Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 7, Episode #17 (#155)My Hero Academiahas just revealed a secret that Shigaraki has managed to keep even from All for One, who continually encroaches on his mind, and that secret is finally allowing the real final battle–that between Shigaraki and Deku–to kick off. After all, the being Deku has been fighting so far has been the All for One persona dominating Shigaraki’s body, not Shigaraki himself.
Shigaraki’s development in the lead-up to the final war was complex, establishing thatShigaraki was as much a victim of All for Oneas he was a villain in his own right, with All for One trying to take Shigaraki’s body for his own and craft a new merged persona. The new persona has largely been dominated by All for One, with few elements of Shigaraki’s own personality present. That has been evident throughout the battle against the Shigaraki/All for One villain so far, as he’s behaved far more like All for One (except for his outburst against Lemillion, which was clearly Shigaraki).
Shigaraki Cleverly Avoided Being Swallowed Up by All for One
In episode 17, Shigaraki revealed that he had hidden his “core” deep within himself, to avoid disappearing completely into the amalgamated being that All for One was set on creating. That core has been represented by young Tenko Shimura, covered by hundreds of hands which block him from view. While some fusion between their two personas had already taken place, by hiding this core, Shigaraki managed to keep himself intact through sheer willpower, and is finally able to overpower the All for One persona and take control of his body again.
This sets up Deku to battle the real Shigaraki, not All for One controlling Shigaraki’s body, as has been the case thus far. Many fans have been eagerly awaiting this turn of events, asShigaraki is generally considered a far more compelling villain than All for Oneis.This isn’t necessarily a good thing for Deku, however; Shigaraki is far more proficient at using his own Quirk than All for One was, and having taken Shigaraki down to the surface, Deku no longer has the support of other heroes, most importantly Aizawa and Monoma, who had been canceling Shigaraki’s ability to use Quirks.
My Hero Academia Just Brought Back Two Villains, & They Finally Settle a Controversial Fan Debate
Episode 16 of season 7 sees the return of two familiar faces, whose arrival proves that even a villain can come back from the darkness and be a hero.
While All for One had some vested interest in keeping Midoriya alive, if only long enough to steal One for All back, Shigaraki also has no such motive, as he doesn’t care about One for All either way. Shigaraki being back in control arguably makes the fight much more dangerous for Deku, but it also gives Deku the chance to “save” Shigaraki the way that he’s always wanted to.
Shigaraki Versus Deku is the True Final Battle
Deku’s True Nemesis Has Always Been Shigaraki
As the two inheritors of All for One and One for All, Deku’s true adversary has always been Shigaraki, not All for One. It’s far more fitting for Deku to be up against Shigaraki, and it putsDeku’s morals to the test, given how set he has been on trying to save that crying young boy he saw inside Shigaraki. Shigaraki’s full destructive power is now unleashed, however, and if Deku is to prevent him from creating mass devastation, he may not have a choice about how to bring this battle to an end.
For Shigaraki’s part, his only goal is destruction, and he may choose to maximize the damage he inflicts on the world over battling Deku directly.With the immense power his Decay has now, being on the ground is exceptionally dangerous, as he could unleash another wave of Decay like he did in the Paranormal Liberation War, which killed thousands. Fortunately, UA seems to have been hovering over an unpopulated area, so Shigaraki’s destruction won’t kill quite so many, although it could still be devastating to the landscape.
One thing is for sure: the battle between Deku and the real Shigaraki is going to be an interesting one, as Deku must face not only a deadly villain, but also his own beliefs about saving villains–something we’ve already seen bear fruit in the last episode. This battle will no doubt have a massive impact on the remainder of the series, as the fate of the world ultimately rests more on this fight than anything else that’s going on.My Hero Academia’s true final battle is a test of wills between Shigaraki and Deku, and this struggle has always been at the core of the series.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
