In the latest episode of My Hero Academia‘s final season, the series finally unveils All For One’s horrifying ultimate form alongside a deep dive into his long-hidden backstory. As the intense hero-villain war reaches its peak, All For One has been relentlessly pushing to reach Tomura Shigaraki, aiming to absorb him and seize control of his body. However, the newly resurrected Katsuki Bakugo intervenes decisively, catching the mastermind villain off guard for the first genuine setback in the anime adaptation.
While earlier installments offered brief peeks into All For One’s history—highlighting his meticulous schemes to claim One For All—the antagonist himself stayed shrouded in enigma. That shifts dramatically in this recent outing, where All For One taps into his last reserves of strength, prompting a flood of memories about the path that led him here. This revelation reframes his enduring rivalry with his sibling in a profoundly different way after so many years.
The tale unfolds with All For One and his younger brother entering the world in a dingy alley, their mother perishing right after delivery. This era marks the dawn of quirks, sparked by the arrival of a luminous infant, sparking widespread turmoil across Japan. Amid the ensuing disorder, the brothers mature in a fractured society. From childhood, All For One views the planet as his domain, dismissing others as mere disposable pieces—except for his brother, whom he refuses to abandon, even as he begins slaughtering indiscriminately and hoarding stolen abilities.
Drawing motivation from the superhero comics they devoured together, All For One embraces the role of a dreaded Demon Lord. Over time, he insists on dragging his brother into his dark empire, compelling a quirk upon him against his will. Tragedy strikes when Kudo—the eventual second wielder of One For All—attempts to flee with the younger brother, only for All For One to slay him unintentionally in the chaos.
The sight of Bakugo evokes memories of Kudo for All For One, spurring him to abandon restraint and deploy an overwhelming barrage of his amassed quirks in a bid to break through to Shigaraki. At its core, this exposes the true origin of the saga’s central feud: All For One’s fixation on One For All stems from a yearning to reconnect with his lost brother. He craved that unbreakable bond above all, pursuing the power because he sensed a fragment of his sibling lingered within it.
For all his ruthless ambition to reign as a Demon Lord and eliminate any opposition, All For One harbored an unbreakable tie to his brother that he couldn’t sever. What he truly sought was his brother’s affection, and One For All became his warped method of forging an everlasting union between them.
BUMP OF CHICKEN performs the ending theme for the show’s eighth and concluding season. The ending theme is titled “I”.
Crunchyroll streams My Hero Academia season 8 anime worldwide excluding Asia.
The opening theme song “THE REVO” by Porno Graffitti.
RELEASE DATE FOR MY HERO ACADEMIA FINAL SEASON: October 4, 2025
My Hero Academia is a Japanese shonen manga crafted by Kōhei Horikoshi. Launched in Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 7, 2014, and concluding on August 5, 2024, it spans 430 chapters compiled into 42 tankōbon volumes. Set in a society where “Quirks” (superpowers) are widespread, the story centers on Izuku Midoriya, a Quirkless teen with ambitions of heroism. His life changes when All Might, the world’s top hero, recognizes his determination and passes on his Quirk, “One For All.” Midoriya joins U.A. High, an elite academy for aspiring heroes, navigating intense training, rivalries, and battles against villains. The manga blends dynamic action, emotional depth, and influences from Western superhero comics, earning over 100 million copies in circulation by April 2024, including spin-offs, cementing its status as a global phenomenon.
The anime adaptation, produced by Studio Bones, brings Horikoshi’s story to life with vivid animation and a compelling soundtrack. Premiering on April 3, 2016, it closely follows the manga, chronicling Midoriya’s growth at U.A. High and his clashes with villains like the League of Villains. The series spans seven seasons (with an eighth planned for October 2025), covering 158 episodes as of July 2025. Key seasons aired as follows: Season 1 (April–June 2016), Season 2 (April–September 2017), Season 3 (April–September 2018), Season 4 (October 2019–April 2020), Season 5 (March–September 2021), Season 6 (October 2022–March 2023), and Season 7 (May–October 2024). The anime also includes four films—Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, World Heroes’ Mission, and You’re Next—and ten OVAs. It’s lauded for its animation quality, voice acting (Japanese and English), and action, though some critique its pacing.
Kōhei Horikoshi is the manga’s writer and artist, inspired by his earlier works like Oumagadoki Zoo and a 2008 one-shot, My Hero. His love for Western superhero comics and shonen manga shaped the series’ unique style. The anime was helmed by Studio Bones, with Kenji Nagasaki directing, Yōsuke Kuroda scripting, Yoshihiko Umakoshi designing characters, and Yuki Hayashi composing music. Horikoshi contributed to the anime, notably on films and additional scenes.
The series has grown into a vast franchise, including spin-off manga (Smash!!, Vigilantes, Team-Up Missions), light novels, video games, stage plays, and merchandise. A live-action film by Legendary Entertainment is in development. The manga frequently topped The New York Times best-seller list, and the anime has garnered acclaim for its storytelling, art, and cultural nods to superhero comics, making it a cornerstone of modern anime and manga.
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