History#
Kudo lived in the harshest era of Meta Abilities, when All For One's powers were reaching its peak with his control spreading unchecked. Kudo had foreseen the terrible future All For One will bring upon as he expanded his influence to society. To counteract this, he gathered allies, and formed a resistance to oppose All For One and his new world order. While he had no direct confrontation with this resistance, All For One allowed his growing number of subordinates to deal with him and the resistance later.
One day, Kudo and his companion, Bruce, raid All For One's base with the intention of killing Yoichi Shigaraki, his younger brother, for being associated with his enemy. However, as he and Bruce enter Yoichi's imprisonment, he hesitates, seeing the state of the young man and deciding against his initial assassination attempt to instead lend out a hand to Yoichi, rescuing him.[1]
Within their base, Yoichi told Kudo all about his brother, voicing his disappointment in him only being able to see other humans as playthings, since his ability to both give and take could have been the kindest power the world's ever known. Two months later, All For One tracked his brother to the resistance's base of operations to reclaim him.
He confronts them attempting to flee through the sewers, so he uses a Spatial Distortion Meta Ability to kill him, leaving nothing behind but his left hand. An emotional Kudo, covered in Yoichi's blood, stares into All For One's thin, clouded eyes, which didn't reflect anything and showed no sense of feeling, before he and the resistance managed to escape from him.
Some time after Yoichi's death, Kudo's body started to feel off, so he had Bruce examine him. After confirming he didn't get touched by All For One, Bruce reveals that Kudo's body now has two Meta Ability Factors inside him; his original one, Gearshift, plus one that he calls an "unformed dud". Kudo realizes now that Yoichi's will lives inside of him, and decides to protect the power, now known as "One For All", to help it grow.[2] At some point Kudo and Bruce tested a theory to determine how to transfer One For All, realizing it must be done through DNA, and that the user has to willingly choose to let it be transferred; they even figured out it could be forcefully transferred.[3]
All For One tracked down Kudo to exact revenge for making him kill his brother and reclaim his brother's Meta Ability. He massacred the entire resistance, leaving only Kudo standing to oppose him. Even with One For All, Kudo wasn't strong enough to defeat All For One; however, by this point he had already passed it down to Bruce, who became the Third User, while Kudo brought time for his successor to escape.
Kudo was fatally wounded in combat, and was being held at the throat by All For One. Kudo asked if All For One came to look for his brother, and he responded that Yoichi is dead and he was the one who killed him. All For One, with tears flowing from his eyes, began to choke the life out of Kudo, easily stopping a bullet shot at him from behind using his Gearshift. All For One eventually kills Kudo, all the while in his final moments, he simply smiled down at the Villain in satisfaction.[4][5]
Even after Kudo's death, All For One's hatred for the man who took his brother away remained strong, to the point where he killed every woman and child Kudo was close to, effectively wiping out his bloodline.[2]
Synopsis#
U.A. Sports Festival Arc#
During the fight between Izuku Midoriya and Hitoshi Shinso in the tournament of the U.A. Sports Festival, Izuku is brainwashed by Hitoshi's Quirk, who orders him to walk out of bounds. Although Izuku tries to resist, he cannot disobey the order, but when he is about to cross the edge of the ring, Kudo and the rest of the previous users appear to Izuku as shadowed mental figures. They uncloud his mind and allow Izuku to use One For All in his fingers, allowing him to escape the trance and win the fight.[6]
Pro Hero Arc#
After an extensive day of One For All training, Izuku returns to Heights Alliance where he falls asleep immediately, experiencing a dream where he sees the previous users of One For All, recognizing them as the vestiges he had seen at the U.A. Sports Festival. However, unlike the others, Kudo and Bruce only appear as vague silhouettes, due to doubting Izuku as a capable successor and keeping their presence muted. Izuku proceeds to view a series of past events regarding Yoichi and All For One that led to the creation of One For All. Izuku wakes up after involuntarily activating One For All, damaging his room.[7]
My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising#
During a devastating battle between a villain with a copy of All For One's Quirk, in a last-ditch effort to defeat him, Izuku transfers One For All to Katsuki Bakugo, even at the cost of rendering himself Quirkless once more. Through the dual power of the One For All's, the two manage to take the villain down, even as the remaining embers of One For All seemingly disappear from Izuku. However, the users of One For All, wanting Izuku to continue to harness the power, and recognizing his heroism of being willing to sacrifice his power to save everyone, only temporarily transferred the power over to Katsuki, while the full essence of One For All remains within Izuku. All Might tearfully thanks his master and predecessors for staying with Izuku.[8]
Paranormal Liberation War Arc#
In the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War, when Izuku is rendered comatose, he speaks to all the vestiges within One For All. The deceased users revealed that a vessel with an existing Quirk could not receive One For All without it warping and spilling over, and attempting to force it results in a shortened lifespan, like what happened with Hikage Shinomori, and that All Might managed to hold onto One For All for forty years because it perfectly fit his previously empty vessel, and became his Quirk.
