You either die a Spider-Man, or you live long enough to see yourself become a Batman. At least this Hero didn't have to die, or lose any family members, to get where he is today.
Tropes
- Avengers Assemble: The end of the flashback and episode shows Izuku joining the Top 3 Pros [Best Jeanist, Haws, and Endeavor] and the retired All Might.
- Achilles' Heel: Implied that Muscular has a soft soft within his layers of muscle that Deku was able to strike, successfully bringing him down.
- Big Damn Hero: Deku rescues Grand before he is crushed by Muscular.
- Blood Knight: Muscular reveals himself to be this, not interested in any sympathy, pity or reason fot why he became a Villain in the first place. He just loves the thrill of violence, regardless who gets in his way.
- The Bus Came Back: Ketsubutsu Academy students Yo Shindo/Grand and Tatami Nakagame/Turtle Neck return since the Licensing Exam back in Season 3.
- But Now I Must Go: Izuku officially makes this decision to leave U.A. Now that Shigaraki has a way to track him, he is worried that more of his friends will be at risk if he returns.
- Curbstomp Battle: Shindo/Grand has a lot of trouble fighting Muscular due to the Villain's Pump Up Quirk. Muscular himself is easily beaten by Deku soon after.
- Defeat as Backstory: Muscular explains how he has been itching for a rematch against Midoriya each the training camp; not out of revenge, but from the excitement of someone actually managing to overpower him.
- Hard Truth Aesop: Izuku already understands some Villains feel that don't have have a choice in what they do because of their past or how their Quirk operates. That said, some simply want to cause chaos and violence because they want to, such as Muscular, and have to be stopped.
- Internal Reveal: Like he did with his classmates, Izuku lets All Might explain to his mom the truth about his Quirk, and how her son being initially Quirkless allowed him to handle it more than their predecessors.
- New Powers as the Plot Demands: Deku uses the 6th User's Quirk from One For All this episode; a Smokescreen Quirk that allows him to produce smoke from his body and limit others' field of vision. The User warns him to take better control or it will only hinder him more than help.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: As established for the past few episodes, some citizens stubbornly choose to protect themselves instead of relying on Heroes they once had faith in. This is the reason why Shindo and Nekagame have trouble convincing a group to evacuate with Muscular approaching. Much of Japan is in disarray after a lot of Heroes and their agencies shut down, and legions of Villains are on the loose.
- The Reveal: The yellow scarf Deku wears is revealed to have been passed down by a bedridden Gran Torino, who wishes him luck in hunting down AFO and Shigaraki.
- Unexplained Recovery: A downplayed example, but a doctor tells Izuku that despite injuring himself once again, his limbs have miraculously survived this time around thanks to his Quirk reinforcing them. It can be implied that One For All was doing a good job protecting him, inside and out, while he fought Shigaraki.
- The Worf Effect: Muscular recognizes Izuku when he attacked the boy's training camp, and how he was looking forward to a rematch ever since. Unfortunately for him, Deku demonstrates the difference between the boy he was back then, who almost killed himself to stop him, and the Hero he has now become after months of training and fighting numerous other Villains, taking down Muscular with less effort.
