Highlights

• Deku first performs Gearshift in episode 151, demonstrating his mastery of all of One for All’s powers in a visually impressive battle.
• My Hero Academia’s ode to legacy and using Quirks for a higher purpose is evident through Deku’s cunning strategy and arsenal.
• The series reinforces its message that quirks are connected to the soul and emphasizes the importance of will over mere acquisition of power.

The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia episode 151, “A Chain of Events Through Time,” now streaming on

Crunchyroll



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After weeks of waiting, Izuku Midoriya has finally reached the coffin in heaven and landed his first blow on Tomura Shigaraki/All for One, and it is a joy to say that the wait was worth it. This is far from the end of an already very long battle, but My Hero Academia did a great job of making up for lost time thanks to some incredible animations and the debut of one of Deku’s coolest abilities yet.

The final episode was a meditation on the series’ themes of legacy and protecting the coming generation, just as the older heroes were grappling with Bakugo’s devastating defeat. While Edgeshot worked to revive him, the desperate and disheartened Lemillion had to hold off Shigaraki until Deku could make his long-overdue debut.

Deku steps things up a notch (literally)

Since much of Season 7 was dedicated to a gigantic battle, the action is limited to short but powerful moments, of which there were many. Of course, there were exceptions, some episodes were characterized by strong duels. Season 7 started strong with the pyrrhic victory of Star and Stripe, Todoroki and Dabi set Kamino on fire, and now Episode 151 is almost entirely dedicated to Deku vs. Shigaraki.

While this is undoubtedly a debatable point, Season 7 – overall – featured some of the best action scenes the anime has seen in years. Not just because of the jaw-dropping spectacle, but also because of some of the most well-crafted conflicts, whether due to the setting, the gameplay quirks, or the strategies employed. This all harks back to the premiere, where Horikoshi’s storytelling really shined on a conceptual level and Bones brought it to life beautifully.

The debut of Gearshift

The same goes for this highly anticipated rematch, where Deku not only debuts the last of One for All’s arsenal, but also displays a mastery of each of these powers that will leave longtime fans in awe. After being kept secret for so long, “Gearshift,” the second user’s specialty, had to be extra cool to make it worth the wait, and it doesn’t disappoint. The best part is that the episode doesn’t waste time explaining it—it just shows it.

Gearshift’s oddly mechanical presentation is the first thing you notice. It’s not clear at first what it does, but its effect on Shigaraki makes the point clear. And then the pieces fall into place. Deku’s new specialty was originally only able to change the speed of small objects, but with the growth of One for All, he can also change the speed of his body. Every time Deku gains a new ability, it’s a momentous occasion, and they’ve rarely messed it up.

Deku’s spirit fits perfectly with “One for All”

It’s episodes like this where the show reminds everyone why Deku was the perfect person to lead One for All. The deciding factor may have been his good heart, but his cunning mind has always been his strongest weapon ever since he couldn’t use his specialty without breaking a bone. This fight is glorious, but him having access to every one of One for All’s specialties is only half the reason. The rest depends on how he uses them.

As Deku’s arsenal has grown over the seasons, the new powers, as cool as they were, could sometimes seem arbitrary and not particularly flattering to the character. However, when you see them all together, it’s not hard to see the vision behind this eclectic mix of superpowers, and when combined with such a sharp mind, it’s like seeing Deku at his absolute peak.

The renewed “meaning” of quirks

Sometimes I wonder if My Hero Academia is confused by its messages. On the one hand, it is a celebration of individuality, which stands for the fact that there are no supporting characters; anyone can be a hero. On the other hand, it is simultaneously about a single boy who has 6 other superpowers in addition to his own, and on whom the other characters pin their hopes.

It may seem like the themes clash, but Deku’s nature and the way he gained these powers reflect an overarching theme that unites these seemingly disparate elements. Kudo’s speech in this episode exemplifies this by talking about where One for All’s power truly lies: in the will of those who wielded the Quirks, rather than the Quirks themselves.

The meta-ability is not the part you should pay attention to. What do you use what you’ve been given for? Who do you use it for? That strong will is where the power lies. That’s why they’re called quirks.

What this quote says about the message of the story

The series has repeatedly reinforced the idea that quirks are inextricably linked to the soul, as shown by Deku’s communication with previous wielders and All for One’s quirks rebelling against him. If episode 150 was a painful lesson about passing the torch when that mission has seemingly failed, then 151 shows the resounding success of that mandate.

Kudo’s words could be a reminder of Deku or a criticism of All for One, but either way it is a lesson that connects My Hero Academias philosophy and its protagonist. Deku will ultimately win this war against All for One, not only because he possesses One for All, but because he is literally carrying on the will of his predecessors instead of discarding them.

Without this respect, Deku would never have gained even half of his power, let alone mastered it. The fact that he could have failed and that he had to earn the approval to wield it is exactly what sets him apart from his opponent, who seizes power without thinking about the soul that comes with it.

All in all, this was a great episode. If there was anything missing, it was a slight sense of disillusionment at the end, a side effect of the back and forth of attrition this season. Shigaraki has developed so much already, and Deku has reached such a high point for his character, that one wonders if fatigue will set in. It’s a consequence of shōnen villains becoming so invincible by the end, a trend that begs to be analyzed in more detail.

For now, the anime will focus on other battles, particularly the fight between Shoji and Spinner, so it’s not like things have gotten anywhere near boring. My Hero Academia has taken a few weeks off recently, but assuming the breaks are over, these final weeks of the season could be a real highlight.