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Did Tomura Shigaraki die in My Hero Academia? Discover the final fate of the villain and the origins of his tragic character.
My Hero Academia had an abundance of memorable antagonists who challenged the ideals of the heroes. Among these, Tomura Shigaraki was the most distinctive one, constantly facing the protagonists from the start to the final arc of the series. So, did Tomura Shigaraki die in My Hero Academia?
In the Final War Arc of My Hero Academia, Tomura Shigaraki died after an intense battle with Deku and the other heroes. However, the cause of his death was multi-layered. Let us take a closer look at this.
How Did Tomura Shigaraki Die in My Hero Academia?
The Final War Arc followed the combined forces of All For One and Tomura Shigaraki facing off against all the heroes in My Hero Academia.
Shigaraki’s Decay Quirk had significantly evolved, and he received his master’s All For One Quirk, which allowed him to steal the abilities of others. This had made him an indomitable force in the series.
Nevertheless, Deku and the vestiges of past One For All users in his Quirk were able to find a way to deal with him. Due to the accumulated damages faced by Shigaraki and an injury left by Star and Stripe, it was possible to break him down from the inside.
Due to this, Deku gradually began transferring his Quirks and their vestiges inside Shigaraki’s body. Through this, the users were able to cause inner turmoil inside Shigaraki’s body.
At this point, Deku was able to take advantage and used the embers of the One For All Quirk he had transferred earlier to Shigaraki to land a decisive blow.
As Tomura Shigaraki’s body lay crumbling, All For One managed to take control after having faced defeat in his battle against Bakugo. However, despite taking control of Shigaraki’s body, the entire class of U.A. reunited to face the terrifying hero.
Following a dynamic battle, All For One eventually exhausted his powers and couldn’t stop Shigaraki’s body from crumbling. As Deku approached All For One to finish him off, the traces of Shigaraki’s spirit showed up again to hold back his master’s control over his body.
This allowed Deku to destroy the body, which caused Tomura Shigaraki to die in My Hero Academia.
Was Tomura Shigaraki’s Death Justified in My Hero Academia?
Tomura Shigaraki was a very unique villain in My Hero Academia. Along with the growth of the heroes, we were also able to see Shigaraki’s growth from a small-time villain to the greatest threat in the entire series.
During the final battle, both he and All For One were causing mayhem at separate locations but eventually fell due to the combined powers of the heroes. This left questions about the justification for Tomura Shigaraki’s death.
Some fans believe that Shigaraki had been built up to be the main villain of the series, and his death was a shallow attempt at trying to allow him to redeem himself. Shigaraki’s development in the series had pointed towards him being a cold villain who was extremely strong.
While Tomura Shigaraki dying might have been unavoidable, the manner in which it was executed could have sucked out the excitement from the villain. This was because it revealed that he was still just a scared young boy on the inside, and the true villain of My Hero Academia was All For One.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are also others who believe it was highly justified. Since Shigaraki had been manipulated by All For One for most of his life and had been a tragic character in his own right, it was only fitting for him to die in a blaze of glory while helping kill All For One.
Both sides of the argument have legitimate reasons for the justification surrounding Shigaraki’s death. However, it can be agreed that Tomura Shigaraki getting payback against All For One was very deserved. Finally freeing himself from the chains that held him down made for a very touching moment.
Why Was Tomura Shigaraki’s Character Tragic?
Tomura Shigaraki’s past was extremely depressing and tragic. Born Tenko Shimura, he had faced heavy abuse at the hands of his father, who hated heroes.
Having no support from his family, his Quirk also manifested at an unfortunate period. Since Decay was extremely destructive, Shigaraki had no control over it as a child. This caused him to unintentionally kill his whole family. To cope with the trauma of his actions, he became a villain and was taken by All For One.
In a shocking reveal, it was shown that All For One had controlled Shigaraki right from the very start. The Decay Quirk had been something secretly transferred to the young boy using All For One’s Quirk. Hoping for it to spiral out of control, the villain intended to bring Shigaraki under his reigns and trap him.
This made Shigaraki akin to his puppet while continuing the cycle of hatred. Hence, out of the sheer circumstances he was forced upon, Shigaraki was tragically molded into a fearsome villain.
Did Tomura Shigaraki Become Stronger Than All For One?
Since Shigaraki and All For One had been allies who turned into enemies at the last moments of the Final War Arc, fans wondered who was stronger.
All For One’s Quirk allowed him to steal the Quirk of others and stockpile them during battle. Due to his decades of experience, he could apply clever tactics in battle and outwit opponents.
Shigaraki, on the other hand, was able to disintegrate anything he wanted with Decay. Additionally, Shigaraki also had his master’s All For One Quirk due to the latter imprinting on him.
When comparing their abilities, it wouldn’t be surprising if Shigaraki ultimately emerged victorious in a battle against All For One. All For One’s big advantage was that he used Shigaraki as a pawn and could control him however he wanted. However, Shigaraki had broken free of this in My Hero Academia.
While both of their Quirks relied on physical contact to apply, Shigaraki’s was far more devastating. Along with this, he had All For One’s Quirk. Most importantly, however, Tomura Shigaraki was a desperate villain who would do whatever it took to not die and win.
This desperation was seen several times, such as in his battles in the Meta Liberation Army Arc and against Star and Stripe. This would push him to find a way to defeat the confident and seasoned All For One.
There is room for debate on this since the duo had never fought each other. However, based on their Quirks and mindset, the likely scenario would be the pupil overtaking the master.
The Aftermath of Shigaraki’s Death in My Hero Academia
Tomura Shigaraki’s death in My Hero Academia signified a drastic change in the times as well as the flaws of society.
After his death, Deku had gone to Spinner to convey Shigaraki’s final words. These told Spinner of how Shigaraki kept fighting to destroy until his bitter end.
To this, Spinner got extremely emotional and called Tomura Shigaraki his hero. He went on to explain how Shigaraki had interests of his own and had allowed the villains to find a place in society.
Deku responded by saying that he would share that memory of Shigaraki and never forget him. This aftermath showed the injustices of hero society by classifying people into “heroes” and “villains.” Rather than looking into the reasons why they became villains, they were treated as horrible terrorists to peace.
While Deku and his friends could not change society overnight, they could only work towards mutual understanding and reaching out to those in need. This would help in preventing any future tragedies like Tomura Shigaraki.
Conclusion
Tomura Shigaraki was an extremely complex character in My Hero Academia who shone a light on the fact that villains were not born from birth but out of circumstance. He helped characters in the show and the fans watching to realize that hero society was far from how bright it looked.
His actions may have been extremely damaging, but they also helped Deku and the new generation of heroes pay attention to the stories of villains while forging a better path to the future.
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