In general, just the entire situation of the Midoriya family. Every interaction between Inko, Izuku and Loki may start off heartwarming, only to always end in a bitter note when you remember how Loki's actions will undoubtedly destroy his family.
The fact that Loki and Thor actually have a stable and friendly relationship here somehow hurts more than if they ever had antagonized each like their MCU counterparts, because you know how bad Thor will take it. He was always there by his brother, the main person to stand for him when those around Loki only saw him as less a pet for the royal family, and that was the nicest thing he got insulted with. When the truth comes out, Thor will problably resent Loki or blame himself for not being a better brother to him. Or both.
Izuku may love being a hero, but is clear that he admires father more than anything in the world. When the truth comes out... Broken Pedestal doesn't begin to describe how heartbreaking it will be.
A comment from Word of God mentions Loki's love for Inko may not be as strong it seems. You can only imagine how bad she will take it.
Izuku may have more confidence than in canon, but at the same time, he gets equal measures of insecurity to Bakugo's bullying and the pressure to live up to his father's legacy. To make it clear, his decoys also act as a case of Literal Split Personality, with three of them representing Anxiety, Depression and Self-Sacrifice.
Fridge Tearjerker: Izuku had it bad when his main concern was to make his dad proud. How broken will he get when finds out his father is working with monsters like All for One and Thanos for his "Plan for the Greater Good"?
Tenko may have been saved from villainy, but that somehow left him even more traumatized. Nearly ten years since All Might saved him, as well as being raised by Gran Torino, and he still doesn't believe to be worth of his or anyone else's kindness, nor understand how they can think he can even look at him and see anything but a monster. This gets sadder when he looks at his family picture in chapter 12. Out of all the people from his family that died, the only ones he deeply regrets killing are his sister and mother. He still resents his grandparents for just standing there and doing nothing while he got abused, and doesn't even think about his dad, showing that despite all these years, he doesn't feel guilt over killing Kotaro. And of course, it gets worse, when he meets Hirona at the USJ and realizes that she is Hana. His greatest regret literally came back from the dead to haunt him, and unlike everyone else in Tenko's life, she blames him for what happened. At first Tenko desperately wants it to be a lie, a sick joke from the villain, only to realize it is true, his sister is alive, and she hates so much that she will kill him given the chance. Later on, Tenko admits he feels guilty for being glad that Hana is alive. He is not glad because his sister came back, but because there is the chance for him to fix greatest mistake, and he hates himself for being so selfish.
Hirona, who takes Tenko's place as All for One's apprentice, and is even more of a Tragic Villain than he is in canon: Abused by her father for having the dream of wanting to help people, accidentally killed by her own brother in gruesome and painful way, brought back to life to serve as weapon to a madman, trained to the breaking point, constantly being demeaned by compared to her killer, which only serves to drive her resentment and insecurity further and make her a more effective weapon. Then there is the fact that despite all the anger and resentment, there is still a part of Hana that doesn't really hates Tenko, and blames herself for breaking her promise to protect him, which led to the entire tragic situation to begin with. Her interactions with Nagant make very clear that the former assassin is the first person in her life, besides Kurogiri, to give her any kind of positive reinforcement whatsoever.
When All Might arrives at the USJ he immeadiatly takes notices of Hirona, only for his thoughts to come to a halt when he takes a good look at her. The girl is an outfit that makes her the spit image of Nana. All Might feels like he is seeing a ghost.And immeadiatly after this, he feels One for All ripping itself inside of him. It doesn't take a genius to realize that this is problably Nana having a complete breakdown upon seeing that All for One still succeeded in corrupting one of her grandkids into evil, despite the fact they saved Tenko years prior.
Arriving back at the bar after being defeated, Hirona immeadiatly receives a scolding from All for One over how her actions were merely a Pyrrhic Victory and how "Tomura" would have been better than her. After he leaves, Hirona cries over being diminished yet again, despite doing her best, and you can't help but want to give the poor girl a hug.
