My Hero Academia Finally Reveals All For One’s Real Name

My Hero Academia has been revealing new information about its characters ahead of the anime’s return for its final season through a special new book hitting shelves in Japan, and with it has fully revealed All For One’s real name in the process. My Hero Academia might have come to an end last year with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, but series creator Kohei Horikoshi has been returning to the franchise in the time since to reveal all sorts of new information about the series that didn’t make it into the manga. This includes more key details about its biggest villains as well.

My Hero Academia hit shelves in Japan with a new Ultra Age book that comes with all sorts of new information about its characters that weren’t revealed before, and that includes even more insight into its greatest villain. Because while fans had learned that All For One was related to the first One For All user, we had only known about the villain’s codename through the power he granted himself. But now we’ve gotten to see the villain’s real name with this book, Zen Shigaraki.

My Hero Academia’s All For One Real Name Revealed

My Hero Academia has revealed that All For One’s real name is Zen Shigaraki, and that goes a long way towards expanding on more about the series’ greatest villain. It further explains why Tomura Shigaraki was named as such, and further ties him into his brother Yoichi Shigaraki. But with all of the other secrets that All For One had surrounded himself with, and other code names he’s given over the years, it almost as if Zen Shigaraki is also a codename he’s given himself as well. It’s almost too perfect of a name for the villain as it reflects just how hollow and empty he could feel at time.

When you think of the traditional definition of “zen” it usually refers to a sense of peace that one finds within some kind of isolation or meditation, and that was the kind of affront that the villain had put on in front of others. It was the show that he wanted to reveal to the rest of the world, and that includes maybe even tricking himself. He wanted to be a Demon Lord after all, and the first thing he cast aside was his real name in order to do so. While trying to seem bigger, he ended up just being as empty as his name suggests.

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All For One’s Story Continues in My Hero Academia’s Final Season

My Hero Academia might have come to an end last Summer, but the franchise is continuing with even more. Not only is the franchise continuing with new entries beyond its ending with new chapters (even released with the new Ultra Age book), but the anime is about to bring it all to an end in a completely different kind of way too. My Hero Academia‘s final season is now working through the final battles against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, so it’s time to see how it’s all adapted.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON is currently scheduled to premiere sometime this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, and will also be streaming its new episodes with Crunchyroll alongside their initial release in Japan. The voice cast and staff from the previous seasons will be returning for the final wave of episodes, and you can currently catch up with the first seven seasons now streaming with the likes of Crunchyroll, Hulu and more in the meantime.