The following content contains spoilers fromMy Hero Academia,Season 6, episode 25.Even though Hero Killer Stain’s antagonistic presence has been taintingMy Hero Academiasince Season 2, All Might has never directly interacted with this villainous vigilante, up until now that is. However, while the scenario may seem perfectly set up for an imbalanced battle, things take an unexpected turn as Stain takes a stand against All For One by seemingly buddying up with the enemy.
It is evident quite early on that Chizome Akaguro holds All Might in high regard, declaring that he is the one “true hero,” and the only person worthy of taking Stain’s life. And when this unlikely pair finally come face to face in Season 6, the Hero Killer’s admiration for the Symbol of Hope is palpable.
RELATED:My Hero Academia: The Deku Effect
Stain and the Imposter
A man of many names. Toshinori Yagi, All Might, #1 Pro-Hero, Symbol of Peace, Sensei. And with each new moniker, comes the crushing burden of expectation and responsibility. And even now, while he is virtually Quirkless, All Might take the blame for the fall of Japan and berates himself for failing his people. Toshinori has not had the easiest life and, much like Izuku, was always desperate to make a difference in the world; however, his Quirklessness complicated matters. Fast forward several years, and All Might finds himself powerless yet again, taking fullaccountability for Hero Society’s devastation.He promised to fight until his final breath but has accomplished nothing since this sweeping declaration (that’s what he tells himself, anyways.) Well, Stain would beg to differ.
In the aftermath ofDeku’s descent into darkness, All Might throws a pity party for himself in Kamino, staring forlornly at his disgraced statue. It would appear that the young Hero’s depression is contagious, and All Might has it bad! Suddenly, Stain pops up out of nowhere with a crazed look in his eyes, and viewers prepare themselves for Toshinori’s tragic demise but, astonishingly, the Hero Killer is actually a sheep in wolf’s clothing. Chizome claims to not recognize the man before him and not because of his skeletal appearance (which Stain is assumedly unaware of) but due to the man’s melancholic mannerisms.
All Might, “The Only Man I Trust”
Instead of taking this vulnerability as the perfect opportunity to one-up his “rival,” Stain pulls All Might aside and practically embraces him, ensuring he witnesses how much the civilians truly careabout their former #1 Hero.Yes, there may be a few stubborn troublemaking vandals around, but isn’t saving lives, even if it’s just one, enough proof of All Might’s brilliance and heroism? It’s evident that Chizome has been watching the grateful volunteer for quite some time, as he is aware that she has been cleaning All Might’s statue on a daily basis, and knows about her history with the Hero.
RELATED:My Hero Academia: How Ochaco Saves ALL Heroe
Stain would have happily beaten his target into submission in the past; however, this time around, he urges the defenseless Toshinori to reconnect with his purpose in life as a Hero, saving innocents and inspiring hope, with a wide grin plastered to his face. This sorrowful persona that he has recently adopted is a disgrace to the Symbol of Peace’s name because his uplifting leadership and unwavering faith are arguably what has been holding Japan together all this time. Self-sacrifice is all a part of the job, and the fight is not yet over, so why give up now? Especially ifStain has some insider informationto share with his beloved Hero (with a heartfelt “love letter” included!)
The Hero Killer Admits Defeat?
Their conversation ends strangely, with Stain assuring All Might that he is ready and waiting for their big face-off, and seems to suggest that it should all end in the Hero Killer’s death. He has wiped forty Heroes out of existence after all, so suffering the same fate would only be fair.
“Come and end me… All for the sake of a more just world.”
However, perhaps these words have a deeper meaning than simple karmic retribution. Stain could be backhandedly admitting one of two things.
Maybe he feels that his own purpose in life has been fulfilled, seeing that the bulk of unworthy Heroes are no longer in authority (either dead, retired, or incapacitated in some way), while the masses finally refuse to mindlessly worship false idols anymore. And thus, with his mission complete, his fight is over. Alternatively,Stain has come to realizethat his stubborn ideology does not produce the nirvana he had hoped for; just look at what the fall of Hero Society has accomplished! Maybe this olive branch is Stain’s way of apologizing, potentially his first step to making amends for his previously misguided beliefs and actions.
Stain’s Insider Information
While everyone has been preparing themselves for Decay’s unstoppable devastation, it would appear that the good guys have underestimatedShigaraki’s almost equally problematic Quirk, Radio Waves. Not only was this electromagnetic pulse solely responsible for taking out Tartarus' impenetrable defenses, but it puts all future strategies in danger, assumedly including UA’s emergency shelter. Furthermore, Radio Waves disrupt communications systems, which proved to be particularly efficient during the Paranormal Liberation War; but wait, there’s more! Thanks to Stain’s hand-delivered data, All Might and the Police Force have managed to ascertain that this Transmission Quirk is essentially a personal communication device, linking the two All For Ones (like mindreading twins.) Shigaraki and All For One would have had to attack simultaneously to breach Tartarus' barrier, and they used Radio Waves to communicate with one another and sync up their attacks.
As far as the Heroes are concerned, they have about two months in total (and a little less than one month left) until D-Day, when Shigaraki’s second attempt at an upgrade is complete, and all hell breaks loose. However, Stain’s intel tells a different story. Tartarus' systems managed to record the electromagnetic interaction between the All For One’s and ascertained thatShigaraki will be ripe and ready in a mere three days' time.And Deku has only just started on the road to recovery, with only one session of decent sleep under his belt since he left UA. Furthermore, this updated timeline suggests that everyone at UA is in grave danger because if Shigaraki only has three days left on the clock, and All For One wants to gethis hands on One For Allbefore the process is complete, he will assuredly be turning up the heat on his Deku-capture mission. And with such a public reunion with Class A, Deku’s current whereabouts are unlikely to be much of a secret, putting every fan-favorite Hero and unarmed citizen in the Villains' targets.
