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Warning: The following article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia’s Star and Stripe Arc.
It’s easy to get attached to characters from My Hero Academia. For the most part, they’re compelling, well-written, and have believable, impactful character arcs. Naturally, loving them makes saying goodbye all the more difficult.
Thankfully, Kohei Horikoshi hasn’t made a habit of killing off characters at the drop of a hat. Death is still a part of the series — it’s unavoidable in the middle of a war — but the author tends to use it to advance the plot, instead of relying on it as a shock value tool. Thus, when a character fans care about dies in My Hero Academia, it usually hits hard, as we’re not too used to seeing them go. This was the case with Cathleen Bate, aka Star and Stripe, who met her demise in chapter 333 of the manga, and episode 2 of the anime’s seventh season.
She wasn’t around for long but with her confidence, determination, and strength, Cathleen quickly became a well-loved character. It makes sense, then, for her death to smart, especially considering that she had one of the most powerful quirks in the entire series. To some fans, not only was Star and Stripe’s demise tragic, but also a waste of a character with insane potential. In reality, that’s a very reductive way to look at Cathleen and her purpose in My Hero Academia, but more on that later. First things first.
How did Star and Stripe die in My Hero Academia?
Cathleen Bate was killed by Tomura Shigaraki during the Star and Stripe Arc. After an epic confrontation, in which Cathleen holds the upper hand for the majority of the time, Shigaraki manages to get close to her and wastes no time putting his hand to her face. Simultaneously, he activates Decay and All for One, beginning to steal her quirk. The American heroine attempts to use New Order on herself so her body won’t be affected by Decay, but it’s useless. Albeit slowly, she starts to disintegrate and loses her quirk to the villain.
Considering that Star and Stripe was one of the strongest characters in My Hero Academia, this defeat spelled trouble for the remaining heroes. In possession of New Order, Shigaraki/All for One could’ve been unbeatable, but Cathleen had a last trick up her sleeve.
Star and Stripe’s death was a necessary evil…
There is no doubt that Star and Stripe escaping Shigaraki with her life and quirk would’ve been a major asset to the Japanese heroes. Saying that her death was in vain and a waste of a good character, though, is just plain wrong. In her final moments, Cathleen used meta-ability to put up one last rule: “New Order will revolt against other quirks.” Thanks to that, her power began destroying the other quirk factors inside All for One, dealing significant damage to Shigaraki’s body and eliminating a portion of the quirks he had stored.
Could any other of the characters we know have achieved this? The answer is an easy no. The only other person with a meta-ability that would allow them to eliminate quirks is Eri, but she’s way too young to be put on a battlefield, as she would run the risk of being killed or have Rewind stolen. The quirk-destroying bullets created by Kai Chisaki were also depleted, and it would take Eri a long time to store enough power to erase so many quirk factors. Thus, it’s clear that Star and Stripe’s introduction and subsequent demise was the only way to weaken Shigaraki/All for One for the war that followed.
Of course, Cathleen’s death also plays into My Hero Academia‘s themes about community and heroism. We can’t rely on a single person to swoop in and save the day (as was the case with All Might), but as long as folks are inclined to help each other, the will of heroes will always be passed on.
…but its purpose goes well beyond the story
I love Cathleen as a character. She’s loyal and unafraid to stand up for what she believes in, even if that means disobeying authority. That said, we can’t ignore how her heroic persona serves as both a stereotype and a critique of the U.S.
Anyone who bothers to heed what lies beneath My Hero Academia‘s surface knows how much Kohei Horikoshi uses his work for social commentary. It’s embedded in several aspects of the story. With the creation of Star and Stripe, the author not only found a way to move the plot forward but also took the opportunity to explore the American brand of heroism. Much like her country, Cathleen doesn’t think twice about inserting herself in a war that isn’t hers, confident in her ability to come out of it on top. Don’t get me wrong, I know she does it out of loyalty to All Might and a desire to help those who need it, but there is something to be said about her methods.
When confronted with Shigaraki, Star and Stripe immediately engages in combat, intent on killing him. There is no hesitation and no regard for the life of her opponent. Considering the situation, most other heroes would’ve done the same, but it’s hard to miss how her actions go directly against the story’s themes of atonement and redemption. Characters like Endeavor and Bakugo were given the chance to atone for their wrongdoings and became better people because of it. So, why shouldn’t Shigaraki?
Every detail about Star and Stripe — from her hero name and costume to her character traits and approach to war — contributes to making her a personification of the U.S. Thus, her quick death can be interpreted as criticism of the country’s methods and its savior complex. Is this an overanalysis? Maybe. Maybe not. At the end of the day, Cathleen Bate remains one of the most iconic characters in My Hero Academia, and her death, despite what some might say, was not in vain.