WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Season 5, Episode 10 of My Hero Academia, "That Which is Inherited," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
Since the beginning of My Hero Academia, protagonist Izuku Midoriya has been making shonen power scaling exciting and fresh all over again, mainly because he was born with no special powers. He's had to put in blood, sweat and tears just to become the "chosen one," let alone prove it.
By Season 5, Izuku has come incredibly far in a short period of time with his intense training regimens and his allies, and now, it is time for his next big step forward as the budding hero known as Deku. But the previous One For All users also seem to be coming to an important and timely conclusion.
One For All's Past Users Believe Izuku's Time Is Now
Gran Torino, one of Izuku's previous tutors, calls All Might in Episode 10 to share an interesting revelation. Nana Shimura, the seventh wielder of One For All, once told him that the time was not yet right for this Quirk's true destiny. Previous users likewise shared this same message with Nana herself. All Might is now wondering what "time" is this Quirk, and its original wielder, waiting for? It could be said -- and All Might concludes this as well -- that circumstances have converged to create the ideal time for One For All to show what it's truly capable of right now.
This is no ordinary power -- One For All is imprinted with the minds and Quirks of its previous users, almost a living thing that can think for itself. Thus, OFA and its previous users have been monitoring Izuku's progress, and it's time to take the next step. Why now? For one thing, this generation's other best hope, the mighty Mirio Togata, is out of commission since his Permeation Quirk has been nullified. Mirio was once a contender for One For All and is powerful even without it, but with his own Quirk out of the picture, Izuku stands alone as this world's potential savior. There is also the factor of All Might's retirement, leaving a vast void in the hero world that even the mighty Endeavor may not be able to fill. That, or perhaps One For All's users simply don't have faith in Endeavor to fully replace All Might at this rate.
Even with All For One incarcerated in Tartarus, the villain world is gaining momentum like never before. Criminal organizations are more active than ever, feeling free to act with All Might no longer around. The floodgates have opened, and without a Pro Hero wielding the full power of One For All, society has too few defenses against this rising tide of supervillains. Overhaul, for example, has been getting gutsy with his criminal activities recently, and even Gentle Criminal felt bold enough to act. If One For All doesn't kick into high gear now, there won't be another chance.
Izuku's 'Chosen One' Status
Meanwhile, One For All's ideal timing may have arrived for another reason: Izuku himself has allowed it. Externally, the "time" has come since the My Hero Academia world is in greater peril than ever before. Fortunately, Izuku is at a stage where he is ready to step up to the plate. With these two factors converging, Daigoro Banjo's Quirk, Blackwhip, has made its debut. This mighty power is Izuku's first taste of One For All's true potential, and more imprinted Quirks will surely follow soon -- including Nana Shimura's own. Daigoro Banjo's spirit told this to Izuku, and no doubt this is just the start of Izuku's explosive progress.
By now, Izuku has completed enough training and battles to demonstrate his worthiness to wield more of One For All's power. Clearly, the previous users think so, too. Izuku has hit a plateau -- it's time for extra Quirks to fuel his growth before the villains achieve total victory. There's also My Hero Academia's lingering hints that he may very well be One For All's final wielder. If he doesn't save the world with it, no one will.
