Re-Destro preaches over the inherent connection between an individual’s Quirk and the user’s temperament, which in Shigaraki’s case paints the picture of a villain who is only interested in destruction. The Meta Liberation leader inadvertently triggers an epiphany in Shigaraki that leaves him more ready than ever to set the world on fire. Shigaraki’s past pain helps fuel his current fight against Re-Destro. It’s a villain who destroyed his support and left himself with nobody. This isn’t a villain who had nobody for support. Even after all of this pain it’s still possible to picture a version of Shigaraki that’s able to live a healthy life–possibly even as a hero–if he still had Hana by his side for support. The most gutting collateral damage from Shigaraki’s burgeoning Quirk is his sister, Hana, who was always there for him. The episode details that Shigaraki loses everyone–not just his mother and father, but also his grandparents and even his dog–which leaves him in a newly harash world. There’s no scenario in which this loss feels acceptable, but “Tenko Shimura: Origin” doesn’t hold back when it comes to the fear, sadness, and shame that dominates the “birth” of Shigaraki. The complete annihilation of one’s family is enough to break even the most altruistic of heroes. Shigaraki’s flashbacks are so heartbreaking because there’s a real sense of calm and happiness in their normal suburban life that the audience knows will decay into ash at a moment’s notice. “Tenko Shimura: Origin” is the first time that the specifics of this tragedy get unpacked and it easily ranks up there with the series’ most devastating moments. My Hero Academia casually dropped the bomb of backstory that these hands are actually from the members of Shigaraki’s family a morbid badge of courage over how much he’s changed. Shigaraki has commanded an air of intimidation ever since his first appearance, largely because the cluster of severed hands that decorate his face is definitely a look that would give villains like Red Skull or Two-Face pause. My Hero Academia Season 5 Episode 22 Review: Sad Man’s Parade By Daniel Kurland Previous episodes have provided flashes of Shigaraki’s grim past, but it’s nothing compared to what’s uncovered in “Tenko Shimura: Origin ” an excellent episode that, as its title suggests, there’s a lot more to Tenko “Tomura Shigaraki” Shimura than the audience realizes. The culmination of this is of course Tomura Shigaraki, the head of the League of Villains, the series’ central antagonist, and a character who’s increasingly been positioned as Izuku Midoriya’s dark counterpoint.
There is no shortage of villains in the series and My Hero Academia’s “My Villain Academia” story arc has risen to the occasion by choosing some of its more vicious and unstable villains to put under the microscope. They’re the perfect amount of dark and haunting without feeling exploitative or off the mark from what the series should represent. There’s an inherent risk of ruining the magic that surrounds certain characters by answering all of the questions that contextualize them-especially when it comes to villains-but My Hero Academia has not only avoided this particular story struggle, but excelled in the territory and turned the challenge into some of the show’s most powerful episodes. This My Hero Academia review contains spoilers for Season 5, Episode 23.