Star and Stripe Arc

The Star and Stripe Arc is the twentieth story arc in My Hero Academia, and the second story arc in the Final Act Saga.

With Tomura Shigaraki's body nearly complete, All Might requests immediate aid from the foreign Heroes. Enter America's No. 1 Hero, Star and Stripe, arriving to help defeat the villain. But "Tomura" is prepared to fight back, and do anything to accomplish All For One's next goal: stealing her Quirk, New Order.

A Big-Time Maverick from the West
In a secret cave hideout, All For One states to Spinner that, thanks to the escaped convicts, Pro Heroes and the Police Force have been too busy to turn their full attention to them and proclaims victory on their game of hide-and-seek. Spinner says they could have also won by leaving the country, but All For One replies saying this is a short-term goal, with the next being the theft of One For All.

Spinner wonders why obtaining One For All isn't the final goal. All For One tells him that he's planned ahead for a long time and that the present moment presents him with the greatest obstacle and ultimate opportunity. He reveals that he has friends around the world and that, while All Might may have suppressed communication within Japan, overseas is different and once those friends start to cause trouble, each country will have to choose between their own priorities or the safety of their citizens.

Spinner goes on to question what the obstacle and opportunity are, and All For One answers that his greatest obstacle is the American Hero, Star and Stripe, otherwise known as "the world's strongest woman." He says that she would be someone they would have to worry about should she intervene, but if he can get ahold of her Quirk, there would be nothing to worry about anymore. He then tells Spinner that, after devoting time to guarding him, he will support Tomura Shigaraki in his crusade as the "one who spins the tale."

While this is happening, on the streets, the remaining members of the Paranormal Liberation Front, specifically other heteromorphs who served in Spinner's squadron, continue to keep the embers of liberation alight. These remaining members have received a message from Skeptic, who has told them to continue on and eliminate any resistance that remains. Skeptic says that while his dislike of the League of Villains remains, they have been recognised by Re-Destro and that it doesn't matter whether or not they are true liberators, their influence is real and they shall work with them to sow the seeds of the future, once Tomura has destroyed everything.

Meanwhile, Endeavor, Hawks and Best Jeanist continue travelling along the coast to meet up with Star and Stripe. Hawks is concerned about whether Star and Stripe will face any trouble coming over to Japan from America, with Best Jeanist attempting to reassure him. The trio get an urgent message from Naomasa Tsukauchi, informing them of something that has entered the airspace of Star and Stripe's flight path; he has, at last, shown himself.

Atop a flying Nomu, "Tomura" stands, facing down Star and Stripe and her squadron of fighter jets. She asks him if he is the villain known as "All For One", to which he replies "What exactly am I?" One of the fighter pilots informs Star and Stripe that the person in front of them is Tomura Shigaraki and that he is capable of performing electromagnetic pulse attacks. With that information and upon Star and Stripe's request, the pilots take up an attack formation and deploy shock shields, with Star and Stripe also preparing to fight, telling her fellow fighters that she'll return their bodies to their families, should they perish in battle.

New Order of the Ages
"Tomura" states that he is in a strange state, as he knows that he is Tomura Shigaraki, but at the same time he is All For One, and it has been like this ever since he awakened. Using Radio Waves, Air Cannon, and Heavy Payload, "Tomura" unleashes an enormous burst of energy at Star and Stripe and the fighter jets, who all evade the attack. Star and Stripe and "Tomura" go back and forth with taunts, until Star and Stripe reveals her Quirk, New Order, which allows her to impose a rule onto a target after touching it and saying its name, and uses it to make the 100 metre area in front her a vacuum, removing the air. "Tomura" is forced to hold his breath, thinking about how brutal of a Quirk it is, but also about how he wants it.