It's subtle, but Kurogiri mentions that for some reason, he always likes movies where the main character saves and take of an abandoned pet. Once you realize that this happens due to Oboro's All-Loving Hero personality side, you can't help but shed a tear for both him and the villain.
Loki's flashback. While he did have the love and support from his adoptive family, he was stil treated by everyone else, even the servants when Odin wasn't around, as a thing, referred to as "it" and not allowed in major events of the royal family. While he plays it off as nothing important, it's clear that he is hurted by not being accepted. Which makes the fact Izuku had to go through almost the exact same thing twice as heartbreaking.
Unlike most of his interactions, Loki's motivations seem to be rooted in a desperate attempt to help others and bring peace, unlike his usual greed and resentment for Thor being their family's favorite. Not matter where he goes, Loki is always followed by tragedy.
Zeus' death. While the guy most likely deserved for being a complete jackass, you can't deny it was less a moment of Pay Evil unto Evil, and more of a Kick the Dog moment. The guy watched his home be destroyed, his friends being slaughtered and died holding his dead son on his arms. By the time Gorr kills him, the guy is way too broken and gladly accepts his demise without a single word.
Gorr. Yes, the man is monster Beyond Redemption, and his actions are inexcusable, but you can't be so heartless to not feel sorry for the guy, specially when he hallucinates with his daughter during the Hosu arc. He attempts to hug the vision, only to realize there is nothing there and cries. That's the only time Gorr displays any emotion besides sadistic glee or murderous rage and shows that deep, way deep in there, there is a broken man that just wants his baby girl back.
During the trainning for Final Exams, Tenko is seen coughing up blood. Fans know that can only mean one thing: One for All is already killing its user. You can imagine how painful the Internal Reveal will be for those around Tenko. All Might was so proud and happy that the young man accepted to be his successor, once he finds out he pretty much doomed one of his master's last living relatives to an early death, he is gonna be destroyed. Not to mention Nana, who was one of the main people to vouch for his choice, as well as his friends, specially Tsu...
Mustard reveals that as soon as his Quirk came in, his parents' first instinct was to lock him in a basement and not let him interact with anyone else. If you already feel bad for the little guy, then we find out Spinner went through almost the same thing, except his parents locked him in the basement because they were disgusted by his appearance, and Himiko's parents kicked her out of the house because of her Quirk. You can see why Hirona bonds over with everyone else so fast due to horrible childhoods and being forced into villainy.
The hero students have a moment similar to the one the League had above, bonding over their respective Friendless Background. Fumikage didn't have friends because most people were weirded out by his and Dark Shadow's appearance, as well as his gothic personality; Izuku because nobody wanted to be friends with someone with a Quirk to weak for heroics; Ochako because she was poor; Momo because most of the people were trying to use her as a mean of getting close to her family's wealth and Shoto because Endeavor never saw the point of letting him get close to others unless there was something to gain from it. At some point he even tried to get Shoto to befriend Momo for the same reasons mentioned above, but the boy wisely refused, which cause him to isolate his son further. This causes Hitoshi to see that despite their strong personalities and flashy Quirks, the hero students were just as lonely as he was.
Throughout the chapter, David is seem so proud of his achievement, genuinely believing that Ultron will be the key to change the world and keep peace once All Might is gone. You can only imagine how destroyed he will be once everything goes wrong.
The parts of Chapter 54 that are not Nightmare Fuel are this. Even the moments of levity such as the kids enjoying themselves at the Expo can't be fully appreciated considering what is about to happen.
The beginning of chapter is intercut with a speech from Hank Pym addressing a group of students, likely from an American Hero school, underlining his failures as a hero and a scientist, both of which led to Ultron's creation. Hank doesn't look just old, he looks tired, filled with pain and regret, and no one can blame him after going through so much throughout his life.
