While My Hero Academia season 5 details how antagonist Tomura Shigaraki (Eric Vale) first manifested his quirk Decay, one theory suggests that the quirk actually belonged to Deku first. During Shigaraki’s fight with Re-Destro in Deika City in episode 23 "Tenko Shimura: Origin," My Hero Academia finally reveals through a series of disturbing flashbacks the events of Shigaraki’s childhood that catalyzed his journey to becoming All For One’s successor, but the coincidental nature of his tragic origins seem to signify a more sinister conspiracy happening behind the scenes.
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Unlike past seasons of My Hero Academia, which follow the perspective of Izuku Midoriya (also known by his hero name Deku) as he trains to become a professional hero at U.A. High School, the second half of My Hero Academia season 5's story provides more insight into the League of Villain's backstories and their conflict with the Meta Liberation Army, a villain organization that believes civilians should have the right to use their quirks freely. After Shigaraki defeats their leader Re-Destro in combat, Re-Destro elects to make him their new Grand Commander after viewing how he embodies their ideology of quirk liberation, making the League of Villains go from small-time criminals to a legitimate threat to superhuman society overnight with the support and resources of the Meta Liberation Army.
Related: The Live-Action My Hero Academia Movie Must Cut One Problematic Character
Despite the fact that the plot shifted to focus more on the villains, My Hero Academia season 5 draws a lot of parallels between Deku and Shigaraki’s origins. In episode 23, it’s revealed that Shigaraki admired All Might as a child and dreamed of becoming a My Hero Academia hero like Deku. Within the episodes that depict Deku and Shigaraki's separate childhoods, they both describe being misunderstood and wish their family members had shown them unconditional support. Even Shigaraki’s battle against Re-Destro in season 5 is reminiscent of Deku’s fight against Overhaul in season 4, since both conflicts resulted in Deku and Shigaraki increasing the range of their abilities. The comparisons between Deku and Shigaraki in My Hero Academia season 5 might’ve been a way of emphasizing that the two have more in common than they once thought, including the quirk Decay, the ability to turn whatever one touches to dust.
Shigaraki’s Origins Suggest All For One’s Involvement
While Shigaraki casually compares the manifestation of his quirk in My Hero Academia season 5, episode 23 to a villain "attacking" their family, that supposition might not be that far away from the truth. Given the fact that the deaths of Shigaraki’s entire family coincidentally benefitted My Hero Academia's All For One the most, it suggests he may have orchestrated Shigaraki's tragic past. After being reprimanded by his abusive father for discovering a picture of their estranged grandmother (Nana Shimura) in his father’s study, Shigaraki suddenly manifests his quirk Decay at the unnatural age of five, which causes him to accidentally turn his entire family to dust. After wandering the streets alone in search of help, Shigaraki is taken in by All For One, who mentions how unfortunate it was that a hero never came to save him. Since the manifestation of Shigaraki's quirk resulted in him being left vulnerable and alone with a traumatizing dislike of heroes, it’s possible that All For One alternatively gave Shigaraki a quirk with the aim of acquiring him as an apprentice.
While the arch-villain All For One has been a mysterious figure throughout the My Hero Academia anime movies and show, he’s known to be very meticulous and manipulative. During his prime, All For One assembled followers to his cause by sympathetically offering to give or take away quirks in exchange for their loyalty. He even insinuates during his final battle with All Might at Kamino Ward that he intentionally recruited Shigaraki as his successor because he knew Shigaraki’s relation to All Might’s former master Shimura would torment All Might. Since All For One’s own quirk allows him to transfer powers from one person to another, it’s within the realm of possibility that All For One secretly bestowed Shigaraki with a destructive quirk that would place him in the position to be exploited. Since most children inherit their quirks in My Hero Academia before the age of four, it’s also rather unlikely, albeit not unheard of, that Shigaraki would naturally manifest a quirk at such a late age.
Deku’s Original Quirk May Have Been Stolen
While Deku was introduced in My Hero Academia season 1 as “quirkless,” or born without an ability, the concept that quirks can be transferred or stolen has since become a common theme throughout the series. In episode 1 “Izuku Midoriya: Origin,” a quirk doctor tells young Izuku that, while he should’ve already developed an ability similar to his parents’ quirks, Izuku’s x-rays suggest he won’t manifest one at all. “When superpowers first began appearing, there were many research studies conducted, and doctors discovered a link between the bones in a person’s foot and their likelihood of developing a quirk,” says the doctor. Since Izuku has two joints in his pinky toe, the doctor concludes that Izuku is amongst the 20% of people in the My Hero Academia universe that hasn’t developed powers. While the doctor’s diagnosis didn’t seem suspect at the time, his striking resemblance to All For One’s mad scientist Dr. Ujiko suggests something more nefarious.
