The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Chapter 353, "Endeavor" by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
The aftermath of Todoroki Shoto's victory against the Blueflame, Dabi delivered one of My Hero Academia's most stacked chapters in a while. Even the long-awaited return to action for some fan-favorite members of Class 1-A couldn't outshine what the villains had in store.
From the arrival of mysterious new Tartarus escapees to an impending heteromorph clash of the titans, here's everything that went down in My Hero Academia Chapter 353.
Mina Ashido Faces Midnight's Killer
One of the Paranormal Liberation War's most heartbreaking casualties was the Pro-Hero Midnight. She was mourned by her students and colleagues alike, but none were more affected by her death than Class 1-A's Mina Ashido. She shed the most tears upon discovering the body and referenced Midnight's death as part of why she didn't want to lose anyone else in the Deku retrieval mission. Despite this harrowing loss, Mina continued on the hero's path bravely. Losing Midnight only strengthened her resolve to become a hero who could protect those important to her.
Given how affected she was, it's no surprise Mina froze for a second when she encountered a villain who all but admitted he was responsible for Midnight's death. The effect was broken in a second when she was rejoined by her close friend Kirishima Eijiro.
His arrival seemed to ground her, as they have been mutual sources of inspiration to each other and work well as a team; Kirishima's heroic persona was inspired in part by Mina's bravery in their middle school days, while Mina's Acidman Supermove is an iteration of Kirishima's Unbreakable. Since her introduction, Mina's been one of the most light-hearted characters in Class 1-A and has rarely ever expressed heavy emotion, so fans will want to carefully watch her decisions while facing her mentor's murderer.
Aoyama's Defection Has Endangered His Life
Even though Aoyama Yuga has shown incredible bravery since being outed as the UA traitor, he probably never would have revealed his identity willingly. He performed his task as All For One's spy quite efficiently but reluctantly, as he feared the repercussions disobedience would cause. Getting found out by Hagakure Toru took the decision out of his hands and was a stroke of luck for Aoyama but unfortunately, All For One has never cared about fine print. It seems the young hero night have to deal with the exact consequences he feared.
Among the villains who escaped All Might's trap was Kunieda, an especially dangerous escapee from Tartarus with a Quirk that hasn't been explained but seems to be the ominous ability to control giant Higanbana flowers. Kunieda has made it clear his only aim is to demonstrate how useful he can be to All For One, which in this case would be killing the spy who betrayed him.
He reminded Aoyama that those who leave All For One's side never live for long and that even if he was somehow beaten, Aoyama would continue having the same fight over and over against more assassins. To his credit, Aoyama must've been terrified by the intimidating villain but his only reply was a nervous smile and his trademark "merçi". Could Class 1-A's most dazzling hero pull out a surprise victory against all odds, or will he be unable to escape the Higanbana "anime flower of death" curse?
Spinner's Heteromorph Army Begin Their Charge
The news of Dabi's defeat spread quickly and elicited different emotions on MHA's warring factions as they fought. While the heroes were energized and their spirits lifted upon hearing one of their biggest obstacles had been eliminated, the villains didn't receive it quite so warmly. Spinner, who always had a special connection to all the League members, was so enraged that he completely rejected the news, dismissing the heroes' celebrations as an attempt at informational warfare. He simply couldn't accept that Dabi could have failed given how much more gifted his teammate was compared to him.
Although it is unclear, it seems Spinner received some kind of power-boosting Quirk from All For One and has embraced the title thrust upon him as a leader of the heteromorphs. He's ordered his subordinates to break into the heroes' stronghold and free Kurogiri, a move that could heavily turn the tide in the villains' favor if successful. Despite the obvious danger he poses, Spinner's call to action proved his current course wasn't selected entirely on his own.
He mentioned freeing Kurogiri to help overturn the bigoted status quo, but that seems more in line with All For One's goals than actual heteromorph liberation. His company is facing Koji Koda and Mezo Shoji, Class 1-A's resident heteromorphs; if there's still some way to get through to Spinner, these two are the perfect men for the job. They've never been victims of discrimination on-screen and might be able to help Spinner realize that although bigotry might still exist, there is already a place for people like them in society.
All For One Plays Mind Games With Endeavor and Hawks
Naturally, All For One was pitted against the heroes' heaviest hitters when they were deciding how to split their forces among the attacking villains. Top heroes like Endeavor, Hawks, The Wild Wild Pussycats and Fumikage Tokoyami were among those selected to face the ancient villain, but even their combined might wasn't enough to faze him. Like every other battle theater, the news of Dabi's defeat soon reached Gunga Mountain but rather than cause All For One to despair, it allowed him to begin his favorite form of assault against the two top heroes: psychological warfare.
Right after the news broke, All For One questioned the look on Endeavor's face. He mockingly inquired if it was affection toward Shoto, or relief that he'd successfully shirked his duties as a father and would not have to face his eldest son after all. He continued unrelentingly, accusing Endeavor of forcing Shoto into that fight and preemptively debunked the justification MHA's heroes were fond of using: "heroes have a lot to protect."
It was a two-pronged attack aimed at Hawks as well, who still felt a lot of guilt concerning Twice's unfortunate death. All For One's clear intention was to break both their spirits and although the two top heroes know better than to let his words completely rattle them, these personal moments will definitely be enough to knock them off their game at least a little -- which is exactly what All For One wants.
What Final Secret Is Dabi Hiding?
After Dabi was defeated by Shoto's Great Glacial Aegir, he was knocked out long enough for the news to spread to all the other battlefields. He hasn't regained consciousness yet but a Pro-Hero by his side noticed he was very much alive, and a close up of his chest revealed a mysterious glow.
It's any MHA fan's guess what the glow could mean, and Dabi himself hasn't hinted at any hidden abilities. It's unlikely, but it may well be the beginning of an explosion similar to the one triggered by Lady Nagant's change of heart. It wouldn't be above All For One to place a failure clause within Dabi in the event of his death, after he and Dr. Ujiko invested so much in keeping him alive.
There's also the possibility of it being the last remnants if his Cremation Quirk going out of control. Since his childhood, Dabi has been barely able to control his Quirk, especially in moments of intense emotion. The high of his fight against Shoto, coupled with his swift come-down and current unconsciousness, may cause his Quirk to go completely out of his control, outputting a searing flame until his end.