After All Might crushes his dream, Izuku realizes the Symbol of Peace is a bit lacking of a hero in his own right, leading him to reject the offer of One for All. When UA rejects him, he finds people who support him no matter what, regardless of his status.
Japan will never be the same.
Rise of the Last Villain
is a My Hero Academia fanfiction by ZM000. It was completed on April 27, 2023.
This fanfiction contains examples of:
- Adaptational Early Appearance:
- Stain appears the day of All Might's offer, offering to teach Izuku how to fight, whereas in canon he appears during the Internship Arc.
- Tomura Shigaraki and the League of Villains appear during the time between the Sludge Villain incident and the UA entrance exams, whereas in canon they debut during the USJ attack.
- A minor example but Hawks shows up during the Kamino battle as part of the team that kills All for One, whereas in canon he doesn't show up until the Hero Billboard Chart event.
- Adaptational Intelligence: Izuku was always a smart kid but in this fic, he convinces All for One to sacrifice himself at Kamino, outplays the heroes including Nedzu until he achieves his goals, and ultimately succeeds in his true goal of changing society.
- Adaptational Jerkass: Subverted. Izuku rejects All Might's offer not because All Might was meaner than in canonnote , but because he had to be forced into action to save Bakugo by Izuku rushing in, causing Izuku to refuse to speak with him.
- Adaptational Superpower Change: Katsuki Bakugo receives One for All instead of Izuku.
- Later in the fic, Izuku receives All for One from Tomura. In the finale, he further receives One for All from Bakugo, knowing that the vestiges of the former holders will prevent him from using All for One or any of the other stored quirks, rendering him functionally quirkless once more.
- Adaptational Villainy: Izuku, naturally. Shoto also joins the League of Villains after being kidnapped during the training camp.
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- In canon, All Might and Izuku are mentor and protégé. In this fic, not only are they enemies, Izuku kills All Might.
- Similarly, many of the villains in canon are Izuku's allies in this fic, while he eventually ends up in a romantic relationship with Himiko Toga.
- All for Nothing: Izuku scores 43 villain points and 50 hero points during the UA entrance exam, but is ultimately refused entry into the Hero Course because he's quirkless.
- Babies Ever After: In the epilogue, Izuku and Himiko Toga have a daughter.
- Badass Normal: A villainous example in Izuku, who manages to go toe-to-toe with multiple pros, severely wounding Aizawa at the USJ.
- Bittersweet Ending: Despite everything Izuku does to make the heroes work for it, in the end the League of Villains are all captured and sentenced to Tartarus (though, given Izuku's plan, this was a foregone conclusion). However, the heroes who remain are genuinely worthy of the title and Japan is better off for it.
- Bakugo then uses his clout as the Symbol of Victory who defeated the League of Villains to reform the system, even managing to get Izuku out of prison.
- Bond One-Liner: Izuku's final words to All Might.Deku: Goodbye All Might. We'll make a better world after this than yours. [punches him in his old injury, and then stabs him] Show the world what you really are and die.
- Broken Pedestal: Izuku loses all of his respect for All Might after he reveals that he was in the crowd when the Sludge Villain was attacking Bakugo.
- Calling the Old Man Out: Izuku calls All Might out at the USJ for crushing his dreams shortly before killing him.
- Completed Fic: Completed April 27, 2023.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The League of Villains (or rather, Izuku and Himiko) versus the Shie Hassaikai. Izuku and Himiko wipe out the entire base and escape with Eri.
- Dramatic Irony: The training camp recruits aren't initially told about Izuku's quirklessness. Instead, they're treated to a game: guess Izuku's quirk in 2 guesses or less, and you get to make one wish, as long as it doesn't interfere with the league's goals. Himiko ends up guessing it after she and Izuku take down Overhaul. She asks for a date with Izuku.
- Even Evil Has Standards: After Izuku takes down Overhaul, Tomura has Giran leak the information about how the Shie Hassaikai abused Eri. The remnants of the Shie Hassaikai are razed to the ground within days.
