Summary
Sometimes, one moment could very well make or break a character’s path in any series of anime. It could be the time they met the right mentor or got involved in a sad happening; these become the turning points for their stories. This concept is used in television series such asMy Hero Academia, where one character’s acts of volition and persuasion change everything. What if the series' most notorious villain, Tomura Shigaraki, were to take another course? What if Shigaraki had spurned his eventual leadership of the League of Villains, joining U.A. High School as a hero-in-training? Let’s see what possible outcomes could have taken place.
Shigaraki’s sad background led him down the dark path under the principles of All for One. However, if his life had gone down another path, he would fit in with the heroes. That begs a great number of questions as to how the League of Villains would have been, how All for One’s plans would be going, and how Shigaraki would have progressed in development.
A Path Not Taken
If All for One never crossed paths with Tenko’s family and his father never became abusive towards him, Tenko Shimura’s life would have taken a completely different path. His quirk, before everreceiving Decay from All for One, was likely originally much less destructive. Considering that Shimura’s bloodline is associated with heroic potential and Tenko being the grandson of Nana Shimura, one could say that his natural quirk might have had something to do with emotional states or something more protective in nature, much like his grandmother’s Float quirk.
In this case, without such trauma-like fatherly abuse and distaste for heroes, Tenko’s quirk would have emerged in a natural environment and be way more stable than after this tragic accident. He would have had his family still, and the heroic legacy of his grandmother would have been an inspiration for him rather than something against which he could rebel. Shigaraki might have felt at home among friends and the heroic examples of Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki at U.A. High-each having their own problems and helping each other overcome them. These interactions could have been refined through teachers at U.A. such as Aizawa and Recovery Girl; they could have guided him through the trauma in his past into a hero for good. This course will allow him to turn these destructive powers into protection rather than causing harm to people.
Throne Without An Heir
The League of Villains Without Shigaraki
Without Shigaraki at thehelm of the League of Villains, the whole group of Villainous wouldn’t have formed quite as much, if not all. All for One, personally grooming him to be his successor, would never have had the heir he sought to carry on with his plans. The League may have been without a good leader, or it may have been run by someone with different ideals and goals.
The likes of Dabi, Spinner, Toga, and Twice might never have banded together; they were only drawn to the chaotic ambition that Shigaraki was leading, especially Spinner. As originally constituted, so much of the League of Villains depended upon the presence of Shigaraki to keep the league whole. Without him, such characters could have gone their separate ways, forming smaller, less impactful villainous factions. In that respect, theLeague would have posed a far lesser threat to society, and the heroes would not be in a position to face that form of organized resistance.
Monarchy Without a Dark Scion
Plans of All for One Without Shigaraki
This also means that, when considering All for One’s monstrous plan to tear down the hero’s society,Shigaraki, originally Tenko Shimura,stood at the core of this plot as his protégé-the next in line to take the torch. Maybe without Shigaraki to manipulate, All for One would have searched out another powerful young boy to take under his wing and mold his image. Characters like Dabi or even a young villain like Nine from theMy Hero Academia: Heroes Risingmovie, though none had as much potential as Shigaraki.
Conversely, he could have focused on much easier ways of achieving his goals and far sooner instead of taking time to train a successor. This would have moved the conflict between the heroes and villains much, much faster, pitting All for One as soon as he recovered directly against All Might and U.A. many years before the current events of the series. His absence would have forced All for One into more desperate measures to ensure the defeat of the hero’s society.
Plus Ultra Hero
Who Would Have Mentored Tenko?
If All for One had never found Shigaraki, one must wonder: who would have taken him under his wing? One such probablementor could have been Gran Torino, whose work alongside his grandmother and All Might plus his sharp instincts about troubled individuals might have become a good fit for Shigaraki. Another possible character could be Aizawa, whose no-nonsense attitude might have helped Shigaraki learn to control his powers.
More importantly, the caring environment of U.A. with its nurturing teachers and heroic ideology, would finally have provided Shigaraki with a new sense of purpose. He would be surrounded by students who struggled just like him against traumatic issues and obstacles. Through the support of these mentors and his peers, Shigaraki might finally find a way to atone for the past and put his immense power to justice.
Yet Another Outcome
The Inevitable But With Fate’s Good Hand
IfAll for One had orchestrated the eventsthat led Tenko Shimura to become Tomura Shigaraki, only not to go back on time and retrieve him following the tragedy, then the series would have taken a completely different course. After the tragic events where Tenko accidentally kills his family, rather than All for One finding him, he is found by a hero—perhaps even All Might or Gran Torino. The heroes, since they were very close with Tenko’s grandmother, Nana Shimura, would’ve acknowledged his pain and probably took him under their wing, giving him the guidance and emotional support he so badly needed.
If anyone had reached out… anyone at all… then maybe the itching would have stopped. - Tenko Shimura
Tenko would be cared for and taught control over his Quirk-whatever form it took originally-without falling into the hands of the world’s most dangerous villain. Or, at the very least, All Might or Gran Torino could have helped him make amends with his tragic past and learn to harness his power for good rather than foster hate from it. By that point, Tenko would be training under the watchful eye of All Might or even enrolled in U.A. on his way to becoming a hero, much like his grandmother.
Without him, the League of Villains would probably never have formed in its powerful state, and All for One’s ambitions would have been delayed if not derailed. Instead of a tale of villainy and hatred, his life may have been a story of atonement and recuperation, his powers not used todestroy people but to safeguardthem-honor to Nana Shimura’s memory, not a denial of it. This would have been a redemption arc parallel to that of characters like Endeavor and Bakugo, who faced their own personal demons and worked for a change in themselves. Tenko’s atonement would have been a strong narrative that turned a tragic figure of destruction into a hopeful one, symbolizing second chances.
What Could Have Been
From A Potential Vessel To Ultimate Demise
Even if Tenko had derailed onto the path of heroism, his story would most likely have included one final confrontation with All for One. Whether he received his powerful Decay or not, he could’ve easily become among the most powerful heroes in U.A., rivaling even Midoriya. This would have been a perfect moment for their relationship to come full circle, with Tenko rejecting the very evil that once threatened to consume him and instead embracing heroism. The victory over All for One would symbolize his ultimate redemption and seal his status as one of the best heroes in theMy Hero Academiauniverse.
If Shigaraki/Tenko had joined the U.A., if he had just lived a normal life, the world ofMy Hero Academiawould have looked very different. For one thing, the League of Villains might not have taken on the same form. All for One would have needed to reassess his plans, andTenko’s journey would have taken a much more hopeful route. Under the tutelage of the right mentors, his potential could have transformed him from one of the most tragic villains to one of the strongest and most inspirational heroes in the series.
My Hero Academia
Cast
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the “One-For-All” quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