Related: My Hero Academia: How Old Is Toga?
In chapter 258 of the My Hero Academia manga, it’s revealed that Dr. Ujiko is actually a renowned public figure in the medical community, a respected quirk doctor named Kyudai Garaki who founded Jaku General Hospital. During the heroes' assault against the Meta Liberation Army, the laboratory where Ujiko creates the High-End Nomu is even discovered to be located in the hospital’s basem*nt. After the revelation of Ujiko’s public persona, a popular fan theory suggested that Ujiko exploited his status as Garaki to not only study his patients’ quirks, but also to conduct experiments on them or even steal the quirks with the most potential, which Ujiko stockpiled for All For One and My Hero Academia's League of Villains. While Garaki and Izuku's meeting in My Hero Academia episode 1 might've been a coincidence given Garaki's standing as a local quirk doctor, Izuku alternatively could've been one of Garaki's victims who was born with a powerful quirk that Garaki stole for his own purposes and later covered up by diagnosing Deku as quirkless.
Theory: All For One Gave Shigaraki Deku’s Quirk
If Dr. Garaki specifically stole Deku’s quirk from him as a child because of its impressive potential, it’s also likely that same quirk could’ve been the ability that All For One chose to pass down to his quirkless successor, Shigaraki. In the My Hero Academia universe, children often inherit one of their parents’ abilities or powers from a combination of both. According to Deku’s mother, the inherited quirk Deku should’ve naturally received would’ve either been his father’s quirk, breathing fire, or her own ability to levitate small objects. While it’s unlikely that either of those abilities resulted in the quirk Decay, Deku still could’ve manifested it as a result of a mutation, similar to Eri’s quirk Rewind. The timing also fits. While Shigaraki is five years older than Deku, Shigaraki didn’t manifest Decay until age five, leaving roughly a year for Deku to manifest the quirk and have it stolen by Dr. Garaki.
If the theory is correct, it could have devastating consequences for Deku. Since All For One is a very methodical villain who had the foresight to recruit Shimura’s grandson as his successor with the sole aim of causing All Might pain, stealing Deku’s quirk and giving it to his arch-nemesis might’ve been part of an elaborate plan devised by All For One to harm Deku in the future as My Hero Academia's next wielder of One For All. One of Deku’s greatest strengths as a hero is his infallible sense of self-assurance, which pushes him to work harder and even inspires other heroes to do the same. Since Deku’s main motivation as a hero in My Hero Academia is to save everyone, Deku discovering that his own quirk caused so much death and destruction in the wrong hands could break him and cause him to question his own right to be a hero if his quirk put others in danger.
How The Deku’s Original Quirk Theory Could Spell Shigaraki's Defeat
But at the same time, the theory that Shigaraki wields Deku's original quirk could hold the secret to how Deku will ultimately triumph over the League of Villains and foil All For One's plans. Now it's been confirmed that quirks can be transferred between people, the My Hero Academia anime has also implied and outright revealed that quirks carry traces of their previous users. This is shown to be the case with Deku's Black Whip quirk and would theoretically apply to any other powers All For One has stolen and transferred to other people throughout his evil dealings.
Related: My Hero Academia: Shirakumo's Death Explained
If Deku was the original wielder of Shigaraki's quirk Decay, this would also imply that some trace of Deku is left in the power, which could give My Hero Academia's protagonist an edge over the leader of the League of Villains. It's unclear how exactly this could play out, but it's possible that Deku could exert some control over Decay even while Shigaraki is wielding it, which could be the key to the antagonist's defeat. By the ending of My Hero Academia's anime, if Deku really did wield Decay first, he could learn how to tap into the quirk and gain a unique advantage over Shigaraki that nobody else has.
FAQs
My Hero Academia: Shigaraki Was Given Deku's Original Quirk - Theory Explained.
Was Shigaraki's quirk originally Deku's? ›
My Hero Academia: Shigaraki Was Given Deku's Original Quirk - Theory Explained.
Who was Deku's original quirk? ›
According to the events of My Hero Academia so far, Deku grew up without a Quirk. He was given the OFA Quirk when he met All Might.
What is Shigaraki's original quirk? ›
Basics. Shigaraki's quirk is known simply as 'decay'. As the name implies, it is a quirk that allows its user to decay or destroy anything that they lay their hands on.
