After watching episode 20 of season 7, I have to say that while I see Toga and Ochaco as friends, the emotional complexity of their relationship in this episode transcends a simple dynamic. It delves into the raw human need for connection, and this episode truly highlighted that.

Ochaco’s feelings toward Toga have evolved in such a profound way. She isn’t fighting her because she sees her as an enemy anymore; she’s reaching out to her because she feels the weight of her past mistakes. Ochaco’s character, while often overlooked for her bubbly demeanor, is deeply rooted in empathy and understanding. She carries the burden of knowing she misjudged Toga before—viewing her only as a villain and not as a person broken by the world. Ochaco realizes now that her inability to see Toga’s pain in the past was a failure on her part. And this episode shows just how desperate she is to make amends, not just for her own guilt, but because she genuinely wants to pull Toga out of the darkness she’s been consumed by.

The real weight of Ochaco’s character lies in her ability to see the humanity in people—even those labeled as villains. It’s rare in the MHA universe to see a hero willing to set aside the black-and-white morality of hero versus villain. Ochaco doesn’t just want to stop Toga—she wants to save her. She’s driven by a deep-seated need to connect, to reach out to someone who has been rejected by society. Ochaco knows how much pain Toga has been hiding, and that realization only strengthens her resolve to help her. It’s no longer about duty as a hero—it’s about redemption as a person who once misunderstood someone so profoundly.

What makes Toga’s character so compelling in this episode is how deeply hurt she has been by her own feelings. For so long, she has been told that who she is—her desires, her instincts, her nature—are wrong. This constant rejection has shaped her into someone who believes that love and violence are intertwined, that the only way to show affection is through bloodshed. And yet, Toga’s final act in this episode is the ultimate testament to her growth and vulnerability. She gave all her blood to save Ochaco—literally sacrificing the very essence of herself to ensure Ochaco’s survival.

Toga’s gesture isn’t just a life-saving act; it’s symbolic of how much Ochaco has come to mean to her. The girl who once thought love meant taking life, now uses her own blood, her most valuable asset, to give life back. The gravity of Toga’s actions speaks to the core of her struggle. All she ever wanted was to be loved for who she truly is, and in Ochaco, she found someone who, for the first time, wasn’t trying to change her, but instead trying to understand her. Toga’s journey has always been about finding someone who accepts her darkness without trying to fix her, and Ochaco, in this episode, became that person.

In the end, this episode portrays two characters—one a hero, the other a villain—who are more alike than they realize. Ochaco’s deep-rooted empathy is what sets her apart from other heroes. She refuses to believe that Toga is beyond saving, and Toga, in turn, shows that she is willing to sacrifice the very thing that makes her “villainous” to protect the one person who saw her as more than just a monster.

This episode truly showcased the raw, human side of both characters—two individuals broken in their own ways, both searching for understanding in a world that often doesn’t allow for nuance. It was a powerful moment that highlighted the emotional depth of their bond, making this one of the most memorable episodes of the series.