I’m in actual tears even though I’ve seen the leaks already. Shouto is the most soulful character of this manga and this chapter was an ode to everything I love about him:
his wisdom
his earnestness
his kindness
his endearing awkwardness
his appreciation of his friends
his constant soul-searching
his humility and gratitude
And it’s so satisfying to see him finally finding not only his own way, but his own drive. He knows who he wants to be and why and it gives him an incredible sense of serenity.
He shows so clearly in so many little and big ways how he’s the opposite of his father still (too many to count), but this time not out of pettiness, but for all the right reasons and the right way. He is not the perfect masterpiece - instead his imperfect and free-running, but also with a deep sense of his roots, accepting all of it - the good and bad and painful.
All of Shouto’s lines were so on point. Loved his little (and very overdue) talk with Izuku. “This is the one fight I cannot run away from”. (The one Endeavor ran away from is left unsaid).
Shouto doesn’t run away. He knows he has to do this, because it is who he is. He knows also that fighting Touya’s fire with fire can only end in tragedy, so he goes back to the drawing board to reinvent himself. He steps away from Endeavor’s way of thinking - he doesn’t turn up the power even more - he turns it down. HK is bringing it all together - Shouto’s power which is just a single power of temperature regulation after all (congrats to the Hero Entropy crowd!), something he can unleash from the core of his heart with infinite MP to show exactly who he is.
“Only I can find out the reason I was born in that house” - this line killed me. Then his smile, so full of gratitude, and a beautiful recall to Midoriya vs Todoroki killed me a second time (Mt Lady was right, this version of Shouto is lethal).
In stark contrast to Shouto’s hard-earned hopefulness stands Touya’s raging fatalism - echoing Stain’s ideology (Stain cameo next with Iida to the rescue?) and the logic of old hero society. Where Shouto sees himself in Touya, Touya still sees Shouto as his opposite as he launches his full-out attack of destruction, turning Kamino into an actual hellscape of bubbling ground and columns of lava to erase everything.
And it’s so beautiful how Shouto find his safe place where he can concentrate from in his friends, in Class A, that accepted him and made him feel belong. His safety net gives him the power to counter the toxicity of their home, the abuse that’s still powering Touya.
Shouto doesn’t make a big speech, he just lets his Ultimate Moves speak for him, which is not about outcompeting each other in destruction like the logic Endeavor created them in, but about putting out Endeavor’s flames of madness still burning in Touya, while embracing his brother, stopping his self-destruction and trying to open his eyes to a different way.
Shouto finally finds his true power to make a stand for his family, for his brother, for the hope that it’s never too late to change the path on, for the friends and allies who gave him a safe place to stand on and reinvent himself as many times as it takes.
He creates this hauntingly beautiful, white empty space, where just for a frozen moment they can exist together in peace. Touya, who went to Sekoto peak to show his power only to feel abandoned and unseen. Shouto, who wanted to play with his brother only to be torn away. The fire that divided them is gone.
Shouto finds a way to calm Touya’s raging inner child, to show him how far he’ll go for him, how he won’t give up, how much he wants to soothe his pain, how much he is not Endeavor’s puppet, but someone who carved his own path. He backs up his words with his entire heart and actions.
shigaraki’s so mf sexy I’m not even casually saying it like I usually do anymore at this point he’s so mf big sexy and big hot and I need him to marry me this instant I am not asking I am DEMANDING
This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.
1 AFOには明確に弱点がある オール・フォー・ワンにはめいかくにじゃくてんがある OORU FOO WAN ni wa meikaku ni jakuten ga aru “All For One clearly has a weak point.”
tagline 1 VSオール・フォー・ワン始まる‼︎ バーサスオール・フォー・ワンはじまる‼︎ BAASASU OORU FOO WAN hajimaru!! VS All For One begins!!
tagline 2 No.354ここだ‼︎ ナンバー354ここだ‼︎ NANBAA 354 koko da!! No. 354 Here it is!!
2 生命維持装置です マスクです MASUKU (kanji: seimei iji souchi) desu “It’s his mask (read as: life support system).”
small text 見たまんまスけど みたまんまスけど mita manmaSU kedo “Though we can all see it.”
3 ステインがくれた脱獄時の記録でも装置ごと移動していた ステインがくれただつごくじのきろくでもそうちごといどうしていた SUTEIN ga kureta datsugokuji no kiroku demo souchi goto idou shite ita “Even on the record from the jailbreak we got from Stain, he traveled with the entire device.”
4 外したままで活動する事は出来ない はずしたままでかつどうすることはできない hazushita mama de katsudou suru koto wa dekinai “With it removed, he won’t be able to be active.”
5 ……それは当人が最も理解しているだろうよ ……それはとうにんがもっともりかいしているだろうよ ……sore wa tounin ga motto mo rikai shite iru darou yo “……That is probably something he understands best of all.”
6 数で攻めるのが定石ですが…奴に限っては「"個性"の強奪」がある かずでせめるのがセォリーですが…やつにかぎっては「"こせい"のごうだつ」がある kazu de semeru no ga SEORII desu ga…yatsu ni kagitte wa 「"kosei" no goudatsu」ga aru “To attack with numbers is the standard tactic, but…when it comes to him, he can rob quirks.”
7 貴重な戦力を養分にされるわけにはいきません きちょうなせんりょくをようぶんにされるわけにはいきません kichou na senryoku wo youbun ni sareru wake ni wa ikimasen “We can’t make our valuable forces into sustenance for him.”
1 No.1と俺少数最高戦力の連携 ナンバーワンとおれしょうすうさいこうせんりょくの NANBAA WAN to ore shousuu saikou senryoku no “The Number One and me, as our top battle strength with few numbers,”
2 連携で叩く！ れんけいでたたく！ renkei de tataku! “will strike with cooperation!”
3 無視は酷いな！ むしはひどいな！ mushi wa hidoi na! “How cruel to ignore someone!”
1 エンデヴァーさん！ ENDEVAA-san! “Endeavor-san!”
2 ヘルカーテイン‼︎ HERU KAATEIN!! “Hell’s Curtain!!”
3 先刻から露骨だな さっさからろこつだな sassa kara rokotsu da na “It was blatant from the beginning.”
1 元速すぎる男 もとはやすぎるおとこ moto haya sugiru otoko “The former man who is too fast”
2 リカバリーガールの[…]は戻らない[…]い羽を[…]で[…]して漸く[…]速度 リカバリーガールの[…]はもどらない[…]いはねを[…]で[…]してようやく[…]スピード RIKABARII GAARU no […] wa modoranai […] -i hane wo […] de […] shite youyaku […] SUPIIDO (Note: This line is something about how Recovery Girl couldn’t heal Hawks’ wings back to their former glory and probably how his speed has suffered for it.)
3 難儀スねお互い なんぎスねおたがい nangiSU ne otagai “We both have our hardships, huh?”
4 神野を消した広範囲衝撃波で下の戦力が巻きぞえをくらわぬように カミノをけしたこうはんいしょうげきはでしたのせんりょくがまきぞえをくらわぬように KAMINO wo keshita kouhani shougekiha de shita no senryoku ga makizoe wo kurawanu you ni “In order to keep him from getting the battle forces below caught up in all this with his wide range shockwave attacks that erased Kamino,”
5 距離は開けず至近戦闘で仕留める！ きょりはあけずしきんせんとうでしとめる！ kyori wa akezu shikinsentou de shitomeru! “without opening the distance, we’ll finish him off in close combat!”
6 ただし触れられてはいけない！ ただしふれられてはいけない！ tadashi furerarete wa ikenai! “However, we must not touch him!”
1 微妙にタイミングが合っていない びみょうにタイミングがあっていない bimyou ni TAIMINGU ga atte inai “Your timing is just slightly out of sync.”
2 エンデヴァーが精彩を欠いているんじゃないか？ エンデヴァーがせいさいをかいているんじゃないか？ ENDEVAA ga seisai wo kaite irunja nai ka? “Endeavor is lacking in brilliance, isn’t he?” (Note: Brilliance doesn’t mean intelligence here. It means vividness, like he’s lost his spark/edge.)