Did one for all steal Deku's quirk? ›
In the My Hero Academia manga and anime series, it is revealed that Izuku Midoriya's quirk was not stolen by his doctor.
Why can't Deku's quirk be copied? ›
No, it was explained in the manga that Monoma only copies the bare essentials of a quirk and One For All is only strong because of all the power it has stockpiled through various past One For All user and through so many generations so Monoma copying One For All wouldn't do anything for him.
Who was the first quirkless hero? ›
The protagonist of My Hero Academia, Izuku Midoriya was the first Quirkless character to be introduced. Izuku was born without a Quirk, but despite that, he wanted to become the Number One Hero, just like All Might.
What is Deku's final quirk? ›
Deku's final quirk is known as 'gearshift'. It's a quirk that is activated via physical contact. It allows the user to change the velocity of anything they touch, meaning they can spontaneously slow things down, or speed things up.
Does Deku's dad have a quirk? ›
Fans know that his name is Hisashi Midoriya and that his quirk is fire breathing.
What quirk did Shigaraki steal? ›
Search was once the Quirk ability of Ragdoll, a member of the Wild Wild puss*cats. This ability was stolen from her by none other than All For One shortly before the incident at Kamino. Later, this Quirk came into the possession of Shigaraki Tomura through All For One.
History. The first person to manifest a Quirk was a newborn baby in the city of Quig Quig, China, who had the ability to emanate light from their body. After that incident, many people around the world began to manifest different kinds of special abilities, though the cause of the phenomenon was unknown.
What is Shigaraki's new quirks? ›
Advanced Decay
Like an uncontrollable virus, Shigaraki's Decay spreads to everything it touches, creating a destructive domino effect that snakes its way through the scenery, as if it has a mind of its own.
Why Deku is the last user? ›
After observing how the quirk reacted to the bodies of the users, all the previous wielders concluded that One For All could not be held by a user who already had a quirk. Thus, Deku is the last successor to the quirk, making him their last hope to take All For One down.
Who is Deku's brother? ›
Toshi Midoriya | Boku no Hero Academia Wiki | Fandom.
Is Deku's doctor a villain? ›
Dr. Kyudai Garaki, also better known by his villainous alias Daruma Ujiko, is a major antagonist in the manga/anime series My Hero Academia.
What is a blank quirk? ›
A "blank Quirk" is a Quirk factor that requires the user to gradually build up a certain resource to fuel its power. An analogy would be if Neito copied a car but only the vehicle itself, with no gasoline inside. He cannot refill the car's gas tank, so to speak, and thus the power does no good in his hands.
Did All Might really not have a quirk? ›
Unknown to the world, All Might was actually born Quirkless. As a teenager, Toshinori became the eighth One For All successor, after inheriting the One For All Quirk from a Pro-Hero named Nana Shimura.
What quirks Monoma can't copy? ›
Monoma can only copy the nature of the Quirk
Monoma tried to copy Midoriya's OFA Quirk, but it ultimately didn't work. This also happened shortly afterward when he tried to copy Eri's Rewind Quirk.
Who was the No 1 hero before All Might? ›
Gran Torino is an old and well-respected hero who first showed up when he helped train Deku to better utilize his Quirk. It's quickly revealed that he also trained All Might before he became the number 1 hero.
Who has the strongest quirk in 1 A? ›
Bakugo, a.k.a. Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, is very much sure of who he is and how much power he truly holds. His "Explosion" quirk allows him to secrete a highly explosive nitroglycerin-type substance via his sweat glands, which he can then ignite to create deadly explosions.
Before he passed away from old age, Hikage granted One For All to Daigoro Banjo. Decades later, Hikage meets Izuku Midoriya within One For All, and warns the youngster that One For All should not be transferred to a Quirk user.
What is the rarest quirk in MHA? ›
1 Shigaraki
All For One is arguably the rarest and most powerful Quirk possessed by any villain in My Hero Academia. This Quirk so thoroughly defines its bearer that he's taken it as his name. All For One's Quirk lets him steal Quirks from other people and use them as though they were his own.
Who is the doctor that told Deku he was quirkless? ›
Fans are first introduced to this mad scientist under the guise of Dr. Tusbasa, who is the specialist that the juvenile and Quirkless Izuku Midoriya sought assistance from all those years ago, and it becomes quite clear just how meddlesome (and menacing) this two-faced doctor actually is.
