REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 163 — “Quirk: Explosion!!”

The final battle rages on as Bakugo returns to the fray to help Izuku Midoriya get the upper hand in My Hero Academia Episode 163, “Quirk: Explosion!!”. All For One is still going to be difficult to defeat, but the heroes stand a chance if they work together, as the final fight for the fate of humanity rests on their shoulders.

My Hero Academia Episode 163 begins with a quick flashback to the early lives of All For One and his brother. The opening scene shows a couple walking by All For One’s pregnant mother, drinking alone in an alley, and reacting with rage when the couple asks if she is ok. That pure drunken fury sets the tone for who All For One becomes, and it is also a hint of what is to come in the rest of My Hero Academia Episode 163.

All For One’s early years are a major focus in My Hero Academia Episode 163, showing how he grew up alongside his brother and how their paths diverged so dramatically. All For One has always been about himself, stealing even the nutrients from their mother in order to grow stronger, while his brother, Yoichi, suffered. All For One is shown brutally killing others, and his brother is there to try to convince him to stop, but is unsuccessful.

Flashbacks in My Hero Academia Episode 163 shine the spotlight on a younger All For One.

Seeing a monstrous All For One from a young age helps show just how evil he really is. He was responsible for horrific murders even as a young child, and his selfishness was always a key trait. Studio Bones does a great job animating these flashback scenes as well, using blue and red color highlights when the two brothers are on screen to help create a harsh or relaxed feel, depending on which brother is in focus.

These flashback scenes in My Hero Academia Episode 163 are genuinely great because they help viewers understand how the user of the One For All quirk is chosen and why they are always determined to do what’s right. The young Yoichi is just like Midoriya in that he wants to be a hero and is willing to look for the best in someone, no matter what they have done. That mentality is what makes Midoriya and his contemporaries such effective heroes, so it is important to see that those ideals are not new.

It also makes One For All’s heartbreak hit so hard. He is devastated when he sees what his brother becomes over time, and so his longstanding determination to stop his brother, even across different wielders, makes so much sense. All For One has caused irreparable harm and has reached a level that requires the heroes to put an end to him, even if it takes decades. My Hero Academia Episode 163 does a really good job of highlighting why he must be taken down, as well as why it has taken so long to truly put an end to him.

By the time My Hero Academia Episode 163 catches up to the present, we have a real deep understanding of what makes All For One tick and why he wants to defeat One For All. Bakugo now stands in his way, and the added context for why it is important to have Bakugo in this battle makes the fight matter more. In that way, My Hero Academia Episode 163 perfectly uses a flashback sequence to make the fight even better.

The fight between All For One and Bakugo more than delivers on its promise of explosive action.

And boy does the fight deliver. All For One is unleashing everything he has, a visually striking moment that strikes fear into the hearts of almost everyone watching. Except for Bakugo, who is prepared with his explosion quirk. The sheer power on display from both Bakugo and All For One adds tension and dread, and the sweeping strings-led soundtrack only increases the impact of this confrontation.

By starting with a flashback and gradually building the story, My Hero Academia Episode 163 adds weight to the battle beyond the idea of good versus evil. All For One, for all of his evil actions, is human, and he has a brother who cares about him. As the One For All quirk was passed down, that empathy travelled with it. All For One’s lack of empathy and his pride will be his downfall, and those same traits are what give Bakugo and the others heroes the advantage as the battle wraps up.

My Hero Academia Episode 163 masterfully moves the story forward by going back in time to set up what makes this final battle so important. There are dark emotional moments and extreme action that make this another exciting addition to the final season.

My Hero Academia Episode 163 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

Previous Episode | Next Episode