My Hero Academia chapter 423: Deku and Shigaraki’s team up finally defeats All For One

The most recent chapter of My Hero Academia, chapter 423, was released over the weekend on official Shueisha platforms. It appears to mark the end of the series’ ultimate battle, as protagonist Izuku “Deku”Midoriya is the sole survivor on the battlefield. The body of Tomura Shigaraki crumbles to dust, along with the consciousnesses of both Shigaraki and All For One, by the end of the issue.

Despite this, chapter 423 of My Hero Academia strongly suggests that Deku will ultimately finish the series without a Quirk, as his defeat of All For One appears to have come at the expense of his One For All ability. While there remains a small possibility for this outcome to be altered, it appears that Deku’s path as a Pro Hero has reached a tragic conclusion.

The Tragic Events of My Hero Academia Chapter 423: Deku’s Loss of Quirk and Inability to Save Shigaraki

My Hero Academia Chapter 423: The Failure of All For One’s Plans

All For One is at death's door in the opening scenes of My Hero Academia chapter 423 (Image via BONES) — All For One is at death’s door in the opening scenes of My Hero Academia chapter 423 (Image via BONES)

In My Hero Academia chapter 423, Deku successfully lands a punch on All For One, causing him to realize that his body is not able to use Super Regeneration. This realization is a result of the combined efforts of Deku and his allies, whose animosity overwhelmed All For One’s Danger Sense Quirk and dulled his senses.

All For One comes to the realization that when Yoichi and the other One For All users attacked him, he experienced the impact not only on his physical body but also in his soul. In a flashback, All Might’s previous explanation of how Deku’s body would not be able to handle the full power of One For All comes to mind, providing context for All For One’s current experience. Deku then adds that he has infused his own strength into the One For All Quirk, resulting in the manifestation of the combined power of all nine users that All For One is now feeling.

In chapter 423 of My Hero Academia, Shigaraki’s chest is seen crumbling from the impact of Deku’s punch, causing All For One to realize that Shigaraki’s body is also deteriorating. As All For One’s Quirks start to fade away, the heroes cautiously consider the possibility of celebrating. However, All For One fights back and resorts to using Quirks to keep his body intact.

My Hero Academia chapter 423 serves as One For All's swansong (Image via BONES) — My Hero Academia chapter 423 serves as One For All’s swansong (Image via BONES)

He assures that nothing has been completed and no one will steal anything from him, emphasizing that only his dream will be fulfilled and there is only one Demon King. It dawns on him that he can simply repeat this process, strategizing to transfer his All For One Quirk to Midoriya’s body or any other person on the battlefield in order to take control.

In chapter 423 of My Hero Academia, All For One refers to Deku as his vessel as the young Pro Hero charges up another punch with the embers of One For All. But suddenly, Oboro Shirakumo interrupts and apologizes to Shota Aizawa and Present Mic, explaining that he must leave to protect Shigaraki.

Present Mic sobs as he acknowledges that Shirakumo always makes an effort to help those in need, no matter the circumstances. Despite his fading consciousness, Shirakumo pleads with All For One to return Shigaraki. He adds that his friends are waiting and uses a portal to deflect Deku’s punch. However, Katsuki Bakugo intervenes and successfully closes the portal, resulting in Deku’s punch connecting with Shirakumo.

My Hero Academia Chapter 423: The Lonely End

In My Hero Academia chapter 423, Bakugo mocks the notion of going to the hospital and instead reveals that he arrived by using his explosions to fly and a ramp provided by Shoto Todoroki to ascend. As he descends, Bakugo warns Deku to be careful or else he will surpass him. Deku charges at All For One, determined to never forgive him, but also acknowledging that he is not a completely incomprehensible monster or a Demon King.

As their fists collide, he claims that All For One is simply a deeply isolated individual. This causes the attention to shift towards All For One’s Vestige World. In this realm, All For One can be seen approaching Yoichi Shigaraki, his brother, who reveals that Midoriya deliberately left a portion of One For All before transferring it. Yoichi explains that he was awakened by the remnants of One For All within Midoriya, and acknowledges Deku’s desire to fully master the Quirk in the proper manner.

In My Hero Academia chapter 423, All For One becomes frantic and states that anything is acceptable as long as Yoichi does not reveal himself. However, Yoichi insists that this is not possible and that he is fading away. All For One refuses to believe this and Yoichi adds that he was unable to guide his older brother, which Deku noticed. This is also why he is offering the two one last chance for salvation.

Despite All For One’s declaration of love for Yoichi and his dependence on him, Yoichi insists that it is time for him to face the consequences of his actions. He acknowledges that he is not the sole target of Deku’s awakening, as the vestiges of Tomura Shigaraki and all those who have possessed One For All except for Deku, Yoichi, and All Might materialize behind All For One.

In My Hero Academia chapter 423, both Deku and Tomura successfully land punches on All For One at the same time. The other Vestiges are also seen joining in the attack, but only Tomura’s punch makes contact with Deku’s. This leads to a conversation between the two, during which Shigaraki reveals that Nana Shimura’s vestige prevented him from disappearing when All For One absorbed him.

After regaining his body, he informs Kurogiri that he did not destroy anything. He admits out loud to Deku that he was correct about Shigaraki being a crying child. He also mentions that he was unable to crush Deku’s hand. In response, Deku explains that he fought because he could not forgive Shigaraki’s actions and because Shigaraki himself wanted to be stopped to prevent his sadness from being passed on.

In chapter 423 of My Hero Academia, Shigaraki laughs and tells Deku that if Spinner is alive, he should be told that Shigaraki fought until the very end to destroy. Although Deku acknowledges that something was destroyed, he does not reveal what it is. The final panel of the issue shows Deku still in the sky, while Shigaraki’s body has crumbled into dust and is swirling around in the air, seemingly indicating the deaths of both All For One and Shigaraki.

My Hero Academia Chapter 423: In Summation

Despite the initial disappointment surrounding My Hero Academia chapter 423 and its suggestion of Deku ending the series without a Quirk, it should be noted that this has not been confirmed by the latest release. As such, fans are approaching the conclusion of this issue with a sense of apprehension and wariness, as the aftermath of this event will likely determine how it is received by fans.

Despite this, the chapter effectively concludes the stories of both Shigaraki and All For One, providing some humanity to their final moments. While their actions are not excused, this added depth to their characters is a subtle but impactful touch that does not compromise their previous development.