As is the case with all "Moments" pages, Spoilers Off applies!!!
Brothers Unite: Shouto's Tainted Hands
- Shoto is going to accept Dabi's offer and become an official villain, or honorary Judas, to support the League of Villains. His motivation comes from not only having to deal with Endeavor's cruel training but also from how Izuku never made the effort to help him or his family during his time in the past.
- After The Sports Festival Shoto has been re-railed closer to canon, which may cause much chagrin to Dabi.
- Seems definitely Jossed by Dabi responding once again to Shigaraki's recruitment call; according to the author, exactly seeng Shoto forfeit his fight with Ai at the SF convinced Dabi he couldn't count on him. Ai and Shoto eventually hooking up makes the possibility even more remote.
Momo's Struggle: Will Creati Never Be?
- Momo will have a bigger insecurity dilemma after her performance at the Entrance Exam. If she isn't given proper help, she may very well quit her hero academia to find herself.
- After Todoroki viciously insults her at the end of Chapter 40 (and only because she is the first person he runs into after the conversation with Nedzu), it looked like an even bigger possibility; she even has to fight Tokoyami at the Sports Festival, the only match-up identical to canon.
However in Chapter 48, after being comforted and encouraged, she finds the determination and intuition that allows her to defeat Tokoyami. Also, Todoroki has been humbled and brought down over the previous chapters and an apology from him may eventually come. In any case, both characters are doing much better since.
- After Todoroki viciously insults her at the end of Chapter 40 (and only because she is the first person he runs into after the conversation with Nedzu), it looked like an even bigger possibility; she even has to fight Tokoyami at the Sports Festival, the only match-up identical to canon.
A Symbol of Cruelty? The Monster Behind the Smile
- Ronri discusses the many ways a person can come out very different from one timeline to another. The All Might she dealt with was a "quirkist asshole" who prioritized using his power to oppress Quirkless and Mutant people instead of fighting actual villains. Sometimes people died because intervening was "beneath" him; Ronri lost her loved ones in one such occurrence.
- Jossed. An All Might like that is the one of Deep Dive #1. The one in Ronri's timeline was a Well-Intentioned Extremist who got too paranoid about her, ultimately causing Izuku's death and his own in a clash between condemning or helping her. Ronri also didn't lose her parents because of him.
A Gift From All For One? Ronri's Origins
- Just like All Might was evil in Ronri's original timeline, All For One was a better person there. It was in fact him, with the help of Doctor Garaki, who passed his quirk to Ronri after acquiring one that allowed dimensional travel; she'd go on to acquire more quirks for its stockpile in other timelines.
- It's been eventually clarified that the Quirk was forced on Ronri; despite currently making use of it for Izuku's sake, a part of her is extremely angry about what she's become.
The Emperor's Successor: Kindness from a Changed Man
- All For One abandoned his original body and for some reason he had, or chose, no alternative than the body of a little girl, probably to disappear in the shadows or flee while letting others believe he was dead. However he either was a good variant of AFO to begin with, or he lived through some events that caused a complete change of heart in him, becoming a protector of Izuku.
- As of chapter 39 this is Jossed: Ronri is a separate person from AFO. Both All Might of Deep Dive #1 and the All Might of the main story think it's him in a new body upon encountering her, which only serves to infuriate her further.
- And later on we learn that a "true" AFO-in-Ronri exists in another universe and is as evil as ever.
Ronri's Sorrow: The Not-So Number One Hero
- Ronri describes another extreme possibility of All Might being "a well-meaning idiot". Maybe the one from her universe was the epitome of Good Is Dumb and a Destructive Saviour, possibly very bad at controlling One For All, who sometimes did more harm than good by causing massive collateral damage, Ronri losing everyone dear to her in one such accident.
- As eventually revealed by her origin story, in Ronri's home timeline All Might was like that; he was rightfully concerned about Ronri having the All For One Quirk after the man was defeated but chose a bad solution for that. He wasn't the cause of her suffering initially though, as it was Shigaraki who killed her parents and kidnapped her under All For One's orders.
A further push to villainy for Hanako?
- As of the end of Act I, Hanako still hasn't managed in finding Stain, and, deep inside, she may still not have enough resolve to do it. However, as she was seen learning of the villain attack at UA, she will rush to Musutafu to visit her friends. She will first learn about the heroic deeds of Izuku and others during the attack, which will give readers hope she may be swayed off her path. Unfortunately, afterwards, she will learn of how Todoroki and Bakugo treated Ai, causing her to have flashbacks of Akotone, and concluding there are still many fake heroes to be purged.
