My Hero Academia Chapter 368: Why Deku only has five minutes to save the world

Readers can only speculate on why Izuku Midoriya has five minutes to stop AFO/Shigaraki in My Hero Academia Chapter 368.

Towards the end of the chapter, Midoriya gave AFO/Shigaraki a really good beating with his Transmission Quirk. However, the second OFA user did warn him that he only had a few minutes left. They need to defeat AFO/Shigaraki right then and there, or else humanity will be a lost cause.

Of course, this seems like a weird statement to make in My Hero Academia Chapter 368. There are several ongoing fights that Kohei Horikoshi needs to go back to. Furthermore, the final battle hasn't even hit full gear yet. There has to be a reason for the "five minutes" comment.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.

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Here's a speculative look at Deku's strict time limit in My Hero Academia Chapter 368

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His powerful Quirk might have a drawback

The second OFA user has previously warned Midoriya several times not to use his Quirk unless it's absolutely necessary. When he was warped to Okuto Island, Midoriya wanted to use the Transmission Quirk to get back to the floating U.A. fortress, but the second OFA user told him not to.

My Hero Academia Chapter 368 brings up the possibility that his Transmission Quirk has severe drawbacks. Midoriya is moving so fast that AFO/Shigaraki can't even see him. The hero is also using 120% of his power rather than 100%. He's definitely pushing his body past its limits.

It's only speculation, but a potential drawback would explain why Midoriya had to save this Quirk for last. Based on his performance in My Hero Academia Chapter 368, Midoriya would have to give it his absolute best. Anything less would result in a devastating loss for the entire world.

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Horikoshi may also want to raise the stakes for this battle

My Hero Academia Chapter 368 is seemingly a callback to a classic moment in Dragon Ball Z history. At the end of the Namek saga, Goku only had five minutes to defeat Frieza before the planet blew up. Midoriya has been given teh same exact time limit for his fight against AFO/Shigaraki.

Like many popular manga authors, Horikoshi takes inspiration from the legendary Akira Toriyama. He has already paid respects to him during a 30th anniversary history book for the Dragon Ball universe. Perhaps he wants to give a shout out to a highly influential artist.

Alternatively, he could also just be using a stock device in storytelling. Time limits give shonen protagonists a major incentive to finish their fight quickly. Midoriya has to do just that in My Hero Academia Chapter 368.

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Will the battle really end in five minutes?

Five minutes seems way too short to end a final battle. Of course, Horikoshi can make those five minutes as long as he wants to. Going back to a previous example, Goku versus Freiza definitely lasted far longer than five minutes, which has become a meme in the Dragon Ball community.

Midoriya versus AFO/Shigaraki doesn't have to be exactly five minutes in real time. It could also be their first round in a series of several. Another hero could potentially stall AFO/Shigaraki while Midoriya recovers after the five minutes. It all depends on where Horikoshi wants to go with the story.

Either way, it will be interesting to see what happens after My Hero Academia Chapter 368.

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