REVIEW: ‘My Hero Academia’ Episode 164 — “History’s Greatest Villain”

My Hero Academia Episode 164, “History’s Greatest Villain,” sees the clash between Shigaraki (Kôki Uchiyama, Buddy Daddies) and Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita, Drifting Home) continue. But as the very Earth buckles under the force of the two opponents, a terrible development drives one of the predecessors to suggest a dire gamble. One that, if it fails, will leave the world with no defense against its greatest threat. 

With the defeat of All For One, Shigaraki stands as the final villain that threatens the world. But unlike his mentor, who sought to rule over others, the protegee harbors no such ambitions. As showcased in a flashback opening sequence, the heroes are aware of the different motivations between the two.

They understand that if Shigaraki is allowed to run wild, he may destroy the planet, just to watch it die. This unpredictability creates a more urgent threat than All For One, as they could at least trust that he would want subjects to rule over, limiting his destruction somewhat. 

Shigaraki is the final villain, but he’s no easy opponent.

As the physical clash plays out in My Hero Academia Episode 164, it is Shigaraki’s potential endgame that drives the tension. With him so fueled by hate, can Midoriya continue to search for a way to save the crying young boy inside the villain, or is it time to set aside any hopes of saving the would-be destroyer of worlds? 

The narrative does a great job of exploring this debate, despite the crystal clear fact that Midoriya will not kill Shigaraki. If you’ve paid attention up until this point, you know it’s not in Midoriya to give up. Rather than try even to rattle the young man’s resolve, My Hero Academia Episode 164 creates engaging drama for the argument by focusing on how others feel. Specifically, the members of One For All.

As the battle turns further and further against Midoriya, the resolve of those who came before him shakes. Despite all of them being heroes, some begin to call for a change in tactics. This hits its apex when Nana Shimura (Mie Sonozaki, Bayonetta 3), Shigaraki’s own grandmother, tells Midoriya to take the next step. The pain it causes her to make such a declaration echoes through the moment, bringing the philosophical debate a hard-hitting, emotional core. 

“History’s Greatest Villain” continues the emotional storytelling in this final season.

Working even more drama into the unfolding battle is the show’s willingness to explore past moments, bringing their impact and importance back, allowing them to contextualize the argument. The highlight reel of Midoriya’s struggles and his goals since All-Might first acknowledged him as his successor exemplifies why the young man is so driven. 

The debate comes to a crashing halt, though, when Shigaraki manages to steal one of the quirk factors from One For All. With Midoriya’s powers now being chipped away, something must be done NOW if the world is to survive. But in a surprising turn of events, Shigiraki gets more than he bargained for. 

With a piece of One For All within him, a deeper bond seems to coalesce between the two combatants. A clearer feeling of what both are begins to form, allowing new insights to be gained. Seeing into Shigaraki, All For One can see the dark mass that he has built around the crying boy Midoriya so desperately wants to save. As well as a crack in the prison.

Studio Bones effectively utilizes callbacks to build tension and bring this final story arc together.

In another callback, My Hero Academia Episode 164 lets the smoldering remains of New Order, in the form of its wielder Star and Stripe (Romi Park, Indivisible), point out the fissure created by its final assault when Star died last season. By allowing a piece of One For All in, Shigaraki allows the heroes to discover a critical flaw in his defense, delivering the turning point in the debate over how to defeat him. 

The strategy that comes from this revelation is one that is equal parts bold and insane. It requires the loss of One For All itself for it to potentially work. If it fails, Midoriya and the world at large will be left without its only real defense against the raving madness of Shigaraki. But, as the saying goes, “fortune favors the bold.”

All the drama and battle that permeates “History’s Greatest Villain” is brought to life through an unending cascade of stunning visuals. As Shigaraki and Midoriya lash out at each other, the animation makes every shockwave and crushing blow land with as much gravitas as every tear shed in the episode’s emotional moments.

Studio Bones never makes the battle a spectacle in My Hero Academia Episode 164; it’s all emotion.

The way the animation and story blend both halves of the narrative maintains a strong focus on the battle. Despite the awesome scale and detailed animation, bringing the pitched battle to life, it never feels like a spectacle. Every punch has meaning far beyond making the audience go “OHHHH!” It is an extension of the moral debate that has run at the heart of the series since episode one. And it never loses sight of that. 

My Hero Academia Episode 164 captures both the epic scale and tragedy of its narrative beautifully. How it builds up the developing conflict and twists its path to set the stage for an unlikely gamble creates another exemplary entry in the long-running franchise. 

My Hero Academia Episode 164 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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