Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia is well-known for its highly emotional fights, and Deku vs. Shigaraki stays true to that. However, it seems like it will take more than a meaningful trip through the antagonist’s memories to defeat him.
In the previous chapter, readers saw Izuku Midoriya interact with young Tenko Shimura in his subconscious, preventing him from reliving his most traumatic memory in full. As he confronted his own feelings regarding the murder of his family, Shigaraki oscilated between hatred and grief, attempting to recall why he does what he does. Just when it felt like Deku was getting somewhere, though, All for One‘s memories started coming forth, bringing a huge revelation with it. It turns out that the series’ overarching villain had been sticking his nose into Shigaraki’s business for longer than we could’ve imagined.
This falls in line with the theory that it was All for One who gave Shigaraki the Decay quirk, before taking him in as his successor. Of course, we don’t have a confirmation or denial yet — perhaps chapter 419 will give us one — but the fact that All for One kept tabs on the Shimura family is creepy enough in and of itself. Then again, this isn’t something we should be shocked by. The villain has showed time and again the lengths he’s willing to go to in order to acquire One for All. Him coming back as a vestige to interfere in Deku and Shigaraki’s battle is just more proof of that.
When does My Hero Academia chapter 419 come out?
Chapter 419 of My Hero Academia will be officially released by Viz Media on Sunday, April 7, at 10am CT. When the time comes, fans from all over the world will be able to read it for free on the Manga Plus website or app. As always, the chapter will be available in several languages, including English, Spanish, and French.
After the cliffhanger that chapter 418 left us with, I can guarantee that you won’t want to miss out on the continuation of Deku and Shigaraki’s confrontation. With All for One now in the mix, it’s hard to predict which way the wind will blow. Will Shigaraki remain on the senior villain’s leash? Or will he finally break free and join forces with Deku? I’m hoping for the latter. Whatever Kohei Horikoshi has in store for us, though, I’m sure it will be worth the wait.