Why Eri will show up to help Deku in My Hero Academia’s final stages, explained

In the latest installment of My Hero Academia, chapter 419, Izuku suffered the loss of both his arms. The previous two chapters, 418 and 419, also revealed the extent of All For One’s control over Shigaraki from a young age, taking away his original quirk and replacing it with the destructive decay quirk. This revelation hints at Shigaraki’s possible possession of a different quirk in the past, and the absence of AFO’s personality or quirk factor within him.

The fact that Deku lost both of his arms and All for One has taken complete control of Shigaraki’s body has emphasized the importance of Eri’s quirk as the most valuable asset for the heroes.

Despite Eri’s absence, there has been much speculation about her potential role in the conclusion of My Hero Academia, as fans often see her quirk as a deus ex machina.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and may contain spoilers for the My Hero Academia series.

The Role of Eri in Shigaraki’s Transformation in My Hero Academia

Eri’s quirk, which has the unique ability to reverse a person’s body to a previous stage, has played a crucial role in the My Hero Academia series since its introduction. Although incredibly valuable, Eri’s quirk can only be used once and has a lengthy cooldown period, meaning she must gather enough power to utilize it again.

Prior to this, Eri had utilized her quirk to reverse Mirio Togata’s loss of his quirk caused by one of Overhaul’s quirk-erasing bullets. Fans were also anticipating Eri’s quirk to potentially save Eraserhead, who had lost one of his eyes and one of his legs.

When Izuku rescued Eri from Overhaul, it was later discovered that she had been using her quirk to regenerate the limbs of bugs and lizards in small increments. This detail can be interpreted as a foreshadowing of her future involvement in the story.

Tenko Shimura as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Bones)

In chapter 419 of My Hero Academia, it was unveiled that Shigaraki had been under the manipulation of All For One (AFO) since he was born. Shortly after his birth, AFO deprived him of his original quirk and substituted it with a basic version of decay, with only the destructive element remaining.

It was explicitly mentioned that the decay quirk was initially a complete quirk with a regenerative ability, but AFO removed it, which is the reason for Shigaraki’s imperfect appearance. Shigaraki’s previous quirk was stolen and replaced by AFO, and his current main quirk, decay, may have had the potential to reverse its effects as it was a more complete version.

The current storyline has been centered around the development of quirks, as Shigaraki’s decay has progressed into a more powerful form that enables him to decay objects from a distance. Eri’s quirk, which was introduced as a deus ex machina, still lacks information about its mechanics and restrictions.

Eri as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Bones)

There is a possibility that Eri’s quirk will develop further due to her intense emotions and sense of powerlessness, especially with the suffering of her friends and parental figures during this arc. In Chapter 419, it was revealed that Deku had lost both of his arms, making Eri’s quirk the only known ability with the potential to regenerate limbs.

Eri’s evolving quirk may make her the heroes’ last hope as she could potentially regenerate Deku’s body and limbs, allowing him to continue the battle against Shigaraki. Alternatively, she could undo AFO’s influence by reversing Shigaraki’s body to infancy.

Conclusion

In chapter 419, despite the rescue of Deku by his classmates, Eraserhead’s injuries remain unhealed, hinting at the possibility of Eri being able to heal him in chapter 420. Throughout the battle against Shigaraki, Deku has consistently shown his determination to save him, acknowledging him as another victim of AFO’s plans. Eri’s ability to reverse time could potentially give the heroes the opportunity to save Shigaraki, similar to how they saved Eri.