They conclude that due to these circumstances, the true value of the power can only be wielded by those who lacked power to begin with, with Izuku following up that especially now that the previous user's Quirks have started manifesting, One For All must be carefully given due to Quirkless individuals slowly disappearing over each generation, so it was fate that Izuku managed to be the one who was bestowed the power. Because of this, Izuku is the last successor of One For All.[9] Nana Shimura asks Izuku if he can kill Tomura, clarifying it isn't a request, but a question of his resolve. She reminds him of their last interaction and that since all of the inheritor's are connected to his emotions, they could telepathically sense that he saw him as someone who needed saving.
Izuku voices his opinion that countless people died and many of his precious friends were hurt because of Tomura, but he stands his ground believing that One For All is a Quirk meant to save lives, not kill; that All Might taught him that, and that he and all the other users who have helped grow and cultivate the power, have in the process saved and brought hope to countless people.
He accepts the real possibility that Tomura can only be stopped by killing him, and he doesn't know how he will deal with everything exactly yet, but he still wants to try and save "that little boy", all the while briefly transforming into his child self. After the other users agreed to lend their full support to Izuku, Yoichi turned around to Kudo and Bruce, asking them to cooperate with their successor.[10]
Kudo and Bruce initially refuse to even look at Izuku since he doesn't know what it means to wield such power that can stand up against All For One. Bruce reminds Yoichi how they lived during the worst era in their history, when All For One's control was spreading to its peak, and that it was their leader, Kudo, who did everything he could to strike back against All For One's control, including gathering allies to fight back. Kudo talks to Yoichi about how many lives he took in order to bring down All For One, and that he can't devote their efforts to a boy who wants to "save" their mortal enemy, calling it a ridiculous delusion.
In response Yoichi asks Kudo and Bruce why they saved him despite their initial plan to kill him due to his ties to their "enemy" when they found him. He tells Kudo that had he not taken him out of that room, their fight with All For One would never have started. He also reminds Kudo that working with Izuku is their only choice, hence why all of them are here now. Kudo asks again if Izuku will bring an end to the war with All For One, which Yoichi reassures, saying that it was because he reached out to save him that One For All was truly born. Convinced of Izuku's strong will and Yoichi's words of wisdom, Kudo and Bruce turn back toward Izuku with all the users on his side backing him up.[1]
Dark Hero Arc#
Izuku decides that, in order to protect his friends and loved ones, he will leave U.A. and act as bait to lure Tomura and All For One out of hiding, intending to fight and defeat them. Unfortunately, the searching proves fruitless, as the physical and mental stress begin to wear at Izuku, turning him into a ferocious looking creature that refuses to stop moving. He heads off on his own, ignoring the words and advice from the other Heroes to take a break. This causes the other users of One For All to tell him not to push himself since his wounds haven't fully healed yet, but Izuku still doesn't listen, using Danger Sense as an excuse to head out towards the next threat.