Star and Stripe then orders the fighter pilots to shoot their lasers towards him from all angles. However, "Tomura" counters with Reflect and Scatter, firing the lasers back while he regenerates. One of the reflected lasers heads towards Star and Stripe, who uses New Order to make the laser holdable, while the fighter pilots note that the reason Japan lost to him was because of the regeneration Quirk he possesses. "Tomura" realises that the vacuum has disappeared and wonders what kind of limitations New Order has, before stretching his limbs and launching himself toward the Pro Hero. Star and Stripe does the same, launching herself toward the villain before landing a punch on "Tomura"'s face. She notes that New Order does have a limitation in that she can only set up two rules for two different targets at any given time, and that one of them is used on herself to maintain super strength similar to - but not quite like - All Might's.

Star and Stripe goes on to talk about how a Japanese exchange student saved her and her family when a rogue villain attacked them. Since that day, he has remained her role model, and with seeking out a greater level of peace, she modelled her hair after his with eight tufts of hair, compared to his two. "Tomura" grows irritated, stating that there's no escape from the former No. 1. Star and Stripe reminds "Tomura" that he is called the Symbol of Peace for a reason, and after saying that she has touched him and knows his name, she uses New Order so that if "Tomura" so much as moves a muscle, his heart will stop.

"Tomura" thinks to himself about how Star and Stripe fell for his trap, whilst the vestiges of Tomura and All For One continue to fight, as they fuse into one being. All For One makes a comment on how the procedure for him and Tomura to become one would have taken 2 months, but because of Tomura's high level of hatred, he has exceeded expectations, already reaching 98 percent completion in a much shorter timeframe, as well as stating that, once completed, they will neither be All For One or Tomura Shigaraki, but a new being altogether.

From the outside, "Tomura" begins to show signs of resistance to New Order, surprising Star and Stripe, causing her to wonder who the person in front of her really is, while All For One declares that Tomura's hatred will deliver them both to a "glorious future." "Tomura"'s hair increases in length, as he remembers his old family home where his hatred began, and lets off an explosion. Star and Stripe evades the explosion and, surprised by the hair growth, begins to wonder what is going on with her opponent. Gleefully, "Tomura" declares to himself that he knows how New Order works. He notes how strict the United States government is when it comes to overseeing her Quirk and thinks about how the Quirk functions - touching the target, stating its name, and imposing a rule of her choice - is a power so great that its enough to redefine what a Quirk can be.

Despite all this, over the course of the battle, "Tomura" takes note of some of the limitations New Order has that he has witnessed. He figures that, while there's not limit to how much New Order can incapacitate someone, there is a limit to how much the Quirk can power up a living, physical body, comparing it to a barometer she can set at will, otherwise she could have killed him with a single punch right at the beginning. He continues, saying that considering the fact she didn't kill him through manipulating the air, one can assume that she either cannot arbitrarily involve things she hasn't touched or it wouldn't be as effective.

"Tomura" determines that, through the use of the vacuum and lasers, New Order's true utility lies in nonliving things. He figures that this has to do with the naming of the target function of New Order, and that when it comes to living things, both the user and target must have the same sense of understanding about the name that is being said. When he called out "Tomura"'s name, it was ineffective because "Tomura" is unsure about his own identity, questioning whether he is "Tomura Shigaraki," "All For One," or even "Tenko Shimura." However, as nonliving things have no sense of self, Star and Stripe's one-sided understanding of the object is enough for New Order to take effect. "Tomura" begins to think about the possible heights New Order could theoretically reach, making it even more desirable than before.

America's Might
The fighter pilots ask Star and Stripe what their next move is, so she reluctantly replies saying to send a message to Commander Agpar, explaining that "Tomura" has graduating from local villain to global threat and that they have to use tactics Japan lacks in order to put him down for good. One of the fighter pilots reflects on their first interaction with Star and Stripe, agreeing to follow her until the end. The fighter pilots roar into action, tipping "Tomura" off of the plane he was on; he lands on the Nomu he flew into battle with.