Who knows about Deku's secret? ›
Bakugo is the only student who knows Deku's secret which puts him in a unique position to protect Deku.
What is Midoriya's strongest quirk? ›
Izuku Midoriya's strongest Quirk is, without a doubt, the One For All. This Quirk first belonged to All For One's brother, Yoichi. After him, there have been eight more users of these powers. All Might, the eighth user of One For All, passed it down to Izuku Midoriya, making him the 9th and the final user.
What is DEKU's most powerful quirk? ›
One for All is the most legendary quirk of My Hero Academia, and Deku inherited it from All Might. However, it was initially used by Yoichi Shigaraki, the series' first host, from whom it was passed down to his successors. It is an extremely strong quirk and can store a staggering amount of raw power.
Is Deku son of all for one? ›
The answer: Yes and No....it depends on how long since Deku's dad has been home. If Deku's dad has been home recently or before the story begins, then it wouldn't be possible for All for One to be Deku's dad. Because we know that All for One is being cared for by his caretaker.
Who is the mother of all quirks? ›
The Mother of Quirks ("個性"の母, "Kosei" no Haha?), as she came to be known posthumously, was the mother of Chikara Yotsubashi, also known as Destro, founder and former commander of the Meta Liberation Army. She got this title because she was the first person to use the word "Quirk" to describe Meta Abilities.
Who is the traitor in MHA? ›
The "U.A. Traitor" is revealed to be Yuga Aoyama. He was born Quirkless, and with his parents both coming from wealthy backgrounds, they made a deal with All For One to give him his Navel Laser Quirk in a desperate move to grant their son a happy, successful life.
Can Eraserhead stop Shigaraki? ›
Mutant type quirks are quirks that cause a permanent change in body structure, like Spinner's quirk that gives him a reptilian body. If Shigaraki's new and improved body has Mutant Class quirks built into it that grant him the new ability he displayed against Mirko, Eraser Head won't be able to affect it.
Rather, Decay is on all the time for Shigaraki, meaning he has to touch everything with four or less fingers or decay everything he touches (unless if it is actively being suppressed). However, Shigaraki can not decay himself with Decay.
Does Shigaraki respect Deku? ›
Izuku Midoriya is Tomura Shigaraki's arch-nemesis. Izuku and Tomura mutually despise each other; Tomura despises Izuku for his admiration of All Might, who he hates, while Izuku is disgusted by Tomura's cruel actions.
What is the oldest quirk in MHA? ›
Trivia. Life Force, All For One, One For All, Fa Jin, Gearshift, and the unnamed Luminescence Quirk are the oldest known Quirks in the series.
Who has the strongest quirk? ›
Transmission is one of the strongest MHA Quirks and it was awakened by Izuku Midoriya during the final War Saga of My Hero Academia. This Quirk is extremely overpowered as it completely allows him to reject the laws of physics and gives him control over acceleration in more than one way.
What was Bakugou's original quirk? ›
His Quirk is Explosion (爆破), which allows him to make explosions from his hands by detonating the nitroglycerin-like substance he sweats; throughout the series, he learns various different ways to apply this.
What is Shigaraki awakened quirk? ›
Even as a child, Shigaraki is able to disintegrate large amounts of matter by touching it. His quirk awakening makes his quirk even more devastating by making it so he can disintegrate things without even touching them. In the anime, they don't currently know how far his range is for this development.
What is Shigaraki Grandma Quirk? ›
Float: The Quirk that Nana Shimura was born with was called "Float." As the name implied, it allowed Nana to defy the pull of gravity and seamlessly float herself in mid air unaided.
Can Shigaraki reverse his quirk? ›
10 It Can't Be Reversed Once Its Damage Is Done
Even Overhaul's Quirk can reassemble destroyed matter. However, the finished effects of Shigaraki's Decay Quirk are permanent.
How many quirks does Deku have left? ›
Part of what makes One for All so powerful is its ability to accumulate and strengthen Quirks from previous users. Because of this, in truth, Deku has not one, but seven Quirks, stored in One for All's core and passed down from user to user.
Is Deku the 8th or 9th user of one for all? ›
Deku is the ninth in the line of One For All Quirk possessors. Based on the Boku No Hero Academia manga, we know that All Might once told Izuku Midoriya that what took place in his dream in the season 4 finale wasn't possible.
Prologue. Class 1-A confront Endeavor about Izuku's whereabouts. With Tomura Shigaraki and All For One's escape, and the Search Quirk allowing them to easily locate him, Izuku leaves U.A. High School in his attempt to keep his friends and everyone else out of danger.
