Eraserhead is a pro hero in the popular anime My Hero Academia who has the power to erase other people’s quirks. All for One is the main antagonist in My Hero Academia and is an incredibly powerful villain who can steal quirks from others.
Many fans have wondered why these two powerful characters never faced off against each other, especially considering Eraserhead’s quirk-erasing abilities could potentially counter All for One’s plethora of stolen quirks. There are a few key reasons why Eraserhead likely never fought All for One:
Timeline
Eraserhead and All for One are from different generations. All for One was the ruler of Japan’s criminal underworld decades ago, while Eraserhead is a currently active pro hero.
By the time Eraserhead enrolled at U.A. High School and began his hero career, All for One was already defeated in a battle against All Might and went into hiding. So there was no overlap between their active periods as hero and villain.
Power Levels
All for One is one of the most powerful villains in the My Hero Academia universe. He possesses multiple quirks that he has stolen over the years, including super strength, durability, flight, regeneration, and more. Even without any quirks, All for One is incredibly intelligent and strategic.
While Eraserhead is skilled and his quirk is useful against enemies who rely solely on their powers, he does not have nearly the same level of strength or versatility in combat as All for One. A direct battle between the two would be mismatched.
Strategic Value
From a strategic perspective, there was not much incentive for Eraserhead to seek out a fight against the infamous All for One. As an underground hero, Eraserhead focuses on capturing hidden villains and does not typically confront villains directly unless necessary.
Going after the criminal mastermind All for One would have been extremely high-risk for little potential reward. It was not a strategic priority for Eraserhead given his usual hero activities.
Eraserhead’s Background
To better understand why Eraserhead never attempted to battle All for One, it is helpful to examine Eraserhead’s background and motivations as a hero:
Education at U.A.
Eraserhead attended U.A. High School in the Department of Heroics several years before the series’ main events. During this time, All for One was already in hiding and believed to be defeated, so Eraserhead would not have encountered him as a student.
Underground Hero Activities
After graduating U.A., Eraserhead chose to operate as an “underground hero” rather than seek fame. He focused on stealthily apprehending hidden villains in the shadows rather than fighting major villains directly.
Teaching at U.A.
Eraserhead eventually returned to U.A. as a teacher. He taught Class 1-A, training the next generation of heroes. Teaching took priority over individual hero work.
Personality and Methods
Eraserhead has a serious, logical personality and avoids unnecessary conflict. He uses strategy and surprise attacks to capture villains rather than brute force. These traits made tangling with All for One unappealing.
All for One’s Background
It’s also important to examine All for One’s history and methods as a villain to fully grasp why he and Eraserhead never battled:
Rise to Power
Decades before the main story, All for One rose to become Japan’s most powerful crime lord. He gained followers and stole quirks from enemies.
Battle with One for All
All for One battled the hero All Might’s predecessor and was seriously injured. He went into hiding to recover and avoid capture.
Strategic Mastermind
Despite his injuries, All for One continued coordinating villains from the shadows rather than engage directly. He strategically granted quirks and orchestrated chaos.
Obsession with One for All
All for One became obsessed with destroying All Might and the One for All power. Fighting Eraserhead was not a priority in his single-minded quest.
How Their Quirks Interact
Looking at how Eraserhead and All for One’s quirks work also provides insight into why they may have avoided battling each other:
Eraserhead’s Quirk
Eraserhead’s quirk allows him to erase other peoples’ quirks by looking at them. This disables their powers.
All for One’s Quirk
All for One can steal other peoples’ quirks and wield those quirks himself. He has accumulated many different powers.
counters Quirks
At first glance, Eraserhead’s erasing seems like an effective counter to All for One’s many stolen quirks. In practice, the interaction is more complex.
Limits of Erasing
Eraserhead can only erase one target’s quirk at a time through sustained eye contact. All for One could overpower him with multiple quirks.
All for One’s Knowledge
All for One likely knew about Eraserhead’s quirk and its limitations. He could devise workarounds to render it ineffective in battle.
How a Battle Could Have Played Out
While Eraserhead and All for One never actually fought in the series, we can theorize how a hypothetical battle between them might have gone down:
Initial Face-Off
Eraserhead tries to erase All for One’s quirks but All for One keeps multiple quirks active to counteract it.
All for One’s Attack
All for One overwhelms Eraserhead with combination attacks using strength enhancement, projectiles, and more stolen quirks.
Eraserhead’s Restraints
Eraserhead attempts to restrain All for One with his binding cloth but All for One either regenerates or teleports away.
Battle of Attrition
The battle becomes a war of attrition – Eraserhead trying to outlast All for One’s onslaught of quirks. This favors All for One’s superior stamina.
Forced Retreat
Badly injured, Eraserhead is forced to retreat and regroup. All for One’s combination of quirks is too much to counter directly.
Conclusion
In summary, Eraserhead and All for One never battled in My Hero Academia because:
- Their active periods as hero and villain did not overlap
- All for One outclassed Eraserhead in power
- Fighting All for One did not fit Eraserhead’s strategic priorities
- All for One was focused solely on One for All
If they hypothetically did fight, All for One’s diverse and powerful quirks would give him a significant advantage over Eraserhead’s limited erasing capabilities. Avoiding unnecessary conflict with the formidable All for One was likely the wisest course for the underground hero Eraserhead.