My Hero Academia: How the League Of Villains Failed as an Organization

Key Takeaways

The League’s primary goal was to kill All Might and dismantle the Hero Society.
Shigaraki initially lacked purpose but evolved as a leader inspired by Stain.
Members like Toga and Dabi joined for personal goals, leading to a lack of shared ideology.

As a seasoned observer of the world of anime, I must say that the League of Villains in My Hero Academia is an intriguing study in group dynamics and leadership. Unlike the well-oiled machine that is the Meta Liberation Army, the League is more like a band of misfits, each with their own agenda and goals. This lack of unity and shared vision is both their strength and their weakness.

As a member of the League of Villains, I can tell you it’s a multifaceted group with some pretty quirky individuals, each driven by their unique beliefs and aspirations. At first, our fearless leader Shigaraki Tomura aimed to eliminate All Might, the embodiment of peace in our society and the face of the Hero Community. But honestly, at the start, he wasn’t all that committed beyond getting rid of what he found distasteful.

In the world of My Hero Academia, it’s worth noting that the League of Villains, as we understand it, is a diverse group with differing ideals and objectives that sometimes conflict with their leaders’ aspirations. While they all agreed on a single minor goal – dismantling the current Hero Society – they ultimately failed as an organization within this narrative.

What was the League of Villains primary goal?

Ridding the world of All Might and the collapse of the Hero Society

The League of Villains, originally established by All For One, was later passed on to Shigaraki Tomura as he grew older. All For One entrusted the League to Shigaraki not just for his leadership, but also to cultivate his villainous nature and prepare him to become the ultimate vessel when he transforms into the Demon Lord.

Initially, Shigaraki hadn’t achieved his ultimate ambition for using the League of Villains as a platform. Similar to other villains, he harbored grudges against All Might, desiring his demise because All Might had been discarded by the Hero Society. The USJ incident was presumably an instruction from All For One, which Shigaraki and a group of lower-level villains executed.

Initially, it’s our intention to weaken All Might considerably. Later on, we aim to eliminate anything that doesn’t suit our preferences.

Prior to solidifying as a unified group, Shigaraki harbored a desire to eliminate All Might and annihilate anything he disliked. Yet, during the Vs. Hero Killer arc when faced off against Stain, Shigaraki gained insights into the responsibilities of leading the League of Villains – a collective of individuals banding together towards a shared objective.

Unfortunately for Shigaraki, becoming the leader of the League of Villains wasn’t immediately clear to him, leading his actions to unintentionally link the League with Stain, thereby gaining formidable allies. Although the future of the League seemed promising, newly inducted members like Himiko Toga and Spinner were more captivated by Stain’s ideology than the League itself.

Currently, Shigaraki, being the head of the Villains’ League, was unable to find associates who wholeheartedly endorsed his beliefs, as several members joined due to being drawn to Stain’s philosophy or pursuing personal agendas within the League.

Did the members of the League of Villains follow the same goal?

Many were inspired by Stain and had varying ideals of what they wanted to accomplish in the League

Saga	Rise of the Villains
Arc	Meta Liberation Army
Season	Fifth
Episodes	25
Chapters	218 – 240

It’s been noted that some members of the League of Villains sought to achieve their personal objectives with the League’s help. Notably, Twice (also known as Jin Bubaigawara) didn’t join the League of Villains because of a lofty ambition; instead, he joined in search of companions or individuals who shared similar ideologies and would accept him for his true self.

Toga, initially shunned by the Hero Society due to her unique abilities and inclinations, later joined the League of Villains following Stain’s recording and his inspiring ideology. In Chapter 222, Shigaraki expressed his desire to demolish everything, a goal that contrasted with Toga’s aspirations to find Izuku Midoriya and Ochaco Uraraka.

The wishes of my comrades are separate. Do as you like.

