A Soft Valentine's Gift For Them

Powerful and aesthetically pleasing couple.

Also Midoriya surely loves to put his hand around Giulio waist.

Our Deku is such a naughty boy.

He's having such a trip with each movie.

Could you tell me your thoughts on Nine as a character? I rarely meet fans of his. If you would indulge me, How about a bit of a what if, where Nine replaces Shigaraki and Shigaraki is a footnote in Nine's story? IE, Tomura is a movie villain in this universe.

I can assure you it's the same for me 😅 Nine fans are a rare species, but here we are.

As for what I think about him as a character? Uf... where even start?

I really find him to be way more interesting and rich in themes than most people think.

On the sense most people seem to take him as a one note character whitout any interesting trait, and calling him incorrectly a "might makes right" guy which hey, is in part true but that's just the surface.

Another thing I don't agree with most people is that Nine ideology is a very basic "the survival of the finest and only the strong deserve to live".

That's not really true. There's multiple hints that reveal parts of his true nature, especially when we have his POV in his origin chapter:

It always istruck me how Nine claims that under his ideal world everyone should aim to make their own way to top by pure strength, but simultaneusly he steps to defend the people he sees as oppressed by an unfair society.

And while some people make the argument of "he only cares about the people with strong quirk", but think about this: how he even knows his friends for example were that strong even before meet them?

His story only show these persons at their lowest point on life, yet by pure instinct Nine decided help them and offer them a hand without really demand nothing in exchange.

When he rescued Chimera is particulary powerful because we know Nine gets ill by using his quirk, yet he had no problem on create a massive storm just to save Chimera from the people who intended to kill him for being an heteromorph.

I really think Nine uses his ideology as a sort of defense mechanism due the circunstances he lived through most of his life. Which is logical as he was an orphan abandoded at what seemed to be a public bathroom at birth, which is sick af.

And it also relates to this particular line of his chapter:

"Everything is already decided" while we saw him being a child alone and multiple ominous smiles.

It really gives me the feeling that Nine actually felt a lot of abandonement and insolation while growing giving him idea that only the strongest should rule over the world, but at the same it can't really take away his selfless nature.

The fact Nine knows he was being used by the doctor, yet the only thing he thinks about going through the process are his friends even correcting himself by say "is for create OUR ideal world" shows how much he actually values the people close to him, to what extremes he's willing to go for give them what he considers fair.

And it's so powerful how even with his body destroyed and crawling on the ground Nine still keeps moving by the sheer will to make real his dream world.

It's an interesting way in which he parallels Deku on how he fights even at the cost of sacrifice and destroy his body just for the people he loves.

Kinda ironic if you think about the fact Horikoshi make his way to try to portray Shigaraki as "a hero for villains" despite that idea doesn't fit him at all, when Nine was already an heroic villain who parallels Deku a way that is pretty organic and logical.

I said a lot of times how funny is that is a fraction of time Nine not only executes the same ideas and concepts the main stroy try to apply to Shigaraki, but he does it better.

Nine story is really the story of an underdog who starts from the very bottom, having a really tragic life that molded his vision of a flawed world that should be destroyed, yet he feels very human on the way he relates to people on the same situation and he will do everything for them.

Is what really sells Nine as a character for me. None of these things are stated trying to convince us they happen like with Shigaraki, with Nine this stuff just... happen. Is the most basic show don't tell.

I wonder were that subtle and smart storytelling went in the main story.

...

Oh also, as you asked about the what if scenario, I have a slightly different idea for an AU in which Nine position is inverted with Shigaraki.

But rather than make it a shallow rivalry (as the movie kinda implies they have) I was thinking: what it Nine intends to save Shigaraki instead?

As I said before, is part of Nine's nature to help people no one else would do.

If he found Tenko Shimura that day he will attempt to rescue him and protect him while living both in the streets as homeless orphans. Which is ironic because they're likely a very similar age, just with Nine being slighty older apparently.

And what if they both are later found by AFO and he has ideas for both of them?

AFO will still have his main plan to make one of them "the next me" like in canon, in this case Nine being the candidate because our potato weirdo projects himself and Yoichi into Nine thinking the child is what both would be together.

Problem is... Nine isn't a emotionally disturbed kid who can be manipulated by AFO bs, so obviously when he realizes what are the man true intentions Nine will rebel and fight back. Probably escaping, as he and AFO aren't really compatible at all.

It's ironic as AFO is actually what Nine tried to convince himself he is, but in reality AFO is a selfish lunatic who only uses everyone for his own sake. That would make Nine have a lot of introspection and realizes he doesn't want to follow AFO steps, and neither wants Tenko/Tomura to have that fate.

But as probably Nine could escape alongside Tenko, he becames the next big opportunity on AFO plans, being manipulated into something similar to canon or even worse.

While Nine will still fight and try to save the kid he helped that day, perhaps he will came to late and if something like the island incident happens but using Shigaraki as the villain there, he probably will die being a defining moment of Nine developement as a character.

