I realized that Tomura Shigaraki’s character development seems closely tied to the dialogue of the “Sacrifice” cinematic trailer of Star Wars: The Old Republic: Knights of the Fallen Empire. Check it out:
“A man can have anything, if he is willing to sacrifice.”
“With your birth comes a solemn vow: you will have nothing. Your privilege is the dirt.”
“In the darkness, only ambition will guide you.”
“The oath you swear, the promises you make, they are yours alone.”
“Your freedom will be the wars you wage.”
“Your birthright, the losses you suffer.”
“Your entitlement, the pain you endure.”
“And when darkness finds you, you will face it alone.”
“You cannot win, Darth. Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars
The following contains spoilers from recent chapters of My Hero Academia. You have been warned.
Deku is finally complete, his full potential achieved! As Deku commences his final duel with Tomura Shigaraki/All For One, we get to see the true extent of Deku’s mastery of One For All. It began when Deku unlocked the second OFA user’s quirk, “Transmission”. Because this was the first quirk to be assimilated by One For All, it had the most time to be augmented by One For All out of all the other quirks in its arsenal. As such, the vestige of the second user warned Deku to only use it as a last resort. To use the enhanced Transmission quirk, Deku had to put one hand on his other hand, which makes it the type of quirk that activates when in physical contact with its intended target. Once the intended target is touched, Deku can control the speed the target moves. In this case, Deku made himself the intended target, which enables him to explosively augment his own speed, velocity, and the power of his strikes’ impact. Like Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece, Deku controls Transmission through the use of “gears.” The First Gear is the base speed upon activating Transmission followed by Second Gear and Third Gear while finishing with Top Gear, which is the final and top speed of Transmission. Deku can wield Transmission’s full power through a technique called “Overdrive”, which has enough speed and strength to match 120% of One For All. In fact, the speed and power is so great that Deku could launch five 120% Smash blows in an instant, creating a massive crater! This power enabled Deku to completely overwhelm Tomura Shigaraki/All For One to the point in which the supervillain could not counter. Sadly, because it should be used as a last resort, Transmission can only be used for five minutes. After that, Deku’s stamina will be spent and he will be out of the fight.
Apart from unlocking the Transmission quirk, Deku also learned to combine quirks like All For One does. One example of combining his quirks was when he fused “Fa Jin” with “Blackwhip”, resulting in the creation of a technique called “Black Chain”, which is a chain-like form of Blackwhip that is further strengthened by Fa Jin. Blackwhip is a form of energy whip generation while Fa Jin is a way to store up and use kinetic energy. By combining these two powers, Deku was able to create an even more powerful and sturdy energy whip that can grapple strong opponents. Another example is when he combines Transmission with Fa Jin, which enabled him to increase his strength and speed with both Transmission and the built up kinetic energy of Fa Jin. This essentially doubles Deku’s physical capabilities to nearly god-like levels.
Not only does Deku unlock his final quirk and learn to combine his various quirks, but he also learns to skillfully switch in between his quirks with extreme speed and dexterity. This was demonstrated when Tomura Shigaraki/All For One was catching on to Deku’s fight pattern and tried to counterattack. However, despite moving at extreme speed, Deku was able to outmaneuver his foe. First, Deku detected Tomura Shigaraki/All For One’s counterattack by using “Danger Sense”. Then he triggered “Smokescreen” to obscure Tomura Shigaraki/All For One’s vision and conceal his movements. Using Smokescreen for cover, Deku used “Float” to fly above out of his opponent’s reach before grappling his adversary with “Blackwhip” and slamming him into the ground. After this quick switch between quirks, Deku resumed his onslaught on Tomura Shigaraki/All For One until he blasted a hole in the villain’s torso.
Overall, Deku truly has become the world’s greatest superhero at this point in the story. He has reached a level of power that not even All Might could match. In fact, it has been said that his power has become so great that it can distort the laws of physics. The new Symbol of Peace is truly born and Deku is finally ready to lift the mantle from All Might’s shoulders. Now we see two overpowered titans clash as Deku and Tomura Shigaraki/All For One decide the fate of the world.
The following contains spoilers from chapter 328 of My Hero Academia. You have been warned.