Hank: I wish you could stay off the front lines for years. Train slowly. Let things sink in. But I'm afraid we don't have that luxury. There will come times when every adult hero isn't enough. When the survival of the world…of the universe…requires every hand on deck. It's my job to get you ready for that moment. And clearly, I haven't. You have no idea how hard this life can get. How high the price is for simple survival. And I wish you never had to find out. But because you have powers...because of what's been done to you...because you're who you are…you will. All I can do is try my best to give you the tools to survive it. And I've failed that. So we'll try harder. Up ‘till now, my 'mark on tomorrow' has been my human-hating robotic 'son.’ And… I'd like to think I can do better. I need to do better. I have made an uncountable number of mistakes. The things I bear part of the responsibility for... they're like a cancer, gnawing at me. Slowly withering me away until I’m nothing. But those mistakes have given me time to reflect. Not something you are often rewarded in the field of scientific advancement. And all I could think was…how many people did I let down? I don’t know how many people I’ve let down, to be honest. It’s either too much to count or I am too ashamed to try. I just know that it ends today. But before we begin, I owe you all something long overdue. I’ll never be able to say it enough, but once again...I'm sorry. Sorry that I didn't prepare you for today… and sorry that I can't spare you tomorrow.
The horror on Vision's face when Ultron arrives at the party. The android is freaking out, and for a good reason. Not only his monstruous creator came back from the dead, his best friend was the one to help it happen. The feeling of betrayal must be unbelievable.
Sam's death. The guy already had a bad feeling about this plan since he found out about Ultron, but now he is the one paying the price. Ultron decides to make an example out of him, and despite David's pleas, the android gives Sam what is arguably the most excruciating death of the story so far. Slowly burning his skull with laser beams through his eyeballs until his brain explodes. Once the villain drops Sam's body in front of David, the scientist can tearfully beg forgiveness to his dead friend.
While Mei and the Iron Man suits' arrival manages to temporarily distract Ultron and give the hostages a chance to escape, Ochako fails to save Izuku from the villain's grasp, with the young trickster begging his girlfriend to leave him behind so they can save him later. Ochako refuses, only for Izuku reveal he is talking to Momo, who proceeds to drag away Ochako, crying but accepting that this is the only way they can save everyone, leaving Izuku, All Might, Vision and David at Ultron's mercy.
To pass time until his plan is ready to be set in motion, Ultron questions Izuku if he believes a parents love is unconditional. At first Izuku wants to say yes, based upon his own experience, until he remembers Endeavor and Kotaro Shimura, so he honestly answers he doesn't think so. Ultron uses this statement as evidence that parents only see their children as extensions of themselves. When Izuku attempts to refute it, Ultron asks if Loki was happy when Izuku learned how to use his tricks which shuts him down quickly, because it is exactly what happened. Ultron truly is a Manipulative Bastard, knowing exactly how to hurt his victims without laying a hand on them. What is worse is that the possibility of his father only loving Izuku because he could be like him immediately triggers his insecurity and fear, nearly driving him into a Heroic BSoD, before Vision snaps him out of it.
The chapter ends at what is arguably the Darkest Hour in the story so far. All students have been defeated, Ultron is closer to achieving his goal, and Fumikage lays dying on the floor, with a bullet wound on his stomach and Dark Shadow tearfully begging him not leave her, not only because she doesn't want to be alone, but because that would mean she will vanish as well. The poor boy has already resigned to his fate, knowing that there is no chance of help reaching out to them as long as Ultron controls the island, so he simply asks his companion to stay by his side, so they can revel in darkness together. Dark Shadow agrees, tears streaming down her face.
What makes this moment more gut-wrenching is that at the beginning of the chapter, Dark Shadow joked that she doesn't know if she can cry, so if Izuku wanted to make laugh until she did so when they got over this mess, he would have to try really hard. As the narration points out by the end of the chapter, Dark Shadow can indeed cry. Damn you, KageNekem.