...

Well that was a bit long.

I could write even more, but that would be me going crazy and making a long bible lol.

Hope you enjoy the what if scenario. It's a bit improvised because I didn't think about the details yet, just a very basic storyline structure.

I don't dislike scarless Dabi, but I feel his scars are part of the charm. Without it he would look more generic.

Kinda like Shoto scar, it is just too iconic to take it away.

Perhaps the only thing I would change about his design is that his hair should be half white half red, like it was at one point of his childhood:

It would fit better in the narrative of "he always had ice powers inside".

Besides ironically Dabi is the only child among the Todorokis with a solid hair color, because the rest have some kind of red in some way.

Even Natsuo has red stripes in the manga but the anime deleted that detail.

This type of bodies need more appreciation:

Look I love big muscular dudes as much as the next guy, but there's something beautiful about skinny dudes as well.

My reason for calling Overhaul the best Villain in the main series is because he's way more competent, driven and has a real threatening presence to him, compared to the other Villain Leaders.

AFO (Post Kamino) & Shigaraki aren't in his League.

They don't give off that feeling of dread. Shigaraki got AFO quirk to try and make him seem more imposing, but it wasn't enough since having a strong power isn't the only thing Overhaul had going for him.

AFO was decent until after his interrogation with All Might, where he became too comically evil for the sake of it (imo)

Re-Destro wasn't there for long but he did a ok job. The MLA did sell me as a competent group, considering the amount of money and connections they had. As well as their goal of free quirk use.

The only thing that was off was there belief of quirk supremacy, since the organisation's strength came from wealth and connections.

But other than that they were ok, it's too bad they were shoved to the side during the War.

Sorry for rambling

But yeah, that's my reason for Overhaul being the best Villain in MHA

Your reasoning for think that is almost the same as mine.

But also Overhaul ideals and objectives felt different and way more grounded in the sense it doesn't feel like he blames society for everything and his only answer is mindless destruction.

He actually persue change but in way that almost makes sense, and his mindset offers a very interesting perspective about quirks that this series always avoid to exploit. Like is funny how Horikoshi puts constant references to the doomsday theory being something very real, yet no one in verse tries to do something about it and any character who doesn't like quiks is treated as a crazy monster to invalidate their opinions.

Chisaki is also different to other villains in the sense that despite his life is pretty tragic he never gets victimized by the author, something I can appreciate because honestly the most annoying part about the LOV for example is how the story constantly pats them in the back and tries to pretend their are just victims when they passed that point long ago.

Kai on the other hand gets a treatment so harsh that makes me wonder if Horikoshi actually hates him with passion, because holy hell since his defeat Horikoshi really doesn't hold back on try to put him as miserable as possible and with no chance of improve his situation even a bit. It felt like a massive double standard when you see how much the LOV gets glazed.

Well... this kinda became a rant on my part, but I need to express it as Overhaul really deserved a way better treatment because in terms of villains he was the peak and MHA never had something similar again.

If you were to turn 9 and his squad into main series villains, how would you do so?

Tough question actually, because there's a lot of different things you can do with a group of characters like them.

And I don't want to make the classic "role swap" in which everything in the timeline is almost the same minus which characters fill X spot.

For Nine specifically, I would start his story right after Kamino and the defeat of AFO.

An idea I would like to play is he and Shigaraki could actually act as rivals of sorts when AFO is out of the picture (but he would still have a part on the story).

As both groups will start from the very bottom without much resources, and Nine will have his empty copy of the AFO quirk to fill with new quirks different than the canon, perhaps only keeping the more iconic ones as Hydra just because is so cool.

Actually the quest for find the ideal quirks and one that solves the cell degeneration would be an important part of Nine developement, rather than just happen offscreen.

As for what new quirks he could steal, that's not something I don't have very clear yet (so I accept suggestions) but one of them would be Dabi's blueflames. Lol I just want see Nine with epic blue flames.

...

Oh and an idea that always loved is that Nine needs another rival that isn't just Shigaraki, but someone else who is his direct opposite in terms of world view and ideology.

And that's no one else than Overhaul

Think about it, Nine and Kai are just the perfect foils for each other.

The concept of a quirk supremacist and an anti-quirk believer having a ideological (and literal) war for control the underworld and reform the world into their own view could be epic.

And for that to happen obviously we need to keep Kai as a recurring villain for most of the story. I would create a dynamic where a lot of villains groups will have internal battles while at the same time the heroes are another problem to deal.

But wait, you need soldiers for that to work.

And what best army for Nine than the one which literally believe in quirk supremacy?

Look I will die on the hill that MVA as a concept for an arc is literally made for Nine and his team.

The idea of Re-Destro wanting to contact a villain group that is getting more recognition and in the end they found common ground due beliefs fits way more with Nine than it does to Shigaraki.

