Shigaraki vs. Re-Destro: Who Won? (& Is He Really Stronger)

One of the best arcs we have seen in My Hero Academia was the Meta Liberation Army arc, which included the leader of the army named Re-Destro, who tried to become the next prominent villain after the fall of All For One. Nevertheless, Tomura Shigaraki challenged him to a fight not only to solidify his place as the top villain in the world but also to gain Re-Destro’s army of followers. So, who won between Shigaraki and Re-Destro?

Tomura Shigaraki won in the fight against Re-Destro when he experienced a re-awakening in his quirk, Decay, which allowed him to defeat Re-Destro without having to directly touch the fellow villain. However, had it not been for that re-awakening, Shigaraki might not have defeated Re-Destro, who had the advantage.

The victory that Shigaraki had over Re-Destro was one of the key moments in the character’s arc because it allowed him to become stronger. On top of that, he gained an entire army that made it possible for him to be able to make the entire country tremble with fear. As such, let’s go over this fight in a more detailed manner.

Physical Abilities

Tomura Shigaraki actually possessed surprising physical abilities that belied the fact that he wasn’t the most physically gifted person. It was due to the training he received under All For One that Shigaraki was able to develop enough strength and speed to surprise heroes and catch them off guard. In fact, his most notable physical attribute is his speed, which allowed him to easily get as close to his target as possible to use Decay on them.

At first, Re-Destro doesn’t seem like a physically imposing opponent, but he possesses the ability to strengthen his body through the use of his quirk. It is due to his quirk that he gains so much body mass and strength. He uses this strength to pummel his opponents in an instant, as his fingers were already more than enough to take out one of Shigaraki’s arms in their battle. Of course, he is also quite quick and nimble when he has unleashed his stress.

Re-Destro’s power is more physical than anything else because it strengthens his body using pent-up stress. In that regard, there is no arguing against the fact that Re-Destro is the superior character in terms of his physical capabilities.

Shigaraki 0, Re-Destro 1

Quirk

Before he acquired All For One from All For One, Tomura Shigaraki already had a powerful quirk in the form of Decay, which allowed him to instantly decay and turn to dust anything that his five fingers were able to touch. However, in the battle against Re-Destro, he experienced a re-awakening that allowed him to remember what his quirk was really capable of. As such, Decay was now able to activate without having all five fingers touching Shigaraki’s target, although the effect was weaker. On top of that, Shigaraki was able to use Decay in a domino effect, such that anything that touches the decaying object would end up decaying as well.

Re-Destro’s quirk is called Stress, which allows him to strengthen by making use of the pent-up stress within him, as any anger, frustration, and fear would allow him to become stronger. The quirk allows him to enhance his physical capabilities to insane proportions as he was able to easily handle Shigaraki and his group before the leader of the League of Villains experienced a reawakening. On top of that, he could also release his pent-up stress through an energy blast that was strong enough to take out several city blocks.

It might be true that Re-Destro’s quirk is powerful, but Shigaraki’s Decay is an insanely powerful quirk that only became powerful during the fight with the leader of the Meta Liberation Army. Stress might have beaten Decay before the re-awakening, but Shigaraki’s quirk is now stronger.

Shigaraki 1, Re-Destro 1

Intelligence

It might not seem obvious at first, but Tomura Shigaraki is actually a very intelligent villain that understands how to use tactics to his advantage. He was able to use his keen intellect to deduce the strengths and weaknesses of his opponents. On top of that, he has a strategic mind that allows him to formulate plans that allow him and his group to win against powerful opponents, such as the Meta Liberation Army.

Due to his status as a leader, Re-Destro is an incredibly intelligent mind that relies on his tactical intelligence and leadership in many different situations. In fact, he uses any information he has to his advantage, as he was able to quickly find a way to neutralize Shigaraki’s quirk before Decay re-awakened.

Had it not been for Shigaraki’s re-awakening, Re-Destro’s plans would have certainly worked in his favor. That means that he is an incredibly intelligent man that knows how to use any information he has to sway the tide of battle to his favor.

Shigaraki 1, Re-Destro 2

Combat Abilities

One of the things that were surprising about Tomura Shigaraki from the moment he was introduced was the fact that he was actually a very capable fighter. It was not apparent at first, but he has quick and nimble feet that made it possible for him to close the distance between him and his target. His battle prowess wasn’t always on display because he would rather use his quirk when he is within striking distance, but the fact that he is quite nimble means that he might have had combat training under All For One.

Re-Destro didn’t showcase any of his combat abilities during his time as the leader of the Meta Liberation Army because he was simply using his brute strength to his advantage against his opponents. Meanwhile, in the fight against Shigaraki, he tried to avoid getting close to his fellow villain because he didn’t want to get within Decay’s range. As such, we never saw what he could have been able to do with his combat abilities.

The fact that Re-Destro didn’t display his fighting skills is what gives Shigaraki the advantage here. Of course, it is quite possible that Re-Destro never received combat training because he knew that he could simply overpower any opponent using his quirk.

Shigaraki 2, Re-Destro 2

Who Won In The Fight Between Shigaraki and Re-Destro?

While the parameters might show that neither Tomura Shigaraki nor Re-Destro has any distinct advantage over the other, it was Shigaraki who ended up winning the fight because of the fact that he experienced a re-awakening in his quirk. And this goes back to the very fact of how Re-Destro goes about his business.

As a leader with a tactical mind, Re-Destro could only create strategies based on the information that he had. However, the problem was that, while he understood how Decay worked, he never knew what its full power was capable of because not even Shigaraki understood how his quirk worked. As such, it was the fact that Re-Destro didn’t have full information regarding Decay that did him in. But that wasn’t the entire story.

Is Shigaraki Really Stronger Than Re-Destro?

Before he got All For One and before his Decay was re-awakened, Tomura Shigaraki was weaker than Re-Destro, who seemed to have the overwhelming advantage over the younger villain, who wanted to take his place as the leader of the Meta Liberation Army.

Nevertheless, Shigaraki’s will was more indomitable than Re-Destro. That was what allowed him to return to his troubled past and remember all of the things that happened during his childhood when he first awakened his quirk. As such, he remembered how to properly use Decay, which received a re-awakening.

After the re-awakening, Shigaraki was already on par with Re-Destro, who was constantly surprised about what Decay was actually capable of. Had Re-Destro been aware of what Shigaraki’s quirk was capable of, the battle might have ended differently. 

Nevertheless, Shigaraki only became stronger when he underwent surgery and when he obtained All For One in the manga. As such, he is currently leagues ahead of Re-Destro in terms of his power.