The Key to Saving Deku – An Unexpected My Hero Academia Hero is Now Deku’s Only Hope in the Last Battle

My Hero Academia is teasing that Deku‘s only hope in his desperate final battle rests on the shoulders of an unexpected character: Eri. After failing his attempt at saving Tenko from All For One, Deku wakes up in the real world without arms. The effects of Shigaraki’s decay inside the young Villain’s mind seemed to have caused irreparable damage to Izuku’s physical body. The young Hero is now defenseless and slowly bleeding out, unable to stop All For One, who is now in control of Tenko’s body.

While all may appear lost at this point in the story, there is still an unexpected character who could turn the tide in Deku’s favor once more: young Eri. Despite her age, the white-haired girl is frighteningly powerful. Kohei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia’s creator, has made it clear that he has big plans for Eri, and those plans may revolve around saving Izuku during his darkest moment.

Eri Could Become History’s Greatest Hero

The girl’s powerful Quirk could turn the tide in My Hero Academia‘s final battle

Eri’s Quirk is considered one of the most powerful and dangerous abilities in the series. Her power, Rewind, allows her to revert organic matter to a previous state. For example, when she first manifested this ability, her lack of control caused her father to revert to a single cell, erasing him from existence and causing her mother to have a breakdown. She has gotten significantly better at using her abilities, as proven by the fact that she could restore Mirio to a moment before he lost his Quirk during the fight with Overhaul.

Eri’s power could be the last beacon of hope Izuku has to recover his arms. He is the only one powerful enough to defeat the Symbol of Evil at this point in the story, so it stands to reason that he will recover at some point. There is no other healing Quirk that could give Deku his arms back, at least not one that has been introduced to the series. It would make better sense for Horikoshi to use a power that has already been established inside the universe and readers are well acquainted with.

Horikoshi Foreshadowed Eri’s Importance From The Beginning

During the first chapters of the Final War Arc, Horikoshi made sure to establish how important Eri would be to the story. In chapter #357, when All For One revealed to Endeavor that he had a last trick under his sleeve, images of Eri and the Quirk Erasing Bullets made from her DNA began floating in his mind. From that point onward, Eri’s Quirk became fundamental in the Symbol of Evil’s plan, as his body began becoming younger and stronger thanks to the little girl’s power. Yet, this was not the last time Eri was the center of attention.

In Chapter #416, Eri is seen trying to leave the U.A. shelter to go and help Deku fight Shigaraki. The small girl was completely terrified of the idea of losing one of her heroes. One of U.A.’s powerful teachers, the Pro Hero Ectoplasm, had to stop her, revealing that the girl had still not accumulated enough energy to use Rewind. Horikoshi could be planning to give Eri a few more chapters to replenish her energy before Izuku is brought to her and the white-haired girl can give Deku his arms back.

Could Eri’s Quirk Restore One For All?

Not much is known about Eri’s power, as the girl spent years afraid to use it after what happened to her father. It is known that no other healing Quirk holds a candle to it, as it is capable of giving back lost powers, something only All For One seemed to be able to do. To enter Shigaraki’s mental space, Deku had to slowly give up on the Quirks and vestiges that inhabited One For All, losing the powers that he once held. Eri could revert to a point before the fight even began.

This would not only give Deku his arms back, but would also give him the strength needed to defeat All For One. Nevertheless, Eri’s Quirk has not been seen to affect Quirks that can contain other powers. Throughout chapters #363 to #410, as All For One became younger thanks to the altered Quirk Erasing Bullet, it was shown that the effects of Eri’s Quirk did not affect the number of Quirks he possessed. Following that logic, it could be implied that Eri’s power would not rewind One For All along with Deku.

Eri Has Been The Heroes’ Secret Weapon All This Time

In spite of Eri not being an active combatant against All For One’s army, her contributions have been vital to the Heroes’ victory. The Symbol of Evil was convinced that the altered Quirk Erasing bullet he injected himself with would be the key to his victory. Although the strength that he recovered thanks to Eri’s power did help him defeat various powerful Pro Heroes, it also proved to be his downfall. All For One becoming a young child (and later a baby) is what allowed a gravely injured Bakugo to defeat the villain.

Deku and his allies were able to prevent the fusion of All For One and Shigaraki thanks to Eri’s Quirk. The young girl was fundamental to their victory without even being aware of it. She will likely continue helping the heroes, as implied by Horikoshi during the previous chapter of the manga. It would not make narrative sense for the author of My Hero Academia to focus so much on Eri to end up not using her at all.

Eri is not a proper Hero yet, but she has done just as much as Izuku and his friends in stopping All For One from taking over the world. It seems inevitable that she will continue to help sooner rather than later, as the Heroes will not stand a chance against the Symbol of Evil without Deku by their side. Eri is living proof that it does not matter who you are or what your age is, anyone can be a Hero.

All chapters of My Hero Academia are available to read on Manga Plus.

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