Chapter 58 is just a massive Gut Punch that ends in the saddest turn so far. Despite the heroes' best efforts, even after giving their best, getting beaten up and nearly dying, Ultron prevails. And is not the usual "behind the scenes victory" that Loki has got so far, this is a complete and utter defeat for Izuku and his friends.
Everyone's shock when Ultron's speaks through the island communication device while they are preparing to leave. The feeling of despair and hopelessness that strikes the kids and the heroes is immesurable.
The Reveal that the David we have met is actually a Skrull. It was bad enough for Melissa to know her father was responsible for the return of an Omnicidal Maniac android, but the fact that the man who did it is not even her father? The poor girl will be destroyed.
That is not to mention how bad things will get for Melissa once the truth about her father's involvement comes out. If there's one thing that people love, is to blame children for their parents' mistakes.
Fridge Tearjerker: If David returns, assuming he is alive, there is a good chance he will be blamed for his shapeshifter's crimes. Think about this, you get kidnapped, replaced, lose God knows how many years of your life (the author hinted that David was taken at least 3-6 years before canon events), gets rescued and return to your family and friends, only to find out someone wearing your face betrayed your best friends, almost got your daughter killed and nearly destroyed the world. At this point, it might be for the best if David is gone for good.
Everyone's horror when Vision finds out that the military are not coming to I-Island to save the survivors, but to destroy the place for good because Ultron's presence makes him too much of a threat to exist. At this, the hero can't anything but apologize to the students since there is nothing he or All Might can do to save them.
With all hope seemingly lost ad refusing to let his friends die in front of him, Izuku calls out his last trump card: Heimdall. The young prince calls for the watcher's help, which he complies nonetheless, using the Bifrost to transport them all the way back to Japan. At first, this Big Damn Heroes moment is widely appreciated as an awesome and heartwarming moment... until the full implications of what just happened sink in: Izuku just revealed his and Denki's secrets to the entire of their class, but not just that, he did so because they lost. A complete and absolute defeat, Ultron is still alive and I-Island is gone. Denki finishes the chapter by asking the question that everyone knows the answer but can't fully accept: “Did- did we just lose?”
What's worse: Even if the heroes succeeded in preventing Ultron's Assimilation Plot and saved the civillians left on the I-Island, the android not only is out there, about to form an alliance with Thanos and Loki, but also about to get his hands on resources (Adamantium and the Sentinels) that will make his original plan tame by comparison, meaning the heroes actions were All for Nothing.
And if that wasn't bad enough, as soon as the chapter ends, other implications kick in: Heimdall just broke Odin's Law. It doesn't matter if it was to save his grandchildren, that still counts as treason. At best, Heimdall will be stripped of his post and exilled. At worst, executed. Either way, Asgard just lost its main guardian, meaning that its destruction at Thanos and Loki's hands is closer than ever.
Chapter 59:
During his conversation with Ultron, Loki recalls the time when he found out about his Frost Giant origins, so Odin confessed to him, through his reassurances of his love, that he wished for him to take the throne one day. Not Asgard's, but of Jotunheim. Odin hoped, through the bond with his Thor, they could bring a peace between Asgard and the Frost Giants unlike any before. That was to be his glorious purpose. While Odin problably had the best intentions with this explanation, you can hardly blame Loki from resenting, if not outright hating his father. He already had a bad time growing up as an outsider, and then you find out that the man who pretty much stole you from your planet only did so for you to become a political tool for his goals and force you to lead a race that you despise.
Much like in canon, the Soul Stone recquires a price to be held, a soul for a soul. From Loki's somber tone, you have to wonder, who did he sacrificed to get it?
Vision reassuring the students after they recover from the events comes off as a bittersweet moment. Yes, Ultron is still out there, with an even more nefarious scheme at play, but at least the kids are alive and have a chance to fight another day.
