My Hero Academia threw the franchise for a loop in its most recent, jaw-dropping installment. The series has always been filled with some of anime’s best villains, but one of the series’ most notable villains may not be a bad guy after all.
It’s a difficult concept to fully understand, but Shigaraki, easily one of the most powerful characters in the franchise, might not have been as evil as his actions led him to be. The final arc of the series revealed some of the most groundbreaking truths yet, and it’s only going to get better from here.
All For One has always been an incredibly evil villain, but his final act could have cemented him as one of the best villains in the entire art form.
My Hero Academia is Peak Shōnen
Its final season is one of the best ever
My hero academia, over the past decade, has been considered one of the best shōnen anime series of modern times. The last three seasons, especially the last and most recent, have not only cemented its status as a great of the new generation, but also propelled it among the best anime of all time.
Each character seems to reach their peak in the final season, with characters like All For One, Deku, and especially Bakugo taking the series to a whole new level. Bakugo has always been one of the most exciting parts of My hero academia, and his character arc reached an all-time high in the final season.
Bakugo is disturbed in the best way possible. He was chasing the strongest villain in the series with a smile on his face, shouting that he was actually “The Final Boss”, not All For One. The moment was only made better by the absurdly good animation that brought it to life, creating a fitting ending for All For One’s original body.
There are a ton of amazing villains in the series
Dabi, Twice, Himiko and more
There aren’t many shōnen series with multiple incredible villains. Usually a great shōnen series has an equally great main antagonist, but that’s it. The secondary villains can feel flat, boring, and nowhere near powerful enough to warrant being afraid. My Hero Academia fixes that by including a litany of deep and thought-provoking villains that add a ton to the franchise.
Dabi is a terrifying character. He is one of the strongest characters in My hero academia, with firepower that matches, and sometimes exceeds, that of his father. His character is as rich as his power, as his background is one of the most intriguing elements of him.
Dabi was once Endeavor’s son and a character with a lot of potential. After being neglected by his father, Dabi lost his mind, nearly committing suicide while trying to master his dangerous abilities. He is one of several supporting villains with a compelling backstory, showing how diverse and heartbreaking the series’ villains are.
Shigaraki was never a bad guy
He was a pawn in the All For One game
There is no denying that Shigaraki has done terrible things. Alongside All For One, he has been the series’ greatest antagonist from the start, terrorizing both the students of UA High School and the general Japanese population. His Quirk, Decay, allows him to destroy anything he touches, making him one of the most powerful Quirks in the franchise.
While Deku and the rest of the heroes have been led to believe that Shigaraki has always chosen evil, a recent revelation could call his entire existence into question. All For One admitted that he had orchestrated Shigaraki’s entire life in order to make himself a perfect host body.
Shigaraki was bad, but was it his choice? All For One argues that Shigaraki never had a choice in the matter, even giving him his brutal Quirk in an attempt to break the young man’s spirit before he could ever walk.
This raises a lot of questions, to say the least. How guilty is Shigaraki after this information is revealed? Shigaraki himself stated that he only wanted to be a hero to his friends, showing that he never really wanted to be evil. It’s a moral dilemma that only makes My Hero Academia stand out as a premier series.
All For One is one of the best anime villains
Creating another villain like Shigaraki takes everyone to another level
While Shigaraki’s status as a villain is debatable, there’s no doubt that All For One has just established himself as one of, if not the greatest anime villains of all time. He’s such a great villain that he could be the main character of his own series, showcasing his rise to power and his manipulation of friends and foes alike.
There are plenty of great villains in the anime: Frieza, Meruem, Pain, and more, but none of them were as methodically evil as All For One. He created another villain equal to him in evil just so he could use his body later.
He didn’t care about raising Shigaraki like many thought; instead, he used him as a pawn before he was even born. He manipulated Shigaraki’s father, gave him a terrible Quirk and removed his reversibility, and used his body as if it were nothing more than a vessel awaiting his return. It’s one of the many reasons why My Hero Academia will go down as an all-time great.
- Movies)
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My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018), My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019), My Hero Academia: Mission of the World’s Heroes (2021)
- First film
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My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
- Cast
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Daiki Yamashita, Kenta Miyake, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Yûki Kaji, Aoi Yuki, Kaito Ishikawa, Toshiki Masuda, Marina Inoue, Yoshimasa Hosoya
- TV shows
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My Hero Academia
- Video games
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My Hero Academia: Battle for All, My Hero One’s Justice, My Hero One’s Justice 2
- Character(s)
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Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Shoto Todoroki, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu, Fumikage Tokoyami
