Before All Might (Kenta Miyake) was My Hero Academia‘s Number One Hero, he was just a Quirkless teen named Toshinori Yagi. Another link in a generations long cycle, young Toshinori professed his beliefs to Nana Shimura (Mie Sonozaki), the bearer of the legendary Quirk: One For All. Toshinori believed that Heroes hadn’t put a meaningful dent in crime because people didn’t have a symbol in which to invest their hopes; a pillar to rest on. Had he the power, he’d become that pillar. Charmed, Nana forged that link, inviting Toshinori into a heroic legacy.
Now, he is that pillar of which he once dreamed. Facing down the man who created his Quirk decades prior–All For One (Akio Otsuka)–Toshinori’s inherited might is failing. Clashing in a miles wide crater of destroyed buildings, All For One’s menagerie of Quirks are chipping away at the last of All Might’s strength. While the battle-wary Mandalay (Meiko Kawasaki) and Gran Torino (Kenichi Ogata) try to keep him going from the sidelines, All For One continues a mixed barrage of air blasts and taunts. Each air blast is meant to weaken All Might’s physical resolve, and with his ultimate taunt All For One hopes to break the Symbol of Peace’s spirit: his villain protege–Tomura Shigaraki–is the son of Nana Shimura.
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All Might is cut deeply by this revelation, but still Nana’s words echo in his ears, “Remember your origin. That will push you just a little past your limit.” Nana’s son may be a turd, and All Might may have never realized the connection, but that isn’t important now. He’s the one who smiles so others don’t feel afraid. He’s the pillar on which their hope rests.
The news helicopter circles the battlefield, and people around the world are watching each dramatic turn. While most of the audience is weighing the odds, or questioning the abilities of Pro Heroes in general, the students from UA High all watch in terror. For the first time, All Might’s dauntless muscular form has dissipated in public. Shock at this skeletal form sweeps through all the onlookers as they wonder if All Might–if anyone–can stand up to this villain.
Hovering above his nemesis, All For One knows that All Might has already passed his Quirk on to Izuku (Daiki Yamashita). Figuring he understands the mechanics of One For All–having created it and all–he expects that the flame of its power will gutter out at any moment. He blasts out another gust of air, expecting his birthday wish to come true. Perhaps if he still had eyes, he would’ve seen the gout of flame hurling in to deflect the gust of air. In the nick of time, the cadre of Heroes arrive on the scene to aid All Might and rescue anyone in need.
Scooping Ragdoll and Mandalay into his arms, Tiger (Shinnosuke Ogami) begs All Might to save everyone from this unstoppable villain. As he departs, he reminds All Might that no matter what he looks like, he’s still the number one hero. Around the world, people shout and pray for All Might to win. Annoyed by the sentimentality, All For One blasts all of the Heroes away before readying his final assault on All Might. One after another, he stacks various Quirks into his right arm, transforming it into a hulking spiked monstrosity. With one final punch, he will kill All Might.
On the ground, using the strength of his original ambition, All Might summons what’s left of his Quirk into his right arm. Their punches clash, and All Might cannot relent against the power. Sensing his victory at hand, All For One gloats as All Might’s arm shatters, but it’s in this moment that All Might plays a feint. Transferring all of his power from his right arm to his left, All Might lands a left hook on All For One’s thumb of a head. It’s a surprisingly ineffective punch, but it was also another feint.
With truly–for real this time–the last of his strength, All Might reinflates his shattered right arm to lay “The United States of Smash” into All For One’s thumbskull. The winds whipped up by the punch settle, and the Symbol of Hate lies motionless. All Might stands triumphant, reinflating to his muscular form for the last time to set the billions watching at ease. As the drama plays out on a jumbotron, Izuku and Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto) watch from the crowd. Everyone around them is elated, but the boys are savvy enough not to buy the act.
More Pro Heroes swarm in to rescue people from the rubble and help the police cart off a still-alive All For One. Deflated once more, All Might points to the news camera and offers the challenge, “Next, it’s your turn.” Whether perceived as a threat to the other villains out there, or a call for other Heroes to rise up, the crowd loves it. Tears welling in his eyes, Izuku Midoriya recognizes the statement for what it really is: the end of All Might.
While his rival stands next to him in tears, Katsuki Bakugo watches with an expression of somber understanding.
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