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Out of all the amazing fighters introduced to fans in the My Hero Academia franchise, All Might has always stood out for being the most inspiring. It was thanks to his efforts and power that Japan was able to enjoy a lengthy and prosperous era of peace. For most characters in My Hero Academia, Toshinori was more than just the number one hero—he was synonymous with victory.
Yet, even someone with such an amazing win rate as Toshinori was still human, meaning he was not always able to achieve his goals. At many times in the series, All Might was faced with demoralizing and oftentimes heartbreaking defeats. Despite there being just a handful of examples, these are the moments that reminded fans that Yagi was still just as vulnerable and imperfect as any other human being.
Deku and Bakugo Were the Only Characters All Might Was Happy to Lose Against
Arguably the only defeat in the entire series that All Might was more than happy to accept, this battle took place during the Final Exams arc of the My Hero Academia anime. After the members of Class 1-A had finished their usual tests, it was time for them to prove how much they had improved as heroes. As such, they were assigned to one of U.A.’s teachers to partake in a mock battle. The objective was to either apprehend the target or successfully escape the exam location before time ran out.
Bakugo and Midoriya were tasked with fighting against a heavily restricted All Might, whose power was still vastly superior to that of the two students combined. The battle went south almost as soon as it began, with Katsuki refusing to aid Deku. All Might was able to dominate the battle for the most part, with none of his opponents able to land a significant attack. It was not until the boys agreed to reluctantly work together that they were able to overpower Toshinori and escape the mock city, granting them victory over their teacher.
Wolfram Used Several Tricks to Bring Down All Might
What was supposed to be a relaxing vacation for Izuku and Toshinori on the prestigious I-Island became a tense hostage situation after a group of criminals working for All For One attacked. These villains were led by Wolfram, a man with both Metal Manipulation and Muscle Augmentation Quirks, posing a major threat to the heroes. Yagi was woefully taken out of commission early in the fight, forced to remain in his buff form for longer than expected to keep his true form a secret from the other hostages.
As such, when he was finally given the chance to face Wolfram face to face, he was both tired and on the verge of running out of time as a hero for the day. Things got much worse when the villain placed a Quirk Amplification Device, increasing his power immensely. His strength was far too much for a weakened All Might to handle on his own, and he was seconds away from being killed if not for the intervention of Midoriya and his friends, who joined the fight and were finally able to take the villain down.
Not Even All Might, Nana, and Gran Torino Together Could Defeat All For One
Besides being one of the best final villains in shonen anime, All For One is an extremely effective antagonist, manipulating and haunting the narrative since before Deku was introduced. One of the best examples of his role as a constant menace is the first battle against the Symbol of Evil, in which Toshinori partook. Little is known about this encounter, as it was only shown in short flashbacks while All Might explained the history of One For All to his successor. Shortly after receiving the Quirk from his mentor, Nana, the heroes were attacked by the villain.
Despite giving it their all, they were rapidly overwhelmed by Zen and his thousands of powers, forcing them to retreat. Realizing there was no other way out, Nana decided to stay behind, sacrifice her life to keep Toshinori safe, and prevent One For All from falling into the hands of their opponent. This was the first major defeat and loss All Might suffered, marking him for the rest of his life and becoming the fuel behind his unbreakable determination to end All For One’s reign of terror.
Gran Torino Beat All Might Repeatedly to Train the Hero
After losing his mentor, All Might became obsessed with the idea of bringing All For One to justice, pushing himself to rapidly become the symbol he promised Nana he would be. Still, without proper training and fueled by nothing but anger, there was little he could do. Enters Gran Torino, Nana's best friend, and the man who would become the next mentor for all One For All users. It is known that Sorahiko took over the role as teacher for Toshinori soon after Nana’s passing, although only a few moments of this intense training are known.
Nevertheless, the few times these intense mock battles were shown, fans were able to see the massive difference in potential and skill between the two combatants. Torino’s speed, agility, and combat experience allowed him to easily defeat All Might, even with the full power of One For All at his disposal. From blows that completely knocked the air out of the teen’s lungs to counterattacks that left no room for recovery, Torino made sure to be a brutal teacher. Sorahiko was so effective and harsh that Toshinori spent years afraid of having to ever fight his mentor again.
All For One Tricked All Might During Their Most Pivotal Battle
Objectively, one of the most important events to ever take place in the My Hero Academia universe, the original ’final’ battle between All Might and All For One was devastating for both sides. This conflict destroyed miles and miles, forcing the government of Japan to create a massive cover-up operation just to prevent people from panicking. It was at this time that Toshinori decided to be the one who would end the feud between the Symbol of Evil and the holders of One For All. This battle culminated with Yagi crushing the head of his enemy.
While he seemingly won, the cost was far more dire than what he was expecting to pay, losing a large portion of his intestines and lungs, becoming permanently damaged, and unable to be a full-time hero. Lamentably, even after such a major sacrifice, All Might was unable to put a stop to his opponent, who would later be revealed to have survived and mostly recovered. Despite all Toshinori had to sacrifice, and the destruction caused, All For One was capable of returning stronger than ever, making Yagi’s fight with him just another obstacle in the villain’s path.
Armored All Might Was Not Enough to Stop the Symbol of Evil
After losing the remaining spark of One For All, Toshinori spent months working behind the scenes to develop a powerful and highly advanced suit of armor to aid in the final war against the villains. This tool, known as the complex and dangerous Armored All Might, combined the massive strength of the hero with gadgets and weaponry inspired by his students. It was an extremely useful piece of equipment that allowed the hero to fight hand-to-hand against the Symbol of Evil, at least for a few minutes.
While Yagi was able to keep the villain at bay at first, All For One ended up rapidly turning the tables, as he was still aging backwards thanks to the modified Quirk Erasing Bullet he used before the battle. With his power growing with each passing second, Zen completely obliterated the suit of armor worn by Toshinori, leaving the man on the verge of dying as a result. Bakugo had to work with Izuku to reach the location of the battle before All For One could deal the final blow and end the life of the Symbol of Peace.
All Might’s Biggest Defeat in the Series Was Psychological
Although for several decades All Might was hailed as the greatest hero of all time, there was a battle that the man could not, and would likely never, beat alone: creating a better world. Toshinori’s efforts to bring peace to the world were beyond effective, but they were built atop a lonely and shaky pillar. His desire to carry the weight of responsibility alone, born from the trauma of seeing his master die without being able to do anything to stop it, culminated in a complacent Hero Society.
When All Might was forced to retire, the entire system collapsed, as there was no one else capable of holding down the weight Yagi had carried on his back all those years. This sudden shift produced chaos across Japan, clearly illustrated during the Dark Hero arc, in which Izuku saw firsthand the destruction and anarchy that All Might’s absence had caused. Toshinori was an amazing hero who could do and defeat almost anyone, but he could never lose the battle against his own flawed ideology and the trauma he carried.