The latest chapter of My Hero Academia reveals that the situation regarding Tomura Shigaraki is a lot worse than we thought. The intel Stain provided to the superheroes included information about a signal that was being transmitted between All For One’s vestige in Shigaraki and All For One himself during the Tartarus Prison breakout. When analyzed, this signal revealed that Shigaraki needed 38 days to reach his full potential; not two months. Based on the amount of time that has passed since the Tartarus Prison breakout, it has been deduced that Shigaraki will reach his full power at 100% in THREE DAYS!!!
Now, All For One’s plan is starting to make sense. While he and Shigaraki were in hiding, All For One made his assassins think that Shigaraki would be complete in two months. While being interrogated, Doctor Ujiko said the same thing. The assassins were given this “intel” in order to give the superheroes a false lead to follow. Ujiko lied to the authorities because of his undying loyalty to All For One, which outweighed anything the authorities could threaten him with. Since the superheroes were led to believe that they had two months to find and stop Shigaraki and All For One, they were under the false impression that they had enough time to get that done. Instead, they wasted an entire month on a wild goose chase, which gave Shigaraki the time he needed to finish his metamorphosis. By the time the superheroes learned this, it is too late.
The grim truth is that the superheroes have effectively run out of time trying to find and stop Shigaraki. Even if they could find him in time, Shigaraki would be between 98 to 99 percent complete, which is far more powerful than he was during the Paranormal Liberation War. All they can do is spend the next three days making any last minute preparations for Shigaraki’s awakening. All of Japan must brace for impact as the ultimate supervillain starts to awaken in three short days.
The following contains spoilers from chapter 327 of My Hero Academia. You have been warned.
An intriguing revelation about Tomura Shigaraki’s status was revealed to us in the most recent chapter. It was revealed that even though Shigaraki was awakened from his surgery before it was complete, he can still stabilize on his own without the aid of his surgical capsule. From the moment he was awakened prematurely, Shigaraki needed two more months before he reached full power at 100% stabilization. It has already been one month since the Paranormal Liberation War, which means Shigaraki requires one more month before he reaches his full potential. The clock is ticking against the superheroes as they try to hunt down both Shigaraki and All For One. The only reason the superheroes were able to disrupt Shigaraki’s surgery was because they had Hawks serving as a mole in the Paranormal Liberation Army. Now, the superheroes no longer have that advantage. Also, All For One has taken extreme measures to cover his tracks and has been several steps ahead since the beginning, formulating plans within plans. It is possible that All For One took even more unpredictable precautions to keep the superheroes off his scent. However, the superheroes have gained an unlikely ally in the Hero Killer Stain, who provided intel to the superheroes regarding Tartarus Prison’s security records. This could mean that the superheroes have a chance to disrupt Shigaraki’s growth yet again. However, I don’t think it will go the superheroes’ way for two reasons. First, the superheroes were barely able to fight Shigaraki when he was at 75% stabilization. If he needs two more months to complete his metamorphosis and one month has already passed, then Shigaraki is already more powerful than he was before at between 80% to 90% stabilization. Second, how do we know the “intel” Stain gave the superheroes was not intentionally leaked to them? What if it is a false lead to make the superheroes go on a wild goose chase to keep them off Shigaraki’s and All For One’s scent? Because All For One is a highly intelligent mastermind with impressive foresight, I would not be surprised if this was the case. If this is true, then it would give Shigaraki more time to complete his transformation. I look forward to finding out how this will unfold as the story progresses.
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
In recent chapters of My Hero Academia, we got an idea of what kind of defenses the superheroes put in place in preparation of the supervillains’ next move. The hero academies have been turned into evacuation shelters for both superheroes and civilians alike. UA Highschool has drastically upgraded its defenses since the USJ attack to the point in which it rivals those of Tartarus Prison. It has been noted that the defenses of UA Highschool seem to be specifically designed to counter Tomura Shigaraki’s augmented Decay quirk. The previously disillusioned civilians have also begun to reconcile with the superheroes after Deku returned to the academy.
