Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia, Chapter #400All Might’s final battle in My Hero Academia has been littered with references to the students of Class 1-A, but in chapter #400, All Might pays homage to another of his proteges–one who recently fell in battle.
America’s top hero, Star and Stripe, was once a young girl who looked up to All Might during his time in America. Star and Stripe quickly rose to the top of the hero ranks, and when All Might put out his call for help from international heroes, she was the very first to respond, without even waiting for permission. Star and Stripe encountered Shigaraki in the air, and the two had a massive and incredible battle, which ultimately resulted in Star and Stripe’s death, but not before she put the hurt on Shigaraki, destroying many of his Quirks. Star and Stripe’s sacrifice bought the heroes of Japan some much-needed time, but her loss of course hit All Might hardest.
All Might’s Big Attack Pays Tribute to Star and Stripe
Star and Stripe’s signature attack was an impressive one, conjuring a massive air construct in her image. Her team of fighter pilots that were escorting her would then fire laser beams into the construct, which she could forcibly converge into a single, ultra-powerful beam that could even be wielded like a sword by the construct. While All Might’s laser cannon is explicitly modeled on Aoyama’s Navel Laser, his strategy for dealing with All for One using the laser actually drew from Star and Stripe. Her plan, back in chapter 331, was to pin down Shigaraki in a single spot where he couldn’t move, and unload the laser on him until he was burned away to nothing–exactly as All Might does here.
It’s rather tragic, however, that All Might has to borrow from the tactics of his friend’s final battle for his own last fight, and he can’t help but acknowledge her influence as he does so. Star and Stripe was still young, after all, and she looked up to All Might just like the kids of Class 1-A do. No doubt Star would be pleased that she could still offer help to All Might, even after her death. With Stain now ensuring that All for One can no longer move, All Might will be able to fire everything he’s got left, and hopefully it will be enough to at least render All for One unable to battle.
All Might and Star and Stripe may not have had the closest relationship, but her loss obviously still meant a lot to him, to be thinking of her even as he struggles to hang on to his own life. Given how much All for One has regressed as a result of that attack, it’s clear that borrowing from Star’s final battle was a winning move, even if it didn’t quite get the job done. All Might’s final battle is coming to a head in My Hero Academia, and fans can only hope that his battle doesn’t end the way Star and Stripe’s did.
