His attempts to flee Gunga Villa have all been foiled by the brave team of Pro Heroes assigned to him, but the prolonged battle has worn them out. Fortunately, they're getting reinforcements from Hitoshi Shinso, who may have Brainwashed Gigantomachia into siding with All For One.
My Hero Academia's Final War Was Triggered by Shinso's Brainwash Quirk
Shinso has been mostly absent from My Hero Academia's war since his Quirk was used to trigger it. In order to confront All For One on equal footing, the heroes offered Midoriya Izuku as bait. They fed him the information through the Aoyama family -- spies All For One thought he could trust -- and made it impossible for the nigh-omniscient villain to detect their allegiance shift with the effects of Shinso's Quirk. Brainwash allowed him complete control over the Aoyamas, to the point where they believed the lies fabricated to trick All For One. Shinso used Brainwash outwit All For One in the war's beginning, and it seems the Quirk may yet prove its usefulness once more.
Chapter 382 ended on a cliffhanger, depicting Gigantomachia's violent entry to the Gunga Villa fray. The mere sight of him began to reassure All For One since his most loyal servant seemed to be returning, but the boulder the giant immediately launched at his former master quickly dashed those hopes. As he drew closer, Gigantomachia's strange behavior began to make more sense; both Hitoshi Shinso and Kirishima Eijiro were riding atop the behemoth's shoulders. This trip could only have been made possible with the effect of Shinso's Brainwash Quirk.
Shinso's control over Gigantomachia might not be entirely absolute. All For One kept a tight leash over him by making the walking disaster a slave to only his voice. Shinso might have imitated it to gain initial control over him but, on a battlefield within earshot of All For One, there's no telling which orders will ring most potently to the unpredictable monster. Worst case, Gigantomachia would recognize the younger voice of his Rewind-afflicted master and revert completely to the villain’s control. On the other hand, Shinso's Brainwashing Quirk has only ever been overcome by the collective will of One For All's past wielders, and might still require the traditional sharp hit to relinquish Gigantomachia from his control.
The Impact of Shinso and Gigantomachia's Arrival on the Final Battle
Gigantomachia's arrival escalates the already-exciting battle to another level but also brings a level of uncertainty; how long until the giant finally regains his senses and begins to accept exclusive orders from All For One? It might be just as well that Fumikage Tokyami and Dark Shadow are suddenly flexing unprecedented levels of new strength. Should Gigantomachia turn on the heroes, the duo might be just the contingency plan needed to prevent another result like the giant's rampage during the Paranormal Liberation War.
Perhaps an even more terrifying possibility is the greatest danger every hero poses when facing All For One in battle: losing their Quirk. The heroes have been cautious about keeping their distance from All For One for most of the battle, and the villain has begun to realize this. He's also noticed how desperate they are becoming to slow him down and is likely already formulating a plan to exploit their fervor. All it would take is one misstep to cost one of the heroes present their Quirk. If All For One managed to steal an ability as powerful as Brainwash or Dark Shadow in this crucial hour, My Hero Academia's final war might be as good as won.
