I think Gentle is an interesting character. I mean, at first glance I see his actions and motivations as wrong and selfish, but I can't help but sympathize with him in a way...especially as an adult. So many of us have had to endure not being good enough to achieve what we want. There's also the pressure of not meeting the expectations of society that has driven him to the point of becoming a villain. It's interesting to consider that with his current level of skill and the support of La Brava he could be a hero now. Going back for a refresher on the last few chapters though it seems like what he's actually trying to do is "save" the students of U.A. by ensuring they become strong enough to not suffer his fate. He sees a weakness to the school that he wants to strengthen. There's still the appearance of selfishness there...he wants to be at the center of it all and be recognized for it, but I can also see some good intentions there. We don't even really know what he plans to do as far as I'm aware.
Then you have Deku, who wants nothing more than to protect his school and the happiness of someone who has only known abuse until recently. You can see the desperation on his face...out of context it would be hard to tell who the good guy is in these panels, which makes me wonder if Horikoshi is going to play this straight or give us some kind of twist. Maybe Deku's actions will show Gentle that the kids at U.A. don't need the wake-up call that he's trying to give them. Alternatively, Deku could (and maybe should) fail so he can learn that what society considers a "villain" may not always be a bad person...that it's not always that cut-and-dry. Or maybe he'll just be a monster of the week and we'll just move on, but I certainly hope not. Regardless, I'm excited to see how this plays out.
