Shigaraki has been doing more than hiding all this time. In Chapter 332 of My Hero Academia, he reveals why he’s a true threat to Deku – and the world.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter 332, “State-Of-The-Art Hypersonic Intercontinental Cruise…” by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
The My Hero Academia manga heats up in Chapter 332, “State-Of-The-Art Hypersonic Intercontinental Cruise…” The continuing struggle between Shigaraki and America’s greatest hero, Star and Stripe, nears its climax. The tide of the battle may have made it appear that Star and Stripe had the upper hand, but Shigaraki has exploited his tactical research to perhaps provide him the opportunity to strike the closing blow. Seeing how Shigaraki has been playing with Star and Stripe, may he be able to also out maneuver Izuku Midoriya (Deku) and All Might?
From the time they first saw one other in Chapter 329, Shigaraki acted like he already understood how to deal with Star and Stripe. He didn’t stop her convoy by simple chance; he is going to make sure she doesn’t come in contact with the Japanese heroes under any condition. He realizes the advantage the heroes would have if they had access to Star and Stripe’s might and the support of the United States. Shigaraki is not solely focused about this battle, though. He knows that by beating a foreign version of All Might, other countries might think twice about sending their own high-ranking heroes to support Japan during this time.
Throughout the entire battle, Shigaraki evaluates Star and Stripe carefully, and figures out how her Quirk, New Order, operates. He understands it, mocks its talents and determines that he wants to get it for himself. Normally, a fighter has to be very cunning to find out their opponent’s talents. In Shigaraki’s situation, he can take the full power of someone’s Quirk without worrying about dying. His super-regenerative ability is a cheat code that permits him to retain a cool head in the thick of combat. This is favorable for him, considering how he went all out the first time he battled the heroes, after getting All For One, without thinking about the final game, until his mentor stepped in.
Now, not only does he find out how to get around Star and Stripe’s Quirk, he comes up with an escape strategy to evade her most lethal attack: State-Of-The-Art Hypersonic Intercontinental Cruise Punch. The level of concentration it takes for Shigaraki to focus on developing an escape tunnel at the precise moment of collision reveals how he is continually thinking a step ahead of Star and Stripe. Even though she is the Number One hero in America, the adversary makes her appear like a small-town sidekick.
In the end, Shigaraki’s greatest asset is Star and Stripe’s courageous heart. A great hero does not sacrifice their buddies. When Star and Stripe is offered an opportunity to cause some harm to him by blowing up one of her pals, she declines to make the impulsive step. Consequently, she offers Shigaraki the best chance for a decisive strike. He is most certainly going to steal her peculiarity, but might not get away with withering her body. In the instant her Quirk becomes taken, her companions may be able to save her from death.
Shigaraki is not afraid to endure large amounts of damage, and is growing better at analyzing a battle. Normally, villains enter the midst of battle without calculating how to make their next action more favorable. Shigaraki, on the other side, has displayed his extraordinary strategic level up. It will be fascinating to see how he does when he confronts Deku and All Might in the future.
