What was Stain talking about?
Manga spoilers ahead!
Summary:
- Stain was a Hero Killer because he despised corrupt heroes who only fight villains for glory and recognition.
- The only character who somewhat fit the description was Endeavor, and he got a redemption arc.
- We never got to see how heroes could become corrupt.
During the Hero Killer arc of My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), fans were very interested in Stain’s mindset. The fearsome Hero Killer was certainly a villain, but he made some good points.
In Stain’s opinion, many heroes wielded power not to protect others, but to become famous — and he thought people who did that deserved to be killed.
This entire plot point about some heroes not being heroic at all was the entire motivation that drove Stain to such extremes. It was the foundation of his character, and showed the potential issues with the society described in MHA. The only issue is that it is never brought up again.
Endeavor Could Have Been an Example of a “Corrupt Hero” Stain Described
The only example of a hero who can be perceived as “corrupt” is Endeavor. The man has a huge inferiority complex when compared to All Might, and was downright abusive and manipulative towards his family.
As such, many fans expected him to be a character that showcased the reason behind Stain’s ideology — only that never actually happened.
In fact, instead of being shown as an example of how power corrupts heroes, Endeavor was instead given a redemption arc. While the redemption arc wasn’t bad by itself, this character was the closest we got to actually exploring Stain’s point of view.
Outside of that, there’s nothing that suggests that corrupt heroes who only save people for glory and recognition exist.
The Theme Being Unexplored Hurts the Manga
The lack of elaboration on how heroes might not actually possess heroic qualities is bad for multiple reasons. First of all, it simplifies the world and makes it more black-and-white. And, of course, it makes arguably one of the most complex characters in the series nothing more than a delusional maniac.
This becomes even more confusing when Stain comes back in the manga — except, after escaping prison, he decides to side with the heroes against All For One.
He has admired All Might the entire time, not for power, but for him always being a symbol of peace, protecting the innocent. Stain sacrifices himself, which is a fitting end for his character.
Still, fans aren’t especially happy that the consequences of the society relying too much on heroes weren’t explored. Perhaps MHA should have had an arc or two where the characters have to deal with heroes who don’t actually act in the interests of society — but that’s clearly not happening.