The following content contains spoilers fromMy Hero Academia, Chapters 305 and 310, as well as Season 6, currently streaming onCrunchyroll.One For All is a complex, multifaceted Quirk that is taking its time to reveal its secrets to the world, although, to be fair, the Past Users were only truly “awakened” recently, and have only been able to swap notes and discuss theories for the past four months (as of Season 6, episode 18).
However, One For All’s grand “reunion” is far from a celebration, as the curse of their shared Quirk has come to light, and Deku’s future is looking rather bleak. As the only potential threat to All For One, this band of not-so-marry men (and women) must find a way to work together, before it’s too late, and all hope is lost.
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One For All’s Hive Mind
Possibly due to some kind of side-effect of Yoichi’s Quirk Bestowal, or the innate nature of Meta-Abilities, the essences of each of One for All’s Users are transferred along with the Quirk, as long-lasting echoes of their consciousnesses, who all reside in the current User’s subconscious. These individual entities were initially incapable of interacting with one another and “could only involve ourselves within the spaces of fluctuations,” where they could relay vague messages to the current User.
The group’s power began to suddenly grow (assumedly during Season 5) and the barriers between them started to separate as their light sources began taking form. It seems like the run-in between brothers inSeason 6, episode 10turned out to be quite beneficial for One For All, as it forced the Past Users to “metaphysically” appear, subsequently inviting Deku into the group chat, which eventually allowed all nine Users to congregate.
No Man Left Behind
It was previously assumed that only those who were born with Quirks can get in on this “spirit” action; however, this is clearly not the case, seeing that All Might has a seat at the table. It seems even more bizarre that Yagi is present, considering he is alive and fully conscious; however, his essence must have already been embedded into the Quirk before he passed it along to Deku.
On the other end of the spectrum,All Might has a vague ideaof what’s happening within this subconscious realm and was even able to help the Users put the puzzle pieces together, after investigating Hikage Shinomori’s cause of death (which was apparently from old age, at just 40 years young.) Furthermore, the Users are able to sense Deku’s emotions and have a window into his thought process, although Daigoro Banjo reassures the shocked boy that he still has his privacy, somehow.
The Antipathetical Allies
Not every Past User ofOne For All is a household name;some are more mysterious than others, opting to keep to themselves rather than participate in the sudden group activity. Two of the chairs remain conspicuously empty within the esoteric landscape, with the Second and Third Users refusing to contribute to the conversation, opting to stand, facing the wall instead. Whether they have put themselves in the naughty corner or were sent there by the other Users is unclear; however, the message is undeniable: there is a rift within One For All.
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Even knowledgeable Manga fans are kept in the dark regarding the Second User’s M.O. and still don’t even know his name. All that is certain is his Quirk, Gearshift, which allows the wielder to manipulate the velocity of whatever they touch. It is often used in combination with his nifty Support Item firearm, to enhance the bullets' speed and control their trajectories. The Third User was once the Second User’s sidekick and evidently still remains loyal to his partner and unimpressed byDeku’s ideas of rescue and redemption.His Quirk, known as Fa Jin, has the capacity to stockpile built-up kinetic energy, which can be released as a concentrated blast when necessary.
Spilling the Tea
In Chapter 305 ofMy Hero Academia’sManga, the unco-operative Users actually open up the lines of communication ever so slightly by talking to Yoichi (which is omitted in the anime), stating that:
“We lived through the harshest era. The height of All For One’s prosperity. An era when his control spread unchecked. Those who were under his control didn’t even realize it, but our leader had misgivings about the future.”
This insinuates that Deku might be unwittinglyunder All For One’s spell,via his delusions to save Shigaraki, who is allegedly irredeemable but has somehow managed to charm the optimistic Hero. Yoichi reminds the pair that they once felt the same way about him; however, thanks to their change of heart, the attempted assault turned into a rescue mission, and thus, One For All was born.
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My Hero AcademiaChapter 310 delves into Yoichi’s past, showing that the tension between him and the Second User is not a new phenomenon, as the two were essentially enemies when they first met. The Second User was aware that Yoichi is All For One’s brother and assumed they shared a villainous streak but eventually gave him the benefit of the doubt after realizing he shouldn’t paint them both with the same brush. However, these sentiments are apparentlynot transferable to Shigaraki’s situation(who, ironically, is related to another One For All User, Nana.)
The Last Resort?
Before the incident with All For One in Season 6, episode 10, One For All’s Past Users existed in relative isolation, unable to communicate with one another. Since those barriers have been broken, the group has been able to share their experiences and subsequently concluded that One For All’s intense potency reduces the wielder’s life,significantly. Seeing that their Quirks are compounded upon each other with each succession, this overwhelming force has intensified to the point where only a Quirkless recipient can survive with One For All in tow. Sounds awfully similar toDr. Ujiko’s controversial Singularity Doomsday Theory,but on steroids.
This means that less than 20% of the population could potentially wield One For All after Deku and, because each generation gets more inundated with Quirks, chances are only going to decrease over time. Furthermore, Quirklessness does not automatically make a great Hero. Generally speaking, people know by the age of four or five if their path could potentially follow a heroic route and, if not, they generally spend their childhood with other aspirations in mind. To find someone without a Quirk who has yet to give up on thedream of becoming a Pro-Herois like looking for a polar bear in a snowstorm. This could be the end of the road for One For All, which only increases the pressure to eliminate All For One before time runs out.
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