Within the vestige world, Nana fears her feelings are affecting Izuku heavily, but Daigoro Banjo states that for Izuku, every cause is a worthy cause. Hikage adds that for better or worse, awakening all of their Quirks enables him to act according to his primary motivation, to save everyone as a true superhero. Kudo says he is doing the right thing by pushing on without rest, because in this peculiar situation, that is the responsibility of the bearer of One For All and everyone's wills. He does, however, suggest something to bolster him; the support of his classmates that can help him carry the burden.[11]
My Hero Academia: You're Next#
Under Deborah Gollini's Day Dream, Izuku finds himself back in his youth, surrounded by his All Might memorabilia, and having fun with All Might himself. However, he is brought back to his senses by the vestiges of One For All, making him realize it is all a dream.
Nana tells Izuku that everyone affected by Day Dream are interconnected with each other, as Izuku can see brief snippets of several of his classmates' fantasies. They remind him that everyone has dreams and desires they've always wanted, with Izuku wanting to be a Hero, but a Hero isn't something like becoming All Might or a Symbol of Peace, but to do what All Might wants him to be: a Hero to save people, and to reach out for those who are in need. However, they warned that even if he realizes that he's dreaming, he's still under Deborah's spell, so he must find a way to break it.
Izuku then sees Giulio Gandini' dream, acting as the butler for Anna Scervino, taking care of her, and helping her when she starts to reel in pain due to her Quirk.
In reality, Deborah attempts to have one of the bystanders strangle him to death while Giulio is hypnotized, which he sees as Anna doing so to him. When she does, Izuku calls to Giulio in his dream, which makes him snap back into reality, and thanks to his prosthetic eye, he is able to see through Deborah's deception and turns his right robotic arm gun toward her, shooting her in the shoulder, causing Deborah to deactivate her Quirk, and freeing everyone who was hypnotized by her Day Dream.[12]
Final War Arc#
With the number of Heroes dwindling rapidly, those that remain have come together to defeat All For One and his army of villains in the all-out Final War. They successfully lure All For One and his forces out of hiding, and manage to warp the villains to separate locations so they can be fought individually.
Izuku is planned to face off against Tomura within a now floating U.A. High, which has been specifically designed to keep him contained. However, Izuku is caught off guard by an intervention by Himiko Toga, and warped to Okuto Island instead. With them unable to warp him back, he must make it there himself, which he does by combining Float, Fa Jin, and Air Force to fly across the ocean.[13]
After leaving Okuto Island, Kudo appears to Izuku, after he tried to use his Meta Ability to get to U.A. faster. He reminds Izuku that his Meta Ability is only to be used as a "last resort" as it has transformed into a "unique power" due to the power that has been stockpiled in One For All over the generations. He tells Izuku that he should not become desperate and to have faith in his friends, as they are all out fighting for their own reasons and, with that in mind, he should focus on his fight.[14]
Shortly afterwards, American fighter jets arrive to escort Izuku back to U.A., as he uses Blackwhip to swing across them, reaching the battlefield and joining the fight against Tomura. Izuku has a freak-out upon seeing all his barely conscious allies, but is able to calm himself down, asking "All For One" if Tomura is still within.[15]
He claims that Tomura no longer exists, as he and All For One's minds have fully melded into a complete being. However, Mirio Togata reveals that during his battle, "Tomura" had an outburst at him, almost like as if he was a child. Realizing that the essence of "Tenko" still resided within their body, further uncovered by Nana noticing the faces of the Shimura Family on the transformed "Tomura"'s hand, they know that he's still in there.
"Tomura" attempts to fight Izuku, but Izuku ensnares him with Blackchain before throwing him into a obstacle. Once he has some distance, Izuku concentrates to himself, and Kudo appears before him, telling Izuku to make it quick, because once he starts using his Quirk, they need to finish him off in five minutes or the world is doomed. With nothing to lose, Izuku uses the Second's Quirk, Gearshift, to power his new Ultimate Move, Transmission, wherein, in the blink of an eye, Izuku appears under "Tomura", pulverizing him with consecutive punches in Second Gear, Third Gear, and finally Top Gear, and sending him flying upward.