Star and Stripe tells "Tomura" that knowing what she can do still wouldn't help him fight back, as she uses New Order to turn the air into a figure of herself but 1000 times larger. Having a bad feeling about what's going on, "Tomura" is hit with Star and Stripe's Super Move Fist Bump to the Earth, sending him flying backwards. Star and Stripe states that dealing any more damage is futile and deduces that her opponent wouldn't give her his real name, even if she asked, so that the only way to get rid of him is to reduce him to atoms, as she uses the air construct to flatten him between its hands.

With "Tomura" barely surviving between the constructs' hands, Star and Stripe calls upon the fighter pilots to send the lasers her way. She then uses New Order again, at the expense of her super strength rule, to merge the lasers into one. The air construct grabs them and uses the Super Move United Hyper-Max Output Laser: Keraunos, pinning "Tomura" to the sea floor. The pilot in the craft Star and Stripe is standing on asks if this is enough to burn him to nothing, to which she disagrees, stating that this is only pinning him down and that if that were the case, Endeavor could have finished the job.

Star and Stripe receives a message from Agpar, who warns her that this stunt of hers will cost her more than just her hero license, a fact she is fine with. He notifies her that the strike is imminent and that Japan has been informed, as well as saying that her flagrant defiance of the rules is what has made their nation shine the brightest. He notes that All Might couldn't put an end to this villain and tells Star and Stripe, using her nickname "Cassie," to prepare to surpass Japan's former Number 1. En route to the battlefield are the State-of-the-Art Hypersonic Intercontinental Cruise Missiles codenamed "Tiamat".

In the past, a younger Star and Stripe hangs out with her fellow soldiers, concerned about the limit New Order has on how powerful she can make herself. She wonders if it's due to her being a girl, but the soldiers reassure her that it's not got anything to do with that and that when it's not enough, she should call on them to pick up the pieces. They also tell her that she shouldn't compare herself to All Might, because she's already great enough to catch up to him. She reflects on how good that conversation made her feel.

Back in the present, the Tiamat missiles make their way to the battlefield and one of the fighter pilots asks Star and Stripe if she is able to use them. She replies in the affirmative, but mentions that she will have to give up the laser rule for what she wants to do next. She tells the pilots that when the laser rule is dropped, they should concentrate their firepower at "Tomura" to keep him pinned down while she tries to grab the incoming missiles. "Tomura" deduces that what has transpired is not the final blows and is only meant to keep him place while a more powerful attack is being prepared. He decides to take advantage of this.

Star and Stripe manages to grab the missiles with the giant air construct with precise timing and uses New Order to redirect them, causing her laser rule to disappear. "Tomura" seizes the opportunity to escape but is pinned down with laser fire from the jets and is hit soon after with a State-of-the-Art Hypersonic Intercontinental Cruise Punch, in an attempt to put him down for good. This causes a gigantic explosion which is visible from the mainland, which Endeavor notices.

Star and Stripe looks down at the crater left from the missiles and notices a hole in the middle. Soon after, a charred "Tomura" emerges from it. He knew that something dangerous was about to hit him, so he used his Decay Quirk to dig a hole and that should he had been a second late, he would be dead. It is revealed he used the Nomu he rode in on as a decoy, while "Tomura" states that he was playing along with their game and that if that were used against anyone else, they would have been done for.

"Tomura" then commands the Nomu to Burst, distracting the pilots for long enough to allow him to jump forward at Star and Stripe, claiming "me and myself" will put Star and Stripe's resources to better use. Seeing this unfold, one of the fighter pilots tells her to destroy his ship, saying that doing so will finish the job. She can't bring herself to do it, however, resulting in "Tomura" grabbing her face.

