The masked adversary All For One, who appears in the scariest super-villain in the My Hero Academia manga/anime franchise, is the most terrifying.
All For One, as the archenemy of the world’s greatest superhero, Almighty, and the ultimate villain behind many of My Hero Academia’s darker storylines, earns his own apprentice to mirror Almighty: the teenage hero Izuku Midoriya, who leads My Hero Academia’s League of Villains in taking over Japan.
We now take a closer look at All For One, from his twisted origins, to his long-standing rivalry with All Might, to his vast array of abilities and skills, and how he has been portrayed in the anime series so far. Find our My Hero Academia Body Pillow Covers and My Hero Academia Blankets in our online shop along with our collections of clothing featuring your favourite heroes.
Who Is All For One?
All For One, years before the start of My Hero Academia, fought All Might, who severely injured his opponent.
The mask and breathing tubes, as well as most of the villain’s head, are made of scar tissue. All For One wears a mask to hide his damaged face and includes breathing tubes to help him breathe, much like Darth Vader’s personal life support system.
All For One had a deep animosity towards All Might for the disfiguring loss, and sought to use his abilities to bring order to the world by any means necessary, exacerbating tensions between ordinary humans and superhuman individuals who possessed alters in order to strengthen and expand his power base.
All for One created the Clandestine League of Villains as a cover organization to pursue its nefarious goals in the shadows, while conspiring against All Might.
WHAT IS THE STRENGTH OF All For One?
The most powerful alter in My Hero Academia is known as One For All, and he has the power to steal the alters of others and use them for himself.
After this process, All For One has gained a large number of alters at his disposal, including superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and flying abilities.
Although All For One lost his eyes to the power of All Might, he is blind and unable to see because one of his contacts was destroyed. Like Daredevil, he possesses echolocation and infrared vision, which were given to him by an unfortunate victim.
All For One is able to use his strange dark extensions on his fingertips to activate the alters of others against their wells.
All For One can also generate thick, black liquids that act as a doorway for the enemy to travel great distances with ease, allowing them to return to the hidden headquarters of the League of Villains to avoid discovery and imprisonment.
WHERE IS IT NOW?
All For One, who was severely injured in his fight against All Might, met Tomura Shigaraki, a young boy whom he began to prepare to become his ultimate successor.
All For One was not concerned about Shigaraki Tomura’s failure to defeat All Might at first, and so placed his assistant Izuku Midoriya under supervision after the boy enrolled in UA High School to pursue a Pro Hero career.
After the Pro Heroes and cops raid the League of Villains headquarters, All For One defeats several Pro Heroes on his own before starting an explosive rematch with All Might.
The two villains engage in an extraordinarily violent duel, with All Might taunting the hero for murdering his mentor years earlier. As All Might consumes a lot of energy, showing the audience his true frailty, All For One surprises him by revealing that Tomura is All Might’s grandson.
All Might is able to destroy All For One, the latter lying in despair as All Might uses all of his remaining strength to finish off his nemesis.
Here are 10 facts about All For One that you didn't know!
My Hero Academia is a series that has produced some outstanding work. All the characters, from the good guys to the bad guys, have captured our interest, and for good reason. However, sometimes these heroes or villains don’t make as much sense as we would like.
For example, All For One, the main adversary of the series so far, might be a good candidate. There’s still a lot we don’t understand about him, and even more questions we want to have the opportunity to ask.
We know he’s a danger from what he did at All Might, but there’s still something missing in his character. So we’re going to take the time to go through ten things that don’t make sense about his character.
10) Why doesn't he have a face?
The most common question asked by visitors to One For All is: what happened to his face? Frankly, there is no way to answer this question. We are aware that the alterations he has consumed have changed his physical appearance in some way.
Removing his eyes and nose is a little crazy, no matter how you look at it. You’d think he’d immediately remove the duplicates that were causing him problems. Or that if the problem was caused by damage, he would look for doubles who could fix it.
9) Motivations
All For One seems to be quite brilliant, from what we have seen so far. He has a good sense of strategy and planning. We don’t know why he does what he does.
What are Midoriya’s objectives in all these manoeuvres and manipulations? Yes, he wanted to harm All Might with Tomura’s appearance. But there must be more to it than that, right?
So let’s get to the heart of the matter: what does All Might gain from this conflict? Does he want world domination? Is it looking for the best alters in the world? What is it? What is its goal in doing this?
8) Is There No Limit?
The members of the group are all extremely strong and, because of the way they are used, they become very dangerous. His alters allow him not only to take the alters of others but also to pass them on as he sees fit.
This is scary, to say the least. We’re not sure there’s a limit to all these changes. Every other hero or villain we’ve seen had a natural ceiling for their replacements.
We haven’t yet encountered the limit for All For One, yet he’s already broken the rules. This fact violates or implies that he is extremely careful in how he uses his doubles.
