Before digging too deep into the big battle—which occupies the bulk of the episode—it once again just needs to be pointed out what a fantastic job Funimation is doing with the dub of this series. The original version of this episode and this fight were still incredible, but tiny changes in dialogue and the brilliant performances that Justin Briner and Clifford Chapin put forward really increase the tension and make the build up all the more intense. These performers are continuing to grow and evolve in these roles just like how the characters are with their training and the results have been very impressive so far. Bakugo acts like a damn madman by the end of this one and Chapin’s performance is intimidating stuff.

Performances aside, the battle between Midoriya and Bakugo is just all around an awesome fight. It features incredible, surprising choreography by both fighters, but there are very real stakes. For one, Bakugo and Midoriya have a very complex history and rivalry that the series has taken the proper amount of time to develop. On top of that, Bakugo plays for keeps here and even All Might comments on how the hotheaded boy’s attacks will kill Izuku if they happen to connect.

This aggressive strategy forces Midoriya to stay focused and push himself to new levels due to how his safety is very much in danger. The whole thing acts as a good distillation of the two very different approaches that Midoriya and Bakugo take towards their powers and what it means to be a hero. The message here is strong, but it also doesn’t hurt that the animation is gorgeous as hell and this showdown between their abilities is beautiful. This fight also creates quite a bit of anticipation around when the first real villain comes into the picture and what a staggering display the fight against them will look like. If this is how amazing a training battle looks then imagine how impressive all-out warfare will be.

With Izuku and Bakugo’s battle reaching such intensities, Uraraka has her work mostly cut out for her against Bakugo’s partner, Iida. This fight obviously doesn’t contain the same rawness as the one that rages on around them, but it’s still a captivating battle that speaks to both Uraraka and Iida’s strengths. Iida attempts at villainy are also all fantastic.

It’s also a refreshing moment when Midoriya reveals that Bakugo and Iida would easily beat them if they worked as a team, but he knows that it’s beyond Bakugo’s comprehension. When the two aren’t caught up in battle they’re engaged in a tense cat-and-mouse chase with each other. They’re haunted by memories of each other through all of this, but Midoriya learns from these while Bakugo just gets driven deeper into his rage.