My Hero Academia is an anime series based on a manga bearing the same title, written by Kohei Horikoshi. It has become an enormous success and has garnered a lot of attention and massive followership worldwide, earning its spot in the new "big 3". The story follows Midoriya "Deku" Izuku and his band of classmates as they learn, grow, and fight to protect all that they love from the League of Villains that threaten their society.
My Hero Academia is filled with many iconic characters, and among them is Tomura Shigaraki, the current user of All For One and the main antagonist of the anime. His cruel upbringing influenced his decisions greatly, and his words are an insight into his mind for the viewers, reflecting his inner turmoil and determination to achieve his goals. Here are some of his most terrifying quotes.
10 "I'll Destroy Everything… Including Myself."
Those words adequately conveyed Shigaraki's determination during his final battle with the Pro Heroes. He transformed and emerged as destruction personified. He desires to destroy their society and its systems as he deems it flawed and irreconcilable.
He solemnly swears that he will see it all go up in flames and even destroy himself if it means it could achieve his chaotic ambition. This shows the depth of his commitment and the extent of his resolve.
9 "I'm Not Just A Mere Mortal Anymore. I'm A Symbol Of Fear."
In My Hero Academia, the Symbol of Peace is a fundamental societal concept, the ray of hope for the civilians, assuring them that no matter what happens, you can count on the superheroes to make things right. Shigaraki's dream was to become the opposite of that, and he seems to have done just that.
He gained more power and became more confident in his abilities. He declares that he has become a symbol of fear that strikes terror into the heart of his foes. It also shows Shigaraki's belief in the ability to command respect with fear.
8 "I Don't Need Any Friends. All I Need Is Power."
All For One's advice fell on deaf ears as he tried to convince Shigaraki to form alliances and build relationships with other villains to strengthen their position at the top of the food chain. Shigaraki proclaims that he needs no friends - all he needs is power. Power is the only thing in the world that matters to him. Having allies only exposes him to the risk of being betrayed and vulnerable.
This shows Shigaraki's solitary nature and his obsession with power. He would sacrifice even personal relationships to achieve his goals, as he eventually betrayed All For One and took control of the League of Villains.
7 "The World Is A Canvas, And I'll Paint It With Blood."
Shigaraki talks about how he plans to bring society to its knees by attacking everything and anyone in sight. He describes the world as a blank white canvas and plans to decorate it with blood. He believes the only way to correct society's flaws is to burn it all down and rebuild it, and human life is a small price to pay.
He sees his powers and followers as a paintbrush he can use to bring a new world to life. It also shows the danger he poses to society and his willingness to commit atrocities to see his plan to fruition.
6 "I'm Not A Pawn; I'm The King."
Power is an agent of change, and Shigaraki acknowledges that. As he faces off against the Pro Heroes, he declares to them that he's not a pawn in someone else's game - he is the king. His wishes are absolute because he is now in control of the league of villains and is the mastermind of the chaos brewing.
This shows his desire for control and his belief in his power. It also highlights his willingness to take on the role of leader and spearhead the realization of his dreams.
5 "I'll Carve A Path Through The World… Even If It Means Destroying Everything In My Way."
Shigaraki discusses his plans to reshape society. He proclaims that he will carve a path through the world, using his power and his organization of villains to destroy anything and anyone that stands in his way. He sees himself as an unstoppable force that will triumph no matter the obstacle.
This shows his belief in his power, his ability to carve through the world and birth it anew, and his willingness to bring about change. He doesn't necessarily want violence and bloodshed, but there are always heroes that stand in his way.
4 "There Are No Heroes or Villains In This World… Only Those Who Use Their Power And Those Who Are Used By It."
Shigaraki believes power can be used to control or manipulate others. He also believes that there are no heroes or villains in their society, only those who use their power and those who are used by it.
He doesn't like the idea of heroes and villains as he does not believe he is wrong; he only sees those who want to help him achieve his dreams and those who stand against him. He also sees the world as a cruel place where power is the only thing that matters.
3 "You Heroes Hurt Your Own Families Just To Help Strangers. You Heroes Pretend To Be Society's Guardians. For Generations, You Pretended Not To See Those You Couldn't Protect and Swept Their Pain Under The Rug."
Shigaraki expresses his views of the hero society and its flaws to the Hero Re-Destro. He thinks heroes are hypocrites and that they often neglect their own loved ones to protect strangers. He also accuses them of turning a blind eye to those who they can't defend, thereby nurturing resentment in the less fortunate ones leading to a flawed society that is corrupt from the inside.
He believes the only way to cleanse the world is to tear down its existing order and build it again from scratch.
2 "I Itch When I'm At Home."
Shigaraki's home was the genesis of his problems, and it's not far-fetched that he always felt an itch when he was home. His background and upbringing were a source of significant trauma, as his father was abusive toward him.
After his quirk manifested and he accidentally killed his siblings and his mother, and he was scared and begged his father to help him; his father attacked him, and Tomura killed him intentionally this time. Constantly living in fear turned him into a complete monster, birthed "the itch," his bloodlust.
1 "I No Longer Itch."
Shigaraki became addicted to killing, and when he goes a long time without satisfying his rather insatiable bloodlust, he starts to itch. He had believed he couldn't change the world without shedding blood.
When he killed someone, he did not itch anymore; the monster inside him was satisfied for the time being. He was a byproduct of a failed society that neglected the less fortunate. His upbringing didn't help; he wasn't born a murderer, nor did he want to become one.