4 ダメージは入ってる！超再生の類は補給していない‼︎ ダメージははいってる！ちょうさいせいのたぐいはほきゅうしていない‼︎ DAMEEJI wa haitteru! chousaisei no tagui wa hokyuu shite inai!! “He’s taking damage! It’s not recovering from something like super regeneration!!”
5 ああエンデヴァー… aa ENDEVAA… “Yes Endeavor…”
6 皆己の役目を果たす為戦っているよ みんなおのれのやくめをはたすためたたかっているよ minna onore no yakume wo hatasu tame tatakatte iru yo “Everyone is fighting in order to fulfill their roles!”
1 若輩も誰も眼前の戦いに懸命なのに じゃくはいもだれもがんぜんのたたかいにけんめいなのに jakuhai mo dare mo ganzen no tatakai ni kenmei na noni “Even though everyone, even all the young people, are giving their all to the battle in front of them,”
2 何故君だけが心を他所に遣れる？ なぜきみだけがこころをよそにやれる？ naze kimi dake ga kokoro wo yoso ni yareru? “why is it only you who sends your heart elsewhere?”
3 傑作が失敗作を処分してくれたんだろ⁉︎ けっさくがしっぱいさくをしょぶんしてくれたんだろ⁉︎ kessaku ga shippaisaku wo shobun shite kuretandaro!? “Could it be the masterpiece has disposed of the failure!?” (Note: By implication, the masterpiece is Shouto and the failure is Touya.)
4 喜べよ⁉︎ よろこべよ⁉︎ yorokobe yo!? “Are you rejoicing!?”
5 黙れ‼︎ だめれ‼︎ damare!! “Shut up!!”
6 喋るな！ のるな！ noruna! “Don’t speak!”
7 神野のオールマイトを 思い出せ！ カミノのオールマイトを おもいだせ！ KAMINO no OORU MAITO wo omoi dase! “Remember All Might in Kamino!”
8 僕はね… ぼくはね… boku wa ne… “As for me,”
9 前々から君の"力への歪んだ希求"にも注目していたんだよ まえまえからきみの"ちからへのゆがんだききゅう"にもちゅうもくしていたんだよ maemae kara kimi no “chikara he no yuganda kikyuu” nimo chuumoku shite itanda yo “for a long, long time, I was paying attention to your distorted desire for power.”
10 僕ってやつは ぼくってやつは boku tte yatsu wa “I’m the sort of guy”
11 良い土を見ると種をまかずにはいられないんだ いいつちをみるとたねをまかずにはいられないんだ ii tsuchi wo miru to tane wo makazu ni wa irarenainda “who can’t help but sow seeds when I see good soil.”
1 燈矢くんの身体 とうやくんのからだ Touya-kun no karada “Touya-kun’s body,”
6 贖いに生きると決めた人は あがないにいきるときめたひとは aganai ni ikiru to kimeta hito wa “Those who decide to live on with redemption”
7 俺のように割り切ることができない おれのようにわりきることができない ore no you ni warikiru koto ga dekinai “cannot cleanly cut themselves off from others like I do.”
8 ーーやはり… —yahari… “—certainly…”
1 今のこの人に[…]勝つことは出来なかった いまのこのひとに[…]かつことはできなかった ima no kono hito ni […] katsu koto wa dekinakatta “This person now […] couldn’t win.”
2 ……っ “……!”
3 やけん yaken “Therefore”
4 俺がサポートするんやろが！ おれがサポートするんやろが！ ore ga SAPOOTO surun yaro ga! “I will support you!”
5 今の貴方の使命は いまのあなたのしめいは ima no anata no shimei wa “Right now your mission is”
6 速やかにAFOを倒す事だ‼︎ すみやかにオール・フォー・ワンをたおすことだ‼︎ sumiyaka ni OORU FOO WAN wo taosu koto da!! “the speedy defeat of All For One!!”
7 冷静にーー れいせいにーー reisei ni— “Calmly—”
8 オール・フォー・ワンンン‼︎ OORU FOO WANNN!! “ALL FOR ONEEE!!”
1 ここだ♪ koko da ♪ “Here it is ♪“
1 エンデヴァ- ENDEVA- “Endeavo-”
2 君は きみは kimi wa “As for you,”
3 この距離で避けられるのかな？ このきょりでよけられるのかな？ kono kyori de yokerareru no ka na? “can you dodge at this distance,’
4 ナガンの代替品よ ナガンのだいたいひんよ NAGAN no daitaihin yo “Nagant’s substitute?”
5 避けられない よけられない yokerarenai “I can’t avoid it.”
6 ならせめて nara semete “Then at least”
7 まだ"プロミネンスバーン"のあるエンデヴァーさんをーーー mada “PUROMINENSU BAAN” no aru ENDEVAA-san wo— “[I can protect] Endeavor-san who still has Prominence Burn—” (Note: The [I can protect] part of the sentence is the implied continuation of what Hawks would say if he could finish his sentence, but he is cut off.)
10 とA組の…！ とエーぐみの…！ to EE-gumi no…! “and one from Class A…!”
11 ダメだ‼︎君らの出る幕じゃない ダメだ‼︎きみらのでるまくじゃない DAME da!! kimira no deru maku ja nai “No!! This isn’t your business!”
12 死ぬぞ‼︎ しぬぞ‼︎ shinu zo!! “You’ll die!”
1 エンデヴァーの[か]わりには[…]れんが‼︎ ENDEVAA no [ka]wari ni wa […] -ren ga!! “In Endeavor’s place[…]!!” (Note: Too much of this sentence is cut off for me to make much sense of it.)
2 あなたとの連携なら俺が取れる‼︎ あなたとのれんけいならおれがとれる‼︎ anata to no renkei nara ore ga toreru!! “If I cooperate with you, I can take it on!!”
3 OFAに集る羽虫… ワン・フォー・オールにたかるはむし… WAN FOO OORU ni takaru hamushi… “The little gnats that swarm around One For All…”
4 昔読んだコミックにあったな むかしよんだコミックにあったな mukashi yonda KOMIKKU ni atta na “I read something in a comic long ago, you know.”
5 魔王引き立て役に充てられる脇役の話 まおうひきたてやくにあてられるわきやくのはなし maou hikitate yaku ni aterareru wakiyaku no hanashi “A story of supporting characters dedicated to making the Demon King look better.” (Note: This idiom is referring to foil characters. AFO is talking about side stories in which side characters are thrown at the villain (or “Demon King”) to make him appear strong or daunting when they epically lose to him.)
6 そーゆーの soo yuu no “So you say.”
7 倒してから言った方がよくない？ たおしてからいったほうがよくない？ taoshite kara itta hou ga yokunai? “Isn’t it better to say that after you’ve defeated us?”
8 AFO！ オール・フォー・ワン！ OORU FOO WAN! “All For One!”
small text …なんつって …nantsu tte “…just kidding.”
tagline 倒せ敵の親玉ーー耳郎＆常闇参戦‼︎ たおせヴィランのおやだまーーじろう＆とこやみさんせん‼︎ taose VIRAN no oyadama—Jirou & Tokoyami sansen!! To defeat the boss villain–Jirou & Tokoyami join the fight!!
2 辛かったろうに…‼︎ つらかったろうに…‼︎ tsurakattarou ni…!! “It must have been rough…!”
3 それでも…やってのけた…！ sore demo…yatte noketa…! “But still…he pulled it off…!”
4 あの子が‼︎ あのこが‼︎ ano ko ga!! “That kid!!”
5 蒼炎をやった‼︎ そうえんをやった‼︎ souen wo yatta!! “He got the blue flames!!” (Note: Colloquially, they’re basically saying “Shouto got him!”)
6 ショート‼︎ SHOOTO!! “Shouto!!”
7 ショートに続け‼︎ ショートにつづけ‼︎ SHOOTO ni tsudzuke!! “Continue on for Shouto!!”
8 残るはコイツだけだ‼︎ のこるはコイツだけだ‼︎ nokoru wa KOITSU dake da!! “This is the only one remaining!!”
9 物量で押せ‼︎ ぶつりょうでおせ‼︎ butsuryou de ose!! “Push him back with sheer numbers!”
