Summary
My Hero Academia’slong and epic story takes all kinds of unexpected turns, but eagle-eyed fans who were paying close attention may have been able to pick up on some of the foreshadowing that preceded the big events that shook the plot. While there’s no reason to suggest that author Kohei Horikoshi planned the entire story down to the finest detail from the beginning, it’s clear that at least a few important plot points were stored in the pipeline from very early on in the series.
While a few of these moments were clearly teasing a future development within the story, not every piece of foreshadowing seen in the series has been very clear, with some having fans scratching their heads for several years before they were finally revealed. With the series now officially at its end, it seems like the perfect time to look back on the small and subtle scenes of foreshadowing that were sprinkled throughoutMy Hero Academia.
8The Vestiges Awaken
The Previous Users Of One For All Bring Midoriya Back To His Senses
When Midoriya is forced to face off against Shinso in the Sports Festival, it’s fair to say he feels pretty under-prepared for the battle that awaits him. While Midoriya was still getting used to the overwhelming power of One For All, Shinso possessed a Quirk that allowed him to hypnotize his enemies, which he demonstrates by taking control of Midoriya’s mind and body almost as soon as their fight officially kicks off.
Just as Midoriya is about to involuntarily walk outside the battle arena, he is suddenly snapped out of his haze by a wave of intense energy, with mysterious shadowy figures appearing in front of him. Though Midoriya suspects that this had something to do with his newly granted Quirk, the reveal of the Vestiges wouldn’t come until much later in theJoint Training Arc, where Banjo talks about the previous users of One For All for the very first time.
7Shigaraki’s Backstory
Shigaraki’s Tragic Past And His Connection To All For One Was Teased Back In The Hideout Raid Arc
Though thedark and haunting backstory of Shigarakiwould be officially revealed in the My Villain Academia arc, it was actually hinted far earlier, more specifically, in chapter 91 of the manga. Once All For One starts using his portals to get Shigaraki out of harm’s way, the evil mastermind comments that the young villain’s body is not yet ready and even says, “You will continue this war” while zapping him away.
In the manga, fans are even gifted with a single panel showing a young Shigaraki sitting in the street with a mysterious figure holding out his hand to help him up. It was difficult to put all the pieces together from this moment alone, but those who know the full details of Shigaraki’s past will know exactly how the young boy ended up in such a position.
6Toga Accidentally Reveals Her Ability To Copy Appearances
Despite The Ability Not Showing Up Until Later In The Story, Toga Revealed Her Quirk’s True Potential Early On
Toga’s ability toassume the appearance of anyone whose blood she drinksisn’t revealed until the very end of the Provisional License Exam arc. However, Toga herself shows up several times throughout the story up until that point, though her constant rambling about wanting to “be other people” initially seemed like little more than an unhealthy obsession.
However, fans don’t need to look very far to see Toga foreshadowing her Quirk’s true ability, as she actually mentions it during her first formal introduction to the League of Villains in chapter 68 of the manga. Toga flat-out says “I wanna be Mr. Stainy” during her debut scene, but little did anyone know this would be referencing the dark and disturbing potential of Transform, which she uses to “become” several key characters in the story, including Uraraka and Twice.
5"I’m Surrounded By Sickness"
Overhaul’s True Ideology Was First Hinted In His Very First Appearance
Overhaul’s personal beliefthat the world is plagued with “Hero Sickness” and that the whole world has been “infected” by Quirks is first mentioned during his fight with Midoriya. Despite that, his ideology is hinted at during his very first appearance, where he simply states, “I’m surrounded by sickness, here, there, and everywhere,” without going into depth about what he means exactly.
At first, many fans predicted Overhaul was simply a germophobe, and while this is still technically true, these small references to infections and disease would actually be foreshadowing his past and how he came to view the world in such a way after reading about an old theory from his orphanage.
4Dabi Says Endeavor’s Real Name
Only A Close Affiliate Or Family Member Would Know A Pro-Hero’s Real Name
The moment Dabi reveals that he is actually Toya Todoroki, one of Endeavor’s sons who was believed to have been killed during childhood, is one of the most memorable scenes in the entire series. Before Dabi spills the beans, though, there are several indications that he actually knows a lot more about Endeavor than he’s letting on, with the biggest example being in chapter 191 of the manga and episode 90 of the anime.
While retreating from a brief skirmish with the heroes, Dabi says his goodbyes but also shouts Endeavor’s real name out loud. Even if he were to have conducted research beforehand to learn Endeavor’s name, saying it to the man’s face seems rather unusual, especially for a villain, but it all makes sense when realizing Dabi was once a member of the Todoroki family himself.
3Star And Stripe’s Warning
Star And Stripe’s Last Line In The Story Foreshadowed All For One’s Downfall
Star and Stripe puts up one hell of a fight against Shigaraki, and though she is eventually killed by his Decay Quirk, she has one final surprise up her sleeve to ensure the villain doesn’t get away in one piece. BecauseStar and Stripe’s Quirkcould let her change the rules and properties of anything, she decided to set a command where her own Quirk wouldn’t play nice with others. As a result, when Shigaraki absorbed her Quirk, his body began tearing itself to pieces due to the new rule.
Just as Star and Stripes' New Order is about to leave his body, America’s top hero gives the villain, and more specifically, All For One, a final warning: One day, a true hero will put an end to his evil schemes. Though it was pretty clear who Star was talking about, her final speech still acted as an epic precursor for what was to come not long after.
2Quirk Singularity Theory
What Seemed Like A Random Theory Would End Up Becoming A Reality During The Final Battle
TheQuirk Singularity Theoryis first mentioned very briefly in the middle of the Remedial Course arc. It claims that, with each generation, Quirks become stronger but also harder to control, and with the human body struggling to evolve alongside these abilities, it was a pretty terrifying theory that was planted into fans' heads not that long into the series.
The theory would actually prove itself to be true in the final battle against Shigaraki, where the villain’s body begins to mutate uncontrollably as a way to deal with the damage of possessing so many Quirks. It would also foreshadow the purpose of One For All, being an ability designed to be passed down, getting stronger each and every time the baton switches hands.
1Aoyama Disappearing During The U.S.J Incident
Aoyama Is Nowhere To Be Seen During The Villains' First Invasion
Before the final war against Shigaraki and All For One kicks off, the class 1-A students manage to expose a mole in their ranks: Aoyama. There are actually several indications of Aoyama’s true intentions sprinkled throughout the story, including Aoyama even being the star character inVolume 10 of the manga, appropriately titled “All For One”. However, one major giveaway that is easy to miss is the fact that Aoyama seemingly completely disappears once the villains arrive in the U.S.J arc.
The truth is, Aoyama was the one who leaked the information about the hero’s whereabouts to All For One, so it makes sense why he would be hiding away to avoid putting himself in danger. It’s easy for Aoyama to play this off as a joke, but when looking back, it was a clear indication that something wasn’t quite right.