Chapter 60:
Venom gets a minor one during his talk with Setsuna. After Peter Parker's death, the loss of his greatest Arch-Enemy left Venom completely without a purpose in life, to which he admits that even if he did managed to get a shuttle from I-Island and leave Earth, he still wouldn't have idea of what to do with his life, so that is why he decided to stick with Setsuna.
Thor confirms that despite having done with the best intentions, Heimdall was still removed from his post of protector of Asgard for breaking Odin's Law. Izuku, of course, blames himself for it, even though he and Thor know thst Heimdall would do it again without a second thought.
Chapter 61:
Flashbacks reveal that Loki once caused the Hulk to go on a rampage and got several people injured by faking a terrorist attack. When questioned by his brother, Loki attempts to brush it off, saying it was just for fun, although is clear that it was somewhere between a deseperate attempt to get attention and him embracing the inner darkness that everyone always said he had.
Thor: I know you are aware that what you did goes beyond a normal prank. Tricking the Hulk into appearing in the middle of a crowded city was foolhardy and cruel. So, tell me, why? Loki: That is the right question, isn’t it? (Loki’s queen moves into place) Check. (Beat) You are serious? Perhaps I just wanted your attention? (Thor glares at him, not buying this answer. Loki’s grin falls his eyes dropping to the chessboard as his voice comes out in almost a whisper)Or perhaps, after centuries of most all treating me like a monster, I decided to finally start acting like one.
Chapter 63 ends with Aizawa watching the students from both classes getting along and starting to develop a very needed sense of comradery with each other, which makes him wonder that maybe the camp won't be as bad as he expected. If only, Eraser. If only.
Chapter 64
While Nejire escorts Izuku back to his trainning site, Izuku asks her to let him check on his friends to see if there isn't anything he can do to help them improve themselves. The reason? He can't allow anything like Ultron happen again with them. Between the android's victory and Heimdall's exile from his post, the events of I-Island have clearly become Izuku's greatest regret and he deseperately wants to prevent something like that from ever happening. Given how bad this arc is setting itself to be, it's and understatement to say Izuku will take it poorly.
Cosmo ends up reading Aoyama's mind and discovers he is the U.A. Traitor. The telepathic dog can only whimper in sadness, most likely having found out how the boy was forced into this position.
Chapter 65:
Denki asks for Stange's advice on how to improve his trainning, more specifically on how to be his own kind of hero, standing differently from his father. That is something that he had being thinking for a while, but never found on himself to bring forward, afraid to make Thor disappointed. We get a moment of Parents as People from between the God and Prince of Thunder, that despite being around his son's life now, that doesn't make up for his absesnce. And in Denki's case, despite loving to have his father around, the poor boy deeply fears losing him again, which leads to his insecurity over disappointing him. And what brought up Denki's need to come forward with this insecurity? Izuku disclosed to him Ultron's comment over how parents only see children as extentions of themselves and much like his cousin, he couldn't help but let the robotic monster's words get under his skin. Thankfully the moment evolves into a heartwarming one when Thor reveals how proud he is of his son.
Izuku lets Ochako know how deep his guilt goes over the events of I-Island. You can't help but feel sorry over how someone so young is already a Knight in Sour Armor.