10 数は既に逆転してんだ‼︎ かずはすでにぎゃくてんしてんだ‼︎ kazu wa sude ni gyakuten shitenda!! “Our numbers are already reversing* it!!” (Note: This means something like “turning the tide” in a fight.)
1 このブロックは"福引"運が良かったからなァ…！ このブロックは"ふくびき"うんがよかったからなァ…！ kono BUROKKU wa “fukubiki” un ga yokatta kara naA…! “It’s because this block’s ‘luck of the draw’ was good…!”
2 「KUNIEDA」や「ギャシュリー」ーーー… 「クニエダ」や「ギャシュリー」ーーー… 「KUNIEDA」ya 「GYASHURII」—… “Like Kunieda and Ghastly—…”
3 タルタロス出が入ってたら分からなかった‼︎ タルタロスでがはいってたらわからなかった‼︎ TARUTAROSU de ga haittetara wakaranakatta!! “I didn’t know if those Tartarus-escapees went in!!”
4 ツイてた奴ぁ運分け与えて平さねぇとな‼︎ ツイてたやつぁうんわけあたえてならさねぇとな‼︎ TSUIteta yatsua un wakeataete narasanee to na!! “Those crazy bastards need to hand out the luck!!”
5 神野区・グラウンドゼロからの報告は カミノく・グラウンドゼロからのほうこくは KAMINO-ku GURAUNDO ZERO kara no houkoku wa The report from Kamino Ward - Ground Zero
6 塚内らのいる指令部へと届き つかうちらのいるしれいぶへととどき Tsukauchi-ra no iru shireibu he to todoki reaches HQ where Tsukauchi and the others are
8 緑谷くんの転送の件はあるが… みどりやくんのてんそうのけんはあるが… Midoriya-kun no tensou no ken wa aru ga… “There is the case of Midoriya-kun’s transfer, but…”
9 とりあえずは幸先の良い一勝だ とりあえずはさいさきのいいいっしょうだ toriaezu wa saisaki no ii isshou da “for the time being, this is an auspicious win.” (Note: There is some nuance here. Tsukauchi is saying this is a single victory in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a good sign for what’s to come in the remaining battles.)
10 君が伝えろオールマイト！ きみがつたえろオールマイト！ kimi ga tsutaero OORU MAITO! “You tell them [the news], All Might!”
1 蛇腔病院跡・ギガントマキア拘束施設前 じゃくうびょういんあと・ギガントマキアこうそくしせつまえ Jakuu byouin ato ・ GIGANTOMAKIA kousokushi setsumae The ruins of Jakuu Hospital - in front of the restraint facility for Gigantomachia
2 各戦場に伝達される！ かくせんじょうにでんたつされる！ kakusenjou ni dentatsu sareru! Communicated to each battlefield!
3 轟頑張ったって‼︎ とどろきがんばったって‼︎ Todoroki ganbatta tte!! “They say Todoroki did his best!!”
1 ボヤッボヤしてるから心配だったけど杞憂だったね！好きだわ！ ボヤッボヤしてるからしんぱいだったけどきゆうだったね！すきだわ！ BOYABBOYA shiteru kara shinpai datta kedo kiyuu datta ne! suki da wa! “Because he’s so spacey I was worried, but it was needless anxiety! I like him!” (Note: Colloquially, in English this means “I was worried over nothing!” Also, Mt. Lady’s last sentence is likely a reference to how she liked Shouto’s airheadedness at the mock interviews. She had an inner monologue about liking Shouto. This is not an overtly perverted comment–though this is shounen manga so it’s not out of the question–but is more likely about how she likes Shouto’s vibe, his style, his persona, his hero…je ne sais quoi.)
2 完全に奇襲だったのに！何でこいつらここに居るんだ⁉︎ かんぜんにきしゅうだったのに！なんでこいつらここにいるんだ⁉︎ kanzen ni kishuu datta noni! nande koitsura koko ni irunda!? “It was a complete surprise attack! So why are these guys here!?”
3 散っていたように見せかけその実 ちっていたようにみせかけそのじつ chitte ita you ni misekake sono jitsu “They faked being scattered around, but in truth”
4 数十人のヒーローが予めこの地を防衛できるよう配置されていた すうじゅうにんのヒーローがあらかじめこのちをぼうえいできるようはいちされていた suujuunin no HIIROO ga arakajime kono chi wo bouei dekiru you haichi sarete ita “dozens of heroes were being placed in advance to be able to defend this land.”
5 我々別働隊の"戦力奪還"同時展開は読まれていたわけだ われわれべつどうたいの"せんりょくだっかん"どうじてんかいはよまれていたわけだ wareware betsudoutai no “senryoku dakkan” douji tenkai wa yomarete ita wake da “Looks like our simultaneous deployment of another squad to recover our forces was being read.” (Note: “Was being read” colloquially means something like “was seen through.”)
6 だが daga “However,”
7 人材の徒遣 じんざいのあだづかい jinzai no adadzukai “it’s a waste of human resources.”
8 これよりは解放の時代…虛妄を吐き散らす人間は蹂躙されるのみ これよりはかいほうのじだい…こもうをはきちらすにんげんはじゅうりんされるのみ kore yori wa kaihou no jidai…komou wo haki chirasu ningen wa juurin sareru nomi “From here on is an era of liberation…humans who spit out delusions will only be overrun”
9 あの雄英教師のようにな あのゆうえいきょうしのようにな ano yuuei kyoushi no you ni na “just like that UA teacher.”
3 "護衛"は無事完了した‼︎ピンキィ‼︎ "ごえい"はぶじかんりょうした‼︎ピンキィ‼︎ “goei” wa buji kanryou shita!! PINKII!! “The escort was safely completed!! Pinky!!”
4 皆‼︎やるぜ‼︎ みんな‼︎やるぜ‼︎ minna!! yaru ze!! “Everyone!! Let’s do this!!”
5 A組の轟が漢ぉ見せたんだ‼︎ ウチのとどろきがおとこぉみせたんだ‼︎ UCHI (kanji: EE-gumi) no Todoroi ga otokoo misetanda!! “Our (read as: Class A) Todoroki showed us his honor*!” (Note: Insert your Kirishima-flavored term of choice i.e. manliness, chivalry, etc.)
6 この防衛線絶対守り切る‼︎ このぼうえいせんぜってーまもりきる‼︎ kono boueisen zettee mamori kiru!! “We will completely protect this line of defense!!”
1 国立多古場競技場 こくりつたこばきょうぎじょう kokuritsu Takoba kyougijou National Takoba Stadium
2 この戦いが終わったら労わねえとな！ このたたかいがおわったらねぎらねえとな！ kono tatakai ga owattara negiranee to na! “When this battle is over, we’ll have to thank/reward him!”
3 レベルが違いすぎたって言われたの思い出すわ…！ レベルがちがいすぎたっていわれたのおもいだすわ…！ REBERU ga chigai sugita tte iwareta no omoi dasu wa…! “I seem to remember being told [by him] that our levels were too different…!”
4 …
5 空 そら sora The sky
6 雄英校舎 ゆうえいこうしゃ yuuei kousha The UA school building
7 ったりめーだよ ttari mee da yo “’Course ya did it.” (Note: This is an idiom said after someone states or does the obvious. It has a “Saw that coming,” sort of vibe to it. It’s also slangy as all hell, so you know what? Go nuts with your preferred translations here. “Well naturally.” “Right on.” “Kickass.” “Duh.” Whatever you want.)
8 轟 とどろき Todoroki “Todoroki” (Note: [gasp] Keep this up and people will start to think you actually do know their names, Gremlin!)
1 この相性を見るに このあいしょうをみるに kono aishou wo miru ni “Looking at this compatibility,” (Note: He means that he’s comparing the strength of the remaining quirks against each other in battle.)
2 先刻の檻は主要戦力の分断を最優先にしたものであり せんこくのおりはしゅうようせんりょくのぶんだんをさいゆうせんにしたものであり senkoku no ori wa shuuyou senryoku no bundan wo saiyuusen ni shita mono de ari “the previous cages were for the top priority of dividing our main forces.”
