The deeper we wade into this final arc of Boku no Hero Academia, the harder it becomes for me to write about it. I can’t un-know what I know, and that knowledge impacts my view of what I’m seeing play out. What I think of what happens is colored by my knowledge of what happens next. But that’s not a subject I can broach here. And it’s only complicated further by the matter of fan reaction – which is undeniably a large part of the story of this final season.

What’s undeniable is that a large part of this story is Izuku trying to reach Shigaraki. Or perhaps it would be preferable to say Tenko, which is the name of the person he’s reaching out to. And that this is a controversial subject with fans of the series. It’s also tied into the pesky question of who the real big bad of HeroAca is, Shigaraki or All For One. The mantle is split between the two of them in ways that are very unusual for this sort of series, and the answer keeps shifting around.

Shigaraki is both victim and victimizer. With All For One, no such dichotomy exists. He was literally born evil, as Horikoshi has taken pains to show us. In the present moment, Shigaraki wants only destruction. All For One wants control, which could hardly be more different. And Deku? He wants to reach Shigaraki inside his mental prison. He thinks Tenko is still in there, even if he can’t promise his grandmother that he can be saved. Should he be, either way? That’s the sticky question a lot of readers grappled with (and still do).

In a sense, this mental tug of war between the series’ two villains doesn’t seem like a fair fight. AFO understands the nature of identity in a way Shigaraki could never dream of. The one on the outside may have been taken down by Bakugo, but the fragment of consciousness inside Shigaraki was never out. And the ruckus raised by Deku trying to break down the walls Shigaraki has built around himself has roused it, seemingly.

In essence, All For One made Tomura Tenko the man Shigaraki is today. We knew their connection was deep; we knew AFO was (as ever) playing a long game. But the extent to which that was true is rather shocking in the event (it certainly gives Shigaraki a good shock). And this realization seems to break down his consciousness, allowing All For One to assert control. It may not be everything he wanted – the body is damaged, his brother is gone, and his immediate goals seem to have been denied him. But there can always be new goals, and control is always the bottom line. Things leaves things looking pretty rough for Deku, laid waste by the brutality in Shigaraki’s memories and without his arms.

But the cavalry is on the way – the zaku arrive, with no pretensions that they’re Deku’s equal but determined to do what they can to help him as he fights for the very world they live in. This is all possible because Kurogiri – forever Yamada to Eraser and Present Mic – is back in the game. And he’s back because of his loyalty to Shigaraki who, for all his savagery, can command loyalty in a way All For One never could (because ultimately, no one matters but him). All of the bodies Kurogiri ports into the fray have a role to play, but it’s the one who stays put – Eri – who may have the biggest. Her quirk was ticketed for a role in the denouement right from the beginning – now we’re finally seeing how that might play out.