Upon learning this, Toga ponders if her favorite things might be ruined, and Shigaraki explains that the desires of his allies are distinct from his own. However, while Shigaraki makes it clear, there’s still an overlap in their intentions: he wants to destroy everything, including Deku, which aligns with Toga’s desire, as she cherishes him.

Beyond that, Todoroki Touya (formerly known as Dabi) joined the Villain’s League primarily to acquire the power necessary to confront and overcome his father, Endeavor. However, it’s important to note that Dabi didn’t align with the League’s main objectives. If necessary, he would comply with Shigaraki’s instructions and wait for the decisive battle between Endeavor and Shoto. In Chapter 222, Dabi made clear his intention to act independently, which underscores the disarray within the Villain’s League.

Initially, Spinner chose to become part of the Villain League in an effort to challenge the prejudice against heteromorphs, a cause that Stain had also inspired him to take up. In Chapter 223, Spinner expresses his discontent with the League as the influence of Stain seems to have faded away. Likewise, Spinner shares the view that the Hero Society hasn’t done enough to help Mutants. As the story unfolds, though, Spinner develops a strong bond with Shigaraki and decides to stand by him in achieving his aspirations.

Each major member within the League of Villains primarily utilized the organization as a tool to fulfill their individual ambitions and aspirations. Unlike typical organizations where followers unquestionably adhere to the leader’s vision, the League of Villains functioned differently. While they would obey commands from Shigaraki, there have been instances where compliance was not immediate or wholehearted.

Himiko Toga and Twice were disinterested and angry at being forced to join the Shie Hassaikai after they killed Magne.
The League members showed annoyance when they no longer had a hideout and had to find rest in dilapidated buildings.
Dabi directly refused to fight Giganmachia, stating he would not help defeat Machia in Chapter 222.

Fundamentally, the Villain League had a single unifying objective: to dismantle the existing Hero Association, as it had let them down in multiple aspects. They pursued this aim by leveraging the League for their individual aspirations. Nevertheless, Shigaraki’s ultimate intention was always twofold – to vanquish All Might, the embodiment of peace and hope, and to obliterate all that he stood for.

In the series, Shigaraki’s desire to destroy all of society poses a problem for his fellow League members, as they too dislike the current order but would have nowhere to go if he succeeded in his mission, creating a clash of objectives. The intensity of Shigaraki’s malice and hatred has become so extreme that expressing his ideals would shock his comrades at this point.

The difference between the League of Villains and the Meta Liberation Army

The League failed as an organization, whereas the Liberation Army succeeded

It’s evident from within the League of Villains that there are disparate agendas among its members, each aiming to exploit the group for personal gain. Despite expressing discontent, many persist in working with the League because it offers the swiftest route to achieving their objectives.

On occasion, the League has encountered an organization like themselves, one that has achieved its objectives and holds similar convictions. The Meta Liberation Army is a formidable group, driven by the desire to free Quirk users and advocate for the unrestricted use of these abilities, viewing them as fundamental human rights in their world where 80% of the population possesses Quirks.

Instead of acting rashly like Shigaraki, who lacks patience, impulsivity, and a swift temper, Yotsubashi Rikiya, also known as Re-Destro, the leader of the Meta Liberation Army, chose to be patient and build his army covertly from behind the scenes. He skillfully utilized his connections to attract allies and followers. Notably, in contrast to Shigaraki, Re-Destro amassed a large number of devoted followers who shared his vision and ideals.

Throughout the Meta Liberation Army storyline, while the members of the League shared a common objective of liberating Giran and hindering Giganmachia simultaneously, their allegiance was not as steadfast as those within the Liberation Army. This discrepancy in loyalty served to highlight Shigaraki’s skillful leadership within the League.

Although the League of Villains solidified their presence following their alliance with the Meta Liberation Army, at their core, they remained a loose collective of villains struggling to unify under one banner and work towards common objectives. Without their merger with the Liberation Army, their power for the Final War might have been minimal.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2024-11-17 05:34