What does "plus ultra" mean in My Hero Academia


The credits for _My Hero Academia_ add "plus Ultra" after the series name.
Occasionally All Might shouts "plus Ultra!" as sort of a battle cry when he is
about to strike a foe. From context, I guess it means "extra power" or
"boost", but "plus ultra" seem so random. Is there more meaning to the two
words than this? Is this just something which does not translate well from
Japanese?




"Plus Ultra" is actually a [_Latin_
Phrase.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus_ultra) It translates to "Further
Beyond." In My Hero Academia, it has been adopted as the school motto of U.A.
High. It's uncertain in-universe whether or not the motto was around before
All Might, or if he's the one who came up with it, and his alma mater adopted
his personal motto.

In-context, it is an extremely gung-ho statement that tells you to push past
your limits and go further than you think you can.

It also happens to be the national motto of Spain, previously the personal
motto of King Charles V. Which he adopted as a rejection of the words
inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules "Non Plus Ultra" (Nothing Further Beyond)
after the discovery of the Americas.

Even IRL, it carries that same sort of gung-ho "You told us there was nothing
beyond this point...let me prove you wrong!" sort of sentiment.

The fact that it sounds cool to Japanese Ears by using a pair of English-
adopted words that they like is bonus points. But this phrase is not, in-fact,
"English" gibberish as anime/manga occasionally produces on account of their
writers not being entirely fluent in English. It's a Latin phrase with real-
world history.




"Plus Ultra" is actually a [_Latin_
Phrase.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plus_ultra) It translates to "Further
Beyond." In My Hero Academia, it has been adopted as the school motto of U.A.
High. It's uncertain in-universe whether or not the motto was around before
All Might, or if he's the one who came up with it, and his alma mater adopted
his personal motto.

In-context, it is an extremely gung-ho statement that tells you to push past
your limits and go further than you think you can.

It also happens to be the national motto of Spain, previously the personal
motto of King Charles V. Which he adopted as a rejection of the words
inscribed on the Pillars of Hercules "Non Plus Ultra" (Nothing Further Beyond)
after the discovery of the Americas.

Even IRL, it carries that same sort of gung-ho "You told us there was nothing
beyond this point...let me prove you wrong!" sort of sentiment.

The fact that it sounds cool to Japanese Ears by using a pair of English-
adopted words that they like is bonus points. But this phrase is not, in-fact,
"English" gibberish as anime/manga occasionally produces on account of their
writers not being entirely fluent in English. It's a Latin phrase with real-
world history.

