor being overwhelmed by the Nomu. Fuyumi and Natsuo watch in horror as they see Endeavor struggling to get up as he coughs up blood. Natsuo is unable to believe in Enji after everything he did to his family in the past and tells him to give up and ask for reinforcements, but Fuyumi tells him to accept his father since he refuses to give up. At U.A. High School, several teachers and students are watching the broadcast of the battle. Toshinori grips at his stomach wound, worried for Endeavor. At Heights Alliance, some of Class 1-A are also watching the battle. Shoto is watching his dad being defeated on live television, and grits his teeth in frustration that his father is losing, remembering that his father promised to become the greatest Hero of them all.

At the battlefield, High-End stands over the defeated and injured Endeavor, saying he finds the battle boring and wonders if there are any stronger Heroes for it to face. A helicopter above reports the battle; that several Pro Heroes are fighting Nomu while the new Number One Hero, Endeavor, is lying on the ground after being severely beaten by the leading Nomu and the overall scene is similar to the one in Kamino Ward three months ago. High-End senses a bunch of civilians from afar and decides to attack them. As the news broadcast shows the civilians in hysteria, the reporter laments how the Symbol has been defeated. Suddenly, Hiroshi Tameda interrupts the reporter as his friends try to restrain him. He calls out the TV crew for giving up on Endeavor, pointing out that his flames are still burning and telling the viewers to look as Endeavor is risking his life for them right now.

High-End is intrigued to see Endeavor propelling himself toward him, before stabbing his body. The Flame Hero says that he's grateful as the pain that High-End inflicted on him is stopping him from losing his consciousness. As both of them duel in the sky, Endeavor tells High-End that he won't go down until he turns the Nomu's "ugly mug" to ash. Hawks outspeeds High-End's attacks as he thinks of how Endeavor was the only person to think of surpassing All Might. High-End succeeds in striking him, but not before he managed to send a few of his feathers to help the new Number 1. With the help of Hawks' feathers, Endeavor attacks High-End with a strong fiery punch, only for the Nomu to bite his hand while he keeps counteracting the flames with his Super Regeneration.

The battle creates a massive gust of wind which buffets the civilians. The reporter nervously details how Endeavor is still fighting even after all his struggling and struggling. As Enji's children watch him continue to fight, Shoto becomes more determined towards Endeavor's success as he thinks of Hiroshi's words on the news, clenching his fiery side's fist with the flames he inherited from him. Hawks tells Endeavor that his feathers have been burned up and he can't help anymore, but the Hero is unfazed as he sends High-End higher and higher. Hawks understands what Endeavor he intends to do: ascending to the sky so his most powerful attacks won't cause any harm to the civilians.

Endeavor lapses into thought as he carries the Nomu up into the air, saying that Hood reminds him of himself from the past, or another future, and he intends to burn up his past and put it to rest. To kill the High-End Nomu for good, he unleashes his most powerful attack: Plus Ultra Prominence Burn. The attack ends with the two crashing down onto the ground with a fiery impact, with everyone watching in fear. When the flames disperse, Endeavor raises his fist and strikes a victorious pose with Hood destroyed. The civilians react with joy as Hiroshi yells that Endeavor is standing, and it is a sign of his start. As Shoto sighs in relief, Izuku turns towards the television as he narrates that heroes cannot stop moving forward, and with All Might retired, the new generation of heroes must keep things moving forward.

In the episode's stinger, Izuku is sleeping in his bed wearing his sports uniform. He has a dream in which he sees the previous users of One For All, then the man who would be known as All For One and his brother. Izuku reaches out, before All For One's brother reaches back while expressing his wonder of Izuku being the ninth user of One For All. Izuku suddenly wakes up and breaks the window, panting in shock.

Quirks

 * Hellflame
 * Flashfire Fist - Hell Spider
 * Prominence Burn
 * Shoulder-Mounted Jets
 * Super Regeneration
 * Transforming Arms
 * Power
 * Fierce Wings
 * Storage
 * Half-Cold Half-Hot
 * All For One

Locations

 * Fujiya Hospital
 * Fukuoka
 * U.A. High School
 * Heights Alliance

Battles & Events

 * Endeavor &amp; Hawks vs. Hood (Concluded)

Anime & Manga Differences

 * The scene of Eraser Head ushering Eri out of the room when Endeavor's fight is being broadcast.
 * Most of the students' dialogues while watching the fight on TV are omitted.
 * Endeavor inner monologuing a mental tally of High End’s Quirks is strangely cut out.
 * The scene where two heroes try to catch a falling Endeavor is omitted as well.