With the recent spoilers of My Hero Academia 368 that were published yesterday, it has been finally confirmed that Deku has access to all the Quirks of the previous users of OFA. For the longest time, the young Hero was unable to access the Second User’s power due to the man not considering Izuku a worthy successor.
Now, it seems like Deku has finally gained the Second’s respect, and therefore, his Speed Quirk. This new power grants Midoriya the ability to speed up his movements at will, albeit at a severe price. After learning about this new Quirk in My Hero Academia 368, fans noticed that we had already seen something similar being used by Bakugo in a previous chapter of the manga.
Does this mean Katsuki had access to the Second’s power? Is that how he was able to outspeed the villain? Continue reading to learn more.
Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinion. It contains spoilers for My Hero Academia 368.
My Hero Academia 368 spoilers may have proven that Bakugo has access to OFA
Based on the spoilers for My Hero Academia 368, Deku will learn to control the Second User’s power as he fights AFO in the upcoming chapter. The sacred man will explain that his Quirk grants the user the ability to exponentially increase his speed, to the point where it seems like Deku is teleporting through the battlefield. Sadly, the power has a time limit of five minutes, after which the user might die.
Fans will be able to see small particles appear around Deku while he uses the Second’s Quirk. These particles look eerily similar to the ones that surrounded Bakugo during his fights with Shigaraki. That apart, they also increase the user’s speed and cause strain on their heart, exactly like Bakugo’s last attack against the white-haired villain.
A large portion of the fandom has now started comparing the two instances, drawing similarities in how the powers were described and depicted. Many fans have concluded that this may be Horikoshi revealing that Bakugo has access to OFA, as well as all other powers contained in the Quirk.
What are the similarities between Bakugo’s attack and the Second’s Quirk?
In My Hero Academia 363, Bakugo used the last remaining power he had to cause considerable damage to Shigaraki. He accomplished this feat by storing small amounts of nitroglycerin inside his sweat glands, which would cause small explosions all over his body. These tiny bursts were enough to increase both his speed and the power behind his attacks.
Sadly, the chapter also revealed that this action was causing a massive strain on Bakugo’s heart. If the battle continued, Katsuki would have likely either had a heart attack or his most vital organ would have exploded. Fans are convinced this is one of the reasons why his heart was in such a deplorable condition when Best Jeanist and Edgeshot began trying to save his life.
The Quirk we will be able to see in action during the events of My Hero Academia 368 acts in a similar manner. Using the energy stored inside his body, Izuku’s speed and strength are increased. These augments are called Gears, which go from one to five, with an additional mode called Overdrive. Each Gear represents how much speed Izuku adds to his movements.
However, this power also comes with a major drawback, similar to the one afflicting Bakugo during his most recent fight. The Second User warned Deku that he could only use his Quirk for five minutes. The boy would surely die if he exceeded that time, as his body would not be able to withstand the resulting strain.
When looking at these two displays of power, the similarities between the two attacks become apparent. If he wanted to, Horikoshi could have given Deku a different-looking Quirk or drawn it in a completely alternative art style. The fact that the author decided to point out their similarities and depicted both in a similar style is almost a confirmation of Bakugo having access to OFA.
If the theories about Bakugo having access to the Second User’s Quirk depicted in My Hero Academia 368 are true, the story of the manga could completely change. We have already seen Bakugo use OFA alongside Deku in the Heroes Rising movie, which is considered canon in the manga continuity. Fans could see Katsuki make use of this power a second time in a future chapter of the manga.
Horikoshi may be trying to set the stage for a battle between Izuku and Katsuki vs AFO during the climax of the manga. Such a battle would mark the first time the Symbol of Evil has to fight two different OFA users, which could prove to be more than he can handle.
Final thoughts
My Hero Academia 368 could be the chapter to give fans one of the biggest revelations of them all, another user of OFA. Throughout the manga, Deku and Katsuki have constantly fought side by side against a multitude of different villains. This could all be Horikoshi foreshadowing the final battle between the two boys and the greatest villain of all time.
Thanks to fans on social media, we now have evidence to support the theory of a possible team-up between Deku and Bakugo in the future. Sadly, we will have to wait until My Hero Academia 368 is released to see what kind of details the chapter gives fans.