"Tomura" is completely caught off guard by the attack, thanks to the Quirk's ability to let the user shift change the target's speed when touched. Kudo tells him that this Quirk is a different beast than before his last encounter since it has melded with One For All. Izuku goes into Overdrive, turning his 100% power into 120%. Kudo and Yoichi appear before All For One as the younger brother declares to him that today is the day they finally bring a end to their fight, as Izuku unleashes a fully powered Detroit Smash directly into "Tomura"'s stomach.[16]
Thanks to Gearshift's significantly increased power, Izuku is able to greatly enhance his speed, and unleashes a Detroit Smash: Quintuple at "Tomura", revving around the arena too quickly for him to defend. The villain tries to predict where his next attack will be, but at the last moment, Izuku shifts into Low Gear, causing "Tomura" to miss the swing. Kudo states that the Quirk can now adjust speed while ignoring the laws of inertia.
"Tomura" attempts to counter, but Izuku uses Danger Sense to detect the threat, and immediately block his vision with Smokescreen. He then uses Float to quickly rise into the air, restraining and reeling "Tomura" up with Blackwhip, preparing to combine the power stored up thanks to the Quintuple attack with Fa Jin, executing another blast of Overdrive with Gearshift, unleashing the full might of One For All, pounding "Tomura" with his ultimate smash, breaking many of his fingers apart.
As "Tomura's" body falls with a gaping hole in his chest, Kudo addresses to All For One that their Meta Abilities were never what he should've been worried about, rather he should fear the reason why someone chooses to use their gifts; true power lies in an individual's intent, which is why people call them "Quirks".[4]
While the last attack destroyed Tomura's defense Form, Kurogiri suddenly appears and teleports Himiko's Twice Doubles all over U.A., undoing Erasure, and causing Tomura's body to explode and destroy U.A. Izuku is unable to move and needs time to recover due to the drawback of the powered-up Gearshift took a toll to his body, as when his cells don't get a moment to rest, his body can't get enough oxygen and risk breaking down.
Kudo reminds him he can't fall yet, however, he continues that there is a silver lining, as thanks to One For All and All For One resonating with each other, they can see "inside" each other, and can see All For One currently unable to manipulate Tomura's body. He tells Izuku to do whatever to make his body act, as the chain of events leading to this moment will be his power.[17] With Tomura regaining full control of his body, and Izuku able to move again, he tackles Tomura outside of U.A., where they proceed to battle on the ground.[18]
As Izuku and Tomura fought to a stalemate, All For One eventually carries a battered All Might after defeating him in brutal fight where he can show the world he has failed them and prepares to kill him in front of the live broadcast for the whole world to see.[19] As All For One is ready to rip All Might apart in front of everyone, Katsuki Bakugo appears from above U.A., and realizing what he is about to do Izuku reaches his arm out, grabbing Katsuki, and the three begin to twist.
Kudo realizes what Izuku is trying to do and calls out to him, warning him about using Gearshift again as it will cause the recoil blowback to hit harder on him, and must only be after he's found the assured path to success. However, seeing the disappearing All Might vestige within One For All, Izuku goes all-out and uses Gearshift in conjunction with Katsuki's Cluster and throws him over, sending Katsuki barrelling through the skies at insanely, blistering speeds.
In spite of that, within mere seconds, Katsuki defies fate and successfully steals back All Might from All For One's hands. The vestige within One For All suddenly turns back into a spirit, surprising Izuku and Kudo, as Katsuki yells out that they're going to win.[20] With All Might safe, Izuku proceeds to use Gearshift on himself one last time to finish the fight against Tomura, knowing that the blowback will be enough to take him out of the fight for good.[5] Over the course of Izuku and Tomura's battle, All For One succumbs to the rewinding effect while fighting Katsuki, and finally dies for good.[21]
With him now out of the picture, the users discuss amongst themselves in the vestige world, with Yoichi telling them not to cling to sentimentality, as now the fight has passed on to the successors, and bringing down Tomura is their entire reason for existing.
