Hero Without a Class: Who Even Needs Skills? S01E12 – The Empress’s Empire: Did It Deliver?

Let’s be real—if you’ve stuck with Hero Without a Class this far, you know exactly what you’re signing up for: an OP main character, tropey plot beats, and enough fan debates to fill a Discord server. Episode 12, “The Empress’s Empire,” wraps up the first season with what sounds like a big, dramatic finale… but does it live up to the hype (or the fan complaints)? Let’s dive in.

First, let’s recap the fandom’s vibe so far, because this show’s got takes. The premise: Arel, son of two legendary heroes, has no class or skills—wait, no, fans are quick to call out the irony here. One MyAnimeList user joked, “This shouldn’t be called ‘Who Even Needs Skills?’ It should be called ‘I Have All The Skills.’” And yeah, that’s spot-on. Arel can copy any sword move he sees (episode 3) and master flight magic off-screen in 45 seconds (comment 38: “Hey, at least he couldn’t do flight magic for 45 seconds before he utterly mastered it off screen”). Overpowered much?

But here’s the catch: does Arel have a personality? Most fans say nope. As one comment put it: “An overpowered character only works if they have personality, and he certainly doesn’t have one.” Ouch. Others noted that even a supporting character pointed out he lacks personality (comment42: “she said she could tell someone’s personality from their mana and she did not actually find a personality in him”). Yikes—burn.

Then there’s the supporting cast. Remember Arel’s sister? Fans labeled her a “brocon” (comment7: “Brocon… kind of reminds me of The Hidden Dungeon Only I Can Enter”). The early guild arc crew? Let’s just say they weren’t fan favorites. But when the show switched to the school arc, some fans breathed a sigh of relief: “These aren’t nearly as annoying as the last batch” (comment36). Small wins, right?

Now, Episode12: The Empress’s Empire. Since the anime’s still pretty new (and some episodes haven’t even aired yet, per MAL), we’re going off the title and the season’s trends. What do fans expect? For starters, will Arel finally face a real challenge? Fans are tired of him steamrolling enemies (comment11: “wish that was more of an actual fight instead of him just railroading her again”). The Empress arc sounds like it could be the big bad he needs—if the writers let her be a threat instead of another speed bump.

Another thing: the plot pacing. Earlier episodes were roasted for feeling like “grocery shopping” (comment24: “no plot, it’s almost like he’s just going out grocery shopping”). Will Episode12 tie all the loose ends together? Or will it be another random detour? Fans are crossing their fingers for a coherent finale—we’ve all had enough of the “no plot” vibes.

And let’s not forget the show’s occasional humor. Remember when it called out a female warrior for barely wearing clothes (comment10)? That was a rare, funny win. Will Episode12 keep that lighthearted energy, or will it go dark and dramatic? Either way, we’re here for the chaos.

Final thoughts: Hero Without a Class isn’t breaking new ground. It’s a trope-heavy fantasy that leans hard into the “OP underdog” (wait, is he even an underdog?) schtick. But for fans who love mindless action and casual jokes, Episode12 might just hit the spot. Let’s hope it gives us something to argue about—whether it’s Arel finally showing some personality or the Empress being a worthy foe.

So, did it stick the landing? We’ll need more fan takes to know for sure, but for now: if you’re here for the action, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you’re here for deep character development… maybe skip this one.

P.S. Shoutout to the fan who said, “At least he’s not reincarnated” (comment4). Silver linings, folks—silver linings.

What did you think of Episode12? Drop your hot takes below—we’re ready to debate! ✨

(Note: Since the anime is still in early stages, this review draws on fan reactions to the premise and early episodes to speculate on the finale’s potential.)