3 「その他」の対応については 「そのた」のたいおうについては 「sono ta」 no taiou ni tsuite wa “Regarding dealing with the ‘remainders,’“
4 現場対処というわけですね げんばたいしょというわけですね genba taisho to iu wake desu ne “[you’re using] field tactics, right?”
5 その根底にあるものは そのこんていにあるものは sono kontei ni aru mono wa “What’s underlying that is”
6 "信頼” “しんらい” “shinrai” “trust”
7 或いは"希望"？ あるいは"きぼう"？ arui wa “kibou”? “or perhaps hope?”
8 「見えぬものこそ」 「みえぬものこそ」 「mienu mono koso」 “Precisely things you cannot see.”
9 この星を覆う湿った被膜そのものです このほしをおおうしめったひまくそのものです kono hoshi wo oou shimetta himaku sono mono desu “It’s the wet coating that covers this planet, that thing.”
1 何宇宙人なん自分？ なにうちゅうじんなんじぶん？ nani uchuujin nan jibun? “What are you, an alien?”
small text この星て このほして kono hoshi te “‘This planet…’”
2 実利と実害の話です じつりとじつがいのはなしです jitsuri to jitsugai no hanashi desu “It’s a story of realized gains and losses.”
3 過去あの男を欺いた者は かこあのおとこをあざむいたものは kako ano otoko wo azamuita mono wa “In the past, of those who deceived that man,”
4 誰一人生きてはいない だれひとりいきてはいない dare hitori ikite wa inai “not one of them survived.”
5 例外を生むことは許されない れいがいをうむことはゆるされない reigai wo umu koto wa yurusarenai “To give rise to an exception would be unacceptable.”
6 ディクテイターの失態により番が回って来なかった故 ディクテイターのしったいによりばんがまわってこなかったゆえ DIKUTEITAA no shittai ni yori ban ga mawatte konakatta yue “Due to Dictator’s failure, my turn never came around.”
7-8 “AFOの刺客"その実利ここより果たして見せましょう "オール・フォー・ワンのしかく"そのじつりここよりはたしてみせましょう “OORU FOO WAN no shikaku” sono jitsuri koko yori hatashite misemashou “[As] AFO’s assassin, from here let me actually show you that realized gain.”
10 全ての「その他」が君を狙い続ける すべての「そのた」がきみをねらいつづける subete no 「sono ta」 ga kimi wo nerai tsudzukeru “All those ‘remainders’ will continue to target you,”
11 "イソップ蝙蝠"青山優雅氏！ "イソップこうもり"あおやまゆうがし！ “ISOPPU koumori” Aoyama Yuuga shi! “Mr. Yuuga Aoyama, Aesop’s bat!” (Protip: Look up Aesop’s “The Bat, Birds, and the Beasts.”)
12 メルスィ MERUSUI “Merci.”
1 ショート‼︎ SHOOTO!! “Shouto!!”
2 荼毘確保ォ‼︎ だびかくほォ‼︎ Dabi kakuhoO!! “Dabi is secured!!”
3 残酷な柵にーー ざんこくなしがらみにーー zankoku na shigarami ni— “Those harsh bonds of obligation”
4 あいつは真正面から立ち向かった…！ あいつはましょうめんからたちむかった…！ aitsu wa mashoumen kara tachi mukatta…! “He faced them head-on…!”
5 荼毘が負ケタ…？ だびがまケタ…？ Dabi ga maKETA…? “Dabi loST…?”
1 要るわけねーだろ いるわけねーだろ iru wake nee darou “No way I’d need that.”
2 アイつは全てを持ッテいル アイつはすべてをもッテいル AItsu wa subete wo moTTEiRU “THAt guy hAD everything.”
3 生きル意味モ目的モーー いきルいみモもくてきモーー ikiRU imi MO mokuteki MO– “A reason to liVE AND a purpose–”
4 力も ちからも chikara mo “and power.”
5 俺に無イモの おれになイモの ore ni naI MONO “Things I don’t have.”
6 あいつの執念が あいつのしゅうねんが aitsu no shuunen ga “That guy’s obsession”
7 全テ すべテ subeTE “EverythING”
8 負けルハズがなイだロウ⁉︎ まけルハズがなイだロウ⁉︎ makeRU HAZU ga naI daROU!? “therE’S NO WAY it coULD loSE!?”
1 鹵獲された黒霧を奪還シロ‼︎ ろかくされたくろぎりをだっかんシロ‼︎ rokaku sareta Kurogiri wo dakkan SHIRO!! “RECAPTURE the seized Kurogiri!!”
2 現在ヲ壊す為に‼︎ いまヲこわすために‼︎ ima WO kowasu tame ni!! “In order to destroy tHE present!!” (Note: The kanji I translated as “present” means “current,” and the furigana means “now.”)
3 死柄木と俺たちの為に‼︎ しがらきとおれたちのために‼︎ Shigaraki to ore-tachi no tame ni!! “For Shigaraki’s and our sakes!!”
4 俺たちを虐げてきた全てをブッ壊す為に‼︎ おれたちをしいたげてきたすべてをブッこわすために‼︎ ore-tachi wo shiitagete kita subete wo BUkkowasu tame ni!! “In order to smash everything that has oppressed us!!”
5 轟 とどろき Todoroki “Todoroki”
6 おまえと同じクラスになれた事を俺は誇りに思う おまえとおなじクラスになれたことをおれはほこりにおもう omae to onaji KURASU ni nareta koto wo ore wa houri ni omou “I am proud that I could be in the same class as you.”
2 …何で君が…… …なんできみが…… …nande kimi ga…… “…why are you……”
3 謝るんだ…！ あやまるんだ…！ ayamarunda…! “apologizing…!”
4 どうしてこれでまだ息があるんだよ… どうしてこれでまだいきがあるんだよ… doushitekore de mada iki ga arunda yo… “How is he still breathing in this state…”
1 そして当然 そしてとうぜん soshite touzen And of course
2 ここにも届くーー ここにもとどくーー koko ni mo todoku– it reaches here too–
3 群訝山荘跡 ぐんがさんそうあと Gunga Sansou Ato The ruins of Gunga Mountain Villa
4 その顔は何だ？ そのかおはなんだ？ sono kao wa nanda? “What is that face?”
5 愛しみか かなしみか kanashimi ka “Is it love?”
6 悲しみか かなしみか kanashimi ka “Or is it sadness?” (Note: These two words are pronounced the same, making this banter a set of puns.)
7 来る…！ くる…！ kuru…! Here it comes…!
8 聞いちゃダメですからねエンデヴァーさん！ きいちゃダメですからねエンデヴァーさん！ kiicha DAME desu kara ne ENDEVAA-san! “Don’t listen to him, Endeavor-san!”
1 燈矢くんを見ず焦凍くんに押しつけた！君の選択だろう⁉︎ とうやくんをみずしょうとくんにおしつけた！きみのせんたくだろう⁉︎ Touya-kun wo mizu Shouto-kun ni oshitsuketa! kimi no sentaku darou!? “Without seeing Touya-kun, you forced it all on Shouto-kun! Was that your choice!?”
2 どうせこうやって正当化しているんだろう⁉︎ どうせこうやってせいとうかしているんだろう⁉︎ douse kou yatte seitouka shite irundarou!? “This was how you justified it, isn’t it!?”
3 "ヒーロー守るモノが多い"って！ "ヒーローまおるモノがおおい"って！ “HIIRO mamoru MONO ga ooi” tte! “Heroes have many things to protect.”
4 口撃が始まった！ こうげきがはじまった！ kougeki ga hajimatta! “The verbal attacks have begun!”
5 だから負けるんだぜNo.1！ だからまけるんだぜナンバーワン！ dakara makerunda ze NANBAA WAN! “That’s why you will lose, Number One!”
tagline 依然ー…泰然‼︎ いぜんー…たいぜん‼︎ Just as ever–…calm and composed!!
tagline 決戦の少し前ー… けっせんのすこしまえー… kessen no sukoshi mae… Shortly before the decisive battle…
2 出立前夜 しゅったつぜんや shuttatsu zen’ya The night before departure
3 轟くんが戦うなんて… とどろきくんがたたかうなんて… Todoroki-kun ga tatakau nante… “That Todoroki-kun will fight…”
4 前回のあらすじ！ ぜんかいのあらすじ！ zenkai no arasuji! Summary of last time!
