Warning: contains spoilers for My Hero Academia chapter 346!
In the latest chapter of My Hero Academia, it is revealed that Shigaraki is now able to use some of his quirks even when affected by Eraser Head’s powers. This does not bode well for the various heroes assembled to fight him as one of the key reasons they were able to defeat him before was his inability to fight effectively under Aizawa’s gaze. This, combined with Midoriya’s sudden absence from the fight, means that Shigaraki might be able to wreak a sizable amount of havoc despite the large number of heroes fighting against him.
My Hero Academia is a manga by Kohei Horikoshi that follows the young hero Deku and his friends as they try to protect society from superpowered threats. The manga is currently in its final arc, which focuses on a massive battle between the heroes and the evil forces of the League of Villains. One of the biggest threats in the League is Tomura Shigaraki, a villain who is equipped both with the power to decay everything around him and the power of All For One, which grants him access to a variety of other quirks. Previously, the Heroes defeated Shigaraki by using Eraser Head’s quirk to prevent him from using his powers, forcing him to rely solely on his enhanced body. However, in this most recent battle, it appears this tactic won’t be enough to take him down.
In chapter 346, the heroes trap Shigaraki in a floating cage made specifically to fight him. While multiple heroes attack him, Monoma, a hero who can copy quirks, uses Eraser Head’s powers to nullify Shigaraki’s quirks. Or at least, he tries to nullify them. At the end of the chapter, Shigaraki manages to sprout multiple hands from one of his arms and ensnare the Rabbit Hero Mirko, revealing that he can still use some of his quirks. And in case there was any doubt remaining as to whether Shigaraki could overcome erasure, he even says that he no longer thinks that Eraser Head is cool, a direct callback to chapter 275 when his powers were first nullified by Aizawa, and he stated his admiration for the hero.
It is unclear exactly why Shigaraki can still use some of his powers even under Erasure. The most likely reason is that he now has access to Mutant type quirks: a class of quirks that Eraser Head can’t nullify. Mutant type quirks are quirks that cause a permanent change in body structure, like Spinner’s quirk that gives him a reptilian body. If Shigaraki’s new and improved body has Mutant Class quirks built into it that grant him the new ability he displayed against Mirko, Eraser Head won’t be able to affect it. Additionally, there is the possibility that Shigaraki has a quirk granted to him by All For One that prevents his quirks from being nullified, but this is less likely, since it seems like he still can’t use his Decay quirk while under Erasure.
While how many quirks Shigaraki can use while being affected by Aizawa’s ability is still unknown, his confidence at the end of the chapter does not bode well for the heroes. On top of that, Deku can’t fight him right now, further lowering their chances. This all means that Shigaraki’s ability to ignore Eraser Head’s quirk is a disastrous turn for the heroes of My Hero Academia.