Story Impact

 * The remaining members of the League of Villains are revealed to be hiding out in a secret cave enclove, with Spinner watching over All For One.
 * Learning of Star and Stripe's impending arrival, All For One plans to use this opportunity to send Tomura out to steal her Quirk.
 * Skeptic has regained contact with the remnants of the Paranormal Liberation Front, having them continue to fight and gain more support.
 * Star and Stripe and her army of fighter jets on their way to meet up with the Japanese Heroes are confronted by "Tomura Shigaraki", riding a flying Near High-End Nomu, and prepare to battle.
 * Star and Stripe's Quirk is revealed to be "New Order", allowing her to declare a new rule of up to two things that she touches and says the name of.
 * She was saved by All Might at a young age when he was in America, which inspired her to become a Hero.
 * Tomura and All For One have begun to fuse together into a new being, with it already at 98% completion after only a month due to Tomura's extreme hatred speeding up the process.
 * "Tomura" in the outer world finds himself confused regarding his own identity, believing himself to be both Tomura and All For One.
 * "Tomura" is able to figure out the depth of the mechanics of New Order.
 * A rule supposedly can't arbitrarily involve things she hasn't touched.
 * The Quirk is most effective on nonliving objects, as it only requires Star's one-sided understanding of the target's name, whereas for living beings, the target must also recognize themselves as that name.
 * After using several powerful techniques to take "Tomura" down, which only end up temporarily restraining him, Star and Stripe calls in for a fleet of missiles known as Tiamat to throw at him.
 * She redirects the missiles with the intention of vaporizing him, however "Tomura" at the last minute uses the Nomu as a distraction, while he Decays himself inside the Earth to barely escape most of the blast.
 * "Tomura" successfully touches Star's face and begins to Decay her and steal New Order, while she uses a rule to try and stop the Decay, only for it to just be delayed, reaching the limit of how strong she can make her body.
 * Before he can use New Order after stealing it, "Tomura" suddenly begins to explode from the inside.
 * Before it was stolen, Star imposed a rule that it will revolt against other Quirks located in the user's body. With that, Star and Stripe's vestige starts destroying Tomura and All For One from within, as well as the other rampaging Quirks.
 * "Tomura"'s Reflect Quirk is destroyed, which gives the fighter squad the opportunity to fire on him and finally finish him off.
 * With her vestige and Quirk within "Tomura"'s body, Star and Stripe's body decays, after internally thanking All Might for allowing her to indulge in her dream.
 * "Tomura" escapes the battlefield using the Wing Quirk taken from the remains of the Nomu.
 * He attempts to preserve New Order in the body of a prison escapee, Kashiko Kashi, but the Quirk is destroyed after revolting against and destroying many of "Tomura"'s Quirks.
 * Deep within the core of Tomura and All For One, Tenko Shimura calls out for Izuku Midoriya.
 * The nations of the world withdraw their plans to aid Japan after hearing about Star and Stripe's death.
 * The pilots provide data recorded during Star's battle against "Tomura", revealing some of his bio-signature and Quirks.
 * All Might reveals to Class 1-A that they now have a week until Tomura is completed, with the extra time being Star and Stripe's parting gift.

Characters Introduced

 * Agpar
 * Kashiko Kashi

Quirks Introduced

 * New Order: Star and Stripe's Quirk allows her to declare a new rule on her given surroundings after touching it and saying its name. The Quirk is stolen by "Tomura", but then destroyed within due to a rule set that it would revolt against other Quirks.
 * Heavy Payload: "Tomura"'s Quirk allows him to increase the damage output of a given attack.
 * Reflect: "Tomura"'s Quirk allows him to reflect any attack he receives with the same strength. This Quirk is destroyed by New Order.
 * Scatter: "Tomura"'s Quirk allows him to split up and multiple projectiles before firng them.
 * Burst: The Near High-End Nomu's unnamed Quirk allows it to explode in a blinding flash of light.
 * Wing: The Near High-End Nomu's unnamed Quirk allows it to sprout large black wings, granting it the capabilities of flight. "Tomura" takes this Quirk allowing him to do the same.

Battles & Events

 * "Tomura Shigaraki" vs. Star and Stripe