5 見様見真似の赫灼VS兄を止める為の赫灼。燈矢と焦凍。２人の技が今ー…衝突する。 みようみまねのかくしゃくVSあにをとめるためのかくしゃく。とうやとしょうと。ふたりのわざがいまー…しょうとつする。 Miyou mimane no kakushaku VS ani wo tomeru tame no kakushaku. Touya to Shouto. Futari no waza ga ima…shoutotsu suru. The burning of imitating appearance VS the burning for the sake of stopping one’s older brother. Touya and Shouto. Those two’s techniques now…collide.
tagline 「僕のヒーローアカデミア」 「ぼくのヒーローアカデミア」 「boku no HIIROO AKADEMIA」 My Hero Academia
6 むしろ望んでた むしろのぞんでた mushiro nozondeta “I wished for this, rather..”
7 心配無用だ しんぱいむようだ shinpai muyou da “No use in worrying.”
8 30分以内に上がるようにな！ 30ぷんいないにあがるようにな！ 30pun inai ni agaru you ni na! “Come up in the next 30 minutes!”
9 親父は約束が果たせねぇって色々ゴネるだろうが… おやじはやくそくがはたせねぇっていろいろゴネるだろうが… oyaji wa yakusoku ga hatasenee tte iroiro GONEru darou ga… “My old man will probably complain about how he can’t fulfill his promise but…”
1 それすら罰だとすれば それすらばつだとすれば sore sura batsu da to sureba “even if that’s a punishment,”
2 ホークスたちは賢明な判断をした ホークスたちはけんめいなはんだんをした HOOKUSU-tachi wa kenmei na handan wo shita “Hawks and the others made a wise decision.”
3 荼毘は家の罪 だびはうちのつみ Dabi wa uchi no tsumi “Dabi is our* sin.” (Note: “Our” here is pronounced uchi, which has an implied meaning of “home, house, inside, interior.” Shouto is referring to an in-group when he refers to Dabi as “our” sin, and the implication here is that “our” means “the Todoroki family.”)
4 それに…俺の目指すところに行くには それに…おれのめざすところにいくには sore ni…ore no mezasu tokoro ni iku ni wa “And…to get to where I aim to go,”
5 避けては通れねぇ さけてはとおれねぇ sakete wa toorenee “I cannot avoid it.”
1 だからこの技は だからこのわざは dakara kono waza wa “Because of that, this technique”
1 その壁を越える為のものだ そのかべをこえるためのものだ sono kabe wo koeru tame no mono da “is for the sake of overcoming that wall.”
tagline 1 目覚める新たな赫灼 めざめるあらたなかくしゃく mezameru aratana kakushaku A new technique awakens
1 掴みかけって言ってたアレ…！ つかみかけっていってたアレ…！ tsukami kake tte itteta ARE…! “That’s what you said you would grasp…!”
2 赫灼熱拳とはまた何か…様相が違う⁉︎ かくしゃくねっけんとはまたなにか…ようそうがちがう⁉︎ kakushaku nekken to wa mata nani ka…yousou ga chigau!? “It’s Flashfire First but…the appearance is different!?”
1 おまえは出てちゃったから知らないんだ おまえはでてちゃったからしらないんだ omae wa detechatta kara shiranainda “You had run off so you don’t know.”
2 ここ触っても熱くねーんだよホラすごくねここ ここさわってもあつくねーんだよホラすごくねここ koko sawattemo atsukuneenda yo HORA sugoku ne koko “Even if you touch here it’s not hot! Look, it’s so amazing, right here!”
1 状態維持が難しくてすぐ切れちまうんだけどな じょうたいいじがむずかしくてすぐきれちまうんだけどな joutai iji ga muzukashikute sugu kirechimaunda kedo na “Maintaining this state is difficult, and it’ll be cut off soon though.”
small text だから掴みかけ だからつかみかけ dakara tsukami kake “Hence, [I need to] grasp it.”
2 継戦能力は俺の方が上ハイザコ‼︎ けいせんのうりょくはおれのほうがうえハイザコ‼︎ keisen nouryoku wa ore no hou ga ue HAIZAKO!! “When it comes to long-term fighting ability, I’m above you, loser!!”
3 脱衣所で何しとるのかね早く入りなさい だついじょでなにしとるのかねはやくはいりなさい daiijo de nani shitoru no ka ne hayaku hairinasai “What are you doing in the dressing room, hurry and enter.”
1-2 赫灼の極意を"半冷"と"半燃"同時に心臓を中心に発露させる かくしゃくのごくいを"みぎ"と"ひだり"どうじにしんぞうをちゅうしんにはつろさせる kakushaku no gokui wo “migi (kanji: “hanrei”)” to “hidari (kanji: “hannen”)” douji ni shinzou wo chuushin ni hatsuro saseru “The secret to this burning is that half-cold (read as: “right”) and half-hot (read as: “left”) are made to manifest at the same time around my heart.”
1 熱い血と冷たい血が あついちとつめたいちが atsui chi to tsumetai chi ga “Hot blood and cold blood”
2 身体を循環し相互に安定をもたらす からだをじゅんかんしそうごにあんていをもたらす karada wo junkan shi sougo ni antei wo motarasu “circulate my body and bring mutual stability.”
3 熱いと冷気が混ざってまるで… あついとれいきがまざってまるで… atsui to reiki ga mazatte maru de… “The cold mixed with the heat, kinda like…”
4 冷たい炎みたいだね… つめたいほのおみたいだね… tsumetai honoo mitai da ne… “like it’s a cold flame…”
1-2 ……親父は身体の熱を下げる為に"冷"を望んだ ……おやじはからだのねつをさげるために"れい"をのぞんだ ……oyaji wa karada no netsu wo sageru ni “rei” wo nozonda “……my old man wished for ‘cold’ to reduce my body’s heat.” (Note: “Cold” is conveniently pronounced the same as Shouto’s mother’s name, “Rei.” It works as a pun.)
3 俺は おれは ore wa “I”
4 逆を行く ぎゃくをいく gyaku wo iku “will go the other way.”
1-2 あの家に俺が生まれた意味を あのいえにおれがうまれたいみを ano ie ni ore ga umareta imi wo The reason I was born in that house
3 緑谷 みどりや Midoriya “Midoriya”
4 俺自身が肯定できるように おれじしんがこうていできるように ore jishin ga koutei dekiru you ni So that I myself can affirm it
2 冷炎白刃 れいえんはくじん reien hakujin White Blade of Cold Flames
1 ーーーそうすりゃ —sou surya “—With that,”
2 少しは頭ァ冷えるだろ‼︎ すこしはあたまァひえるだろ‼︎ sukoshi wa atamaa hieru daro!! “your head might cool down a little!!”
1 この灼熱の中を耐え得る身体と このしゃくねつのなかをたえうるからだと kono shakunetsu no naka wo taeuru karada to “With a body that can tolerate being inside this scorching heat”
2 俺の炎を冷ます力 おれのねつをさますちから ore no netsu (kanji: honoo) wo samasu chikara “and the power to cool down my heat (read as: flames)”
3 おまえ以上に適任はいねぇってわけだ…！ おまえいじょうにてきにんはいねぇってわけだ…！ omae ijou ni tekinin wa inee tte wake da…! “that’s why you say there’s no one suitable other than you…!”
1 そして soshite “Then”
2 選択の可否を口にする… せんたくのかひをくちにする… sentaku no kahi wo kuchi ni suru… “you speak about how it’s possible to choose…”
3 ハ…！やっぱな！ HA…! yappa na! “Hah…! So it’s true!”
4 同じ血を分けた兄弟ですら おなじちをわけたきょうだいですら onaji chi wo waketa kyoudai de sura “Even siblings who share the same blood”
1 こうも"型"が違う‼︎ こうも"かた"がちがう‼︎ kou mo “kata” ga chigau!! “have different ‘types!!’” (Note: I think this is something of an idiom, about how offspring can end up with different blood types despite having the same parents. Blood-type personality traits are a common pseudoscience in Japanese pop culture. The implication here would be that, though these two brothers have the same genetic history, they still turned out so different from each other: nature vs. nurture.)
