Season 8 Episode 1 of My Hero Academia gave us more context on Armored All Might, the mech suit he dons to fight against All For One. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Mei Hatsume, the talented inventor in Class 1-H, but Melissa Shield, a character from the movie My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, who made the suit.
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes shows All Might’s past in California, and reuniting with her and David Shield, Melissa’s father. He’s an uncle figure to Shield, who happens to be a brilliant inventor. Thus, it’s not out of the ordinary to believe she made it.
What it does is confirm that the movie is canon in the My Hero Academia franchise. More often than not in the anime industry, movies aren’t considered canon, like in One Piece. However, Kohei Horikoshi takes a different approach.
Melissa Shield Is Confirmed Canon in My Hero Academia Season 8
As the fight against All For One continues, the mech suit is the only offense and defense All Might has against the villain. We didn’t know much about it when it was revealed in Season 7, but we get more context about it in the final season. After retirement, he spent time in the United States, giving the specs and rough design to Melissa Shield, who finessed and finalized the suit.
Armored All Might is a force to be reckoned with, rivaling how Marvel Comics’ Iron Man works. It has the powers of the Class 1-A students imbued into it so that the former No. 1 Hero can use any of them against All For One. He knew this day would come and contacted Melissa for this purpose.
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes was the first and last time we saw Melissa Shield, as she played a major role in the movie. She’s Quirkless, just like Izuku Midoriya and All Might originally were. Her father, David, encouraged her to become a hero in other ways by inventing support items.
David himself is a genius inventor and helped All Might in his journey to becoming the Symbol of Peace. However, his actions endangered others, which forced her to step up. She’s one of the two heroes in the movie’s title, alongside Izuku. Thus, Melissa being the one to create All Might’s mech suit was a wonderful way to tie her into My Hero Academia.
What Does This Mean for Other My Hero Academia Movies?
The latest episode must have surprised you by involving a movie-only character, but Kohei Horikoshi has previously confirmed that the movies are canon to My Hero Academia’s manga. In an interview with Toho Cinema Magazine (Translation via Aitai Kimochi on Tumblr) in August 2018, he states:
Of course, without a doubt, the movie and manga are adjoined, and the movie’s story is connected to the manga story that happens after it.
The mangaka believed My Hero Academia: Two Heroes was a great opportunity to write All Might’s past in America. The movies are also all under his supervision, from script to character designs, and have been well-received because of it.
Melissa’s involvement in the main series isn’t a coincidence or final confirmation. Horikoshi intended it to be this way since My Hero Academia: Two Heroes was released in 2018. It ensures a seamless connection between the manga, anime, and movies.
Did you enjoy Episode 1 of the final season and were surprised that Melissa created his suit? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
My Hero Academia can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.
