WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter #305, “Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki” by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
Chapter #305 of My Hero Academia, “Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki,” begins to wrap up the conversation being had between Midoriya and the past wielders of One For All. The conversation is purely one-sided, given that Midoriya is unable to speak in this subconscious realm, leaving the embodiments of the past holders to ask all the big questions. The most prevalent of all is asked by Nana Shimura: Can Izuku kill Shigaraki?
After discussing the calamity that is All For One, the original user -- All For One’s younger brother -- reveals the probability of All For One using Shigaraki’s body as a new vessel for himself, while also using the boy’s hatred to overcome the emotional boundaries of One For All. Izuku disagrees with the notion that All For One must be killed, stating that he will save Shigaraki’s innocence instead. Izuku may be speaking a bit out of line here, and he may be overly ambitious. But there's reason to believe that Izuku really does have what it takes to finally defeat All For One.
Izuku’s innocence and determination to save anyone and everyone will be the deciding factor in recovering Shigaraki’s lost self. Izuku even refers to Shigarki’s true inner self as a “little boy,” and the imagery used to illustrate this is of a younger version of Tomura with his pet corgi. That image could be the root of all the internal hatred that broke Shigaraki’s spirit and allowed All For One to implant his own will into a broken vessel. Using young children as a motif teases the idea that not through violence, but by simply giving a helping hand, one’s future can drastically be changed. Shigaraki’s “defeat” is not going to be achieved by brute force, but rather, by saving the broken soul that resides within the vessel of hatred that he currently is.
Izuku continues to enforce his overwhelming will, making it clear that One For All is a power meant to be used for saving, not killing. This is the biggest difference between him and the Quirk's previous users. The past wielders used the power to either escape from or defeat All For One, with All Might being the closest to achieving the goal. But in the end, they all failed. It's only now that the right disciple has risen to the mantle of One For All.
All Might’s resolve, which has transferred to Izuku, links him to All Might's emotional ties to One For All. Now, One For All has reached a point where only someone with an absolute need to save others can utilize the power to its fullest. Being Quirkless never stopped Izuku from saving others, and his devotion towards One For All’s purpose has never wavered. All For One’s younger brother is grateful that the power was passed on to All Might and Izuku because they are the ones who have finally shaped the power into what is was always meant to be: a symbol of hope.
Izuku isn’t more powerful than All For One at the moment, but with the help of the two mysterious wielders of One For All staring at the wall in the background of this chapter, maybe he’ll have the necessary strength to overcome All For One’s malice in the future. All For One’s younger brother pokes fun at these mysterious users, telling them to play nice, which only validates the fact that Izuku is indeed worthy of carrying the mantle of One For All -- and is now ready to wield it’s full potential.
Izuku’s resolve to save Shigaraki’s damaged heart has reassured the past wielders of One For All that the Quirk is in the right hands. Although Izuku is not ready to “defeat” All For One, he is on the right path to stopping the villain from persevering. One day, Izuku will show everyone that the power to save people can change the world without anyone having to die along the way.
