My Hero Academia just revealed All For One’s real name and it changes everything

The most recognizable yet dangerous villain of the anime series finally has a name worthy of his power, All For One. Here’s why it’s significant and why fans are raving.
Here’s how My Hero Academia finally unmasked its most dangerous and mysterious villain. After decades of lurking under his alias, All For One’s true name has finally been unveiled. This shocking development is based on official, newly released information from a new, official guidebook released in Japan as a precursor to said anime’s last season.
The accompanying art book, Ultra Archive, reveals fans' never-before-seen information that was not included in the anime or manga. The biggest surprise of all is the villain’s true identity. His birth name is Zen Shigaraki.
Until now, one of the major villains of the series was known to fans only as All For One, the name befitting a villain with the ability to steal and use others’ power. Until recently, the Ultra Archive book provided the canonicity that his real name is Zen Shigaraki.
This new bit of information is significant because it directly relates to Tomura Shigaraki, the villain All For One raised to replace him. It shows the backstory of All For One, since he is the brother to Yoichi Shigaraki, the first user of the One For All power.
The name Zen too, is an intriguing pick. In popular usage, Zen tends to connote peace or calm, a quality that stands in stark contrast to this particular villain. Maybe that’s the idea. All For One’s tranquility and icy demeanor are a facade, behind that mask is an individual who sacrificed everything in pursuit of his monstrosity.
This new name adds some layers and complexity to All For One. For years, he felt like an untouchable, more a figurehead than man. Now audiences have a chance to understand the human story that created the villain. Learning his real name only strengthens the connection to Tomura Shigaraki. Tomura Shigaraki’s name is a reference to the Japanese urban legends known as “Redroom” or “Redroomed,” which have been translated worldwide.
It’s both Darren and the golden opportunity lost. It further demonstrates just how massively he undertook the task of obliterating his previous existence. In order to transform into the “Demon Lord” he envisioned, he discarded his name, his family and in fact, all that made him human.
My Hero Academia is set to return for its final season in October 2025. It will lead the open-world, long-running story to its climactic conclusion with a most epic final showdown. Fans can finally experience the climactic battle between All For One / Tomura Shigaraki and Izuku Midoriya animated just like in the pages of the manga.
will be streaming the new season simultaneously for fans outside of Asia. The cast and crew of earlier seasons are returning once again to help give the series a proper sendoff as it rides out into the sunset.
If you’re hoping to binge-watch all the way up to the final 8th season, you’re in luck, as those other 7 previous seasons are available to stream right now on

There’s never been a better time to start watching—or to rewatch—the series before the ultimate showdown gets underway.
Though the manga concluded in 2023, creator Kohei Horikoshi still has his sights set on the bigger world of My Hero Academia with bonus material like the Ultra Archive book. These additional materials continue to unlock fascinating insights into our colorful cast, even dark and twisted villains such as All For One, and provide viewers with even more to ponder as the anime approaches its final chapter.