I mean it's obvious, Nine is basically the living incarnation of all the ideals of the original Destro. If his descendant meet him he would instantly adore Nine.

...

So that's just a part of all my ideas.

I would like to better put them together into something more consistent. Need to work on it, perhaps some day I will make a story based on this rewrite idea.

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

The resemblance was subtle as a brick to the head:

Lol, but also Nine got a lot of traits from AFO as well. He's like their perfect mix.

Yet I can't help but wish the story actually did something with all this parallels between Nine and the shigabros. There's a lot of stuff implied but nothing really explored.

Nine is such a great character and his existence could've added a lot of the story of AFO and Yoichi.

MHA fans shouldn't ignore how beautiful Nine is.

Have you seen how gorgeous this man looks?

He should be bring into conversations about the most pretty male character more often.

Especially when Horikoshi draws him.

I don't think this need more explanation, Nine is something else.

Deku, we know you're into the sexy italian butler. But you shouldn't grab his tits like that.

Izuku is a menace...

You know? The amount or plot holes and inconsistencies originated from the reveal of Shigaraki being Tenko Shimura almost makes me think Horikoshi didn't originally conceived Tomura as related to Nana, but it actually was a late idea added without any proper context.

Notice how also unlike Dabi's reveal as Touya Todoroki, there's zero hints of the real identity of Shigaraki prior Kamino and even after it really doesn't change anything story wise. The reveal is just there to make AFO a more pety and sick bastard for taking the grandson of Nana, but Shigaraki could have been the grandson of anyone else it would change nothing. Does it change his relationship with Deku for example? Not really, Deku would have the same reaction for any kid.

Not even A.M gets an interesting reaction out of this beyond the inital shock.

One thing that is now unfair to ask is...what is Nine's name? Look hori treated him as an afterthought but his lack of origins works better than the comical twnko's origins.

Yes his family was all killed thanks to him but ...I can't help to think that scene was too ridiculous.

We never saw anyone mentioned them again, not even shig. (He remembers them in MVA and we do see the disgusting human puppet hori flay around) But that's it.

So Nine...

Im not one of those people who think a new character needs to be related to a pre stabelished one. Nine doesn't need to be a Todoroki, Shimura or hell even a lost Midoriya (hahahahahahaha as if hori would care for this family)

But ....imagine if Nine was related to Oboro, somehow, wouldn't that be interesting?

Maybe, maybe not.

Oboro's character became a thing to turns Aizawa into a better character...and fails. Kuro was sacrificed for nothing.

The thing about Shigaraki/Tenko backstory is that it feels... a bit overdramatic?

Well we can say that about his whole character, but the part of his backstory in particular when he kills his family is so exagerated for the sake of shock value that it kinda feels comical.

Horikoshi tried a bit too hard on make MVA feel like the edgier and "different" arc of the series, but the contrast in so big that I can't take it seriously.

Especially when Hori already nailed a dark tone without being super explicit or over the top.

Take the simplicity of Eri's backstory for example:

No blood, no unnecessary violence, just two panels giving a basic idea of what happened to Eri's father and yet the image of those clothes lying on the floor is much more haunting and eerie than the enterity of Shigaraki backstory.

Why Horikoshi stop being subtle with his storytelling?

...

Anyway going back to Nine real name, or the lack of one, I think it's interesting how that aspect of his character adds to the underlying theme of how AFO and Garaki dehumanize people, especially the ones that are part of their experiments.

We know very well how AFO doesn't view other human being as persons but rather objects that belong to him. This starts with his very own twin brother, which name Yoichi means something like "my first possesion".

And just like Nine, number 6 from Vigilantes was a child which whole life was modeled by AFO. They both are just numbers without a real name.

In this case the idea is presented even more explicitly because Six was a child who suffered some kind of amnesia and couldn't even view himself as a normal human with a face.

He even died as a monster without ever know if he had an identity outside being the number 6.

It's funny how you mention the idea of Nine and Shirakumo being connected somehow, as isn't the first time I've hear that.

It's interesting notice how they share this common theme about sky and clouds as part of who they are (Nine's name also is supposedly a reference to the term "cloud nine") both Nine and Oboro are individuals willing to sacrifice their own lifes for others, and ironically both of them ended being experimented by Dr Garaki.

I even have the headcanon of Kurogiri being the "Number 7" in this line of experiments were Nine and Six belong, as sort of missing link between Six and the sentient nomus.

I probably should make a post later explaining better this idea.

And yes for Horikoshi, Shirakumo was just a diposable character to make Aizawa look cooler and more edgy.

While the author of Vigilantes clearly invested a lot of effort on making Oboro a real and memorable character which complements Aizawa rather than just being an accesory. But that topic deserves it's own post as well.

P.S: I have an idea of what real name we could give to Nine, but I keep it for me at least for the moment.

It's the birthday of my other all time beloved baby 💜

Happy birthday Kai my dear, you deserve the world ✨️💜