Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 7, Episode 16My hero academiaThe latest episode just saw two villains join the fight who were previously on the sidelines, but exactly which side they came to fight for may be a surprise. The return of Lady Nagant and mild criminal helps tip the balance in favor of the heroes, but their presence has much more significance than just a few more bodies on the field of battle – this proves the very themes of the Series.
Lady Nagant was a former hero who became disgusted with the way the Hero Public Safety Commission was run and turned to be a “villain” after murdering her corrupt former boss. Mild criminal was a man who once dreamed of being a hero, but whose presence in the wrong place at the wrong time made him interfere with a real hero’s rescue, resulting in serious harm to an innocent person. After that, he took to a life of theatrical crime, but ultimately never got up to much more than petty mischief.
The return of Lady Nagant and mild criminal ends the villain redemption debate
Their decision to help the heroes at a cost to themselves proves that villains can be redeemed
Both of these characters have origins that prove they were once good people, and simply calling them villains is an oversimplification. It reduces the complexity of their characters to be no different from someone as all for one, which clearly is not the case. This situation proves that labeling anyone who breaks the law as a villain automatically paints the world in a black-and-white manner that is simply not a reflection of reality. And while they’re helping the heroes right now, they might not have been if it weren’t for Deku’s efforts to make them remember who they once were.
Deku’s firm belief in the ability of villains to be redeemed, even those as terrible as Shigaraki, has led him to reach out, recognizing that even your average villain is not someone who is fundamentally evil.. The simple act of reaching out to them, to offer them a second chance, rather than condemning them as filth, inspired gently and nonchalantly to take up arms and help the heroes, to do what they can to put an end to this real evil. . Villains are not born; They are made by circumstance, and they can just as easily be unmade in the same way.
The fact that Nagant and Mild came to their aid proves that Deku is right to reach out to them. If either of them were up against another hero, especially one with a very black-and-white way of looking at things like Endeavour, they might never even have the chance to redeem themselves, and the heroes would be struggling a lot more than them. are already Without Gentle’s help, the flying fortress of UA would have fallen into the ground, killing almost everyone inside, and it is only thanks to Deku’s goodness that this did not happen.
As Lady Nagant and gentle criminal can make a big difference in the final war of My Hero Academia
The heroes need all the help they can get
Mild had already had a huge impact on the battle by keeping UA afloat; Without his help, not only would countless heroes and students have died, but also Shigaraki would no doubt have survived and been freed from the confines of the school. This would allow him to meet everyone for one much more easily, Probably tipping the balance irrevocably in the villains’ favor. And gentle does not do this alone; He wouldn’t be able to hold something as big as UA if it wasn’t for La Brava’s love quirk giving him the strength to do it.
Lady Nagant is in bad shape physically, still recovering from the self-destructive quirk that All for One implanted in her, but she puts her own life on the line to help Deku, because he inspired her so much with his relentless optimism. Nagant already saw herself as undeserving, but if, like Deku, you can still see the good in her, maybe it’s not gone after all. As a long-range sniper, her support can help stab down Shigaraki and keep him from dodging Deku’s attacks, and there’s nothing he can do about it.
It is not clear how long she will be able to last, but any support she can offer will be crucial. Mild, meanwhile, only needs to exceed the Toga’s doubles, as it is their added weight that is weighing UA down. As long as Mild can keep the school in the air until Toga’s defeat, there is nothing else to worry about.
Do villains like All For One and Shigaraki still deserve redemption?
The most extreme villains may be beyond redemption
It goes without saying that with every case of redemption, there will also be those who are too far away to come back, and this is certainly for everyone for one. But even all for one has reasons for being as he is; He grew up in a world that treated him like garbage, and it’s no wonder he turned on the world when he had the strength to do so. Shigaraki’s abuse and manipulation at all for one’s hands make him much more sympathetic, as symbolized by the young image of Tenko Shimura, shown buried deep within Shigaraki.
Deku is able to see the boy inside Shigaraki, and wants to save him from the clutches of everyone for one, even after all that Shigaraki has done. Whether it is possible to do so remains to be seen, however He wasn’t wrong that Shigaraki was just another victim of All for One. The key to redemption is that the wicked in question must want to be redeemed; Some part of them need to feel shame or regret for what they have done, and want to make up for it. All for one has no such remorse, so it is impossible for him to be redeemed.
Deku is able to see even the tiniest bit of remorse, and recognize those who secretly yearn for redemption. With both villains turning to the side of good, there can be no doubt that Deku’s willingness to forgive is a key theme in My hero academiaAnd that redemption is always an option for those who seek it.