My Hero Academia: Horikoshi's Retcon sets the stage for Deku and Bakugo's Heroic Alliance in Heroes Rising
My Hero Academia: Horikoshi retcons a crucial OFA fact to make Deku and Bakugo's iconic Heroes Rising moment canon, solidifying the series' status as a beloved anime and manga among fans
My Hero Academia has become a beloved series in the anime and manga communities, especially with the ongoing events of the Final War Arc keeping fans eagerly anticipating each new chapter. In the latest manga chapter, the mangaka introduces an unforeseen fact regarding OFA, officially incorporating Deku and Bakugo’s iconic moment from the franchise’s second movie into the canon. As the story discloses more details about OFA and its past, viewers are beginning to see the foreshadowing done previously.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from My Hero Academia manga.
My Hero Academia chapter 408: First OFA transfer revealed, canonizing the events in the second movie
My Hero Academia chapter 407 has finally revealed the long-awaited backstory of All For One and Yoichi Shigaraki. This revelation answers numerous questions fans have had about the origin of quirks and the ongoing conflict between One For All and All For One.
Chapter 407's conclusion foreshadowed Yoichi's impending demise, the original OFA holder. The following chapter delves into his detailed death and the resulting events. The narrator reveals that Yoichi, after fleeing with Kudo and Bruce, the second and third OFA users, was ultimately murdered by his older twin brother, AFO, two months later.
Yoichi grasping Kudo's hand before his passing (Image via Kohei Horikoshi/Shueisha)
After the tragic event, AFO is seen in his apartment with Yoichi’s hand, the sole remnant of his body after the horrifying incident. AFO observes that Yoichi’s body no longer possesses the quirk he had once bestowed upon him.
At the same time, Kudo is undergoing an examination, during which Bruce, the third user, reveals that his body now contains two quirk factors. Along with his original quirk Gearshift, he has gained an insignificant secondary one. In the next panel, paralleling AFO and Kudo, both come to realize that Yoichi’s quirk was passed down to him.
This suggests the possibility that it might have occurred during Yoichi's final desperate attempt to stand against his brother, and he unknowingly passed it on just before dying. The previous panel, which focused on him holding Kuro’s hand, seems to have hinted at this fact.
The connection with the second My Hero Academia movie
The events in this chapter parallel those in the My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising movie. When the franchise's second movie debuted in 2019, the method of Deku sharing OFA powers with Bakugo was seen as non-canon, leading to criticism from the community.
However, the way My Hero Academia's creator, Kohei Horikoshi, integrated it into the latest chapter has pleasantly surprised the fandom.
In the movie, Deku, Bakugo, and the heroes confront a formidable enemy named Nine and struggle to overcome the villain. As Deku found himself pinned down by Nine, he had no choice but to transfer some of his One For All (OFA) quirk to Bakugo. The transfer took place through them holding hands, a moment that received significant attention from fans.
Deku and Bakugo both use OFA in the movie 2 (Image via Studio Bones)
The anime originally revealed that OFA is passed down genetically by ingesting the predecessor's DNA, but Chapter 408's new revelation suggests that the transfer may have been through physical touch. This has raised questions about whether the mangaka had planned this all along and if the movie had foreshadowed it. The delayed disclosure of this crucial detail may lead to fans questioning why it wasn't revealed sooner.
Fans are excited to witness one of the most epic battle scenes in the franchise becoming part of the official canon. This also sets the stage for future similar events to take place in the series' storyline.
Editor's P/S
As a long-time fan of My Hero Academia, I am thrilled to see that Horikoshi has retconned a crucial OFA fact to make Deku and Bakugo's iconic Heroes Rising moment canon. This move solidifies the series' status as a beloved anime and manga among fans and shows that Horikoshi is willing to listen to feedback from the community.
The reveal that OFA can be passed down through physical touch opens up a lot of possibilities for the future of the series. I can't wait to see how Horikoshi uses this new development to further the story and create even more amazing moments for fans to enjoy.