2 切れた！ きれた！ kireta! “It cut off!”
3 入れ直さねぇとーー！ いれなおさねぇとーー！ ire naosanee to–! “If I don’t put it back on–!”
1 超人社会の限界！ ちょうじんしゃかいのげんかい！ choujin shakai no genkai! “The limit of superhero society!”
2 俺たちが！ おれたちが！ ore-tachi ga! “We are!”
3 そうなんだよ！ sou nanda yo! “That’s what we are!”
4 歪んだレールが正道に交わることはない ゆがんだレールがせいどうにまじわることはない yuganda REERU ga seidou ni majiwaru koto wa nai “Distorted rails never intersect with the right path!” (Note: The meaning here would be that Dabi can never make it back onto the right path because his path’s railway has been distorted.)
1 これ以上は平行線だ‼︎ これいじょうはへいこうせんだ‼︎ kore ijou wa heikousen da!! “From this point on, they’re parallel!”
1 灼けて死ねよ‼︎ やけてしねよ‼︎ yakete shine yo!! “Burn up and die!!”
2 俺たちの為に‼︎ おれたちのために‼︎ ore-tachi no tame ni!! “For our sake!!”
1 ショートくんの…！ SHOOTO-kun no…! “Shouto-kun…!”
2 言った事が全てだと思う…！ いったことがすべてだとおもう…！ itta koto ga subete da to omou…! “I think what you said is everything…!”
1 俺ですら灼ける高熱なのに… おれですらやけるこうねつなのに… ore de sura yakeru kounetsu nanoni… “Powerful heat that can burn even me…”
2 すみません…！ sumimasen…! “I’m sorry…!”
3-4 エネルギーのムダだって ENERUGII no MUDA datte “I told you that’s a waste of energy.”
1 例えばこんな一言だって たとえばこんなひとことだって tatoeba konna hitokoto datte For example, with just a single word like
2 ありがとうございます arigatou gozaimasu “Thank you!”
1 血 ち chi blood
2 過去 かこ kako or past
3-4 あまりに多くのものを拾い戻る道だった あまりにおおくのものをひろいもどるみちだった amari ni ooku no mono wo hiroi modoru michi datta that path was a way to pick back up too many other things.
1 気づいてからは きづいてからは kidzuite kara wa Once I realized that,
2 皆が遥か先にいると思ってた みんながはるかさきにいるとおもってた minna ga haruka saki ni iru to omotteta I thought everyone was far ahead of me.
1 俺はいつもそこにいた おれはいつもそこにいた ore wa itsumo soko ni ita [But] they were always there for me.
3 いつも安心させてくれた！ いつもあんしんさせてくれた！ itsumo anshin sasete kureta! They always reassured me/made me feel safe!
4 溜めて ためて tamete Build it up, and
1 必殺技は己の象徴！ ひっさつわざはおのれのしょうちょう！ hissatsu waza wa onore no shouchou! Your ultimate move is your symbol!
2 何が出来るのかは技で知ってもらうの なにができるのかはわざでしってもらうの nani ga dekiru no ka wa waza de shitte morau no This technique will let us know what you can do.
1 交わるよ まじわるよ majiwaru yo “Theywillintersect,”
2 無理にでも むりにでも muri ni demo “even if by force.”
1 だから dakara “So,”
2 止まってくれ とまってくれ tomatte kure “please stop this.*” (Note: The grammar pattern here is a request for something to be done for the speaker’s sake, like “do this for me/do me this favor.”)
1 おまえは出てちゃったから知らないんだ おまえはでてちゃったからしらないんだ omae wa detechatta kara shiranainda “You had left so you don’t know.”
2 ここ触っても熱くねーんだよホラすごくねここ ここさわってもあつくねーんだよホラすごくねここ koko sawattemo atsukuneenda yo HORA sugoku ne koko “Even if you touch here it’s not hot! Look, it’s so amazing, right here!”
1-2 赫灼の極意を"半冷"と"半燃"同時に心臓を中心に発露させる かくしゃくのごくいを"みぎ"と"ひだり"どうじにしんぞうをちゅうしんにはつろさせる kakushaku no gokui wo “migi (kanji: “hanrei”)” to “hidari (kanji: “hannen”)” douji ni shinzou wo chuushin ni hatsuro saseru “The main point of the technique is that half-cold (read as: “right”) and half-hot (read as: “left”) are made to manifest at the same time around my heart.”
3 熱い血と冷たい血が あついちとつめたいちが atsui chi to tsumetai chi ga “Hot blood and cold blood”
4 身体を循環し相互に安定をもたらす からだをじゅんかんしそうごにあんていをもたらす karada wo junkan shi sougo ni antei wo motarasu “circulate my body and bring mutual stability.”
5 熱いと冷気が混ざってまるで… あついとれいきがまざってまるで… atsui to reiki ga mazatte maru de… “The cold mixed with the heat, kinda like…”
6 冷たい炎みたいだね… つめたいほのおみたいだね… tsumetai honoo mitai da ne… “like it’s a cold flame…”
This week’s initial tentative super rough/literal translations under the cut.
1 陽炎を生じ かげろうをしょうじ kagerou wo shouji “It caused a heat haze”
2 見据えた景色を歪ませた みすえたけしきをゆがませた misueta keshiki wo yugamaseta “and distorted the scenery you focus on.”
1 オッケーオッケー話してたら オッケーオッケーはなしてたら OKKEE OKKEE hanashitetara “Okay okay, so my talking"
2 テンション戻ってきたわ！聞いてくれてありがとな！ テンションもどってきたわ！きいてくれてありがとな！ TENSHON modotte kita wa! kiite kurete arigato na! “brought back the tension! Thanks for listening to me!”
3 温度上昇が早い迷いが一切無い！ おんどじょうしょうがはやいまよいがいっさいない！ ondo joushou ga hayai mayoi ga issai nai! “He raises the temperature quickly, and he has no hesitation at all!”
2 オールマイトが[ま]さか焦凍⁉︎ オールマイトが[ま]さかしょうと⁉︎ OORU MAITO ga [ma]saka Shouto!? “How could this happen to All Might, Shouto!?” (Note: This translation is a guess based on what I think was cut off in the scan.)
1 ヘルスパイダー HERU SUPAIDAA Hell Spider
1 てめェは何者にもなれねぇよ!!! てめェはなにものにもなれねぇよ!!! temeE wa nanimono ni mo narenee yo!!! “You can’t become anyone either!!!”
1 ……そうだ…言う通りだよ… ……そうだ…いうとおりだよ… ……sou da…iu toori da yo… “……That’s right…it’s as you say…”
1 確り俺のことも見てくれてて しっかりおれのこともみてくれてて shikkari ore no koto mo mite kuretete “Now that I’m sure you’re also watching me,”
2 よかった yokatta “I’m glad.”
1 赫灼熱拳 かくしゃくねっけん kakushaku nekken Flashfire Fist
2 最高[…]が…‼︎ さいこう[…]が…‼︎ saikou […] ga…!!! “The most[…]!!!”
3 これ以上関係ねぇ人たちの命を奪うな！ これいじょうかんけいねぇひとたちのいのちをうばうな！ kore ijou kankei nee hito-tachi no inochi wo ubauna! “Don’t steal any more lives of people who have nothing to do with this!”
1 […]たちに[…] […]tachini[…] “[…]they[…]”
2 “燐” “りん” “rin” “Phosphorus” (Note: This word is difficult to translate. Literally, it means phosphorus, but in this instance it potentially serves as a cultural reference to kitsunebi (“foxfire”) or other “will-o’-the-wisp” phenomena.)
Tagline 止めろ全身全霊で…‼︎ とめろぜんしんぜんれいで…‼︎ tomero zenshinzenrei de…!! Stop him with all your body and spirit…!!