Izuku: I just don’t think it’s that big of a deal worth mentioning. It’s like I said earlier, it feels like villains are attacking us every few months and I just want to make sure everyone is as ready as they can be. Ochako: Does that not include yourself? There are still tons of things you don’t know how to do! You can’t turn other people invisible, you can’t make ice from thin air, you can’t fire energy blasts or use telekinesis, or what about- Izuku: I had to nearly watch all of you die. Back on I-Island… I was helpless in the tower, and thought I was going to have to watch all of you die! One by one, you all went down and I couldn’t- I couldn’t!…
And then we get more insights on how deep goes his insecurity:
Izuku: You know that thing I say about having a glorious purpose? I only started saying it because my dad did. And I always thought mine was to be a hero. But I kept forgetting the first part of it. That purpose is a burden. And how could being a hero be a burden on me? I love it! But maybe, it’s less about being a hero, and more the type of hero I want to be. Ochako: And what kind of hero is that? Izuku: One that can take the pain away from them. One that can make everyone around him laugh when they’re feeling their lowest, to pull them up when they’re down. To pull their own burdens away, even if just for a little bit. Ochako: Like you did at the hospital after I-Island? You spent pretty much our entire time there pulling pranks. And what happened to not doing things by yourself? Izuku: I’m doing this so I won’t have to be by myself. It’s how I spent my time growing up, thinking it had to be that way, but after having all of you in my life, I don’t want to be alone again.I’m hoping that if I ease your burdens, help you all train, you’ll never leave me.
Finally, Bakugo decides to step in and, on his own way, help Izuku cope with the anger and resentment he feels for his own failures:
Izuku: Fine!! Yeah, Kacchan, I am mad. I’m mad because I couldn’t do more to protect everyone on I-Island. Or Hosu! Or the USJ! Bakugo: FINALLY! Something that isn’t a lame joke! Izuku: I’m mad that my powers aren’t coming as easy to me as they did with my dad! I’m mad that despite everything I’m trying, Shigaraki and the League are still out there! I’m mad that sometimes, my friends can’t see how amazing they are to me! And I’m even madder that I had my scepter taken away, which was my best chance to protect them! And! I’m mad at myself for even feeling this way! And I’m mad at you for dragging me out here!
Chapter 66:
Hirona's story about her first kill, which is both scary and heartbreaking. First off, assuming she started being trained by All for One weeks after being ressurected by Loki, and going by her canon age at the time of her death, Hana was somewhere between 8 and 11 years old when she killed her first victim. Secondly, Hirona mentions by that time she had no proper trainning on how to make the edge of her barriers sharp, so she basically bludgeoned a (possibly) innocent man to death, all while blood got splattered everywhere and the poor guy screaming until he couldn't anymore. Hirona is even it was rainning that night, most likely so no one would see her crying. Nagant can't help but feel sorry for the poor girl's loss of innocence, especially since it is quite similar her own backstory.
The teachers isolate Aoyama from the other students and, gently, confront him over his actions as the U.A. traitor. Aizawa is furious, not at his student (to his dismay, this not the first he finds himself dealing with a child forced into villainy by their parents), but with All for One for forcing him on this situation, and mostly himself, for both failing to notice the signs, as well as coming to realization that his harsh Stern Teacher antics are the main reason Aoyama didn't come to ask for his help in the first place. Said feeling of distrust is confirmed during Aoyama's first question upon the interview, in a Played for Drama case of Skewed Priorities:
Aoyama: Just say it, sensei. Please don’t beat around the bush. Appelons un chat un chat. I am expelled, no? If that’s the first thing the kid’s mind goes to when it’s time to talk to his teacher, Shota thinks he solved the mystery about why he didn’t come to him.
Momo manages to create a Frost Giant blade as gift to Izuku. Unfortunetaly, this causes his natural blue-skinned and red-eyed appearance to be exposed, causing to freak out and disappear. It takes a while for Izuku to get over it. It's clear that even after knowing the truth about him, Izuku is still insecure about revealing certain aspects of himself to his friends.
Chapter 68:
A minor, yet nonetheless sad moment when the students are talking about Santa Claus be real. Since Ochako's parents always struggled with their company, especially during the Holidays, Ochako, being the incredibly kind girl she is, asked for a good contract for her parents don't worry so much. However, due to Santa's rules stating he cannot bestow luck or good fortune to business, her wish never came to be. Becomes a rather heartwarming and funny moment a while later, when Izuku tries to go to North Pole to stab Santa, and this time on purpose.
