WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Volume 8 by Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
Volume 8 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is finally out; a long-awaited release because it dives into Aizawa’s past when he was a student at U.A. High. The volume covers Chapters #54-62, which concludes the attack on the Sky Egg, as well as revealing the truth about the bomber’s connection to Knuckleduster and diving into how Shota Aizawa, Hizashi Yamada and Nemuri Kayama became the heroes they are today. Unfortunately, the tragic whereabouts of their childhood friend, Oboro Shirakumo, are also uncovered.
The volume picks up at a point at which Captain Celebrity, Crawler and Best Jeanist are trying to keep the Tokyo Sky Egg from crashing into the ground. In utter desperation, Eraser Head asks Naomasa if he has a direct line to call All Might, since it seems like he is the only one who can save everyone. Naomasa is hesitant to do so since he doesn’t want to abuse the privilege of having All Might as a close friend. But then flashbacks of his younger sister start to flood his mind, and with desperation in his voice, he calls All Might and urges him to save his sister.
Luckily, All Might arrives in time and saves everyone from the collapse. The bombers responsible for the destruction combine into a massive Cluster Bomber monster to destroy everything but All Might is there to deliver a heroic Nebraska Smash and gets rid of them once and for all. All Might’s relationship with Naomasa is still in its early stages, here, given that Naomasa is still unaware of the characteristics of One For All. Needless to say, All Might proves to everyone, especially Captain Celebrity, why he is the #1 hero; the glimmering hope for everyone.
In the distance, Rokuro Nomura is frustrated while talking to someone over a communicator, and is referred to as Number 6. His plans to destroy the Sky Egg were foiled but the real surprise is Knuckleduster scoping him out from another building. He almost lands a headshot with his sniper, but Number 6 survives the blast and immediately intercepts Knuckleduster. Number 6 is ecstatic to finally meet Knuckleduster because he wants to be acknowledged as a worthy predecessor to the Quirk Overclock that was previously used by the hero, O’Clock. That’s right: Knuckleduster originally went by O’Clock -- until he lost his Quirk to All For One in a tragic run-in.
Number 6 is a huge fan of O’Clock, idolizing him as a “free” hero as opposed to the likes of All Might. Knuckleduster tries to apprehend Number 6 by exploiting Overclock’s weaknesses by overstimulating the brain and causing it to drain. Knuckleduster even shoots off Number 6’s limbs before he attempts to extract information from him. The shifty villain regenerates quickly and is able to deliver a massive, suicidal explosion with the help of the bomber cells that have been attached to his body. The explosion leaves the building in rubble and their current condition is still a mystery.
Two weeks after all the mayhem, Captain Celebrity is finally well enough to travel back home and is ready to face the scandal that awaits him. Luckily, Makoto will still be helping him as his manager while she attends school. As Kazuho and Koichi watch Captain Celebrity name those he truly respects, Hazuho is agitated by the fact that Koichi doesn’t receive all the credit he deserves. Koichi is not truly looking for recognition, but he does like to receive some credit.
Meanwhile, Eraser Head and Crawler cross paths during a daily run-in with a common villain that leaves Crawler in the care of a cat. The two have a minor discussion about Crawler’s activity, and Eraser Head asks Crawler about what he plans to do with the cat. Crawler's need to help the stray cat triggers a memory of young Aizawa in the company of an abandoned cat in a rainstorm. Instead of rescuing the critter, he just shelters it with his umbrella and ultimately leaves it. In the background, Aizawa’s sad tone continues to explain how he never saw himself as someone who could save anyone, especially a kitten.
The concluding chapters of Volume 8 take us back to when Aizawa was in U.A.'s Class 2-A. Aizawa’s demeanor was really depressed and gloomy, again -- the complete opposite of who he is now. A young Yamada was always there to help cheer Aizawa up, but the person who inspired him to smile at the sky was the spunky cloud user, Oboro Shirakumo. Oboro’s first appearance is him entering the class through the window soaked in rainwater. He reveals that he was late because he was sheltering an abandoned kitten, the same one Aizawa saw earlier that day.
Oboro, Yamada, and Aizawa were an inseparable trio that complemented one another, helping them excel in the world of heroism. It’s easy to see how Oboro impacted Aizawa both in and outside of school. Oboro is the one who gives Aizawa his first pair of goggles to aid him in battle and is always there to make up for Aizawa’s lack of strength. The trio is at the point where they need to find work studies, but their abilities have not made them stand out enough to receive offers. Luckily, that is where a young Kayama, Pro Hero Midnight, comes into play.
Kayama invites Aizawa and Oboro to join her agency for their work-study. From that moment on, they become the newest members of the Purple Revolution Agency. Their Hero mentor, Purple Highness, is pleased by their teamwork but is disgusted by Aizawa’s demeanor. Aizawa learns how to become more likable, and even starts to smile more while realizing all the great things he’s a part of.
Unfortunately, the Purple Revolution Agency intercepts a villain that gravely injures Purple Highness and one of the student interns. The scene is a bloody mess with Purple Highness left unconscious in some rubble. The identity of the student that was gravely injured remains unclear since both Aizawa and Oboro share similar goggles, but considering the current condition of Eraser Head, it’s safe to assume that Oboro’s tragic death is about to be revealed in the next volume.