- Semi-Jossed: she doesn't as much as cross paths with Bakugo and Todoroki during her visit at UA, and it's in fact just seeing Tetsutetsu's quirk that triggers her, cascading into a breakdown that ends with her killing Death Arms and meeting Stain.
"Get your hands OFF OF HER!!" Who is her?
- This moment from the previews of Act II may be easily concluded to be when Bakugo will try to hurt Eri and get wrecked by Izuku as a result, as foreseen by Nighteye early into the story. However, as there is another scene from there, it may be from different circumstances. For example, he may be confronted by one of the girls at UA, turn aggressive and outright attack her, Izuku intervening to stop him; this would segue into Bakugo's expulsion from UA. If the girl was Hanako (see previous entry), Izuku would involuntarily save Bakugo's life as she'd be about to kill him in rage.
- Rather than an "easy" guess like Ochako, Aoi, Hanako, or Cthylla, the girl may be Amura. As she is now a classmate of Aoi, the setup is perfect to make her meet Izuku again and have the chance to talk to him, as she likely feels regret for not standing up for him in middle school, for fear of being bullied herself. Afterward, she would run into an increasingly boiling Bakugo, confronting him about how she used to fear him back in Aldera; he would react with violence, causing Izuku's intervention.
- As of Chapter 65, parts of this theory are Jossed as Bakugo has been arrested and expelled from UA, before being broken out and recruited by AFO. However an encounter of one of the girls with him can still happen, this time as a much more dangerous situation.
Can this love bloom in the main timeline as well?
- At the end of What If #1, Ai Uzumaru and Shoto Todoroki are revealed to have become a couple, bonding over their mutual experiences with domestic abuse. It can feel like Dramatic Irony, as the one-shot was published shortly after the end of Act I, at a point Ai would have all reasons to hate Shoto after he was refusing to use his fire even if it was to save her life. However, Ai also knows nothing about Shoto by that point and may be open to forgiving him once she learns more. If anything, it would mark a great redemption arc for Shoto, who by early Act II seems closer to villainy even more than Bakugo.
- After a lot of further developments throughout Act II, where Ai ends up becoming more important than Izuku for Shoto's development in the new timeline... Yes, it can and actually does!
Are there other Ronris?
- With the origin of Ronri having caused the existence of such a powerful being who can also travel in the multiverse, it begs the question of how her life is in any other universe outside of the one she comes from. Is she the fruit of such a peculiar and unrepeatable set of circumstances that no other like her will ever exist, all her alternate selves being unremarkable? Did, or will, some other Ronri cross paths with the protagonists, and have some importance? Or is this Ronri even an unique existence not found elsewhere, the America Chavez of this multiverse?
- Chapter 45 finally reveals that Ronri is none other but an alternate Eri, who avoided the events that befell the Eri we know only to end up even worse due to manifesting a different Quirk. She is also not "unique" as there's a version of her who has been successfully taken over by All For One's consciousness.
Ronri For One? The shadow of AFO
- It's been clear from her first appearance that Ronri has the All For One quirk, and it's been later confirmed she's a separate person from him who received the quirk against her will in her home universe, and she hates being considered the same as AFO, as her reaction to All Might having that impression both in Deep Dive #1 and Chapter 45 shows. However, we know too well from canon how nasty of a Quirk AFO can be, as it basically contains a duplicate of the man's consciousness and due to its own strength, it can overtake the host. So while Ronri is still mostly herself All For One may be still there, polluting her mind, sabotaging her own mission by causing her mood swings, and making her resort to unnecessary violence.
- After Chapter 46 and Ronri: Origins we know that Dr. Garaki had the explicit intention to implant the quirk in Ronri so that AFO, who died at Kamino in that universe, could live again through his Vestige taking over her body, however he failed at that and was stopped before he could fix it. None of that however disproves the theory, as Ronri's clearly deteriorated, and further deteriorating, mental state could eventually make way for AFO to emerge.
- Deep Dive #2 ultimately reveals that a "Ronri For One" exists, albeit from an universe where Garaki's attempt to have AFO's vestige emerge was successful, taking her body and base Quirk over immediately.
The true Final Boss? And unexpected allies
- After Deep Dive #1 and the first chapters of Act II Ronri doesn't appear as an occasionally creepy yet overall benevolent ally but rather a dangerous wild card from whom only Izuku and a few others may be safe - emphasis on "may" because, the moment they knew the lengths Ronri can go for their sake, the initial reaction would likely be rejection, causing her to turn even against them. An Enemy Mine situation will ensue as All For One, Shigaraki, and the Doctor - the latter possibly collaborating without the authorization of the other two, just to save his cowardly ass - will realize that working with the Heroes is the only way to not end up all wiped out by her.