Who is Deku's biological father? ›
Given how the plot is being discussed this late in the story, it could be a hint towards the identity of Deku's father, Hisashi Midoriya, being a heteromorph himself.
Who might be Deku's dad? ›
Hisashi Midoriya ( 緑 みどり 谷 や 久 ひさし , Midoriya Hisashi?) is Izuku Midoriya's father and the husband of Inko Midoriya.
Why did Shigaraki call Deku brother? ›
Shigaraki calls him "little brother" and on the surface, that's just his All for One vestige showing. But it might not necessarily just be a very strange moment for them. If All for One is Deku's father, Hisashi, Deku is Shigaraki's adoptive younger brother. All for One could have changed his last name.
Who is the real villain in MHA? ›
Tenko Shimura, better known as Tomura Shigaraki (in Japanese: 死柄木弔, Shigaraki Tomura), is the main antagonist of the My Hero Academia franchise.
What would Deku's villain name be? ›
Izumura Shigaraki (死柄木出村), real name Izuku Midoriya (緑谷出久) is a villain from the Mirror Universe, the acting leader of that world's League of Villains, and an alternate universe counterpart to Deku. He is the main antagonist of the Mirror Universe Saga.
Who is the creepiest villain in mha? ›
1 Moonfish
Moonfish may very well be the weakest member of the League of Villains, but he also has to contend with the fact that he is by far the creepiest villain in the series. He wears a black straightjacket which leaves only his mouth exposed, and the entire outfit is held together by black restraints.
Is Shigaraki Deku's adopted brother? ›
Tenko "Shigaraki" Midoriya is Tomura Shigaraki, adopted by Izuku Midoriya and Melissa Shield.
Is it true that Shigaraki is Deku's brother? ›
Shigaraki calls him "little brother" and on the surface, that's just his All for One vestige showing. But it might not necessarily just be a very strange moment for them. If All for One is Deku's father, Hisashi, Deku is Shigaraki's adoptive younger brother.
Was Shigaraki originally quirkless? ›
shigaraki was originally quirkless and was given his quirk by all for one.
Fans know that his name is Hisashi Midoriya and that his quirk is fire breathing.
Who is Deku's real father? ›
Given how the plot is being discussed this late in the story, it could be a hint towards the identity of Deku's father, Hisashi Midoriya, being a heteromorph himself.
Is All For One really Deku's dad? ›
It is an unconfirmed (and unlikely) fan theory/headcanon that All For One is Midoriya Izuku's father. This is the confirmed information we have about Izuku's father. His name is Midoriya Hisashi. He works overseas, and his quirk lets him breathe fire.
What did Shigaraki inherit? ›
All For One (オール・フォー・ワン, Ōru Fō Wan?) is the Quirk used by All For One, before being transferred to his successor, Tomura Shigaraki, while keeping a duplicate. A weaker version of the Quirk was also used by Nine.
Who was the first user of OFA? ›
Yoichi Shigaraki was the first user of One For All and quite possibly the weakest of the lot. He is known to have been sickly and his brother, All For One, often took pity on him. After his brother passed on an energy stockpiling Quirk to him, Yoichi eventually went on to create the One For All.
Who has the weakest quirk in my hero academia? ›
My Hero Academia: 10 Weakest Quirks (So Far)
- 1 1. Large Fists. And finally, the weakest quirk on our list belongs to Itsuka Kendo.
- 2 2. Gecko. Shuichi Iguchi is part of the League of Villains. ...
- 3 3. Pop Off. ...
- 4 4. Mushroom. ...
- 5 5. Invisibility. ...
- 6 6. Anivoice. ...
- 7 7. Mild Object Attraction. ...
- 8 8. Electrification (With Overuse) ...
Toshi Midoriya. Boku no Hero Academia Wiki.
What is Izuku's strongest quirk? ›
Izuku Midoriya's strongest Quirk is, without a doubt, the One For All. This Quirk first belonged to All For One's brother, Yoichi. After him, there have been eight more users of these powers. All Might, the eighth user of One For All, passed it down to Izuku Midoriya, making him the 9th and the final user.
What if Deku inherited his parents quirks? ›
While the exact outcome is difficult to predict, it's hard to say that Deku's life would have been worse if he had been born with a quirk. He would've avoided suffering from Bakugo's bullying, had a stronger social life and probably still made it into U.A based on his strong work ethic and determination alone.
What actually happened to DEKU's dad? ›
He took a work post abroad. His current status and activities are unknown.