Despite all the preparations they have made, I think the superheroes and civilians are still in danger. Even though Himoko Toga has been MIA since the Paranormal Liberation War, the superheroes believe they have found a way to counter her shapeshifting abilities. The reason for this is because they have deduced the time limit for her Transform quirk. After hearing how Toga’s quirk evolved by copying the quirks of those she turns into, it is likely that Ochaco Uraraka revealed this information to the superheroes after the Paranormal Liberation War. Still, I think the superheroes continue to underestimate the threat Toga presents.
The superheroes are under the impression that Toga will directly try to infiltrate UA herself with her shapeshifting abilities. I think she already has infiltrated the school. However, I think she will use a different strategy, one the superheroes will never see coming. I mentioned before the possibility that Toga will get her hands on the blood of Twice’s corpse. Toga has always said that she wanted to be closer to those she loves by drinking their blood and shapeshifting into them. She saw Twice as a surrogate big brother, which would make him someone she loves. She might acquire his blood from the villain mansion or from a morgue. With Twice’s blood, Toga won’t only assume Twice’s appearance and copy his duplication quirk to resurrect him, but I think she will use it for something far more ambitious. If Toga copies Twice’s quirk after ingesting his blood, the threat that Hawks tried to prevented by killing Twice would return with a vengeance. Not only would Twice be resurrected and be able to unleash his Sad Man’s Parade once more, but Toga could mass produce an army of spies for herself.
With these spies, Toga and a Twice clone could kidnap and kill dozens or hundreds of civilians and make copies of them. These copies would infiltrate UA and be assumed to be normal citizens. With Twice dead, the superheroes will not suspect that his duplication power was being used. When enough infiltrators are in place, Toga and the Twice clone would attack UA from within. It will be like the MHA version of the Fall of Troy.
Overall, I think Himiko Toga is preparing a nasty surprise for the superheroes. I hope we find out what it is in the next few chapters.
I had an interesting idea regarding my superhero series. After I am done with the Herawulf Rising series, I am planning to write a separate story that is told from the point of view of a supervillain. It will be like The Boys where the world’s superheroes are heroes in name only and are really a bunch of privileged and corrupt thugs. Then one of these false heroes causes trouble for the main character, which motivates him to pursue a path of vengeance and destruction. My protagonist will reflect what I would do if I became a supervillain and will possess the darkest aspects of my character. Overall, this is easily going to be one of my darkest stories and I will be treading through the penumbra of the dark side while writing it.
I just had a disturbing idea regarding My Hero Academia. I believe that All For One, the most powerful and sinister supervillain in Japan, is Deku’s biological father. Since the start of the series, Deku’s father has been notably absent from the story. Supposedly, Deku’s father has been “away on business”, according to Deku’s mother. However, I think Deku’s father has not been absent from the story at all. Thanks to Doctor Ujiko, All For One acquired a quirk called Life Force, which greatly extends his longevity, which has allowed him to remain active for over a century. I think throughout his long life, All For One has undergone many names and aliases in order to remain hidden. Doctor Ujiko, who also has the Life Force quirk, has done the same thing in order to conceal his identity. Perhaps, while assuming the name of “Hisashi Midoriya”, All For One thought posing as a wife and husband would make it easier to cover his tracks from All Might. One must remember that Doctor Ujiko was the exact same doctor that Deku and his mother went to see when Deku was a child. The doctor revealed that Deku was quirkless, but I think there was more to it than that. The fact that Ujiko was the physician that claimed Deku was quirkless means that All For One was involved. All For One is infamous for stealing the quirks of others and making them his own. Maybe Deku did have a quirk after all, but All For One discreetly took it from him. That would mean that Deku had a quirk that threatened All For One so greatly that he had to strip him of it. Maybe Deku inherited the All For One quirk and All For One himself saw Deku as a threat to his plans. If All For One is Deku’s father, the fact that he was absent in the story could also be connected to when he was weakened by All Might. There is a delicious sense of irony to All Might taking Deku under his wing because he would unwittingly make the son of his mortal enemy his successor. This would be similar to how Tomura Shigaraki became the apprentice of All For One since Shigaraki was the grandson of a One For All wielder. If All For One is Deku’s father, was Deku’s mother aware of her husband’s true identity? If this theory is true, All For One may have sired Deku, but he was never Deku’s father in bond. All Might has been more of a father figure to Deku than Deku’s own father has been. All Might was the one who bonded with Deku, raised him in the ways of the superhero, and supported him every step of the way. I look forward to seeing if this theory is true in future chapters.