- After Deep Dive #2 the huge menace that is the alternate Ronri with All For One's mind may rather become the Big Bad eventually, as everything points out to her being eventually freed. Still doesn't rule out that the other villains may consider her too much even for themselves.
The worst ending for Yuyu? Not necessarily
- As of Chapter 40 Yuyu is at the last step before not just expulsion from UA but a commitment to a psych ward, as threatened by Nedzu, such is her inability to accept Nejire's death. Her ending up institutionalized would be the culmination of a tragic downfall that started the moment Izuku, in good faith, wanted Nejire to be part of the operation against the Yakuza even in the new timeline. Her only appearance since, in Chapter 78, spying and stalking Izuku, doesn't bode well for her.
What however if Yuyu ended up being another patient of Dr. Kojima? Between Hanako in the past, Toga, Ume Ruta and Kota, it looks like the clinic is a crossroads of destiny, even more after learning that Kojima knows Ronri and the multiverse. Yuyu ends up there at rock bottom, the prospects of a future heroic career or even just a regular life in shambles, to be helped and rise up again. Accepting to live past her mourning for Nejire, helping Izuku and friends, and finally being readmitted to UA would be a full circle and also give hope that, for how many things have gone wrong in the new timeline, not everything is lost.- After Chapter 88 and following ones it's hard to see any other way than commitment for Yuyu.
Resignation leading to villainy?
- After witnessing Izuku sending the Nomu into orbit, Bakugo's attitude has changed. He may have increased awareness of his precarious position as a student of UA but rather seems to care little about his punishment and the prospect of expulsion. He could have grown convinced that no matter how much he tries, he will never reach Izuku's level, and that all the favoritism Izuku gets may even be justified, in line with Bakugo's own "might makes right" convictions; everything he does is therefore meaningless. However, this will cause a lot of pent-up rage that will ultimately explode, leading to the expulsion from UA and a complete breakdown into a dangerous young villain who has nothing to lose.
- While not fully, this has ultimately happened: increasingly anxious to prove himself while he keeps clinging to his idea of Izuku as a scapegoat, Bakugo ends up involved with the chaos in Hosu and fumbles the bag terribly there, then he takes out his anger on a defeated and defenseless Stain, killing him. Expelled from UA, arrested and exposed (a secret recording has gone viral), he's then recruited at his most vulnerable by AFO.
Crocodile Hunting
- Distraught by the disappearance of Hanako, Cthylla may think that Rika Hyoto, who managed to escape arrest after the villain invasion of UA, is responsible and has acted in revenge for her defeat at Cthylla's, erm, tentacles. This could push Cthylla to compete in the Sports Festival with the intention of trying and be transferred to the Hero Course, despite her father Cthulhu's disapproval. And as the story seems to move towards Bakugo's expulsion, there may be a vacant spot to fill in 1-B. If she was successful, however, she'd first find and confront Rika and discover she's not responsible, and then be struck by the reveal that Hanako is now a Hero Killer, ending up even more desperate and confused as she'd have renounced her original aspirations and taken the Hero path in the name of Hanako, only for her lifelong friend to turn out a villain.
- Jossed for the part of wanting to transfer to the Hero Course, as Cthylla simply decides to forfeit her fight with Shoji because she feels tired, and also for having any suspicion about Rika as Hanako is eventually found and arrested in Hosu. A future rematch with Rika is still possible though, as Rika has now become Shigaraki's henchwoman, and may also hold a grudge at Hanako for what happened when they acted as bodyguards for Shigaraki and Stain respectively.
"He can do no wrong", even in evil?
- Ronri holds a psychotic worship of Izuku, whom she considers flawless. But unless she was so lucky to always end up in universes with good and/or unlucky Izukus, what did she do when she found some less-than-perfect one, or even the ever-popular villainous variant? While the most obvious answer would be killing him and move on to another universe, what if her damaged mind rationalized his villainy having a good reason? So there may be some universes where the villains prevailed because Ronri decided siding with them would make Izuku happy.
- Ronri: Origins eventually confirms that she indeed witnessed villain Izukus but rationalized and ignored their actions with her own justification that other people were guilty for causing them to become like that.
- Chapter 89 reveals there have been rare instances where Ronri has met Izukus who were such awful people she killed them, although her fixation on Izuku being a paragon makes her consider them "defective", rather than simply accept that in the vastity of the multiverse, even the best people can have nasty variants.
