WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 10, "That Which Is Inherited," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
My Hero Academia's fifth season has been exploring the deeper secrets of Izuku Midoriya's Quirk, One For All. After having a strange dream that revealed the vestiges of the Quirk's previous holders and explored the history of the first user and All For One, Midoriya thought he had his power back under control.
However, as the final match-up between Class 1-A and 1-B began, things took a surprising turn as Midoriya finally came to understand what's been going on with One For All. While the Quirk is known for stockpiling power with each progressive wielder, the truth is that it also holds multiple Quirk factors too -- including Blackwhip.
My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 10 begins in the prison where All For One is being kept. As the guards are watching him closely, they comment on how Gran Torino's discovery of the villain Gigantomachia -- a devout follower of All For One --means there could be other sympathizers laying in wait. All For One somehow overhears this conversation and eerily laughs, sarcastically apologizing for causing trouble. The moment ends as All For One ominously says, "I can hear my little brother's voice."
At U.A.'s training grounds, All Might receives a phone call from Gran Torino, who remembers a conversation he had with Nana Shimura. She spoke of a dream where the dark, fuzzy shadow of an individual spoke to her, telling her, "The time has not yet come." The phrasing of the mysterious statement causes All Might to realize that something significant is in store for Midoriya and One For All.
Meanwhile, the match begins, and Midoriya, Uraraka, Ashido and Mineta follow a somewhat similar strategy to Bakugo's. However, their classmates note that they lack a scout-like team member, like Jiro, meaning Midoriya's team will have a more challenging time. Elsewhere, Monoma and Shinso discuss their similarities -- both possessing Quirks that don't immediately associate with heroes. Nevertheless, the two share what Monoma describes as the burden of their youthful hopes and dreams but can't help their intense desire to be heroes.
As Midoriya leaps around a maze of pipes, he comes across a solitary Monoma, who taunts him and his team's strategy. Monoma explains that by watching Bakugo's match, he realized that if his teammates had been taken out, Bakugo would've been isolated and lost. And that's what Monoma's team plans to do against Midoriya's squad.
With Midoriya distracted, the rest of Monoma's team -- except Shinso -- focus on Mineta, Ashido, and Uraraka -- who find themselves in trouble. Yanagi, whose Poltergeist Quirk levitates nearby objects, starts flinging debris at Uraraka and the others. Meanwhile, Kodai's Size Quirk allows her to grow and shrink inanimate objects, creating a confusing storm of massive projectiles. Finally, Shoda uses his Twin Impact Quirk to add a powerful, secondary impact on the flung projectiles. As the area collapses around them, Ashido, Mineta and Uraraka barely escape.
Meanwhile, Monoma's continued taunting starts to get under Midoriya's skin. Monoma asks Midoriya how his friend Bakugo can always smile so unconcernedly, given it was his capture that led to All Might losing his powers. The insult infuriates Midoriya, but One For All unleashes an entirely new energy as he attempts to attack.
An intense mass of dark energy whips explode from Midoriya's arm, and it's immediately apparent that the young hero has no control. The black whips hurl Midoriya around the stage, destroying everything they touch, and All Might rushes over to Vlad and Aizawa to ask them to stop the match.
Uraraka manages to reach Midorya and tries to calm him down. She has a brief flashback to her childhood and how she wanted to become a hero to make everyone happy. She always wondered who would be there to protect the heroes themselves when they needed help and resolves to do just that with Midoriya. Uraraka yells to Shinso to use Brainwashing on Midoriya, and after a moment's hesitation, he's able to ensnare the out-of-control hero successfully. Once again, Shinso's Quirk triggers something in Midoriya.
Midoriya finds himself back in the One For All dreamworld and face-to-face with one of the Quirk's previous users. This moment is unlike any of the earlier encounters as the big, brash hero is not a vestige but a real human being. The predecessor tells Midoriya that the whips of energy are his Quirk, Blackwhip. The unknown hero explains that each predecessor's Quirk is mixed in with the core of power that is One For All. Not only will all six of these powers be available to Midoriya, but they'll be stronger versions too.
The predecessor tells Midoriya that One For All has become too powerful to use without thinking anymore, and from now on, he needs to keep himself centered and calm when he uses it. While the former One For All user tells him that anger is a powerful tool, Midoriya can't be reckless anymore, or he'll be a danger to himself and others.
Midoriya is snapped back to reality with a slap from Uraraka, breaking Shinso's Brainwashing. With his power safely back under control, Midoriya immediately feels guilty when he sees Uraraka's injuries from the whole chaotic experience. It's a tender moment, and Monoma immediately interrupts it. After all, as far as he's concerned, the battle is still on.
Despite the strange outburst from Midoriya's Quirk, Aizawa decides to let the fight continue, though it's clear All Might is worried. My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 10 sees Midoriya disappointed by his lack of control, but he seems eager to test the waters of One For All -- a Quirk he realizes he's barely scratched the surface of.
