My Hero Academia: Izuku and Shigaraki’s Parallels Are More Important Than Ever

My Hero Academia has been on a hot streak for a few weeks now, and it is all thanks to the manga and its ongoing arc. While the anime preps its new season behind the scenes, Izuku and the Pro Heroes are being tossed around in the manga. The latest arc has all but annihilated the top heroes in Japan, and fans have come to realize that Shigaraki’s parallels with Izuku are way more important than ever before.

If you have been with the series for awhile, you will know that Izuku and Shigaraki are more alike than they’ll ever admit. They come from traumatic childhoods though they varied in severity. While Izuku was mercilessly bullied, Shigaraki was being raised by All For One after the boy killed his family on accident.

However, their biggest parallels come thanks to their mentors. All For One might be a horrible villain to the world at a large, but Shigaraki sees his master as a sort of father figure. He was groomed to become the next Symbol of Evil, and Shigaraki’s unhinged mind has made him a perfect candidate to overturn society.

As for Izuku, the boy was chosen by All Might later in life. He did not meet his mentor until high school was creeping up on him, and All Might’s way of teaching Izuku was jovial at heart. When it came time for All Might to pass the torch to Izuku, the same mantle was passed to Shigaraki as All For One was taken out. And as it turns out, Shigaraki filed to account for something during this training with Izuku.

All Might and Izuku figured out the boy’s body could not handle One For All well, so they found ways around his limits. Shigaraki has the same problem when it comes to All For One, and that gives Izuku a distinct advantage. At just 75% powered, Shigaraki is falling at the seams after an impressive display of power, and Izuku believe his training under All Might has prepared him for this moment. He is better suited to wield One For All than Shigaraki is to wield All For One, so here’s to hoping out the boy can pull ahead in his upcoming battle.

Do you like the story’s hero-villain parallels? Where do you want to see these characters go in the future? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.