As the highly anticipated “FINAL SEASON” of My Hero Academia unfolds, fans are plunged deeper into the climactic battles that will determine the fate of heroes and villains alike. Episode 163, powerfully titled “Quirk!! Explosion!!”, stands as a pivotal moment, delivering explosive action alongside profound revelations about the series’ overarching antagonist, All For One, and the origin of One For All. This episode, which marks the fourth installment of the anime’s eighth season, premiered on October 25, 2025, and brings a long-awaited confrontation to its fiery peak while delving into the darkest corners of the past.
The Fierce Confrontation: Bakugo vs. All For One
“Quirk!! Explosion!!” centers heavily on the intense and personal showdown between the explosive hero Katsuki Bakugo and the seemingly indomitable villain, All For One. The battle reaches a fever pitch as Bakugo, battered but unyielding, unleashes a full-powered strike against his formidable enemy. This pivotal attack by Bakugo is notably crafted to evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia and homage, with its dazzling light and flames drawing strong parallels to All Might’s iconic “United States of Smash” from earlier in the series.
All For One, in turn, recognizes the formidable power emanating from Bakugo. He perceives within the young hero a striking resemblance to Kudou, the Second User of One For All, who once challenged him directly. This recognition fuels All For One’s hatred and pushes him to disregard his own ongoing rejuvenation process, compelling him to unleash his full destructive capabilities in a desperate attempt to annihilate Bakugo and fully integrate with Tomura Shigaraki’s body.
Unveiling All For One’s Twisted Origins and Yoichi’s Legacy
A significant portion of Episode 163 is dedicated to a comprehensive flashback, peeling back the layers of mystery surrounding All For One’s early life and his complex relationship with his younger brother, Yoichi, the First User of One For All. This deep dive into the past reveals the true genesis of their powers and the tragic divergence of their paths.
The Birth of Quirks and Brotherly Bonds
The flashback sequences, animated with striking visual contrasts by Studio Bones, illustrate All For One’s inherent selfishness and ruthlessness from an incredibly young age. He is depicted as having stolen his mother’s Quirk even before birth, symbolizing his innate desire for power and control. The narrative explores the burgeoning Quirk society, highlighting how All For One viewed everything within his grasp as his own possession, a philosophy that starkly contrasted with Yoichi’s compassionate nature.
The episode vividly portrays Yoichi’s struggles to understand and ultimately resist his brother’s increasingly villainous actions. Despite All For One’s monstrous deeds, the flashbacks reveal a twisted form of affection he held for Yoichi, driven by a desire to keep him by his side and, later, to reclaim him through One For All. This empathy, initially held by Yoichi, became a core component of the One For All Quirk as it was passed down through generations.
The Inception of One For All
The episode meticulously details the circumstances surrounding the creation of One For All, portraying Yoichi’s unwavering resistance to his brother’s tyranny. It emphasizes how Yoichi’s Quirk, which was a “dud” or unformed, inadvertently combined with a “stockpiling” Quirk given to him by All For One, leading to the birth of One For All. This revelation underscores the profound significance of Yoichi’s will and his desire for a better world, which transcended even his own death and continued to live on within the Quirk.
The Road Ahead: The Final Battle’s Intensification
As Bakugo lands his powerful blow and the weight of All For One’s tragic backstory settles, “Quirk!! Explosion!!” masterfully sets the stage for the true climax of the My Hero Academia saga. The episode’s narrative structure, moving between the present chaotic battle and the foundational past, enhances the emotional and thematic depth of the ongoing conflict. Heroes like Bakugo are not just fighting a villain, but a legacy of evil born from a deeply fractured individual, making their stand against All For One all the more critical for the future of their world.
The eighth and final season, with Episode 163 contributing to its intense narrative, promises to bring all lingering questions and conflicts to a definitive resolution, as the heroes strive to overcome not just raw power, but centuries of villainous ambition.
