The English scan of My Hero Academia chapter 338 was just released unofficially, and many confusions from the raw scans have been cleared up.
The correct order of panels has also been restored, and new information has been revealed. My Hero Academia chapter 338 is titled “The Story of How We All Became Heroes, Part 1”, but that title may be subject to change once the official translation comes out.
Caution: Spoilers ahead for My Hero Academia chapter 338.
Class 1-A solidifies their resolve in My Hero Academia chapter 338
Recap of My Hero Academia chapter 337
In My Hero Academia chapter 337, AFO referred to Aoyama as an easily disposable tool. Meanwhile, Midoriya and Hagakure confronted Aoyama, who shot his Navel Laser at Midoriya. Hagakure used her body to reflect the attack and her face was shown for the first time. Midoriya apprehended the Aoyamas by using Blackwhip and turned them in to the U.A. authorities.
While Class 1-A was shocked, Aoyama remembered when he had to follow AFO’s orders. As he called himself a villain, Midoriya disagreed, extending his hand and imploring that Aoyama can still become a hero. Bakugou, however, seemed to have realized that Midoriya had something planned.
My Hero Academia chapter 338
Mistrust towards Aoyama
My Hero Academia chapter 338 begins with Inspector Tsukauchi asking the cat officer, Sansa, to shut Aoyama’s mouth, which they do using a similar muzzle to the one that was used on Bakugou. Tsukauchi tells Deku that Aoyama is tied up and can’t take Deku’s hand.
He points out that no matter the circumstances, Aoyama’s deeds cannot be overlooked. Tsukauchi also asks Aoyama’s parents why they did not inform AFO about Kamino, to which they reply that All contact is initiated by AFO and they had no way of informing him. Tsukauchi suggests that they take Aoyama to the hospital to check if his quirk is really safe.
Iida, Deku, and Aizawa’s points
In the next panel of My Hero Academia chapter 338 Midoriya interrupts Tsukauchi, saying that they can’t Find AFO on their own, which means Aoyama is their only point of entry. However, Present Mic believes that Aoyama cannot be trusted yet, but this is countered by Iida Tenya.
The latter insists that Aoyama’s past mistakes are in the past, and that they are also at fault for not providing Aoyama with a safe space, but they have a chance to do so now. Kirishima asks Aoyama why did he think that they would discriminate against him for being born quirk-less even after they supported Midoriya.
However, Tsukauchi is still skeptical but he is interrupted by Aizawa, who had been present through a video call. Aizawa asks Deku if he has a plan, and upon receiving a negative answer, reveals that he himself feels guilty for not noticing anything despite being Aoyama’s homeroom teacher.
Aizawa then asks Tsukauchi to make sure that the Aoyamas can’t hear, as he divulges his plans to class 1-A. Everyone looks shocked upon listening to him, and Tsukauchi says that they would need to investigate a lot of places. As Aoyama is being led down the hall in My Hero Academia chapter 338, Deku calls out to him, but he is unable to answer.
Class 1-A’s dorm
Next, My Hero Academia chapter 338 shifts to Class 1-A’s dorm, where the students start preparing for the battle. As Hagakure says that they will defeat AFO and Shigaraki for sure, every student of class 1-A is shown with intense expressions. Iida asks Deku what they were gonna do with their costumes, and Deku replies that in order to bring out the best of his abilities he needs to upgrade his costume. He begins to head towards the development studio when an explosion blows off the door and Hatsume Mei descends upon Deku, quite literally.
Questions and speculations
My Hero Academia chapter 338 raises four big questions.
1) Given that by this point in My Hero Academia chapter 338 Aizawa has been in the hospital for more than 2 months, what is the status of his quirk and the chances of him returning to active duty, or at least helping the heroes in the upcoming battle on the field?
2) What is Aizawa’s plan and what did Tsukauchi mean by having to investigate a few places? Does this plan involve Aoyama playing a double agent?
3) Are Iida’s, Deku’s, and Kirishima’s points valid? Can the fact that Aoyama tried to stop his parents really be reason enough to overlook the accountability they must hold? Is their compassion the correct course of action?
4) Are Deku and Iida getting new hero costumes, and what kind of upgrades will they involve? Given Hatsume’s track record, can she really build a suit that will bring out the best in all of OFA’s quirks?
Surprisingly, Horikoshi has ended My Hero Academia chapter 338 on a lighter, more hopeful note. With Aizawa returning to his students, class 1-A seems determined to see this war through, but the question must be asked if they are fully prepared. Hatsume’s appearance is a nice change of pace, and it is yet uncertain if this signals the end of the U.A. Traitor segment. Hopefully My Hero Academia chapter 339 will answer these questions.
My Hero Academia chapter 338 will be officially available for reading on Viz.com and Manga Plus on December 19 and December 18 for some regions. My Hero Academia manga is rumored to go on a break next week, so the next chapter might come out on January 2, 2022.