The early story arc of My Hero Academia brought a refreshing twist to the traditional tournament arc found in shōnen series. Unlike others, My Hero Academia effectively avoided the common pitfall of a prolonged tournament by incorporating a varied range of challenges and competitions during the Sports Festival.
The Sports Festival served as a pivotal arc in the series, introducing numerous characters who remained relevant throughout the manga, all the way to the final battle. Given the close connection between these characters and their unique Quirks, the best approach to their introduction was to provide them with an opportunity to showcase the power of their Quirks directly to the audience. While most tournament arcs consist of one-on-one fights, this structure would have become tedious and dragged on for too long, especially as the story progressed to the later rounds of the tournament.
My Hero Academia's Sports Festival Adapted Tournament Arcs For Its Huge Cast
However, instead of solely adhering to the one-on-one tournament format, My Hero Academia takes a different approach. It begins by hosting an open contest, in which nearly every student participates in a large-scale race across a variety of obstacles. The second stage involves a team-based "Cavalry battle," while the third and final stage follows a more traditional tournament format with one-on-one match-ups. These diverse challenges not only prevent the story from becoming monotonous and boring, but also provide unique circumstances in which various Quirks can shine. In the series, it is emphasized that not every character's power is suited for battle, but that doesn't make their Quirks inferior.
During the Sports Festival, Class 1-B, along with Mei Hatsume, a support course student who later becomes one of Deku's most trusted allies, and Hitoshi Shinso, a student striving to enter the hero course despite his "villainous" Quirk, are introduced. The tournament allows these characters to demonstrate their abilities upon their introduction, with Hatsume standing out in the Cavalry battle and Shinso excelling in the one-on-one matches, where their individual skill sets are showcased. It also gives the lesser-highlighted members of Class 1-A an opportunity to display their abilities, proving that they deserve their place at the school.
Tournament Arcs Are A Necessary Gamble In Shonen Manga
An early tournament carries the risk of potential cancellation for a manga if interest in the tournament diminishes. However, if executed effectively, the rewards can be significant. Naruto's author, Masashi Kishimoto, was compelled by his editors to include the Chuunin Exams arc, despite his personal dislike for tournament storylines, in order to generate fan interest in the series. My Hero Academia's Sports Festival successfully navigated around the issue of tournament fatigue by incorporating a diverse range of competitions, reserving one-on-one confrontations for the final stage. This skillful approach ensured the tournament remained crucial to the narrative, introducing numerous important characters to the readers.