The death of the Spirit Tree. Not even destruction, death sounds like the most appropriated word. In order to shut down the station's systems, Hirona orders Dabi to burn the tree down. It's a gutwrenching moment, since five chapters ago the tree helped provide such a sweet moment for both Izuku and Ochako. Adding to the fact the Tree being alive, as soon as Hirona enters the room, it grows brighter for a second, as if begging the young villain to not go forward. Hirona, for a moment or so, recognizing how wrong it would be to hurt something so alive and innocent. But she powers it through, pointing out that the Universe is cruel place, that twists and bends whatever it wants, pushing and pushing until whatever it touches can’t recognize itself anymore, and with that, she orders Dabi to set it on fire. As soon as she walks out of the room, she hears a scream as the Tree dies out and the darkness engulfs them.
Cosmo and Aizawa's despair as the attack begins. She has no idea on how to reach her friends and the hero is worried sick over his students lost during this nightmare.
Chapter 69: Mustard's Villainous Breakdown. Yes, the things he did were inexcusable and completely wrong, but you can't help but feel sorry for the guy after he is defeated, lashing out on how he never asked for powers that would be seen as evil and all he wanted was a chance to prove himself to not be a failure.
Chapter 70:
Himiko's backstory. Good Lord, the girl had even worse than in canon. Starting off with the fact she was sold out by her own mother when she was six years old, and spent over a decade undergoing gruesome experiments to test out her vamipiric abilities. The only person she had to lean on during this nightmare was Compress, who was also a prisoner at the facility. After the place was destroyed and they escaped, they spent years in the streets, before Compress started to sell informations about heroes to Izuku, who would go on to save her from Blade when the vampire hunter tried to kill her.
Tenko's confrontation with Hirona. Despite all the beating he is getting from his sister, Tenko reveals he won't give up on her because she is the only family he has left. You can see Hirona's resolve and resentment cracking up during the fight, she is slowly coming to terms her quest from vengeance won't make her feel any better, and all the people getting hurt in the process make it even more pointless. Hirona then starts to have a Villainous Breakdown as the fight drags on and she starts to realize Tenko is right about how her goals aren't worth all the pain she is causing, but simply cannot bring herself to admit it.
Hirona and Nejire's confrontation as they meet for the third moment. Nejire is all but pleading for Hirona to give up all the violence she is causing, pointing out she knows the villain is not as bad as she seems, and Hirona is clearly tempted to stay around her crush more, but her stubborness to keep seeking revenge wins and she leaves with Tenko, forcing Nejire to go on pursuit. This two are very serious case of Star-Crossed Lovers, and it's so sad seeing them being kept apart.
Daken's backstory. Much like Gorr and Mustard, it sure isn't enough to make for his cruelty, but good grief... Let's start off with how his mother was killed by a masked assassin (all but confirmed to be the Winter Soldier) when he was two years old. He then got sent to an orphanage where he eventually got adopted by a wealthy American couple, and while his father was loving and caring, his mother hated him. Whenever his father wasn't around (which was a lot), he found himself being ostracized due to his mixed heritage from his mother, to the nannies. He was kicked out of stores owned by racists and in one occasion beaten to near death by other kids with baseball bats. All the while the kids constantly calling him "Daken", the Japanese word for "mongrel".
Chapter 72. Much like in canon, the Trainning Camp concludes in a very Downer Ending.
While humourous at first, Twice and Izuku's interactions take a rather sad note as the two cloners compare each other's abilities and share some of their backstory.
Izuku: Growing up… If too many of my clones appeared at once and started acting on their emotions, it would overload me. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t think- Twice: You can’t breathe. Because in a sea of you- Izuku: You lose track of yourself. And the only way to find you again is through pain.
