Welcome to what is probably the end of the Villains Arc. It was a wild ride. We laughed, we cried, we wondered how Re-Destro’s pants stretched to fit Hulk Re-Destro. Barring maybe one last wrap-up chapter, or at least a portion of next week’s chapter dedicated to the public’s reaction to the carnage that befell Deika City, let’s not only talk about this chapter but what it all means for the series as a whole.
Here’s a hint: Team Deku’s screwed.
Shigaraki won. And, I’m not just talking about his fight against Re-Destro. Seeing Shiggy as the embodiment of Destro’s ideals, Re-Destro admits defeat then turns the Meta Liberation Army over to him. Well, that’s a shocker. But, thinking about it makes sense. Look, the MLA aren’t exactly good people. They want every quirk user to be able to use their powers without restriction. That’s absolutely insane. The fact that Re-Destro looked upon all the destruction Shigaraki caused and admired him is proof of that. These are two crazy leaders who can potentially share a common goal. Let’s face it, Y’all. The MLA was walking down the path of destruction since OG Destro’s days. The only difference between them and the League is what happens after society is destroyed. If Shigaraki has no problem allowing what’s left of Japan to use their quirks feely then everyone wins. And why wouldn’t he? I doubt he cares what happens to the world after he wreaks it. It’s a total win-win situation for both organizations!
Addressing Spinner’s narrative, it looks like that whole “League is doomed” talk from the beginning of the arc was him thinking up to this point before he saw Shigaraki pull off the win. Just wanted to point that out for anyone who remembered.
The second big thing that happened this chapter is Gigantomachia witnessing Shigaraki’s true power and acknowledging him as AFO’s true successor. A good thing too. Shiggy’s tough and all, but he’d be in trouble if Gigantomachia wanted to trade blows now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Giganto was subdued by AFO in a similar way as Re-Destro, minus the lost limbs of course.
What about Geten, you ask? If he wasn’t used to fuel Dabi’s backstory, what was the point of the character? And, why was his face hidden? Well, I think he was there to keep Dabi busy and force the guy to admit he needs support gear to cool down his body while using his full power. Gee, I wonder is Re-Destro can help him out? Heh, heh. Speaking of the League obtaining support items, it’s safe to say most of them are getting new gear. Dabi will get a cooling apparatus. Toga will get a new blood-sucking machine. Spinner could use a new uniform now that he’s over Stain, maybe a new sword to go with it. And, good ole Mr. Compress will probably get a brand new state-of-the-art cyborg arm better than anything the Winter Soldier’s got. In your face Bucky Barnes!
I also think Geten will enroll at U.A. in the future. That’s right, my theory is Geten is high school-aged. Re-Destro will pull some strings and get him in the school where he’ll be ready to cause some mega damage when the time is right. Yeah, it’s a long-shot theory but there’s got to be a reason why his face is kept hidden and that’s the best I can think of. If it turns out to be true, I’m taking all the credit for it. Even the extra credit homework. Warm-up that passing grade, Aizawa. I’m coming for it.
I’ve talked before how this arc is mostly about the League becoming strong enough to be the endgame villains, but just how much more power is Shigaraki’s organization? Off the top of head:
- Shigaraki, Toga, and Twice are stronger and/or at full power.
- Doctor Uijiko now serves the League completely. And with him, his High-End Nomus, Johnny, and the resources to analyze and synthesize more quirk erasing bullets.
- Gigantomachia’s loyalty.
- Re-Destro’s loyalty which includes his support gear making company and that sweet sweet battle data making them super powerful.
- The MLA and all it’s follows including computer genius, Skeptic, political figure Trumpet, and ice guy Geten.
- And, because it’s a game charger in its own right, the heroes all secretly working for the MLA.
Yeah, Team Deku is screwed, big time.
Fantastic chapter! A great end to a great arc showing not only Shigaraki’s strength but also his intelligence by not killing Re-Destro resulting in pulling the entire MLA organization under his rule. It’s not only his power, but Shigaraki’s charisma that will get him far. Just how far? Will Deku stop his future shenanigans before they’re fully realized or will Shigaraki pull off a few more big wins before finally going down? Given, there’s nothing stopping the League from freeing the baddies in Tartarus Prison and Toshinori’s predicted death, I’d say the villain party has only just started. And, judging from how Deika City looks, now would be a good time to move to New Zealand.
Mammoth Base Opera Castle 