My Hero Academia is a franchise that has sown seeds for millions of superhero fans, and they do love to make their own theories about All Might’s special power. After all, the series has become the phenomenon it is partially because of the Symbol of Peace and One For All. Izuku is now the proud holder of the power, and fans have long suspected there is more to the Quirk than My Hero Academia has led on. Over time, more information about the power has dripped from the series, and a Redditor known as Afalstein believes they may have unearthed One For All’s true power.
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So far, My Hero Academia has shown us that the One For All quirk can generate an unequaled amount of power. The series has also introduced a backstory for One For All, in which the original “good brother” had a secret quirk that allowed him to pass on quirks to other people. However, we don’t know how One For All came to be the powerhouse of energy it is, or why some holders of the quirk can’t access that power in full (or barely at all), while other like All Might master it fully, and quickly.
That’s where a new theory by Reddit User Afalstein comes into play. Using some detailed analysis of key scenes in My Hero Aacademia, Afalstein theorizes that there is indeed a core nature to how One For All’s power works: It’s a “focusing quirk” wherein great power is generated from the focused hopes and wishes of others. As Afalstein so eloquently puts it: “One for All is, quite literally, a quirk that takes the hopes of All and pins them on One person.”
We definitely invite you to read the full One For All power theory HERE, as Afalstein does a lot of good work pulling together scenes and dialogue from My Hero Academia that seem to support this idea. Here’s the breakdown of some key moments to consider:
- All Might selects Deku because of his ideals about heroism, even when Izuku is powerless.
- Because All Might branded himself as “The Symbol of Peace” in his Pro Hero career, he became a media icon and symbol that constantly rallied the people to believe in him – thereby easily fueling One For All power.
- It would explain why “Chosen One” inheritors of One For All can use the power more than last resort inheritors (because the “chosen” are picked for characteristics that are more in tune with the nature of that power).
As Afalstein breaks down, All Might’s key victories in the series (especially in moments when he’s depleted and/or wounded) all fit this theory about how One For All works. All Might first saves Bakugo and Midoriya in the first chapter / episode of the MHA at a moment when Deku is watching him with unbreakable faith as his biggest fanboy. All Might saves the Class 1-A students from the League of Villains’ ambush at U.A. because the students / faculty believe in him. Finally he rises to stop All For One in the Battle of Kamino, because the media attention has everyone in Japan focuses their hope on him in that moment, even when he’s utterly defeated.
This same logic can be applied to one of Deku’s biggest moments, which fans just saw play out in the My Hero Academia anime season 4: the battle with Overhaul. In strategizing to take down the Shie Hassaikai Yakuza group, Sir Nighteye’s future-seeing quirk predicted doom and failure – so he was as stunned as anyone when Deku beat Overhaul and changed the future. Nighteye’s quote seeing Deku and Eri standing victorious is that it was the energy of al the heroes on the mission – himself, Deku, Lemillion, Eri – that allowed Midoriya to do the impossible, and change the future for the better. It seemed Nighteye was being metaphorical about how inspiring figures bring about change – but what if it was much more of a literal realization?
One For All being a focal point for the power of people’s unified hopes and ideas is exactly the kind of explanation that fits with the theme of Deku’s arc to become not just a hero, but a symbol of hope and comfort like All Might was. The popularity of Pro Hero Deku may just be the key to the power he needs to save the world – and he may need the faith of his fellow heroes all too soon, as his rival Tomura Shigaraki is about to enter the Paranormal Liberation War arc in a powered-up new form!
Do you think this explanation of One For All’s power is on the money? Read the FULL Theory HERE and let us know in the comments!
