A Controversial My Hero Academia Twist Is Still Consistent with the Theme of the Manga (2024)

Warning: This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia's final arc!!My Hero Academia is immensely popular as a series, so obviously not every story decision is going to go over well. It's an impossible task to fulfill every fan's desire, so somewhere, a fan is going to be disappointed over the direction an author takes their plot. But one reveal in the villainous Tomura Shigaraki's backstory has garnered significant conflict, and that's the fact his natural quirk is not Decay.

The quirk known as Decay is revealed to actually be a modified version of the 'Overhaul' quirk, and was actually given to Shigaraki as a child by All For One. Some readers think that this is a convenient plot device, a cheap excuse to make All For One almost solely responsible for the horrible childhood trauma that transformed Tenko Shimura into Tomura.

However, it's not inconsistent with the theme of My Hero Academia, nor should it have been that surprising of a reveal. In fact, it only stands to reinforce the theme of the manga and the ultimate goal of Deku and the other students at U.A., by making All For One even more deplorable than ever.

How All For One Manipulated Shigaraki's Life

A Look into the Orchestrated Tragedy of the Shimura Family

Back in the 'My Villain Academia' arc, Shigaraki's backstory was revealed in detail. It was there that it turned out he was actually the grandson of Nana Shimura, a previous wielder of One For All and mentor to All Might, who had abandoned her family to try and spare them from All For One's wrath. Then known as Tenko Shimura, he wished to be a great hero someday, much to the chagrin of his hero-hating father.

After being abused by his father for finding an old picture of Nana in his study (which he was told not to go into), Tenko had a breakdown and awakened his quirk, Decay. He then proceeded to accidentally kill his dog Mon and the rest of his family as his quirk spiraled out of control. Afterward, he wandered the streets in a fugue state, frightening passersby with his 'creepy' look, before being picked up by All For One.

However, Chapter #419 revealed something that drastically changed Tenko's backstory - that he had been given the Decay quirk by All For One after he had his natural quirk stripped of him as an infant. The reveal further implicates that All For One essentially groomed Shigaraki to become the perfect villain and vessel for his power, having a hand in his birth, various events in his life, and finally giving him the Decay quirk.

Some criticism has come from this revelation. Some think that it essentially removes agency from Shigaraki as a character, others that it hadn't been intended from the start, and a general distaste for All For One revealing this while hijacking Shigaraki's body for himself. All For One had seemingly met his end in Chapter #410, so his sudden return feels like a cheap way to bring back the dead villain to some. But All For One represents a key figure that clashes against the theme of the manga - that 'anyone can be a hero.'

How All For One Represents the Antithesis of My Hero Academia's Theme

The Ultimate Villain Against the Ultimate Heroes

A key theme presented from the very first chapter of MHA is that 'anyone can be a hero.' This doesn't necessarily mean anyone can put on spandex and become a superhero, but rather that a normal person can be a hero to anyone, regardless of their strength. Chapter #1 displays this best when Midoriya runs at the Sludge villain to save Bakugo, which is what inspires All Might to give One For All to the boy.

This ties into an issue repeatedly pointed out in the quirk-wielding society of MHA, that people have become too reliant on the Pro Heroes to show up and solve problems. It's specifically highlighted in Shigaraki's backstory - rather than helping a child clearly in need, people just let him be and figured that a hero would come and help him. But if someone else had helped Shigaraki back then, it's possible that All For One's plot could've been foiled before the series even began.

All For One relies on the public's reliance on heroes to thrive, utilizing the ignorance of the public to subtly shift things in his favor for decades on end in a bid to rule the world. It could have worked, if it weren't for the fact that Deku sees those problems with the world and wants to change that perception. Midoriya is an exceptionally kind soul who truly only wants to help everyone, and sees the potential for anyone to become a hero, and that includes Shigaraki. It is this kindness that will encourage Shigaraki to, undoubtedly, break free from All For One's control.

Shigaraki, or rather, Tenko, will get his moment. Everyone has the capacity to be a hero, even if they began as a villain. The destruction that he has wrought won't be forgiven, but his last moments will be something truly heroic. Thus, the twist isn't a cheap way to justify Deku's motivation to save Shigaraki despite all his crimes, but instead gives the young villain a way to take back his agency from the man who stole it from him in the first place. Tenko will then fully embody the theme of 'anyone can be a hero,' fighting alongside Deku to finish off this ultimate villain.

Ultimately, this only serves to strengthen this underlying, clear theme for My Hero Academia as it comes to its close. All For One is essentially evil incarnated, a representation of all that is bad in the world of MHA. Thus, his control over Shigaraki's life isn't inconsistent with the theme that's set up, but rather an extension that shows why All For One is the antithesis of that theme in the first place, and why he is the perfect final antagonist for everyone in the series to face.

My Hero Academia (2016)

Action

Superhero

Animation

Where to Watch

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In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.

Production Company

Bones

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Crunchyroll

Franchise

My Hero Academia

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamash*ta

Website

https://www.funimation.com/shows/my-hero-academia/