Summary

• Midnight's death in My Hero Academia during the Paranormal Liberation War was handled disappointingly, as it occurred off-screen and received little attention.
• Her demise lacked the customary "blaze of glory" or farewell that other major characters in the series typically receive upon their deaths.
• Despite being a fan favorite with a unique journey, Midnight's character was not given the chance to become more significant, making her death in the series feel unsatisfying.

She was one of the many casualties of the Paranormal Liberation War, but how did the series handle Midnight's My Hero Academia death? Created by Kōhei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia is a manga and anime series set in a world in which most of the human population has superpowers known as “quirks,” resulting in the creation of superheroes and villains. Young wannabe superheroes are required to undergo training at hero academies, one of which is an elite institution called U.A. High School.

U.A. High School boasts one of the best training programs in the world and has a faculty full of experienced superheroes. One of the faculty members is a superhero named Midnight (civilian name: Nemuri Kayama) who teaches modern hero art history and has a quirk known as Somnambulist, which gives her the ability to emit a sleep-inducing aroma. With her flirty personality and revealing attire Midnight is one of My Hero Academia’s more sexualized characters, and, as such, is a fan favorite among certain sections of the series’ audience. Unfortunately for Midnight, her time was limited.

Midnight Died During A Paranormal Liberation Front Ambush

During the manga’s Paranormal Liberation War arc, fellow superhero Hawks learned the villainous Paranormal Liberation Front group intended to launch attacks on several major cities with the aim of destroying hero society. A team of superheroes, including My Hero Academia's Midnight, were instructed to storm the Paranormal Liberation Front headquarters and arrest its members, but the mission soon proved to be Midnight’s curtain call.

A battle between heroes and villains ensued and My Hero Academia chapter 278 followed Midnight as she attempted to take down the behemoth villain Gigantomachia with her Somnambulist quirk. Her plans were scuppered by My Hero Academia villain Mr. Compress, who used his quirk to throw debris her way, leaving her wounded and separated from her comrades. Midnight ended up being ambushed by a small group of Paranormal Liberation Front villains, and her fate was left up in the air until My Hero Academia chapter 296 confirmed she had died–presumably at the hands of her attackers.

Midnight's Lasting Impact on My Hero Academia

Midnight's death was very hard for the students, especially those who found her body. It was their first realization that being a hero was a job where one's life really was on the line, and many of them had a hard time accepting it. Midnight was mourned alongside dozens of other heroes who lost their lives in the Paranormal Liberation War, but unfortunately, that was also the time that the public began to lose faith in the ability of heroes to keep the peace.

Midnight's instructions to the students were essential to eventually stopping Gigantomachia and drawing the villains' scheme to an end, but her place in the story isn't well known, meaning she's been all but forgotten among the many deaths of the Paranormal Liberation War.

Why Midnight's Death Was Disappointing

The fact that she died off-screen wasn’t very popular with the My Hero Academia fandom, which has always been a big supporter of Midnight. MHA's anime, like the manga before it, relegated her demise to a quiet beat that got very little attention, which is quite different from how the deaths of other major heroes and villains in My Hero Academia are usually handled. When an important character dies, they are usually allowed to go out in a blaze of glory and/or get some kind of goodbye, but Midnight was denied both.

What's even more disappointing is that Midnight was hardly offered the opportunity to become an important character, either, despite her strong fan support and interesting journey. Because of this mishandled approach, Midnight's death in My Hero Academia will always feel unsatisfying.

Watch on Crunchyroll