- Evil Versus Evil: The League of Villains versus the Shie Hassaikai.
- Face–Heel Turn: Shoto chooses to join the League of Villains after they promise to make Endeavor pay for what he did.
- Failure Gambit: Izuku's plan with the League of Villains. His goal was never to defeat the heroes, as he knew that wouldn't be possible. His goal was instead to defeat the heroes who weren't worthy of the name, leaving only the true heroes (who would inevitably defeat the League) to fix the system in the wake of the League's "war". This plan succeeds in its entirety.
- Fantastic Ableism:
As in a lot of MHA fanfics, Izuku suffers plenty of discrimination on account of being Quirkless.- He's rejected from UA despite his high scores on the practical exam on the grounds that without a quirk, he can't be a hero. While All Might is the first to suggest this, the other teachers are shown to agree.
- The MLA, as in most fics, also suffer from quirkism, refusing to accept Izuku's importance to the League's continued plans.
- Heel–Face Turn: Stain and Lady Nagant do this willingly, with Kurogiri coming along for the ridenote .
- My God, You Are Serious!: Himiko guesses that Izuku is quirkless. The other training camp recruits laugh, thinking there's no way she's right. Tomura laughs too, but then reveals that he's laughing at them: she was right, and wins the wish.
- Point of Divergence:
- Izuku refuses One for All due to being upset over All Might standing by while Bakugo drowned in the Sludge Villain.
- Since Izuku doesn't have All Might training him, he ends up training with the Hero Killer Stain.
- Because Izuku doesn't get a quirk, he ends up getting rejected from UA despite scoring a total of 93 points on the practical exam.
- Since Izuku gets rejected from UA, he joins the League of Villains instead.
- Politically Incorrect Hero: All Might insists that Izuku can't be a hero without a quirk (ironic, considering his past status). It's implied that a majority of UA's teachers feel the same.
- Refusal of the Call: Izuku refuses One for All due to his newfound dislike of All Might.
- Ship Tease: Himiko gets one wish for guessing that Izuku was quirkless. She asks for a date.
- In the epilogue, it's revealed that Bakugo and Kirishima started dating.
- Tears of Fear: Before Izuku kills him, Overhaul sheds these as he pathetically apologizes to his beloved boss.Overhaul: Boss… I’m sorry, Boss. I’m so sorry.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Izuku delivers a short one to All Might before killing him.Deku: Any last words?
All Might: I am truly sorry for failing to save Young Bakugou and then you that day. I’ve regretted it ever since you refused me that day. I apologize.
Deku: That’s it? You crushed my dream. You were everything to me! All I ever wanted was to be a hero. After a decade of everyone else telling me how useless I am, the only thing that kept me going was you! Do you have the faintest idea how I felt when you turned out to not only be a joke of a hero but also a liar who was no different than everyone else in my life? You said anyone could be a hero! Why couldn’t I? [crying]
All Might: [speechless]
Tomura: Izuku. It’s time. The teachers will be here soon.
Deku: I know. [puts mask back on] Goodbye, All Might. We’ll make a better world after this than yours. [punches him in his old injury and stabs him] Show the world what you really are and die. - Wham Episode: A few.
- Chapter 43: "Para Bellum". Izuku turns himself in on the condition that he be allowed to speak at the press conference announcing his capture. He tells everyone that in four months, Tomura is going to declare war on Japan and that people should prepare for the worst.
- Chapter 47: "The Devil Within". Tomura makes the aforementioned declaration of war after beating up the assembled heroes and killing Yoroi Musha.
- Following directly from the previous, Chapter 48: "Titanomachy". The League successfully breaks Izuku out of Tartarus, with Himiko posing as Slidin'Go to "arrest" Hawks and bring him in. Tomura gives All for One to Izuku since he feels that he cannot be the villain Izuku wants Bakugo to defeat.
- Chapter 59: "Rise of the Symbol of Victory". Deku is finally defeated, marking an end to the League's war in the heroes' favor. Of course, this was the plan all along, and the heroes that remain will oversee the creation of the new, better Japan.