Okay, look, if you think MHA’s final showdown setup is as simple as
Izuku vs Tomura
Ochako vs Himiko
Shouto vs Dabi
and idk maybe something like All Might vs AFO and Shouji vs Spinner
I’m here to tell you that you’re wrong. And yes, I will be naming names.
(No, I’m not about to tell you to look forward to Katsuki vs Katsuki although that doesn’t mean it’s off the table.)
There has been some weird discourse lately about final battles in MHA that I can’t help but snicker at in an extremely condescending fashion. For whatever reason, the whole “Who is Katsuki Bakugou’s villain counterpart?” debate is back. What’s hilarious about this to me is the manga has been telling us the exact answer for many weeks now pretty blatantly.
I understand why people have missed it. It’s tropes. You’re used to your tropes. If you look back on the shounen manga/anime that serve as MHA’s predecessors, it makes sense for so many people to expect some clear-cut 1v1 final boss action at the end. MHA has to address these tropes to be a proper commentary on the genre, right?
Well, it is, but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
To be clear, yes, all the main hero characters in MHA have a villain counterpart, and I shall name them in just a moment. I just have to explain one key point before I do so.
My Hero Academia: Don’t go it alone
One of the major lessons of MHA is the virtue of teamwork. All Might is hailed as the greatest hero and the symbol of peace, but the hubris of his solitary way is what leads to the destruction of hero society in the end. And the story makes it clear what must be done to rebuild a new, better society.
The theme of teamwork, of complementary personalities and strengths coming together to make up for each other’s weaknesses, has always been a long-running undercurrent of the story. It’s made very explicit by the developing friendship between Izuku and Katsuki, but it’s always been there in many ways with many of the friendships showcased in the story.
The point I’m trying to make is: MHA was never going to end with 1v1 battles.
We’re looking at 2v1s.
Uravity and Froppy vs Himiko Toga
Ochako Uraraka’s villain counterpart is Himiko Toga, but Toga is also counterpart to Tsuyu Asui.
I’m not cheating when I write that. I’m deadly serious. Tsuyu isn’t there for show, or to be a sidekick to Ochako. The promise of a 1v1 of Ochako vs Toga was a misdirect.
I won’t waste your time explaining how Toga has been set up as Ochako’s counterpart. The intro of this post should be enough to show that most people expected certain match-ups already. What I needs must explain are the sudden interlopers you all weren’t necessarily expecting, so here goes.
The ways in which Toga has been set up as Tsuyu’s villain counterpart:
Toga wants to live in a world doing whatever she likes. She loves things. She loves people. She does as she sees fit, and that is her “normal.” She is happy for living this way.
Tsuyu says whatever’s on her mind when it hits her, and she cares about her friends, the people she loves. In these ways, she is similar to Toga. But she has also learned to be harsh with people, and she is wary of hurting her loved ones.
Tsuyu respects people’s social and emotional boundaries.
Whereas Toga is not so considerate of others’ feelings.
Tsuyu represents the platonic pillar of emotional support Toga has never been. And Toga’s feelings threaten Tsuyu’s friends (both Izuku and Ochako) as well as herself.
In many ways, Tsuyu is the answer to the question of emotional intimacy Ochako and Toga battle over philosophically throughout the series. She is not there to say “friendship before romance” necessarily. She is just there to show what it means to truly love and support another person in a selfless way.
That is why Tsuyu is set to face Toga.
Shouto and Ingenium vs Dabi
Shouto Todoroki’s villain counterpart is Dabi, but Dabi is also counterpart to Tenya Iida.
Shouto is going into his fight with Dabi as a parallel to the sports festival. He faces the same question: “When is the right time to use maximum firepower?” Initially, this question was explored through Izuku and Katsuki. The question of saving versus winning became the heart of the issue in the sports festival. This is the story’s duality of heroism.
If Dabi represents Shouto’s fight with Katsuki, then who is Shouto’s Izuku?
Tenya Iida has been growing into a hero inspired by Izuku’s example of rescuing others since the entrance exam.
But Tenya couldn’t put that inspiration into practice for a while. He had to get past some of his fixations that led him down a rogue path. And Tenya’s resentment over what happened to his older brother looked something familiar to Shouto.
Not only does Tenya have the same revenge arc as Shouto and Dabi, this arc also doubles as his vigilante arc that Izuku later riffs off of. In many ways, Tenya is the crossover point between Izuku and Shouto.
So yes, the sports festival arc will come back as a parallel in the final battle with Dabi, but the fight with Stain will also be paralleled here. It already has been.
Because Dabi is inspired by Stain.
Without facing off again with Stain directly, Tenya’s best rematch to prove how he has changed must be against Dabi. Tenya’s staunch insistence on prioritizing rescue ever since his fight with Stain leads to this. After all, now that we know Dabi’s backstory, it seems Ingenium has another lost child to reach.
Endeavor and Hawks vs All For One
Stay with me on this one. Enji Todoroki’s villain counterpart is All For One, but AFO is also counterpart to Keigo Takami.
To be clear, I’m not saying AFO doesn’t serve as the villainous counterpart to other characters, such as, let’s say, All Might. But All Might’s partner in this ordeal is Tsukauchi, and his role for once is that of background support. It’s not the same as a showdown (because, well, he already had his showdown with AFO at Kamino and won). His story culminates in passing the torch to the next generation of heroes, so he doesn’t need to jump in and get his hands dirty like he used to. Not for this fight at least.
On the flip-side, I can imagine a lot of people balking at the idea that AFO’s final fight is with Endeavor. But I promise it works a lot better than you think. That said, if you’re someone who is entirely opposed to any form of atonement achieved by Endeavor in MHA…I don’t know what to tell you. The writing has been on the wall for a long time regarding that. I’m not here to tell you what to think, just what I think is about to happen.
Both give up on “reigning supreme” and entrust the future to a successor, but in a weird, vicarious, live-through-them (quite literally in AFO’s case) kind of way. They begin obsessed with strength and quirks and finding the right combination of quirks. And they both have figurative resurrections via AFO’s faceless form as he returns from the brink after six or seven years and Endeavor’s phoenix imagery versus Hood when he is made Number One. And they both have to face the menaces they created in their lust for power via Dabi and Tomura (give it time, AFO will get his comeuppance there). Hell, AFO fashions himself a Demon King while Endeavor runs around playing hero with his “Hellfire” quirk. Starservant even refers to him as an agent of the underworld at some point in the Endeavor Agency Arc. We basically have lords of the dead locked in a brawl here.
Speaking of Dabi, Hawks serves as an interesting parallel there now, given chapter 350. Hawks and Dabi essentially went through coercive programs that made them each a conscripted hero and villain respectively, and their inspiration down both paths was Endeavor. Now you may wonder why that doesn’t make Hawks’ final battle one against Dabi, but think about what I just said. AFO represents the villain version of the HPSC program Hawks was put through as a child. If Hawks is meant to tear down this corrupted society where heroes and villains have become institutions, AFO is an important piece of that tower to topple.
But most importantly, Hawks’ age puts him awkwardly in-between the primary generations of professional heroes and hero students we see in the story. Endeavor and Hawks are both the same generation and different generations at the same time. AFO, the villain who has inserted himself into every generation in an effort to live forever, violates the order of life and spits in the face of the story’s themes of legacy merely by existing. If AFO is going to fall, it will be at the hands of multiple generations, not just “the next one.”
Deku and Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight vs Tomura Shigaraki
Finally, Izuku Midoriya’s villain counterpart is Tomura Shigaraki, but Tomura is also counterpart to Katsuki Bakugou.
Honestly, I feel like I don’t need to go into this. If you’re still not convinced the villains serve as counterparts to at least two heroes each, I don’t think you’re here to be convinced. Because if any MHA villain has two hero counterparts, it’s Mr. Butterfly Man Tomura Shigaraki.
This was a planned match-up by the heroes from the beginning. It’s only the most foreshadowed fight in the whole damn series. All you have to do is consider every encounter these three have had in any combination and you’ll realize it’s true. Even chronic fourth-wall-breaker Katsuki spells it out for us at one point.
It’s just not allowed to be that straightforward because…come on, you know it’s the main event. They gotta drag it out so it’s the last thing that happens and throws a bunch of neat plot twists at us.
