My Hero Academia Episode 71: Suneater of the Big Three

Sir Nighteye’s team and the other heroes press deeper into Overhaul’s hideout while the police and pro heroes outside hold off the Yakuza fighters at the entrance. Tamaki Amajiki volunteers to stay behind and stall the enemies pursuing them, and the episode then focuses on him as he faces three of the Eight Bullets alone.

The episode opens with a flashback to Tamaki’s school days, where he is shown as extremely anxious and struggles to speak in front of his class. During that time, Mirio Togata repeatedly reaches out to him and encourages him, trying to convince him that Tamaki can be a hero in his own way. The flashback is used to contrast Tamaki’s current self-doubt with the role he is about to take on in the raid.

Back in the hideout, the route forward becomes chaotic as the heroes move through the underground facility and the terrain itself starts becoming a threat. A villain injects himself with a drug that boosts his Quirk, and the environment shifts around like living matter, forcing the heroes into close-quarters fighting and splitting their group apart. Mirio rushes ahead, while the others are delayed by collapsing paths and enemy resistance.

Tamaki is left to hold the line when the three opponents from the Eight Bullets confront him: Toya Setsuno, Yu Hojo, and Soramitsu Tabe. At first, their coordinated attacks overwhelm him, and Tamaki struggles to keep up with their teamwork and their different abilities. He initially takes damage and appears outmatched, especially because the three villains support one another so effectively.

As the fight continues, Tamaki begins to think differently about them and realizes that their strength comes from their bond and cooperation. Using his Manifest Quirk, he adapts by combining traits from the food and organisms he has previously ingested, creating new offensive and defensive forms on the fly. He uses these transformations to counter each attacker in turn, turning their own teamwork against them by disrupting their coordination rather than trying to beat them one by one.

Tamaki’s confidence grows as he remembers Mirio’s encouragement and recommits himself to protecting the others. The episode ends with him decisively overcoming the three enemies through a powerful new hybrid form, establishing himself as a major force in the raid.