Readers theorized that with Aizawa facing off against Kurogiri at control, sooner or later something would happen that would cause either of them to realize the truth about Kurogiri's identity. While not as dramatic as some were expecting, they do share a moment here. Kurogiri points out how Aizawa's habit of overthinking everything and try to control any variable of his surroundings is impossible and won't help his students in the long run. As much as he doesn't want to, Aizawa flashes back to his conversation with Oboro where his friend told him the same thing. He knows there is a reason why his mind brought back that memory but simply cannot accept it. Kurogiri isn't fairing much better against hidden knowledge either.
Aizawa: Making portals… Requires quick judgment. A virtue, most would consider. Always ready to make the next move- Kurogiri: Without hesitation. I have heard these words before but cannot recall… Who are you?
Nejire and Hirona are still fighting. It's just heartbreaking to see two girls who are clear and deeply in love with each other hurting themselves and the other. None of them wants to go with their battle, but Hirona won't give up on her goal and Nejire won't let her take Tenko away, so they are stuck in this thug-of-war, all the while Nejire is deseperatly trying to reach out to Hirona.
We continue on with Daken's backstory. The neglection from his adoptive mother and the abuse from everyone else outside their house went on for years, until one day, Daken overheard that his stepmother was pregnant. At this moment, Akihiro concinced himself that his newborn sibling would replace and take his father's love (the only person who seemed to actually care for him) and such fear wasn't completely unfounded, since his stepmother made very clear she would never be able to love Akihiro. It all culminated with Daken killing his adoptive baby brother in craddle, much to his father's horror and despair. His stepmother immeadiatly tried to kill him for it, only for Daken's powers to manifest and he kill her with his claws. Unable to bring himself to kill his surrogate son and with nothing to live for, Daken's father kills himself in front of him. Once again, nothing will ever justify his actions, but there is no denial over how tragic Daken's character is. There is also this exchange in real time during the flashbacks.
Daken: You talk about wanting to fix us, old man. What? You want me to love you? Why don’t you give me some of that fatherly advice you owe me and answer me this. How can anyone love anything when they hate themselves?
Adding to tragedy, Logan finds himself in a tragic position as well. He states he won't give up on his son, but has come to accept that until Daken is ready to let go of his hate and take responbility for his many atrocities, they will keep trying to kill each other. Logan is clearly broken over it, but he will not allow anyone to get hurt because of his son's murderous grudge.
Logan: Kid, what you’re not getting is that your pain, your wants, your needs, they don’t mean a damn thing. Nothin’ does. Yeah, you and I got some fancy healing, but we’re not immortal. All this shit between us? It’s just one little blip in time and then that’s it. You and I? Dead and buried. And we don’t get a second chance. You’re the one who chooses to keep everything between us a goddamn mess. I’ve been fighting my whole life and I’m ready to fight even harder to fix things with you, but if you keep choosing to let it be like this with us, then fine. So be it. Keep blaming me for your mom’s death. We’ll fight over it. We’ll fight that way for however long it takes until you decide you wanna change things. And when you do, I’ll be right here like always. Because that’s my choice.
Rather Harsher in Hindsight moment given how the Logan from Deadpool & Wolverine is seemingly just as broken over his failures at his timeline as this Logan is over his failure to help his son.
The ending. Just everything about it stating with the fact that despite everyone's best efforts, the League successfully kidnaps Tenko. In a way to twist the knife further, Tsu was just a couple of meters away to reach him out, having just enough time to catch his heartbroken look before losing him. The rest of the students arrive just in time to see the frog girl defeated, and it's clear that if Izuku was broken before over what happened in I-Island, this failure will destroy him. Then there is final line of the chapter, which just plain cruelty from the author.
Tsu, (trying and failling to not break into tears): I know… I’m fine… Nejire: Tsu… Tsu: It’s okay. R-r-ribbit. Didn’t you guys know? Frogs like the rainy season. (Completely breaks down)
The chapter's title, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), also has very sad double meaning, not just because of the song played near the end: By the end of it, Tenko and Tsu are forced in separate ways and are worlds apart from each other. That was just cruel, KageNekem.
