- Big Damn Heroes: Midoriya has become too tired to fend off against Dictator's controlled masses but, thankfully, Class 1-A finally tracks him down with Bakugo saving him by making quick work of Dictator in order to break his control.
- Booby Trap: The video message All For One leaves Midoriya is rigged with a bomb that destroys the entire mansion, and any potential traces of the League's whereabouts, after it ends. Luckily, everyone escaped in time.
- The Cameo: Stain can be briefly seen eavesdropping on Deku and All Might after Deku defeated the second hired gun.
- Cannot Spit It Out: All Might attempts to tell young Midoriya that he doesn't have to overwork himself and should try to rest a little, but the boy leaves before he could even utter the words.
- Character Development: Mt. Lady started out as an Attention Whore Hero in it for fame and fortune. As time rolled on in post-Season 3 she had begun bettering herself and taught the U.A. students how to use the media to quell people's worries. During the raids against the PLF and League of Villains this season, she risked her life to take on the organization and helped the students deal with Gigantomachia. Come this episode, she remains as one of the active Heroes still doing her job despite the public outcry and no longer caring about fame, solidifying her maturity as a Hero.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Midoriya remains diligent on saving everyone he can from danger, and he means everyone. It can often be seen as major deconstruction since the beginning but this episode shows that it gets to the point where he further exhausts himself, but refuses to stop. All Might and the OFA predecessors all take notice. What's more is that they know this is how a true Hero should act, but the 2nd User hints that he needs a friend to guide him properly. Luckily, he has nineteen friends who all want him back.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with Class 1-A defeating Dictator and rescuing his victims before Deku is torn apart. However, Deku is determined to leave them behind once more, but they won't let him anymore. The class prepares to fight their friend if it comes down to that.
- Dramatic Unmask: While Deku is busy rattling his brain on how to beat Dictator, one of the Villain's controlled victims tear off his mask to reveal just how exhausted and out of it he truly is.
- Fight Unscene: While the Pros talk about their next step after the mansion raid falls short, Hawks receives a message from All Might that Deku has encountered a second Hired Gun... and already won!
- Horrifying Hero: As Deku continues to take on Villains and rescue people, he feels that he has no time to rest or even clean up himself or his costume. As a result, said costume continues to lose its bright colors and has accumulated a lot of blood and grime. People have since begun talking about how he looks less like a Hero and more like one of the "rumored Nomus" thanks to seeing him use multiple Quirks, something he and All Might tried to avoid until now. After some of the citizens are rescued, one asks if he is working for All For One before they leave.
- How We Got Here: Just as Deku is about to be torn to shreds by a controlled mob, Bakugo jumps in and leads Class 1-A to stop Dictator and save Deku and the victims. The latter half of the episode soon reveals what happened after Class 1-A receives Midoriya's letters. With classes on hold, the students are told to wait in the dorms. Too concerned about their friend, however, they confront Principal Nezu and Endeavor and make plans to find Midoriya and bring him back to U.A.
- Hypocrite: Midoriya vowed to be the kind of Hero who saves the day with a smile on his face, just like All Might. The situation since the Jaku City war doesn't leave him with the luxury to smile at all and Bakugo does not hesitate to call him out on this while he is seen unmasked.
- Insane Troll Logic: Like in the episode "Hired Gun" the Driving Question continues to be why hasn't All For One made his move already. Mt. Lady adds in that AFO would have made things easier on himself if he talks about One For All to the general public, but there are still rumors. Endeavor suspects that the Villain wouldn't want them to hide Midoriya, plus the boy is the only key to finding him and Shigaraki.
- Internal Reveal: Mt. Lady, Edgeshot, and Kamui Woods join the Top 3, now with knowledge about the relationship between All For One and One For All. Edgeshot suggests bringing in more Pros to help out if they share the information about OFA, but Mt. Lady and Endeavor believe that may further burden Midoriya if the wrong people catch wind.
- Ironic Echo: In Season 3's "One For All", All Might says "It's your turn" with everyone watching the live broadcast of his victory over All For One. To the audience, in and out of universe, it meant that other Villains should beware, but Midoriya knows he meant that it is his turn to carry the torch as the future Symbol of Peace. At the start of this episode, All For One twists All Might's words in classic villain fashion. For him, "It's your turn" means that it is time for Midoriya to suffer in his mentor's stead.
