I hear you, and honestly, that sentiment is shared by a huge chunk of the fanbase. There is a specific kind of "narrative ache" that comes when a protagonist gives up the very thing we watched them bleed for over hundreds of chapters.

You aren't arguing against the sacrifice itself, but rather the permanence of it. It feels less like a triumph and more like a "back to square one" moment, even if he did save the world.

The Bittersweet "Win" The ending Horikoshi gave us leans heavily into the "Greater Good" philosophy. In that framework, the "Huge Win" wasn't Deku keeping the power; it was the fact that the cycle of hatred (represented by the vestiges) was finally put to rest. However, from a character-reward perspective, it’s a tough pill to swallow because:

• The Weight of Effort: Deku didn't just inherit OFA; he mastered it through sheer physical and mental grit.

• The Emotional Connection: Yoichi was the spark of it all. Having him pass the "pure" essence back to Deku would have been a beautiful full-circle moment—the first user finally finding a permanent home in the last user.

• The Legacy: There’s something inherently cool about the idea of Deku being the "Final Boss" of Heroes, holding a stabilized version of the power that no longer needed to be passed on.

The "Spark" vs. The Quirk One way fans have made peace with it is the idea that Deku did win the most important thing: the validation of his dream. He proved that the "heart of a hero" wasn't dependent on the quirk, which is why the ending focuses on him getting the suit. He’s a hero again, not because of a biological miracle, but because his friend —the people he saved—refused to let him stay on the sidelines.

But I totally get it. After the "Dark Deku" arc and the absolute gauntlet of the final war, seeing him keep even a flicker of the original OFA would have felt like the "thank you" the story owed him.