The final war part of My Hero AcadeKaren has begun. Along with some thrilling encounters, Horikoshi, staying true to his style, creates emotionally resonant fights. Izuku Midoriya's stance against the vengeful Shigaraki is no different.
Although Deku eventually broke through Shigaraki's outer shell (with his fingers, rather) and accessed his repressed emotions of rejection and pain, the result was not a positive one. that he desired. The All For One portion that resided within Shigaraki took control of Shigaraki's body thanks to Deku's intervention, leaving no trace of the shattered villain.
However, that was not the only damage caused.
When Deku returned from the dream world in MHA chapter 419 after his failed attempt to save Shigaraki, he lost both of his arms. The photo showing the young hero lying helplessly on the ground in a pool of his own blood quickly became a trend on online SNS platforms.
But, since so much has happened in the last few chapters, the question naturally arises. How exactly did Deku lose his arms? And not, Unlike previous times, this injury was not the result of Deku abusing his powers.
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How did Deku lose his arms?
To answer briefly, Deku lost his arms after they were damaged by young Shigaraki's disintegration powers within the boy's subconscious..
Instead of defeating and destroying Shigaraki with just one blow, Deku chose the more difficult and harsh path of reaching out to save his opponent. Why? Because he saw the image of little Shigaraki calling for help.
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However, Shigaraki buried this vulnerable side deep in his subconscious. To carry out his ideal plan, Deku needs to delve into Shigaraki's past and find the origins of his evil. This means a mental cage match, hero vs. villain, all within the distorted backdrop of Shigaraki's subconscious.
The young hero eventually managed to overcome Shigaraki's defenses by bombarding him with the remnants of former One For All users. This mental block allowed Deku to access Shigaraki's repressed past, the source of his pain.
Witnessing Shigaraki's breaking point – the moment his Decay ability activated – Deku promptly intervened. He tries to stop Shigaraki from killing his sister and his family with both hands.
Deku hopes that Shigaraki can be saved like he was saved when others (his friends) reached out to help him. Unfortunately, young Shigaraki didn't actually high-five.
Once his Quirk was activated, Deku's hand met a terrible fate as he held onto Shigaraki, slowly decomposing and disintegrating. He may have appeased Shiggy's hatred and rage, “saving” him in some way, but in the end, Deku is only one victory dance away.
We see him in chapter 418, armless but determined, next to young Tenko.
But the surprising thing is: Deku was in Shigaraki's mind, right? How can he interfere with a past event? And how did he suffer damage in the real world in a dreamscape?
How did Deku receive Shigaraki's subconscious physical damage?
One For All and All For One share a mysterious connection. Just as One For All contains a subconscious world where past users reside, a similar plane may exist within All For One.
This realm, accessed deep by Deku in Shigaraki's subconscious, may reflect that or something similar. After all, it was Shigaraki who used All For One. Here, his vulnerable core – a volatile mix of anger, hate and remorse – is physically expressed.
Chapter 418 confirmed in a way that this is a world where memories form. I feel that Deku's ability to reach out and interact with it may come from the resonance between OFA and AFO, causing their minds to overlap. Do you still remember the images and memories?
Similar to how previous OFA users interacted freely in One For All, Deku materializes within Shigaraki's subconscious, capable of influencing events. Nana Shimura, in chapter 417, explains this is because Deku is One For All's successor.
And because of this, any injuries that occur in this world will be transmitted to the physical world – a fact that they may have overlooked. Even All For One, upon taking control of Shigaraki, appeared surprised at the mental toll his vessel had taken.
Now, when Deku intervened and stopped Shigaraki from killing his sister, he did not change the past at all. He aims to save Shigaraki's vulnerable core, essentially reforming the villain from the inside. However, this feat, in Shigaraki's subconscious, proved to be no easy task.
Deku, visualizing his physical presence, stopped Tenko without hesitation, using his own body. While this may have lessened Shigaraki's hatred, it came at a high cost – his arm.
Unfortunately, this sacrifice is not enough. All For One, thanks to Deku's actions creating an opening, took over Shigaraki's mind, effectively taking over.
Will Deku get his arm back?
It's surprising that Deku's body hasn't completely broken down yet from what he went through in this war. Every fiber in his body seemed to be screaming in pain from Shigaraki's persistent wound.
However, the situation has now become worse as his arm is also gone. However, is this the end?
Well, I'm pretty sure we all recall the warnings Deku received in the early chapters (84) about the possibility of permanent damage to his arm if he used it recklessly. Take One for All. In response, he diligently trained his legs for combat effectiveness.
He has now effectively lost his arm, although due to Shigaraki's decline, his foot fighting style may become his main strategy in the future.
Additionally, depending on whether or not Deku still has the special arms of his previous users, especially Banjo, he can use Black Whip to construct makeshift weapons to spy on the war.
While Kudo planned to forcibly transfer One For All's special elements to Shigaraki, he specifically instructed Daigoro Banjo to stay behind. However, when Deku entered Shigaraki's subconscious, Nana Shimura was the only one left behind as a vestige inside Deku as seen in chapter 417.
If Banjo and his Black Whip are gone, the ability to regenerate his arm through his Quirk is of little use.
The third, and perhaps most intriguing outcome, depends on Shigaraki himself. Chapter 419 hints at a rudimentary version of the Overhaul ability given to him. Theoretically, Shigaraki is capable of reassembling Deku's arm.
However, this assumption also has some limitations.
First, Shigaraki's spirit seems to have been shattered by All For One's. Although a faint cry in Chapter 419 indicates that his will still remains, regaining control or activating Overhaul's regenerative abilities is uncertain.
Why? Because while giving the quirky element to Shigaraki, AFO made sure to meticulously filter everything out and only give him the destructive aspect of the Overhaul ability. However, the shounen genre is famous for its surprising twists, so I wouldn't completely discount the possibility.
If Deku persists in using only his legs, advanced prosthetics could become a reality in the future. This option seems most likely considering Mei Hatsume's appearance in previous chapters. Perhaps Horikoshi is laying the groundwork for a tech-powered upgrade.
Deku's scissor arm?
What do you think about Deku losing his arm? Let me know them in the comments below!