- I Work Alone: Deku starts worrying that the Pros backing him up will be at risk like Lady Nagant. So, he decides that he is better off going it alone.
- Know When to Fold Them: The Pros continue talking about how more of their allies have begun leaving the Hero profession. One of them, tragically enough, turns out to be Death Arms. He competed and worked with Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods from the very start of the series and had taken part in capturing PLF members. Unfortunately, the constant jeers from the public minority seem to outweigh the majority who continue cheering him on, and he quits in dejection. Best Jeanist points out that even the strongest wills can inevitably break, showing how human Heroes really are when they are away from the spotlight.
- Loose Lips: It turns out that as more Heroes are quitting, some decide to talk about their careers to the public. This becomes a problem as leaving such information in the open risks the press learning more about Deku and One For All.
- Manly Tears: While it's only implied in the manga, All Might is audibly sobbing in anguish after he fails to stop Midoriya from going down a self-destructive road.
- Nothing Is Scarier: All For One invokes this on Midoriya in his recorded message at the mansion. He is never specific about the details, leaving Midoriya wondering if the Villain has plans to attack him or anyone else close to him.
- Obviously Not Fine:
- After defeating another hired gun, Deku heads out, telling All Might that he can take more care of himself and there is no need for his mentor to follow him anymore. All Might already knows that Midoriya is actually trying to distance himself from everyone, as he continues to carry the burden of One For All, and tries to tell him to rest.
- When the rest of Class 1-A catch up to Deku, they find him ragged but ready to leave them again. Though they acknowledge his determination, they know his insistence that he is "fine" couldn't be further from the truth.
- People Puppets: Deku encounters a third hired gun named "Dictator", a Villain who the late Crust defeated around five years ago. His Despot Quirk can control the bodies of his victims to do his bidding. Since this isn't Mind Control, the victims are well aware of what is happening but are unable to fight back as he sics them all on a weary Deku. He remembers that KO'ing Dictator is the quickest way to free them all, which Bakugo gets the chance to.
- Red Herring: The episode begins with Deku and the Pros infiltrating the location Nagant disclosed; a mansion in the middle of the woods that once belonged to the CRC and where the League of Villains hid at the time. Unfortunately, it turns up empty. A recording placed in the middle has All For One revealing that he expected things to turn out the way they did, all just to mess with Midoriya's head. The message is shown to be booby trapped with a bomb that destroys the mansion the moment it ends.
- Resignations Not Accepted: In a more heroic example, Principal Nezu states that he knew that Midoriya would want to distance himself from his friends and family. It's because of this he declares that Midoriya is welcome to return to U.A. at any time. While he prepares to make additional measures for security, and works to calm any refugees that may be worried about the news, he entrusts Class 1-A to bring Midoriya back.
- Running Gag: Bakugo yells at Creati for not calling his Hero name.
- Toxic Friend Influence: Izuku Midoriya has always looked up to All Might like many others who dream of being a Hero and, throughout the series, Deku is able to work with his idol and have been able to rub off on each other. For Bakugo, this has become a problem the longer he hangs out with them, as both his rival and idol share the same mindset of carrying the weight of the world on their shoulders without any concern for themselves. He soon calls out Endeavor for leaving them alone together, which he considers the worst idea ever because of it.
- Ungrateful Bastard: While not showing any anger, Deku isn't exactly thankful for his classmates rescuing him. Insisting that he's "fine" and that he's out to protect them, he attempts to drive them away.
- Villain Has a Point: During his recording, All For One discusses how the "Villain" label is being used in the current world in a political manner; how people can be ostracized if they don't fit into society, despite being occasionally praised for individualism. Midoriya is brimming with silent anger, but he has already seen various problems based on his encounters with both Lady Nagant and the "Ordinary Woman". All For One is simply known for exploiting such problems for his own benefit as he claimed to have never forced Nagant to hunt Deku down because of her own views of Hero Society.
In order to smile... For everyone to live in peace... I have to go. I'm sorry... Everyone GET OUT OF MY WAY!
~Izuku Midoriya