Yuyu falls deeper into despair and becomes a villain
- It's clear that Yuyu is suffering from Sanity Slippage, as a year after Nejire's death she still can't accept it. It's even made worse as she considers Izuku responsible for her demise. She falls further into disillusionment when All Might names him his apprentice and Izuku gains more popularity within Hero Society. Not too hard to think that she'll try and take even more drastic actions against Izuku only to end up expelled. With her life hitting rock bottom and best friend gone, Yuyu's mind would warp even further, culminating into a tragic downfall towards villainy with the goal of misguided revenge against Izuku.
- After Chapter 88 it is, unfortunately, a possibility. She may even be "recruited" by All For One just like Bakugo.
The timeline at the beginning is not the "canon" one, much less the current one
- The fanfic has been very sparse on details of events prior to Izuku and Eri being sent back in time, especially as it started while the manga was about to enter a final arc that, counting also frequent health breaks of the author, has ended up running into 2024. It would take for just one of those few events recalled by Izuku to be different in canon to establish the very starting point of New Game Plus as an Alternate Universe itself.
Furthermore, while the initial implication is that Izuku and Eri have merely gone back in time and are crafting a new history from there, the introduction of a proper multiverse leaves room for the idea they have rather landed in yet another universe with some differences, especially evident in how even when not in the know about Izuku's secrets (which as of Act II are not much of a factor anymore, in any case), many characters are quite more sensitive about bullying, harassment and social issues, showing much less tolerance for Bakugo and Mineta's antics. In the case of Bakugo it is even, ironically, a cause of his gradual downfall as he's not afforded the incredible amount of patience everyone gave him in canon before he finally started to get better.- Alternately, the universe of the main story may be only "superficially" similar to the canon one: the original events, and the people and places involved, were the same but a lot of things outside of them are different. Izuku's arrival from the future causes new interactions that didn't happen originally, like him changing schools to a completely different place, cascading into a whole series of new events.
- Eventually, the fanfic has solidified its starting universe as not being the canon one. Events in the manga have caused increasing discrepancies. The introduction of the concept of Core Universes in Deep Dive #13 has made the true canon universe modification-proof. And finally, chapter 87 has revealed that Izuku and Eri's was effective time travel (different from Ronri jumping through timelines which are at different points and run at variable speeds), and has ultimately caused the overwriting and erasure of the original timeline, confirming once and for all that it was never the canon universe.
Stand up again, Symbol of Peace!
- While All Might has still One For All in him, he's suffered two defeats in a few weeks, first against the Nomu and then against Ronri, the latter also putting him in front of his indirect responsibility in the iniquities of Hero Society. And after the revelation of how strong Hanako really is, he may face a further beatdown from her. Adding the desperation of finding a suitable Quirkless candidate to pass OFA and the likely ripples his speech in Chapter 50 will cause, while feeling increasingly inadequate himself, the man may fall into a depression that will need the support of all people he's got close to come back from.
Ai vs The Todorokis
- After her unexpected victory against Shoto at the Sports Festival, Ai will come to face Endeavor, furious for how a Quirkless girl has defeated her son. Due to him having already entered a different mindset as he already knows the truth about Dabi, he may however end up being endeared to her, making Ai instrumental in Endeavor's development too. As for Dabi, he will be contacted by Shoto and expect him to accept the offer to join, only to be rejected instead; upon realizing Ai's part in that, he will become furious and vengeful towards her.
- As of Chapter 78, the author has explained that the Sports Festival is exactly what prompted Dabi to give up on his plans to recruit Shoto, who has never contacted Dabi for any reason yet; how he's going to consider Ai, however, is to see. Meanwhile, Rei has taken a sympathy for Ai even without having met her yet, because she's noticed the positive influence she's had on her son.
- With Ai and Shoto becoming an item in Chapter 81, her being introduced to Endeavor has become only a matter of when.
Ai For All
- It seems Ai is getting several targets painted on her back. Shigaraki wants her dead (he believes to have succeeded but he's going to soon find out he didn't); the HPSC has her exposed to Quirkism in a misguided attempt to protect their idealized image of a Quirk-based society, which in fact causes her to be attacked at the Sports Festival; and Dabi may eventually be out for her blood too (see above WMG). She will need increased protection, making her very uncomfortable as she doesn't want to keep running and hiding.
Noticing that, All Might will offer her to become the next holder of One For All; her athleticism would also make her already physically fit to receive it. Ai will be very conflicted and undecided, obviously due to her past experiences, but will ultimately come to accept the offer. It would also be very symbolic: the same person who was forced a Quirk by All For One for sick amusement, would now willingly receive a Quirk from All Might for justice.- After the events of Chapter 50 and later Chapter 81, however, she may rather come to decide standing up for fellow Quirkless people, and receiving a Quirk would run counter to that.
