WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter #317, "Scars, Blood, Filth” by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
As tensions start to rise amongst the heroes in the My Hero Academia manga, Deku and All Might’s relationship is put to the test. Chapter #317, "Scars, Blood, Filth," continues Deku’s prowl to find All For One and the League of Villains. Deku is constantly being monitored and taken care of by All Might, but now that the situation is getting dire. Deku resorts to extreme measures to protect his teacher, and it’s proving to cause more harm than good. Deku thinks he’s making the right decision to protect All Might’s life, but it could also set up All Might's imminent death.
Deku keeps getting flashbacks of Sir Nighteye’s premonition, which has All Might die a gruesome way. The details are uncertain, but Deku can’t get over the fact that All Might will die sooner than later. Deku thinks that All Might’s death is going to be related to his involvement with helping him, and he knows that All Might’s best chances for survival are to stay away from all the action. Deku has been proving himself by slowly mastering all the Quirks from the past predecessors, and he even admits to All Might that he’s now at the same level as he was. For Deku to claim that he’s equal to All Might proves how he’s already making strides to surpass his teacher.
Deku also has to abandon All Might because of the promise All Might made to his mother. All Might will continue to protect and nurture Deku for as long as he can, but that’s proving to be a dangerous task. He is constantly reminding Deku to rest and eat, but Deku knows that he can’t take a moment to relax, especially with All For One hunting him down. All Might is aware of the burden Deku is carrying, but that’s the least of Midoriya’s worries.
He may not be the symbol of peace anymore, but All Might still has the ability to defend himself. His hero instincts are still keen, and he was able to fight off the villains that were sent to attack him while Deku encountered Lady Nagant. All Might’s best bet is to reside with the other heroes, but his devotion and promise to Deku are proving to become a burden for the young hero.
Based on Deku’s actions, there’s no doubt that All Might’s death is nearing its debut in the story. Depending on how it happens, All Might’s death will be a major turning point in Deku’s development, and whether Deku will blame himself depends on how the other heroes console him. All For One knows that All Might is Deku’s weakness, and losing the former symbol of peace will leave a devastating scar on the hero society. Currently, his greatest bait will be All Might, and now that Deku has left his side, All Might is in imminent danger.
Now would be the best time for the League of Villains to kill two birds with one stone. If Shigaraki and All For One are not on speaking terms, then the League of Villains capturing All Might would be very beneficial. By kidnapping All Might, the League of Villains would have leverage against All For One and Deku. In the end, All Might will die, but the way he does will be the turning point for the story. If All Might is to die by protecting Deku, then Midoriya will feel the guilt. If All Might is to be killed in a helpless situation, then that would set up Deku for revenge, but knowing the young hero, he would emulate his idol and choose the right path.
Now is not the time for Deku to split from All Might and the rest of the heroes. Especially since All For One is throwing all he can at Deku. That is what All For One anticipated, and he knows Deku will leave All Might’s side, which will make him more vulnerable for capture.
All For One has studied and anticipated every move Deku would make, so it wouldn’t be surprising to find out that All For One planned for him to leave All Might’s side. He even knew Deku was going to leave UA High after the Tartarus escape, and he has also proven he’s a master tactician, so Deku and All Might splitting will be one of his greater ploys. Only time will tell how Deku’s decision will either backfire or prove to be All Might’s saving grace.