During the fight, Tomura goes on the offensive and attempts to touch Izuku's face, but he is just barely able to dodge using Danger Sense to slice his fingers off. However, in that brief moment of near contact, Tomura managed to successfully invade the vestige realm. Hikage is the first one to sense the sudden danger, as he turns around to see Tomura's giant hand appearing above, about to consume them. As everyone rushes to evade it, Hikage stands in the way and is caught. Kudo shouts out at Hikage, and as the hand retreats, Hikage tells the others that the Ninth is in their hands, before disappearing. Soon after, his chair crumbles too, with Tomura now in possession of Danger Sense.
With Tomura now effortlessly able to dodge all attacks, Izuku is forced to go on the defensive and takes several blasts from Tomura, being knocked all the way to Mt. Fuji. While Bruce warns Izuku about Gearshift almost being over, and just needing to survive until he's recovered, En anxiously asks the vestiges why Izuku doesn't just use his power to escape and save himself, since now that Tomura has the willpower to overcome One For All, without Hikage and Danger Sense, next time he gets touched, he will snatch them all up all at once and it will be the end of everything. Tomura overhears the vestiges speaking to Izuku, declaring that he intends to destroy everything before they can even think about escaping. As he gleefully dances amongst his own destruction, they realize that he chased them to Mt. Fuji on purpose, as the mountain will erupt when he decays it, and realizing he is no successor to All For One; he only delights in destruction, being "ruin incarnate". Despite this all, Izuku stands his ground, declaring that despite the villain's own insistences on the matter, he is a person.[21]
Izuku constricts his Blackwhip into his muscles to make him move manually and unleashes a massive Delaware Smash to destroy Tomura's Decay area. Despite that, Tomura is still attacking Izuku mercilessly, and with Gearshift's time up, the recoil blowback is kicking in, making him unable to breathe. Just like how Tomura is able to see the One For All vestiges inside him, Tomura tells Izuku to take a deep look inside himself, where there is a visage of crumbling buildings melded together. He declares that he overcame and buried the crying little kid a while back, that he's gone and his worldview has taken over; only "Tomura Shigaraki" is left and he's doing fine.
With the sight of Tomura's evil maniacal smile, Nana tells Izuku to give up on Tomura because there are some people just can't be saved, and that in the face of the ideals he carries as a hero, he represents an impenetrable wall he doesn't need to overcome. She yells that his only option is to finish him off with a single blow, but Izuku refuses, wondering why he can't let go of the sad, lonely past of his, and declaring he will keep smashing away at it until the lid he shut for himself breaks.
In the vestige realm, Kudo tells the other users that this was why he opposed Izuku as a successor, believing his desire to save one's archenemy a delusional madness that will disrupt their destined path. He says it's arrogant thinking born of a naivety, however having observed from within, he knows the truth that Izuku clings to one driving notion; that anyone, whether the most vile among them or the Quirkless, each one of them as an innately human heart, which he wants to believe. Suddenly, he notices the hand of Star and Stripe pointing through the vestige realms toward Tomura's warped core. Realizing what this means, Kudo tells Izuku that he has to do exactly as he says, as he is betting everything on him, and that that it's time to let go of One For All.[22]
As Tomura pushes Izuku further into the mountains, Izuku silently asks Kudo what he means about parting ways with One For All. Kudo tells him to stay calm so Tomura doesn't hear them, and proceeds to explain. The dark mass within Tomura is as solid as a ball of lead, made up of every piece of anger and frustration inside him, all drawn together into a single mass that represents his unshakable resolve and spirit solidified by raw hatred. However, deep within, there is a scar from his fight against Star and Stripe, a mental wound that can't be healed with his Regeneration. Izuku asks what it has to do with One For All, and Kudo explains that after absorbing All For One, Tomura has become so powerful he doesn't stand a chance, so to defeat him they must attack from within, and that by transferring One For All, they can break through the scar, to give his soul a good beating.
