My Hero Academia's chapter #431 epilogue, titled "More," has officially closed out the series and confirmed many fan theories while laying others to rest permanently, including, most excitingly, some of the series' most discussed romances. As the series inched towards its final chapters, I found myself getting immersed in fans' eager speculation about potential couples too, but not all of these pairings received the happy ending they deserved, namely Class 1-A students, Kyoka Jiro and Denki Kaminari.

The romance in My Hero Academia has been almost nonexistent thus far, with only one the My Hero Academia epilogue for a change. Kaminari x Jiro has been one of the most popular ships in the fandom for years, and one I undoubtedly find adorable myself, but with the epilogue, Horikoshi completely squashed any rumors of budding romance between the pair with one definitively platonic scene between the duo.

One Epilogue Scene Ended Any Potential for Romance Between Kaminari and Jiro

Horikoshi Has Confirmed Kaminari X Jiro Will Never Become Canon, Much to Fans' Dismay

Although Jiro and Kaminari did not get together officially, another couple from U.A. High, Shihai Kuroiro and Kinoko Komori did, blushingly itting their relationship to their former classmates at a dinner the group shared together eight years after their time in high school. This adorable confirmation from this pair of Class 1-B students seemed to spark reactions and questions from other classmates in attendance, urging Hanta to speculate on Jiro and Kaminari's relationship status next, because they work in such proximity as heroes. Although this would have been the perfect moment to segue into a canon romance between them, Horikoshi did not.

Jiro and Kaminari found Hanta's question hilarious and both burst into laughter, denying his assumption instantly and firmly denying that there was anything happening between them other than friendship. Denki quickly explained that as he was looking for a place to open up his own hero agency, he discovered the building beside Jiro's was vacant, so they became neighboring agencies by mere coincidence rather than a deliberate effort by either of them. Both sides of the duo seemed to find the idea of love between them hysterically unbelievable, and stated that they are, without a doubt, just friends.

Scenes Such as Denki Thinking of Jiro When Stressed Seemed to Hint at a Romance

Although They Are Not a Couple, Fans Cannot Be Blamed for Assuming They Could Be, Based on the Evidence

I will it, it was a bit disappointing to see Jiro and Kaminari's relationship never become canon, because they could have been one of My Hero Academia's cutest couples thanks to the special and undeniably close bond they shared throughout the series that seemed to be steadily building towards a more serious romance. One moment during the Gunga Mountain Villain Raid seemed to offer undeniable proof that Denki had at least a crush on Jiro, because during the tough battle, he instantly thought of Jiro when Midnight suggested he think of the most important person in his life to alleviate worries.

The story is packed with subtle scenes like these that indicate the growth of a connection of some sort between Denki and Kyoka. When Class 1-A breaks off into smaller groups to take on villains, Kaminari and Jiro are almost always on the same team, such as in the U.S.J. Incident and the Sports Festival, and not just because their Quirks work well together, but because they often intentionally choose to team up with each other. Denki is a very flirtatious person, and sometimes, Kyoka expresses jealousy or annoyance when he pays attention to other girls, even once using her Quirk to stop him.

Scenes, Such as the School Festival, Further Fueled Rumors of a Potential Kyoka and Denki Romance

Even Though Their Romance Never Became Canon, the Strength of Their Friendship Is Abundantly Clear

At the beginning of My Hero Academia, their bond did seem more platonic, but in later seasons, it took a more romantic turn that myself and other fans noticed. Denki's compliments on Kyoka's musical talents during the School Festival Arc and Endeavor Agency arc, as well as that pivotal Paranormal Liberation War Arc scene where Denki itted how much Kyoka means to him, seemed to shift their relationship from strictly platonic to something deeper than just a casual friendship. Denki became much more complimentary, while Kyoka let down her walls and became less shy around him in return.

Although, as of right now in the epilogue, Denki and Jiro are not a couple, I wonder if perhaps they will become one in the distant future. They work well as teammates, enjoy each other's company more than anyone else's, and have a deep history of both protecting one another from life-threatening situations and entertaining one another in normal high school moments of fun. Even if romance never blossoms between them, although some fans like myself might be a little upset, they undeniably have My Hero Academia, built on mutual respect and genuine interest in each other.

Ochaco and Deku’s Love Story Is Just Beginning, so Perhaps Denki and Kyoka’s Needs More Time To Blossom as Well

Horikoshi Clearly Enjoys Slow Burn Romances, Creating an Opportunity for a Future Relationship Between Kaminari and Jiro

Some relationships take longer to form than others, and another pairing featured in the epilogue proves this to be a fact. Ochaco and Izuku finally confessed their feelings to one another, eight years after the events of the series, and although they were blushing, holding hands, and clearly romantically interested in each other, they chose to take things slow and not make anything official yet. Although fans like myself might have liked to have seen both Ochaco and Deku and Kyoka and Denki become couples, perhaps these My Hero Academia duos just need more time to let romance truly grow between them.

Source: @Immcoconut on X