“Such is the nature of evil. Out there in the vast ignorance of the world it festers and spreads. A shadow that grows in the dark. A sleepless malice as black as the oncoming wall of night. So it ever was. So will it always be. In time all foul things come forth.”
Thranduil, The Desolation of Smaug
After Deku’s fight with Lady Nagant, it was revealed that All For One wasted no time in gathering a new army of followers after breaking out of Tartarus Prison. During his one-man crusade, Deku has fought and defeated a number of these new acolytes and was saved from the latest one by his classmates. All For One recruited these supervillains and sicced them on Deku in order to erode Deku’s stamina and willpower. However, I think these escapees are just the beginning.
Tartarus Prison was home to the worst of the worst when it came to supervillains. All For One also liberated inmates from half a dozen other prisons, resulting in ten thousand criminals rampaging across Japan. According to Hawks, even though thousands of supervillains are now free, only Lady Nagant posed a significant threat to Deku. However, as proven by Lady Nagant, All For One can compensate for these supervillains’ relative weakness by giving them additional quirks. Also, like Lady Nagant, All For One can cover his tracks by setting up an explosive failsafe to prevent his minions from leaking information.
However, I think the recent escapees are just the beginning. Like Doctor Ujiko and Gigantomachia, I think All For One has other powerful followers from his glory days that have gone into hiding after he was weakened by All Might. Now that hero society is crumbling and All For One has returned to power, it is the perfect opportunity for these minions to come out of hiding. This would raise the stakes even higher than before.
One thing to consider is who will ultimately become the true leader of these creatures of darkness. For the moment, these supervillains follow All For One, but that could change if the vestige of All For One loses control over Tomura Shigaraki. If Shigaraki overthrows All For One’s vestige and kills All For One himself, will the supervillains follow Shigaraki? Considering Shigaraki could reach 100% and become stronger than All For One by the time he wakes up, I think it would be easy for Shigaraki to exert his authority over these supervillains. One way or another, the formation of this new League of Villains will herald the next stage of the new age of darkness.
As Deku prepares to fight his own classmates, my thoughts drift to Ochaco Uraraka. Throughout last chapter, we got to see her reaction to Deku leaving UA and his burden as a wielder of One For All. She looked neither sad nor angry, but deadly serious. It is no secret that Uraraka is secretly in love with Deku yet has been reluctantly to confess her feelings to him. Now, she is forced to fight the boy she loves in order to save him from himself. On the outside, she may seen serious. However, I bet she is struggling to keep herself from breaking down emotionally after seeing Deku in such a decrepit and wretched state. Uraraka has made it her mission to be the kind of superhero who saves other superheroes. Now, with Deku losing himself, Uraraka may be about to get another chance to save Deku when he needs saving the most. This may be when she finally confesses her love for Deku in an attempt to make him come to his senses. I guess we’ll find out in future chapters.
Once again, I am noticing a sense of parallelism between Deku and Tomura Shigaraki. Earlier in the series, Shigaraki fought Gigantomachia for months without rest. Then he had to fight Re-Destro and his Meta Liberation Army shortly afterwards. After experiencing so much exhaustion and mental strain, Shigaraki’s Decay quirk experienced an awakening where its full power was unleashed. At the same time, Shigaraki regained his lost memories and remembered why he became a supervillain in the first place. This resulted in him being liberated in every conceivable way and took the first step to reach his full potential as a supervillain. I think we are about to see something similar happen to Deku in future chapters. Like Shigaraki, Deku has pushed himself to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion after fighting nonstop for over a month. Now, he is about to fight his own classmates in Class 1A while running on fumes. At the beginning of the fight, I think Deku will get the upper hand, but his friends will overwhelm him when his stamina is spent. That is likely when One For All undergoes its own awakening just as Shigaraki’s Decay underwent an awakening. When that happens, Deku might finally complete One For All in its entirety. It may also be when Deku is reminded of why he wanted to be a superhero in the first place. While Shigaraki’s quirk awakening instilled fear, I think Deku’s will inspire hope. This will likely be when Deku reaches his breaking point and comes to his senses.
Grady P Brown - Author 