Proof that you do not need to kill a character to reduce people to tears.
With Bakugo safely out of the way, the fight between All for One and All Might can begin. We begin with a small insight into All Might’s background, when he was still known as Toshinori. Saying to his predecessor for One for All that the reason that crime was on the rise was because there was no pillar for the people to look too. No symbol of Peace for the villains to fear.
That’s what he totally intended to become.
This episode really reflects to everyone just how important All Might is. Even as his secret is revealed. Even as everyone in the general public sees the real him. Even as he is struggling to keep what little power he has to keep the fight against All for One going. Even as he is pushing himself to the limit. Everyone is looking at him as a symbol of Justice.
There are few moments in anime I can compare to the pure energy and togetherness that everyone showed. The kind that makes even you as the watcher want to join in chanting. As everyone cheered on All Might, you felt the desire to chant for him to win as well. It’s much like watching Dragon Ball Z, when Goku asks everyone to raise their hands to give energy to use the spirit bomb and you find your hand in the air as well. That’s the kind of high charged emotion this episode managed.
Of course, it wasn’t without it’s down points. As All for One reveals a horrible truth to All Might that almost breaks a small bit of the Hero of Justices shining desire. That Shigaraki is Nana Shimura’s grandson and that All for One has been purposely pitting them against one another from the start. Putting Shigaraki in places that All Might would try to beat him.
So he has not only turned the grandson of All Might’s much respected predecessor into a villain. He has been trying to get All Might to kill him in a way.
Still though, with the cries of the public. His teachers, and even the other pro-heroes. Endeavor joins the scene and remembers how he has always, always been looking at All Might’s back. Trying to catch up, to be the number one hero. He is so frustrated, by the pathetic back that he is looking at now. He yells at All Might and tells him to buck up.
All Might gathers as much power as he can. When he is at his lowest, he remember his origins. He takes a few notes of out Midoriya’s book in how he uses his body to fight and in the end, declares a powerful attack. The United States of Smash and slams All for One into the ground, rendering him unable to move.
The police begin moving him into an iron giant to keep him contained. Rescue efforts go in in the affected area…but All Might has pretty much used all of his power at this point. Still, he tries to stand as the symbol of Justice one last time.
Pointing to the TV, he utters a few simple words “Next, it’s your turn.” which, could honestly mean a lot of things to a lot of people. To the villains, it could mean that they are next now that their boss has been taken down. To the public, it could mean that it’s their turn to be heroes and help as many people as possible.
To Midoriya, it meant one single, horrible truth. That All Might had used up the last of his power and now the burden of One for All and being the next symbol of peace falls directly on his shoulders. He begins sobbing, and it’s horridly painful to watch and I come back to the first line of my review. You don’t have to kill a character to cause tears.
Next episode, we wrap up this arc. No, we wrap up this Saga. This is officially the end of the U.A. Beginnings Saga. Things from now on, with no real pillar of justice to keep the villains at bay are going to get intense and I can’t wait for every single moment of it.