Eri and Ronri, more similar than it seems
- Even if it's become clear Ronri is an alternate Eri, she still feels quite unique given how different her Quirk is. What however if both Spatial Manipulation and Rewind were in truth different aspects of an "Uber-Quirk" that can affect and control space and time, so hugely powerful and complex that any holder may never be aware of its full potential? After all, the whole fanfic started from Eri's Rewind causing time travel, an abilility it had never shown beforehand, even if due to Trigger. Was it the case however, if All For One realized that, he'd be interested in getting not only Eri but also Ronri's Quirk, so to have them fused by Garaki into one with both aspects unlocked, making AFO near omnipotent.
- Deep Dive #2 reveals that at least another Ronri, aka an Eri born with Spatial Manipulation, exists and has even a Rewind taken from another universe, which would imply they are indeed just two different Quirks.
Foresight into the Multiverse
- The first What If? one-shot leaves a big question mark on how Shinato still foresees Aoi's suicide in middle school, despite her life having been changed for the better much earlier in that universe. A possibility is that his Premonition Quirk is somehow connected to a "prime" timeline, looking at deaths happening there and nowhere else. Both in the main story and this What If? Izuku and Ronri respectively, by coming and intervening at specific moments, kickstarted changes that have ultimately prevented Aoi's death but Shinato kept seeing her original fate.
As Shinato's premonitions are a more limited version of Nighteye's Quirk, it raises the question of whether the latter could also function similarly, Nighteye never realizing that and its full potential. The popular theory that in canon, Nighteye's premonitions were messed up by Rewind affecting Izuku's individual time, give more credence to the idea that Foresight may be a Quirk with a strong connection to the fabric of space and time, and could potentially peer into other timelines.- In Ronri: Origins Nighteye gets a vision of Ronri's future that would eventually happen in another universe. However as it was still a look at her individual future, it gives no definitive answer on this.
Save me, Heroes!
- As of Chapter 57, it looks like the partnership between Stain and Hanako is going to unravel soon. He misunderstood her attacking Shigaraki as agreement with his ideals while it was for personal reasons, as Shigaraki proposed to kill Izuku who is dear to her. And while Hanako temporarily split off, Stain targeted Mina, not only the girl Hanako has a crush on (which he can't know) but also with motivations steeped in Quirk discrimination. As Hanako is clearly much stronger than him, Stain has little chances should she learn about Mina and turn against him; unless we are going to witness another Death by Adaptation, heroes may find themselves in the awkward position of saving the Hero Killer from *his* would-be killer.
- Jossed. While Hanako does in fact learn the truth and turns on Stain, at that point she's tired and vulnerable after her temporary feral metamorphosis, and has in fact to be saved from Stain.
- As it turns out in the end, Stain should have been protected from Bakugo after capture...
If not time travel, then what?
- While not very clear due to how the concepts of Alternate Universe and Alternate Timeline are used interchangeably, apparently Ronri isn't really capable of time travel, it's just that time runs at different speeds between timelines. This made possible for Ronri, for example, to prevent Hanako's father's death in a timeline and then witness Hanako's wedding about 20 years later, as shown in What If #1.
What happened to Izuku and Eri raises the question: the accidentally superchanged Rewind can really bring one's consciousness (and acquired Quirk) back in time, or was it rather some quantum leap as their minds were moved to their alternate selves in another timeline that was, right that moment, at the day Izuku first met All Might?
Similarly, it begs the question of whether the original timeline has been overwritten (and thus the tragic fates of Cthylla and Hanako there, from Rehabilitation #5, would be the last act of that timeline before Izuku's jump back deletes those events), is always there while a new branch has spun off from an earlier point, or Izuku and Eri have simply moved to an almost identical timeline, explaining subtle differences like characters being more sensitive about bullying.- As of Deep Dive #13, the canon My Hero Academia has been established as a Core Universe that is shielded from rewrites, making what we refer as "Izuku and Eri's original timeline", in the context of the fic, simply a very close variant of it.
- Chapter 87 finally reveals that it was indeed "true" time travel, and the consequence of that is the original timeline overwritten and deleted.
One last attempt to stay at UA
- As of Chapter 63, Bakugo is going to be in deep shit for his actions in Hosu; being kicked out of UA would be a natural consequence. However, just like in canon, a gag order about the whole matter with Stain may be emitted. Nedzu would suspend formal action against Bakugo for the time being, because expelling him would raise a lot of questions he couldn't answer; Nedzu may also think about what Deku said about Bakugo in the original timeline, and consider giving one last chance to the explosive boy. However Bakugo, more out of desperation than malice, would imply that he may not respect the gag order, should he be expelled.