7) What is his motivation for Shigaraki?
Why he chose Tomura Shigaraki is a long-standing issue for us. We realise that Tomura is linked to the predecessor of All Might, but there must be more to it than that, don’t you think?
There are many easier ways to jeopardize the reputation and legacy of All Might. Even killing Tomura and gloating about it would have hurt All Might a lot.
Shigaraki is a case where you can kill two birds with one stone. Maybe he was looking for someone to set up, and when he discovered Tomura, it seemed like fate. Or maybe we’re reading too much into this.
6) Why let yourself stop?
The thrilling fight between All For One and All Might was one of the best (so far) in the series. It was tense, brilliant, and a little scary (because we love All Might so much).
The battle ended with All Might winning, and All For One remaining behind bars. Although All Might fully deserved its victory, we get the unsettling impression that All For One is really happy to be incarcerated. And that’s a disturbing truth. What is his ultimate goal? And when will it happen?
5) Could He Not Have Found A Better Name?
The first question that comes to mind is: why not choose the name All For One? It’s not a name that springs from the page. Couldn’t he really find a more creative alter ego or nickname than All For One? Of course, it’s a description of his alter egos, but there are so many superior ways to express it.
I think he wanted a name that was less well-known. He is not, after all, a villain frequently recognised by the public. Or perhaps it was simply because he wanted to match the alters of his opponent – One for All. Either way, it is still unclear who named him or his alters first.
4) Could He pass on His alters?
As far as One For All is concerned, we all know that it is a transferable alter, since that is the only way it works. We also know (obviously) that One For All can collect and move alters on a whim. Is it possible that it passes on the only ones that make it work?
In other words, can he sell All For One, or will that be the limit of his alters? We’d like to know if there is a way for him to do this – and whether or not he’ll ever give up such potential power.
3) His Wickedness
That’s what I mean. They’re all for one, and he’s not a good individual. We realize that they’ve made it clear in the most painful way possible. We don’t know how or why he became a villain in the first place. Given his ability to have all the alters he wants to be happy in life, what made him lean that way?
Is it possible that his alternate personalities are to blame, and that this is therefore a similar case of a belief that power corrupts? Is there something more here, beyond what has been revealed to fans of the show?
2) The Mask
The All for One mask, on the other hand, is a mystery to us. We can reasonably assume that a mask is a method of survival based on all the pop culture references in My Hero Academia (just like Darth Vader’s).
But, wait, how does it work? He doesn’t have much of a face, so the obvious methods to help him breathe wouldn’t work. So… How does this mask keep him alive? Assuming we’re right about its function.
1) Why doesn't He fly the One For All?
Finally, we have one last question about All For One. Obviously, it can take alterations. But why has it never tried to get rid of One For All on the user’s phone? Is there a reason for this (how does the user have to agree to pass it on)? Or is there something else going on?
The quickest approach to ending the fight is to remove the opposing doubles. But maybe All For One isn’t looking for a walk in the park. Maybe he needs a little excitement in his life. Maybe we’re just kidding ourselves, whatever the case. We’d love to hear your response, whatever it is.
My Hero Academia reveals shocking truth about All For One
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia # 270, by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook, and John Hunt, which is available now from Viz Media.
The ramifications of All For One’s time in My Hero Academia continue to affect the manga today, as the villain has been defeated by Almighty and imprisoned in Tartarus.
More recent episodes have featured Tomura Shigaraki and the Paranormal Liberation Front, which is made up of the Meta Liberation Army and the League of Villains, as they go on a mission to destroy all of Japan’s heroes, proving that All For One is authentic. Eventually, he was forced to leave.
However, in My Hero Academia #270, Shigaraki states that his mentor gave him the blessing of All For One and the original version of his Quirk.
The heroes of the manga attacked Jaku’s hospital after Hawks spied on them. They learned that Shigaraki was receiving a power boost from Kyudai Garaki at Jaku Hospital.
However, before Shigaraki could reach his full power, the heroes were able to remove him from his tank, leaving the villain momentarily shocked.
As Present Mic trains Kyudai, the antagonist claims to have given his initial alter, which allowed him to double his “life force while sacrificing physical mobility”, to All For One. He used this method to provide Shigaraki with the first version of All For One.
Shigaraki, however, is petrified and has a vision of his family, who perished at his hands when he fled his home to join All For One.
Shigaraki approaches All For One after fending off their attempts to help him and destroys his father’s apparition, indicating that his mental metamorphosis is complete. Izuku / Deku senses that Shigaraki’s opponent is waking up as Midoriya Izuku.
Discover 5 people who could become the next All For One
In My Hero Academia, All For One is known as the most powerful villain in Japanese history. He has the ability to steal other people’s abilities and use them for himself or distribute them among his followers through his superior alter, also known as All For One.
