The latest episode of My Hero Academia Final Season delivered one of the series’ most shocking twists, revealing that the villain Tomura Shigaraki was a carefully crafted project from the very beginning. In an emotionally heavy installment, the show explored the depths of Shigaraki’s past while unveiling that the master villain All For One orchestrated every part of his tragic life, including his birth and the awakening of his destructive Quirk.
The Emotional Battle Inside Shigaraki’s Mind
The episode focuses on Izuku Midoriya reaching into Shigaraki’s subconscious in an attempt to save the scared child within the villain. Deku encounters the young Tenko Shimura and witnesses the painful memories of his abusive father and the tragic, accidental activation of his Decay Quirk that killed his entire family, including his beloved dog. This sequence was noted for its emotional weight and for not holding back on the darker themes.
Deku, in his child form, tries to intervene in the memory, offering Shigaraki a different path and showing him kindness he never received. For a moment, it seems like this empathy might break through Shigaraki’s hatred. He even imagines a life where he could have played with friends. However, this hope is short-lived.
One forum user shared the collective shock, writing, “Damn, what a plot twist, as if I already didn’t feel bad enough for Shigaraki.”
All For One’s Master Plan Is Revealed
Just as Shigaraki’s emotional barriers are down, All For One emerges within his subconscious. The episode reveals the horrifying truth that All For One did not simply find and manipulate Shigaraki. He actively planned his entire existence, even stealing the Quirk factor the boy was supposed to inherit from his parents and replacing it with the Decay Quirk.
This twist recontextualizes Shigaraki’s entire life from a series of tragic accidents to a long-term, cruel experiment. All For One is shown to have been pulling the strings from the shadows, designing Shigaraki to become the perfect vessel for his own consciousness. His goal is to completely erase Shigaraki’s spirit and take over his body as his own.
The reveal was so impactful that one reviewer noted, “This aspect entirely changed the whole narrative and made this episode absolutely brilliant.”
Aizawa and Eri Turn the Tide
While the internal battle rages, the physical conflict sees a turning point thanks to Shota Aizawa and Eri. After Deku briefly loses his arms during the struggle, Eri selflessly offers to use her Rewind Quirk to heal him, allowing him to continue fighting.
Meanwhile, Aizawa executes a clever plan with the help of other heroes, including Sero, Ojiro, and Sato, to ambush and restrain the newly emerged combined entity of All For One and Shigaraki. Aizawa also confronts Kurogiri, the reanimated form of his old friend Oboro Shirakumo, in a deeply emotional scene that adds another layer of tragedy to All For One’s widespread influence.
Also Read:
The Final Stand Gathers
The episode ends on a note of collective action, reminiscent of a classic team-up moment. With the main villain powered up and the heroes on the back foot, Class 1-A and other allied characters arrive on the battlefield through Warp Gates, setting the stage for an all-out final confrontation. This moment was widely compared by viewers to the portal scene in Avengers: Endgame.
Adding a special treat for fans, the episode also featured a secret cameo. Astro, the main character from series creator Kohei Horikoshi‘s earlier manga Barrage, made his anime debut. This marked a full-circle moment for Horikoshi’s work, with the character being fully voiced for the first time.
Also Read: Dear X Episodes 1-6 Recap: How Ah-jin’s Calculated Rise Threatens to Unravel
Also Read: My Hero Academia Final Season Episode 8: Release Date and Key Details
Credits: ComicBook.com