Eventually the video of the fight against Stain, filmed from a nearby apartment, will go viral. With no secret to protect anymore, Bakugo will find himself publicly disgraced, and face a Nedzu disgusted by his attempt to use the gag order as a bargaining chip to keep staying in the Hero Course, far too happy to sign Bakugo's expulsion.- Just one chapter later it's definitely Jossed as Bakugo kills Stain and is arrested; definitely no ifs or buts about him staying in UA, Nedzu formally expelling him shortly after.
Start the smear campaign
- Hawks has warned All Might that the HPSC are even more dead-set against Izuku than initially thought, now looking for any dirt to discredit him. After the chaos in Hosu, they have the "material".
- There's enough to trace back Hanako as one of Izuku's friends since he transferred to Yomawari, creating the image of Izuku associating with a dangerous villain. More details like the case of her father's death would emerge, the HPSC pushing the narrative that it was just an accident, or even that Gallant Blade was justified. Result: Hanako pushed further into her dark path just as there was some chance to bring her back, and also rising tension with the mutant community.
- They take an interest in Bakugo after his arrest, and try and validate Bakugo's own self-image as top hero material who has been denied his future and has acted like he did because of Izuku; they even consider recruiting him for blacks ops, under the promise of giving him what UA didn't. Bakugo may also find some fanatical followers online as the one who killed Stain. However, as they validate the worst of Bakugo, he eventually turns into a liability even for the HPSC and they throw him under the bus; it's the last straw for his turn to villainy. And they'd still try and spin it as Izuku associating with people who turn into villains.
- The Lady President taking an interest in Bakugo turns out true but any plan she attempts to formulate is quickly derailed by AFO attacking the vehicle transporting Bakugo after arrest, recruiting him. They could still try and feed the image of a villain "caused" by Izuku to the public.
- They also look into the death of Nejire, find out about Yuyu and contact her, to use her point of view as another part of their attempts to discredit Izuku. However by validating Yuyu they destroy any attempt to stop her Excessive Mourning for Nejire, spiraling into a complete mental breakdown that ends with her being sent to a psych ward. The HPSC would still try and spin that as a poor girl driven mad by Izuku. Even more plausible when Yuyu finally reappears in Chapter 79, only to be seen stalking Izuku.
- As Chapter 88 shows, Yuyu's descent into insanity didn't need any external push. However the HPSC setting their eyes on her can still happen.
- You can notice a pattern in all these possible scenarios: the HPSC exploiting young people when they are at their most vulnerable rather than offering them an adequate support system, in turn creating even bigger problem and threats.
- In Chapter 66 Shiozaki has found out that Hanako, recently arrested, is a friend of Izuku and Ochako, validating the concerns she's having about Aoi (which are valid only in Shiozaki's mind). How did she learn that, though? Was this possible to know, also by the press, with only a little digging required, possibly due to former middle school classmates speaking? Or is more personal information being released?
Ronri-For-One: how it went
- It's an universe almost identical to the one seen in Ronri: Origins, and goes mostly through the same story beats.
An important difference is that, just before Izuku breaks into his laboratory, Garaki is not desperate but pensive. The operation to implant the All For One Quirk into Eri has been successful but there is no evident sign of his master's consciousness manifesting. Upon capture, however, Garaki acts desperate like it was a failure; it later turns out it's a ruse, his attempt to make the heroes not investigate into Eri further. Additionally, Eri would sometimes have nightmares where she feels like her body is controlled by someone else, which is simply thought to be an effect of her trauma.
Fast forward to the dying Izuku passing One For All to Eri. She stands up and starts slowly clapping her hands, a diabolical grin forming on her face as a shocked Izuku sees her taking the classic AFO pose with the hands. It took some time for him to manifest fully but AFO was conscious from early on and could observe and learn, so much that no one noticed when he took over completely. AFO comments that he should have thought about moving to a kid's body much earlier, no better shield than a child's innocence. "Right, Izuku-nii?", he says while briefly taking Eri's expression and attitude again. He grabs Izuku's hand and shakes it sarcastically, "Thank you, Izuku Midoriya, you are my hero!". Poor Izuku can only turn his head towards All Might's lifeless body, trying to utter "I'm so sorry, you were right" with his last breath.
Toshinori wakes up as a Vestige and has just the time to realize the situation, that Nana and especially a crying and apologetic Izuku run to hug him. Then he raises his head and AFO, huge and towering, looms over them.