Whatever it turns out to be, you know it’s all gonna come back to the ways in which these three are all the same person and all the most opposite people who ever lived. Two sides of the same coin. Pure good and pure evil. Victory and self-sacrifice. Symbols of peace and fear. Aspiring, misguided heroes and lost, unsavable victims. Little baby boy men. Cool shit cool shit.
I love all the villains in MHA, like Shigaraki, All For One, Kurogiri, Toga, Spinner, Mr. Compress, and… [looks at smudged writing on hand]Nega-Kacchan.
1 君はこれからここで皆と暮らすのさン！ きみはこれからここでみんなとくらすのさン！ kimi wa kore kara koko de minna to kurasu no saN! “You’re gonna live here with everyone from now on!”
2 ここで新しい家族になるのさンきっとすぐに気に入るさン！ ここであたらしいかぞくになるのさンきっとすぐにきにいるさン！ koko de atarashii kazoku ni naru no saN kitto sugu ni ki ni iru saN! “We’ll become a new family here, you’ll come to love it soon for sure!”
3 は… ha… “Huh…”
4 そんな待ってよ そんなまってよ sonna matte yo “Hold on a second!”
5 帰らなきゃ！お父さんは かえらなきゃ！おとうさんは kaeranakya! otousan wa “I have to go home! Father…”
6 仕事が入って来られなかっただけかもしれない しごとがはいってこられなかっただけかもしれない shigoto ga haitte korarenakatta dake kamoshirenai “got put on a job and just couldn’t come maybe.”
9 ひどいことをしたし… hidoi koto wo shita shi… “I did something horrible…”
10 言ったし… いったし… itta shi… “and said [horrible things]…”
11 お母さんたちに謝って… おかあさんたちにあやまって… okaasan-tachi ni ayamatte… “I need to apologize to mother and the others…”
12 お父さんにまた見てもらわなきゃ おとうさんにまたみてもらわなきゃ otousan ni mata mite morawanakya “I have to see father again.”
1 ……何を言ってるのか…分からない……別人？ ……なにをいってるのか…わからない……べつじん？ ……nani wo itteru no ka…wakaranai……betsujin? “……what are you saying…I don’t get it……another person?”
2 以前のような力は出せない いぜんのようなちからはだせない izen no you na chikara wa dasenai “You cannot bring out the same power as before.”
3 各器官の損傷痛覚など体性感覚の鈍化… かくきかんのそんしょうつうかくなどたいせいかんかくのどんか… kakukikan no sonshou tuukaku nado taisei kankaku no donka… “Because of how the pain from damage to each of your organs will slow down your somatic senses…”
4 君の身体は弱りーーー きみのからだはよわりーーー kimi no karada wa yowari— “your body is weak—”
5 もう元には戻らない もうもとにはもどらない mou moto ni wa modoranai “and cannot return to its original state.”
6 我々も万全な君を迎え入れたかった われわれもばんぜんなきみをむかえいれたかった wareware mo banzen na kimi wo mukae iretakatta “We also wanted to welcome the perfected you.”
7 手を尽くしたが残念ながら… てをつくしたがざんねんながら… te wo tukushita ga zannen nagara… “We did our best, but unfortunately…”
1 ……うるさい… ……urusai… “……shut up…”
2 ん？ n? “Hm?”
3 俺は おれは ore wa “I”
4 他の人間から教えを乞う気はない ほかのにんげんからおしえをこうきはない hoka no ningen kara oshie wo kou ki wa nai “I have no intention of begging other humans for lessons.”
1 ワシらは放っておいたなぜなら ワシらはほうっておいたなぜなら WASHIra wa houtte oita naze nara “We left it alone because,”
2 荼毘の身体は目覚めて動き始めた以上 だびのからだはめざめてうごきはじめたいじょう Dabi no karada wa mezamete ugoki hajimeta ijou “even if Dabi’s body woke up and started to move,”
3 一月と保たぬはずじゃった ひとつきともたぬはずじゃった hitotsuki to motanu hazu ja tta “it shouldn’t have lasted for even a month.”
4 ブローカーが奴を連れて来た時は驚いた ブローカーがやつをつれてきたときはおどろいた BUROOKAA ga yatsu wo tsurete kita toki wa odoroita “When the broker brought him, I was surprised.”
5 何故戻ってきた？何故生きている？ なぜもどってきた？なぜいきている？ naze modotte kita? naze ikiteiru? “Why did you return? How are you alive?”
6 氏子さん うじこさん Ujiko-san “Mr. Ujiko.”
7 あんただろ俺を生かしたの あんただろおれをいかしたの anta daro ore wo ikashita no “It was you, right, who revived me?”
8 ワシは荼毘の真意を聞きたく二人きりになる機会を拵えた ワシはだびのしんいをききたくふたりきりになるきかいをこしらえた WASHI wa Dabi no shin’i wo kikitaku futari kiri ni naru kikai wo koshiraeta “I wanted to ask Dabi’s true intentions, so I manufactured an opportunity for us to be alone together.”
9 嬉しいのう！どう生きたのじゃ‼︎ うれしいのう！どういきたのじゃ‼︎ ureshii nou! dou ikita no ja!! “I’m so happy! How did you survive!!”
10 …この生きる屍を見てると …このいきるしかばねをみてると …kono ikiru shikabane wo miteru to “…looking at this living corpse,”
11 あんたらが俺をどうしたかったのか あんたらがおれをどうしたかったのか antara ga ore wo doushitakatta no ka “what you guys wanted to do to me”
12 何となく察しがつくよ 何となくさっしがつくよ nanto naku sasshi ga tsuku yo “I can make a guess somehow.”
13 戻ったのは…葬式に丁度良い場所だったからだよ もどったのは…そうしきにちょうどいいばしょだったからだよ modotta no wa…soushiki ni choudo ii basho datta kara da yo “I came back…because it was a place just right for a funeral.”
14 その一瞥が全てを物語っておった… そのいちべつがすべてをものがたっておった… sono ichibetsu ga subete wo monogatatte otta… “That glance told me everything…”
1 死に征く体を しにゆくからだを shi ni yuku karada wo “It said, ‘The body that conquers death’”
2 ただ怨嗟の炎だけで踏み留まらせてきたのだと ただえんさのえんだけでふみとどまらせてきたのだと tada ensa no en dake de fumi todomaresete kita no da to “‘is just one made to hold out by only the flames of grudge.’”
3 焦凍 しょうと Shouto “Shouto”
4 帰ったんだよ俺 かえったんだよおれ kaettanda yo ore “I did return home.”
5 前より弱体化してんのにさ期待してるモンなんてあるハズないのに まえよりじゃくたいかしてんのにさきたいしてるモンなんてあるハズないのに mae yori jakutai kashiten noni sa kitai shiteru MON nante aru HAZU nai noni “Even though my body was weaker than before so I couldn’t expect anything.”
6 また見てもらえるように またみてもらえるように mata mite moraeru you ni In order to see everyone again
7 きっと…変わっていてほしかったんだ…見たかったんだ きっと…かわっていてほしかったんだ…みたかったんだ kitto…kawatte ite hoshikattanda…mitakattanda “Because surely…I wanted [things] to be changing…I wanted to see [how much].”
1 俺を生んだ意味を おれをうんだいみを ore wo unda imi wo “The reason I was born[…]”
2 ３年ぶりの ３ねんぶりの 3nen buri no “For the first time in three years,”
3 変わらぬ光景が かわらぬこうけいが kawaranu koukei ga “the unchanged scene”
4 改めて教えてくれた あらためておしえてくれた aratamete oshiete kureta “taught me anew:”
5 俺が失敗作で意味は無く おれがしっぱいさくでいみはなく ore ga shippaisaku de imi wa naku “there is no meaning for me, the failed creation.”
6 この家族はもう このかぞくはもう kono kazoku wa mou “This family has already”
7 俺を過去にした おれをかこにした ore wo kako ni shita “put me in the past.”
1-2 魔王すら見放した偏執狂の死炎 まおうすらみはなしたへんしつきょうのしえん maou sura mihanashita henshitsukyou no shien “The death flames of a monomaniac even the Demon King abandoned.”
