‘My Hero Academia’ Season 8 Episode 5 – “History’s Greatest Villian”

After delivering two visually bombastic episodes, the final season slows things down for a more introspective installment. Most notable, aside from some egregious plot stretching in the back half, is how somber My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 5, is. While Episodes 3 and 4 struck a near-jubilant tone with the return of Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto) and the greatest animation the series has ever achieved, “History’s Greatest Villain” offers something quieter as Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita) realizes the significant cost that comes with his title of hero.

With All for One defeated, Midoriya is now able to put his full focus on Shigaraki, who grows exponentially more dangerous in contrast. As observed by onlookers and previous One for All holders, while All for One had a clear objective of obtaining power and strength, Shigaraki, in comparison, simply seeks destruction. He taunts Midoriya and his commitment to believing that there’s still a human within, in warped form, and he does a great job of suggesting otherwise.

The first part of My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 5 maintains some solid visuals, especially as the two circle one another above the crashing waves of the ocean below. It allows for some intense and striking contrasts of color, creating a sense of depth and expanse to the fight. This continues when the two hurtle through the sky, as Midoriya lands near the base of Mount Fuji. The plan is clear – by using his decay, he could cause it to erupt, creating even greater mass death and destruction.

A major reveal spells out a potential win against Shigaraki.

One of many great aspects of Midoriya’s character is his tireless inability to stay down in a fight. With Danger Sense gone, he arrives at the foot of Mount Fuji beaten and bloody, immobilized due to the recoils of using Gearshift. The One for All vestiges are telling him to kill Shigaraki, that some evil surpasses the good intentions of even the best, most virtuous heroes. And despite all of this, he refuses to stand down on either his ideals or in a fight that seems unwinnable.

His compassion, mixed with his fighting spirit, is what makes him such an interesting character, especially in the final push of the episode, where he warps and transforms. The only real downside to the episode is also, seemingly, unavoidable. While the animation doesn’t reach the explosive heights of the prior two, it’s understandable due to the dialogue-heavy nature of “History’s Greatest Villain,” and even then, there are still plenty of noteworthy moments. Instead, it’s the reliance on exposition and some cutaway sequences that threaten to dull the melancholy reveal.

With the help of All Might’s vestige, they learn that Star and Stripe left a scar that can be broken in Shigaraki during their fatal fight. With Kudo’s help, they realize that to win, they must attack Shigaraki’s soul through the forcible transfer of One for All, all while preventing his Quirks from being used.

Midoriya undergoes a thrilling transformation.

It’s a devastating realization for Midoriya and the audience, even if we don’t yet know what the outcome will entail for the character. The music has always been a highlight of the series, and Yuki Hayashi’s work continues to carry real emotional weight in this moment of internal deliberation. And, of what we know of the character, Midoriya’s decision isn’t surprising: of course, he’d transfer his gift for the sake of saving others. However, the writing packs a wallop upon reaching this point.  With emotional, poignant clarity, we remember that despite his good heart and readiness to forsake his own gifts for the sake of others, his Quirk was a precious gift from his personal hero.

Perhaps it makes sense, then, that in his final stand and effort to win it all, Midoryia’s transformation becomes more monstrous and warped as he uses Blackwhip to reinforce his body, allowing him to move once again and fight. There’s a feral, cornered desperation to the design that suits this final push. He, quite literally, is encompassing the All for One, One for All mentality and tipping the expectations of what those monikers mean on their head.

It’s a brilliant scene with energized, tactile animation. Yamashita’s emotional performance also helps sell the sequence and it’s cataclysmic undertaking. While the episode lacks some of the heft and shadows of Kōhei Horikoshi’s original work, the richer colors, deeper lines, and the oppressive gray, lit up only by sparks of power, help give it a cinematic perspective. The series has so monumentally raised its own bar. Now. at the halfway point of the final season, it must scale its own ambitions to ensure our protagonists’ actions are done justice.

My Hero Academia Season 8 Episode 5 is available now on Crunchyroll, with new episodes released every Saturday. 

Images courtesy of Studio Bones and Crunchyroll. 

Allyson Johnson

Based in New England, Allyson is co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of InBetweenDrafts. Former Editor-in-Chief at TheYoungFolks, she is a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and the Boston Online Film Critics Association. Her writing has also appeared at CambridgeDay, ThePlaylist, Pajiba, VagueVisages, RogerEbert, TheBostonGlobe, Inverse, Bustle, her Substack, and every scrap of paper within her reach.