Izuku and En are adamant to this plan because if the Quirks of One For All get stolen, then Tomura can use them just like he did with Hikage's Danger Sense, but Kudo says to use a broader understanding of "transfer". Using the idea of "visualization" that All Might suggested to Izuku in the past, Kudo uses the example of Katsuki harshly passing something to him, saying that the right sort of transfer can break the thing being passed, so they'll put that into practice with One For All. Kudo admits there's no guarantee it'll work, but if he goes first, the Gearshift's backlash will be transferred to Tomura, so Kudo wants Izuku to throw him hard enough into Tomura that he'll shatter into nothing, serving as an attack without giving him control of his power.
En however suggests he go first since his Smokescreen is the most useless right now, stating that Gearshift is the cornerstone of the fight, so worries about if the plan fails and Tomura gets the Quirk, but Kudo insists, saying if they don't do anything, Izuku will die. Bruce tells Kudo that even though he always followed him, he thinks this plan is too risky, with Kudo adding it's why he's taking this bet, since they've lived during the cruelest times, where they had to make plenty judgment calls, and now in their current reality, Izuku refuses to throw in the towel, and he wants to believe he has the right idea.
As Tomura starts to rush toward them, Kudo tells Daigoro to stay by his side as Blackwhip will keep him alive, then turning to Yoichi to watch over him, who responds calling him his hero. Kudo finally asks Izuku what he has to say, and he responds that he'll do it. Izuku retaliates with a hoard of Blackwhips that proceed to consume his body in Deku Overlay, allowing him to regain control of his movement.[23]
Daigoro and En react in shock over how instantly he was able to jump into action and creatively utilize the Quirk, while Kudo responds he's working perfectly since he's not driven by duty, but rather respect, and his admiration for Quirks will make One For All shine even brighter. Izuku remembers how in order to transfer One For All, the recipient has to take in some of the wielder's DNA, and that it can even be given to an unwilling recipient; Kudo recalls how he and Bruce originally tested this theory and notes how long past their deaths, they're still beholden to their duty. Using the knowledge from Kudo, Izuku decides he'll slip his blood into Tomura's wounds as the transfer agent, needing to do it right at the moment he attacks him before his body regenerates.
As the two charge toward the ground, Izuku blows a large volume of Smokescreen, but Tomura pushes through and touches the ground. Suddenly, Izuku uses a barrage of Blackchains to rip the earth from underneath Tomura, lunging them into the air and preventing Decay from spreading. Izuku then uses his cape as a decoy, as well as a Blackwhip tendril holding Kudo's vestige, distracting Tomura for a short time as Izuku closes in and charges at him with his fist.
Tomura's body begins to instinctively re-enter its "absolute defense" form as fingers start to form around him, and before Tomura can touch him, Izuku executes a point-blank punch right at Tomura's stomach, successfully transferring Gearshift along with Kudo's vestige. Kudo flies in towards Tomura's warped core, and tells Izuku not to let it weigh on him, since he was only ever a phantom, and before Tomura can make use of him, Kudo sacrifices himself by successfully hitting the scar in Tomura's soul, causing Tomura to react in shock and pain from Gearshift's recoil.[3] Soon after, Izuku manages to transfer all the vestiges including their Quirks into Tomura, effectively destroying the leaden soul.[24]
Unfortunately, when Izuku defeated Tomura in the battle of willpower, the "All For One" vestige within Tomura reemerges after the latter's will was weakened, allowing him to retake control of Tomura's body and expel Izuku from the vestige realm.[25] As an army of Heroes assembled before "All For One", they charge the villain, countering every single attack from "All For One" until Izuku comes in and deals the final blow to "All For One" smashing him right through his chest.[26]
As a result of all the damage, Tomura's body begins to shatter along with his Quirks crumbling away. Izuku lands the finishing blow, smashing Tomura's fists with his own. In the vestige realm, Kudo and the other vestiges of One For All were reawakened by Izuku. Kudo and the other vestiges comes together to land one last hit on All For One, destroying him for good. In the physical realm, Izuku defeats Tomura once and for all, just before he succumbs to his injuries and dies as his body disintegrates into ashes.[27]