My Hero Academia's Endgame Turns All For One into a Dark All Might
Warning: contains spoilers for My Hero Academia: Chapter 335
Chapter 335 of My Hero Academia had some big reveals for long-time fans, but this latest chapter also features something a bit more subtle in the way All Might and All for One handle their upset proteges.
Following Star and Stripe's fatal battle with Shigaraki (as he melds further with All for One's consciousness), both heroes and villains have suffered some major setbacks. While the heroes were able to win a little extra time to prepare, it was at the cost of Star and Stripe's life, which was a far higher price than anyone expected. Although Shigaraki was able to take out America's top hero and one of the most dangerous in the world for his plans, the attempt to steal her quirk failed, costing him dozens or possibly even hundreds of others and delaying their operation at the last moment.
All Might breaks the news to the students of Class 1-A himself. While they're sure to be saddened, as many no doubt looked up to the mightiest woman in the world, they've also matured a lot in one short year. They do not need to be lied to or patronized like children, but rather they need to understand the situation, as all of them are involved at this point. All Might treats them as adults, but there's also a fatherly compassion behind it that he allows them to see. It's important for these young heroes to see that even All Might can be saddened and allow himself to feel while also recognizing that there's still work to be done.
The chapter then cuts to All for One (in his original body) talking similarly to the Shigaraki/All for One hybrid, which is still suffering from the effects of Star's final strike. The story has drawn many parallels between Shigaraki and Midoriya thus far, but few scenes lay out the contrast between their relationships with their mentors than this one. All for One does not chide Shigaraki for his setback, and indeed tries to "comfort" him in a way that still seems fatherly. However, rather than treating Shigaraki as the adult he unambiguously is, All for One is quite patronizing. The villain is blase about his successor's suffering, instead reminding him to keep his eyes on their ultimate goal. At the same time, All for One acknowledges that, if anything, there's been a negative influence in the opposite direction: Tomura Shigaraki's all-consuming hatred is now affecting All for One even in his original form. All for One's careful and meticulous planning has always been his key to victory, but he does little to impart this on Shigaraki, and that may be the flaw that opens him up to failure.
As a mentor, All Might has taught his kids well, and knows he can tell them even difficult truths. All for One has played along with Shigaraki for years, and does treat him in a fatherly way even now, but it's the way of a controlling parent who sees their child as an extension of themselves. While Midoriya and the others are equals and heroes in their own right, All for One doesn't see Tomura Shigaraki as an adult because he doesn't see him as a separate person at all--even as it becomes apparent that this body-snatching process is leading to a distinct being that's a mix of both of them, not just a new life for himself. The seeds of My Hero Academia's finale have been sown, and this dark parallel just might provide a glimpse at the flaw which will bring the series' biggest villain down for good.