All For One was, without a doubt, the most terrifying terror that could only be stopped by All Might. Now that he is incarcerated, only a few individuals have the ability to take over and terrify Japan with a similar terror. Here are five characters who could become the next All For One, and five others who would pale in comparison.
5) Shigaraki Tomura
Shigaraki Tomura is next in line for All For One. Shigaraki was born with rotting abilities, and has proven to have exceptional control over them. He is also the newest user of the All For One quirk, which virtually guarantees that he will be able to take over All For One.
4) Nine
In My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, he was the main antagonist and one of the most horrible criminals ever known. With the power of All For One and several other Alters at his disposal, Nine was nearly invincible in battle. Some claim that he is greater than All For One, implying that he was already as powerful as the previous leader of the League of Villains.
3) Gigantomachia
Gigantomachia was All For One’s personal bodyguard until he joined Shigaraki Tomura’s army. He is strong enough to take on the League of Villains single-handedly and annihilate them in battle.
Although most of his powers remain unknown, Gigantomachia is capable of demolishing entire cities. His strength rivals that of USJ Nomu, who can withstand All Might at full strength.
2) Nomu
The USJ Nomu is a group of experienced individuals who possess the ability to hold many alters. They only get stronger with time. The USJ Nomu was able to compete with All Might, which implies that they were as powerful as All For One itself.
The new Nomu, known as Hood, was considerably better than the USJ Nomu. We could see a more powerful Nomu than Hood emerge and surprise Japan.
1) Dabi
Dabi is a member of the Paranormal Liberation Front lieutenants, who seeks to carry out Stain’s orders. He has considerable power over blue flames and can use them as he pleases.
Dabi is not yet as powerful as some of the other characters, but it is highly likely that he will awaken his alter in the future. He is committed to creating the world that Stain wanted, and because of this he will become much stronger in the future.
Bonus: Impossible for Overhaul
Overhaul was once the leader of the Shie Hassaikai, and he posed a major threat to the Hero Association and the League of Villains. He was, without a doubt, a powerful fighter and someone who could potentially terrorise the world.
Unfortunately, at the end of Shie Hassaikai, he lost his alter and was unable to use it. He was therefore imprisoned in Tartarus.
How did All For One find a new carrier?
WARNING: This section may contain spoilers for My Hero Academia #277, by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook, and John Hunt, which is now available from Viz Media.
My Hero Academia’s most recent “Paranormal Liberation War Arc” has shaken up the series in a significant way, with All For One discovering a new bearer for its extremely powerful Quirk in Tomura Shigaraki.
The original holder of the power was given his name because he had the ability to steal the powers of others. The strange creator of this alter is called All For One, because it allows its user to elevate the abilities of others. All For One presumably planned its end at the hands of All Might, who possessed One For All – the quirk passed down from generation to generation and whose original user was the villain’s younger brother. All For One sought to preserve his alter ego in the League of Villains by having Dr. Garaki/Daruma Ujiko clone his power, taking the double for himself. Tomura Shigaraki thus retained the original form of All For One.
Shigaraki and the League of Villains were victorious over the Meta Liberation Army before the start of the “Paranormal Liberation War Arc”, resulting in a merger between the two groups and a significant increase in their numbers. Readers later learned that Shigaraki’s goal was to eliminate all heroes before seizing power as the leader of the new world. To increase his ability to achieve these goals, Dr. Garaki subjected Shigaraki to experimental therapy.
Shigaraki was awakened prematurely by the assault of several key pro-heroes on the hospital where he was hiding. The villain is certainly more powerful than ever, thanks to his original Decay Quirk, which is now able to act over a much larger radius and even anticipate when things are going to fall apart.
Shigaraki is enraged by the same problem. He must destroy the hospital in which he was discovered and much of the surrounding area to keep his promise. However, it is not only this improvement that triggers his anger. The surviving members of All For One, Bakugou, Kaminari and Minoru Mineta, have received their own bodies. Shigaraki also received all the duplicates of All For One. Shigaraki is now almost on par with All Might in terms of physical power.
Shigaraki’s new abilities allowed him to effortlessly defeat the number one pro hero Enji Todoroki/Endeavour, and he was a major risk to Shota Aizawa/Eraser Head, as well as a number of other powerful pro heroes. Shigaraki has his eyes on Midoriya Izuku/Deku in order to steal One For All from him via the All For One method.
However, Shigaraki was not allowed to use All For One freely. Instead, he was forced in a vision to reject his family and those he loved before in order to become the true successor of All For One.
Shigaraki’s head was contested between All For One and Shigaraki for dominance. Shigaraki, on the other hand, has so far retained control.
Overall, Shigaraki getting the All For One Quirk is one of the most devastating twists in the series so far, and with the gifts he has received, the villain may have a chance to take over the world.
Shigaraki also has the advantage of being much more experienced, giving him a head start in the impending conflict.