My Hero Academia: Aoyama and Deku Join Forces in Epic Final Battle Against AFO

With the publication of My Hero Academia chapter 421, Deku’s Class 1A comrades came to his aid in battling All For One. Despite their exhaustion and injuries, they were unable to resist joining their friend in his fierce battle against the villain.

Despite there being many heroes, there was one that stood out above the rest. Yuga Aoyama proved to be that hero as he extended his arm to Deku, joining forces in their final stand against All For One. It was fitting that manga creator Kohei Horikoshi chose to pair Deku with Aoyama in this ultimate showdown against the series’ main antagonist.

Please be aware that this article includes spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.

My Hero Academia: Why the Aoyama and Deku Duo Was Ideal for the Final Showdown with AFO

Deku and Aoyama as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

In the same vein, it is important for fans to recall that Deku and Aoyama share similar beginnings. Despite being born without quirks, they both aspired to be heroes and eventually gained quirks through different means. While Deku inherited the One For All quirk from All Might, Aoyama’s parents obtained a quirk for their son from All For One.

Regrettably, this turned out to be a grave error on the part of the Aoyama family, as AFO exploited this connection to manipulate and gather intel on the heroes through Yuga. As a result, despite Yuga’s aspirations of becoming a hero, his betrayal ultimately led him down the path of becoming a villain.

Yuga Aoyama as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Despite being ordered by All For One, Yuga’s actions were not motivated by a desire to betray his classmates or the heroes. Rather, he was only trying to protect his family. Although the betrayal was not taken lightly by the heroes and the police, Deku eventually understood that Yuga had no other option but to follow All For One’s orders.

Deku was aware that Yuga Aoyama was a hero, as evidenced by his efforts to save Katsuki Bakugo and Fumikage Tokoyami during the Training Camp. The cheese message, which initially confused Deku, suddenly made sense after Aoyama’s betrayal was exposed. It became clear that the message was a plea for assistance all along, further solidifying Aoyama’s true heroic nature.

Aoyama and Deku as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Despite Lady Nagant also being manipulated by All For One, Aoyama was not too late to turn his life around. Her soul may have been crushed, but her spirit remained intact. Therefore, Deku had faith that Aoyama could still choose to become a hero instead of staying a villain. In a show of support, Deku reached out his hand to Aoyama, inviting him to join their cause.

In My Hero Academia chapter 421, Aoyama extended his arm to Deku to join forces and face All For One together, echoing the same moment that had previously occurred.

Clearly, the two originally quirkless individuals were granted their quirks. Sadly, Aoyama’s quirk was given to him by All For One, drastically altering his situation. However, with Deku’s assistance in reclaiming his hero status, Aoyama finally regained a sense of redemption. Therefore, it is logical for Aoyama to join forces with Deku in the ultimate confrontation against AFO.