My Hero Academia: Did You Catch Season Six's Emotional Nod to Eri?

My Hero Academia has plenty of lovable characters, but none of them can compare to Eri. The young girl did not join the series until Izuku was well into high school, but that did not stop creator Kohei Horikoshi from putting her in the spotlight. In fact, Eri has become one of the anime's underdogs, and My Hero Academia just dropped one of its best nods to her history this season.

The whole thing came to light when season six returned to the air this month. Following its Fall 2022 launch, My Hero Academia returned with a post-holiday episode this week, and it was there we got a new OP. The clip featured tons of epic visuals, but one that caught our eye directly referenced Eri's past with Overhaul.

Love how as Shigaraki's body is ripped away to reveal Tenko, the face distorts into a form reminiscent of All For One

How it looms over Tenko reminds me of Overhaul's "shadow" over Eri during the culture fest, that was blown away as she smiled

Can Deku save another lost child? pic.twitter.com/67NeTdGvjZ

— Nico (@NicoEsBurrito) January 7, 2023

As you can see above, one of the OP shots focuses on Shigaraki as a young kid. When the clip begins, we see him wrapped in a human-shaped mass that appears to be in pain. Eventually, the gunk is blown away, and we are left with Shigaraki as a child. The form tries to hold onto the kid, and you can see All For One's face in the tendrils, but Shigaraki is ultimately saved from the mass.

READ MORE: My Hero Academia Adds to Mirko Cosplay Trend With Endeavor | My Hero Academia Fans Spot a Crushing AFO Easter Egg | My Hero Academia Sets Up Lady Nagant's Season 6 Debut

If this sounds familiar to you, well – that is because Eri was given a very similar scene. Once she was rescued from Overhaul's custody, the girl did not experience life freely until the Cultural Festival arc. Deku and his class put on a show that made Eri smile, and this milestone pushed her to shed the weight of Overhaul weighing on her. In that scene, the young girl was seen breaking free of a dark mass, and she burst through it with excitement. She was saved by the heroes at last, and now, it seems My Hero Academia is ready to do the same for Shigaraki. And though it will be harder to accomplish, this OP seems confident our heroes can do the job!

What do you make of this My Hero Academia throwback...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.