Cue AFO still playing little Eri when recovered from the scene, then killing 1-A and many heroes, freeing an ecstatic Garaki, and systematically destroying any opposition. He voluntarily leaves Nighteye for last, the man succumbing to insanity and screaming "I was right! I was right!" as the shadow of an Eri with demonic wings covers him.- Jossed as of Chapter 88. Even if precise details aren't given, RFO's dialogue implies they are from an universe where Izuku is female (called Izumi) and All For One's child, while One For All was given to Mina, whose vestige is trapped and tormented within RFO.
Release the files!
- All For One knows that Ninetails left Japan because of the HPSC's interest in the quirk of her daughter Ara, the same kid he's now suggesting to Garaki as good material for his Ultra High End Nomu project. He'd have it easy kidnapping Ara and framing them for it, diverting her mother's attention to them; alternately, he may not even try to pass it as their work but Ninetails would quickly assume it's them, looking for results after the events of the Sports Festival and Hosu. Regardless, what AFO wouldn't predict is Ninetails possessing some secret files with a lot of dirt on the HPSC, which she'd release on the net as a way to strike back at them, exposing them to the public. The effect on Japanese society would be devastating - and AFO would see what should have been a "simple" kidnapping cascading into a series of events that still play in his favor, even in the worst possible scenario: the HPSC hastily putting their plans for a coup into motion, plunging Japan further into chaos regardless of the outcome.
- Jossed. Even if distraught and angry at Ara's kidnapping, she knows that the HPSC aren't so stupid to hire local villains to do their deeds; besides, the interrogation of the captured minor villain quickly implicates the Clockwork Court and AFO.
Hail Destro, Hail AFO
- Sometime in the past the Meta Liberation Army, already moving away from the inclusive teachings of Destro in favor of more discriminatory ideologies, managed to infiltrate some members within the Hero Public Safety Commission. A few managed to climb the ranks and one eventually became President. Under them, quirkist ideology was infused into the doctrine of the HPSC, along with the idea the Japanese government had to be eventually removed to realize their alleged "ideal" society.
While the MLA didn't manage to plant another member as a successor President, the well was poisoned at that point: the new doctine took root within the HPSC and following Presidents and other key members were trained in it, until the current HPSC which is sometimes eerily similar to the MLA.
The MLA themselves weren't concerned much about the HPSC because, in the form they had assumed, they fundamentally made their interests, even though it's possible that their "creation" could have ironically considered them like rivals to remove in their thirst for power, had they learned of their existence sooner.
An alternative version of this theory simply replaces MLA agents with AFO agents, as the latter has interest in an inequal society as it is more likely to create people he can recruit as villains.
Redemption from villainy
Bakugo's downward spiral in the new timeline has got even worse with his killing of Stain, the expulsion from UA, the arrest, and the breakout and recruitment by All For One who will surely groom the young man into getting even more lost into his toxic mentality. At this point the vision of Nighteye, with Izuku giving up on Bakugo after brutally beating him for trying to kill Eri, feels like an inevitability as time and opportunity to prevent it from happening have become very limited. But is that really going to be the end of Bakugo's arc in this timeline?
Of course, climbing back from there is a tall order, however it's not impossible. Were Bakugo, at one point, to sincerely realize how wrong he's been, and that the possibility of never being forgiven shouldn't stop him from doing what he can to atone, he may at least find peace and serenely accept his fate, be it jail, or a sacrifice he may not come back from this time.
Ronri says, "blow the whistle"
- In Deep Dive #8 the presence of Ronri is known from the call to out Aizawa's training of Shinso to the press, and Toga being transported to the mental clinic. But what if she was overseeing the whole of the events described in the chapter? It wouldn't be the first time, like when she created an happier timeline by preventing Hanako's father's death in What If.
After scouting that universe and finding out about the (mostly) benevolent MLA there, Ronri used her powers to appear as a voice of conscience to Izuku's closest friends, pushing them to contact Curious and speak up about UA, with all the consequent fallout after the interview was published.
Usually Ronri wouldn't care much for UA's methods beside them affecting Izuku but seeing how in this universe a downfall of UA may cascade into a better world due to the presence of a better MLA, she went for this solution, which also allowed to avenge Aoi's death. Ronri may also have been there during a phase her gentler personality was dominant, further pushing to this course of action to not saddle her conscience even more than it already is.
The Bakugo Exception?
- Bakugo has been mentioned as one of the people Ronri hates most in the multiverse, to the point you'd be forgiven if you thought the one from her home universe was just as bad or, come Ronri: Origins, he would have pulled a fast one; instead, he's been shown to mature as much as the canon Bakugo if not even more, staying loyal to Izuku even after the latter's death and discrediting to the world. A part of Ronri still cares for him and the hate is due to encountering many other variants who never got better like he did; also, in all fairness, Ronri never got to see how her Kacchan-nii used to be before they met.
