DISCLAIMER NOTICE: My Hero Academia Chapter 297, “Tartarus,” by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, is now available in English from Viz Media, with annotations by David Sotomayer.
For a long time, the Hero Killer’s prison has been predicted by My Hero Academia, and Chapter 297 “Tartarus” delivers on that promise. All For One guides the invasion of Tartarus to reclaim his physical body while recruiting evil allies. However, My Hero Academia’s ultimate villain might be setting himself up for a deadly fall in the process. Find our My Hero Academia Blankets and My Hero Academia Bed Set in our online store along with our collections of clothing featuring your favorite heroes.
With so many disabled heroes so far, the villains now have the advantage. Shigaraki is tired of All For One treating him like a chess piece. Shigaraki is reassured by All For One that he is more than a throwaway, and that the leader of the League of Villains may be charting his own course to power.
In the last two chapters of My Hero Academia, the shift in the power hierarchy among the antagonists has become clearer. The student grows weary of the teacher’s approaches and begins to believe that his efforts are being overlooked for a greater purpose.
In the anime, Shigaraki is a student who gives his all to everything he does. All For One, his teacher and surrogate father, is inspired by the villain in doing what he does best: putting others aside for his own success. The apparent use of All For One’s power is to transport Shigaraki’s unconscious body, but in Shigaraki’s eyes, he is just being used as a puppet.
Shigaraki’s head wakes up, and he demands to regain control of his own body. All For One clearly shows him who is the superior dog. Shigaraki has pushed All For One to the limit, and his patience is beginning to wear thin. The key question surrounding the escape is whether the freed villains will side with Shigaraki or All For One.
However, the war between the villains seems to be more dangerous than the war against the Meta Liberation Army because the most dangerous villains have been released. The growing calamity that is Shigaraki has made a name for itself, unlike the still revered beacon of criminal credibility.
It is also possible that the released criminals will go their separate ways, but All For One will not let their forces disperse, and he may even force them to work for him. Either way, All For One’s luck is running out.
The heroes have not even recovered from all their losses and injuries, and society is already beginning to lose confidence in the people it can really trust with its safety. Shigaraki’s trust in All For One is fading, as is his hope for peace.
The fact that Shigaraki describes himself as a pawn indicates that he has not yet experienced the full acceptance of All For One. Shigaraki is known for his temper, so it would not be surprising if he challenged a weakened All For One for total control.
Shigaraki has all the elements necessary to dethrone All For One. His former allies have been released. The heroes are unable to interfere with his plans, and he still has a team of dedicated followers who escaped the heroes’ ambush; plus, Machia is still in the picture. Shigaraki just has to wait for All For One to make a mistake. Find our My Hero Academia Lamps and My Hero Academia Shower Curtains on our online store along with our collections of clothing representing your favorite heroes.
