All For One's Character - MHA

So before I start this, just know I hate All For One just as much as the next person, but I can't say that his backstory and villainously evil level of masterminding EVERYTHING isn't absolute peak. I'm just bored and wanted to analyze the patterns of how Yoichi and Tenko were both treated by AFO in the anime because I love MHA and have nothing better to do. So let's get into it!

So, just to start this segment, I noticed that with the backstory between Yoichi and AFO, there have been a lot of people saying, "AFO cared about Yoichi!" "Yoichi was the exception!" When that simply isn't true. Everything that happened was BECAUSE AFO didn't care; he only sought control. AFO has proven time and time again that he, at his core, will never be more than a narcissistic manipulator who wants control no matter how he gets it. He will never be more than a pure evil being. 

Before I expand more on some of my bigger points, I just wanna bring up that AFO was LITERALLY SUCKING THE LIFE OUT OF HIS BROTHER BEFORE HE WAS EVEN BORN??? LIKE WHAT. 

Besides that, there's one scene in particular that people are using to defend AFO; Yoichi is lying in the road, but he's wearing proper clothes, and AFO is wearing a trash bag. Yoichi, at this point in time, was severely malnourished, while AFO didn't look to be in the same state, meaning that the very clothes that fit Yoichi wouldn't even fit him, so what use would he have with them? In this same scene, Yoichi tells his brother, "hurting people is bad," and AFO's response is to kick him straight in the face and drag him down the street, very clearly showcasing that he indeed does not care about what Yoichi thinks or his opinions. AFO wants Yoichi to be quiet and do as he's told. 

In the anime, it's also stated that AFO kept Yoichi around because he saw him as a possession, someone to control, and essentially a toy to play with. A good example of his controlling nature would be when he found out Yoichi was reading hero comics. He says, "Are you reading a book without my knowledge?" This also implies that Yoichi would have to ask for his brother's permission to do other things in his life, which is a common trait abusers use against their victims. When AFO learns that his brother wants to be a hero, he tells him it's a good idea because he's going to be the villain. He states, "...So that I can create a world where everyone lives solely for my sake." From that statement alone, it's very clear to tell where AFO's priorities were, because they definitely weren't with his brother. 

The only reason Yoichi stuck around and withstood the abuse he was facing was that he truly wanted to believe his brother was a good person inside, which is also a sign of Stockholm syndrome. That's what made him so easy to manipulate. When he's finally able to break free of the brainwashing he was under, his brother killed him because he was no longer able to be manipulated. AFO decided he would rather Yoichi be dead than not be his toy. 

Later, when he's about to kill Kudo, he admits to him that he faked tears to confuse and manipulate people about killing Yoichi, which he also does to Kudo to appear misunderstood to others and, yet again, manipulate them into feeling some sort of sympathy for him, despite his heinous actions. 

OH I'VE BEEN WAITING TO TALK ABOUT THIS. I CAN'T WAIT LET'S GO. (Tenko is Shigaraki's real name, just to clarify. idk why you'd be reading this if you didn't know that, but we ball) 

The reason AFO went for Tenko was that he missed having someone to manipulate and abuse while they depended on him, but also to get closer to One For All again. AFO stole Tenko's original quirk and replaced it with decay when he was a baby. The itching we see Tenko doing throughout the anime is his body literally rejecting his quirk. The itching is also a common thing in kids dealing with abuse, which makes more sense down the line. Yoichi refused to work with him, so he couldn't make the same mistake twice. He created a situation where Tenko couldn't refuse him even if he wanted to. AFO forced his family apart and weaseled his way into Tenko's life to form him into the person he couldn't get Yoichi to be. 

Tenko was his Yoichi do-over; the only difference between the two is that with Tenko, he knows what things to avoid and how to properly manipulate him. The weirdly emotionally incestuous relationship AFO had with Yoichi carried on into his relationship with Tenko. Also, just want to point out that when AFO says Tenko is nearly perfect, it's when he looks like an almost identical version of Yoichi?? 

He introduced himself to Tenko as some kind of savior figure to ensure that Tenko wouldn't be able to refuse what he asked of him because he was the one who "saved" him, which is yet again another common trait abusers have towards their victims. He enforces the idea that "no one understands besides him", making himself appear "special" to Tenko. This also pushes the idea in the victim's mind that outside help is dangerous/cruel, and dependency is framed as love. AFO also admits that "he would've went for the daughter, but she was too old. So he went for the boy." Further proving that this was all pre-planned. This same kind of tactic was used on Toya as well; he was the backup in case what he had planned for Tenko didn't work out. 

(This next part is a take that not many people agree with, so buckle up)

From childhood to adulthood, Tenko was groomed by AFO, which is something they both admit to in the anime. The hands that Tenko wears on his body in earlier seasons represent him being under control, an obvious point made multiple times in the anime, but they're also an allegory for what could be CSA. (STAY WITH ME)

I say this for a couple of reasons. 

1. AFO fusing himself to Tenko. 

This is a common way that grooming/SA is represented in art. The victim feels that the abuser becomes part of their life, essentially fused to them, whether they want them to or not. The abuser imprints themselves so heavily on their victim's life to the point of becoming their puppet essentially, which is what happened to Tenko. 

2. The parallels between Eri & Overhaul, and Tenko & AFO. 

Both children are reduced to a means to an end: Eri as raw material for Overhaul's ideology, Tenko as the successor and weapon for AFO's legacy. Both are also taught by their abuser that any form of their true self shouldn't be accepted. Eri is told her quirk is a curse and that she shouldn't exist as she is, while Tenko is encouraged to embrace his rage and bury the frightened child he once was. Both of their abusers take similar approaches as well. Controlling nature, coercive "care", not letting their victims have any form of bodily autonomy, grooming and ownership, and distorted "parental" roles. 

I bring all of this up to make the point that both Eri's and Tenko's stories are parallels of each other, yet people can recognize the allegories for CSA in her story and not in Tenko's. I'll give you an example for both. There was a scene where Eri was in her room, sitting on her bed, and you can see Overhaul's figure in the doorway; Eri had a terrified look on her face, and people were immediately able to read between the lines. While it may not be as clear-cut and obvious in Tenko's case, the allegory is still there. Through AFO's actions, like making Tenko feel "disgusting" in his body, which is a common trait in SA victims, the itching, which becomes more intense around AFO, and referring to Tenko as a "seedbed to plant his seed into," which is overall a creepy way to talk about him, allegory or not. 

Another thing that reinforces the idea of grooming and/or an inappropriate relationship between the two is the healthier forms of touch and consent between others in the show. For example, Mirio kneels down to be on the same level as Eri when speaking with her, or Deku reaching out to Katsuma in Hero's Rising, none of the touch is forced, but it's offered. This reinforces that when AFO touches Tenko nonconsensually (Grabbing him, touching around his face, stroking/gripping his head), it's clear that it isn't okay and definitely done with ill intent.

Despite all of this, Tenko's abuse and grooming is usually overlooked. Why? Because, despite being a victim of AFO's manipulation himself, being never saw him as a vulnerable little boy being controlled (Tenko Shimura); he was only ever seen as a strong man, a threat, a person who needs to be feared (Tomura Shigaraki). A lot of people also overlook these facts because Tenko now has his own list of victims, so he's not seen as the victim anymore. Although Tenko does need to be held accountable for his actions because they are inexcusable, like the saying goes, "Hurt people, hurt people."

Anyway, that's about it from me! This is my opinion, and the way my brain processed things, so if you feel any different or wanna expand on things I said comment what you're thinking, I'd love to continue with this and have a conversation about this topic!!

- K1tty out.