Still, discounting Ronri concentrating only on the bad Bakugos and ignoring good ones she met during her multiversal travels, it begs the question of Bakugo seemingly destined to be a bad person in most iterations: Ronri's one, and the one of What If #2 who is swayed from becoming terrible earlier in life, are pretty much the only good ones we've seen in the story and spin-offs (and the one from Izuku and Eri's old timeline, who has been erased from existence with the creation of the new timeline). Given his upbringing and how he used to be up until Izuku met All Might, it's not even too far-fetched to think an especially good set of circumstances and timing is necessary to steer him positively; in fact, in the new timeline just a few starting changes have tumbled down into a much worse Bakugo, ultimately ripe for easy villain recruitment.
Was this the case, it would be especially bleak, even more if Izuku ultimately learned more about Ronri and the multiverse, as he'd think himself responsible for disrupting the circumstances that turned Bakugo for the better originally.
Mind Rewind? Maybe not
- Just before the new Hosu Arc we came to know from a conversation between Aizawa and Nedzu that Kurogiri had been fully rewound into Oboro Shirakumo, who is re-starting his life as a Hero Course student as of Chapter 75. It was discussed that Eri was successful at reverting both his body and mind, after accidentally rewinding only his mind during the kidnapping attempt, but that she isn't capable enough for a more fine-tuned mental rewind yet, so the idea of not only healing Mina from Stain's crippling but also erasing the trauma from her memory was out of question.
Point is, Eri may have not even applied her Quirk to Shirakumo's mind the second time. As he was reverted to presumably shortly before his death, and he was in fact extremely shocked at his mutated body and Quirk before AFO knocked him out, he was brainwashed so much that Shigaraki lamented him having become "robotic". Rewinding his body, Eri has merely removed the brainwashing and made so it now "matches" the mind she previously rewound by accident.
Not all the people defending Ai in Chapter 81 are Quirkless
- Some people with Quirks have started wearing Quirkless Red shoes as an act of solidarity, especially people with no exterior physical mutations who see no reason to discriminate others who look absolutely the same as themselves. This may also lead to quirkist bastards like the three who harassed Ai, targeting people wearing the Reds only to discover they are in fact quirked, getting a taste of their own medicine.
It's for the better that Shoto was not present when the three thugs approached Ai
- Not only because he may have lost control and used excessive force to teach them a lesson, ending up in trouble himself, but because seeing her with the very son of Endeavor they think she "humiliated", the thugs may have spread rumors that Shoto had "put her in her place" or, worse, that he made her his "pet" or "bed-warmer". Granted, the moment their new relationship becomes known, that may still happen eventually, especially if the HPSC's smear campaign continues given Ai is also part of Izuku's circle...
Ronri's intervention in Chapter 88 has not prevented Eri's death yet
- The way it is framed, with Shinato monologuing it's the day Eri should die just before we see Yuyu nearly strangling her if it wasn't for Ronri, would lead to the easy conclusion that Ronri, as an "external factor", has prevented what Shinato had foreseen.
However we next see Yuyu nearly killed by Ronri, stopped by Izuku attacking Ronri and now facing her as Danger Sense flares. Even if Ronri didn't have intent to kill Izuku but to "punish" him, seeing all that a desperate Eri may jump in the middle to stop them - and get mortally wounded by Ronri, followed by the revelation that is what Shinato foresaw, explaining his ominous words about how "this time, the future set in stone".
Eri would likely still survive, for example thanks to Ronri healing her with her copy of the Overhaul Quirk - beside that the other attempt at her life, from Bakugo, is supposed to still happen, her death would make the story too dark - but the mental scars would be even deeper for everyone.- Looks ot be thankfully jossed by Chapter 91, and hopefully Shinato will be ultimately confronted abut this and change his stance.
Ronri's vs Izuku: the aftermath
- Yuyu gets arrested, formally expelled from UA, and then committed to an high-security mental institution (an electrically insulated room would be necessary).
- A general state of emergency is declared due to the city destroyed by Ronri, combined with the still fresh crisis in Hosu.
- UA comes under fire due to footage clearly showing it all started from within their grounds.
- Izuku is out of commission and not only the disastrous confrontation with Ronri but also all he saw and learned during his multiverse hopping with Aoi weighs on him.
- A general rise of villain crime due to the crisis.
- The HPSC tries and takes advantage of the situation, boosting their public image while using the events to smear Izuku and UA; granted, Ronri gave them all the ammunition.
- Ninetails finds herself tempted to release the secret files in her possession but realizes that in the current situation and with the HPSC being popular, they may be easily dismissed as an hoax or a conspiracy.
