My Hero Academia chapter 373 hints that Shirakumo may be the one in control of Kurogiri

My Hero Academia chapter 373 raw scans and spoilers were released on Wednesday, November 16, allegedly presenting an exciting issue to be officially released later this week. While the series' spoiler process is usually very reliable, fans should be wary of what raw scans depict until the issue's official release.

This is especially true for My Hero Academia chapter 373, which sees Kurogiri (at the issue’s end) use a very suspicious Japanese word to refer to himself. While fans should no doubt wait until the issue’s official Japanese release before calling it confirmed, the historically reliable raw scans are likely correct in their portrayal of Kurogiri’s words.

Follow along as this article fully breaks down why My Hero Academia chapter 373 may hint that Shirakumo is the one in control of Kurogiri.

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Kurogiri’s use of “ore” rather than “watashi” crux of argument for Shirakumo being in control in My Hero Academia chapter 373

My Hero Academia chapter 373’s spoilers and raw scans continue from where the previous issue ended, showcasing both Present Mic and Spinner calling out to Shirakumo/Kurogiri. The beginning of the issue focused on Mezo Shoji and his efforts to quell the tempers of mutants outside of the hospital, which he successfully does.

The issue then focuses on Mic and Spinner, where each has brief flashbacks explaining why they want to reach either Shirakumo or Kurogiri, respectively. Present Mic says that he wants to ensure that Aizawa, now having lost a leg and an eye and being incapable of hero work, has at least some good memories to look back on. It’s even implied that, if Shirakumo is unable to be himself, Mic feels he shouldn’t come back in any form.

Spinner, meanwhile, realizes that more than anything he wants to be able to reach and stand next to Tomura Shigaraki. In what seems to be his final moments of consciousness for the war, he’s able to thrust one of Shigaraki’s hands from his older villain outfits into the face of Kurogiri. This seemingly wakes up Kurogiri, who tells Present Mic that he is the one who protects Tomura Shigaraki.

The My Hero Academia chapter 373 raw scans, however, contained an inconsistency in a line that many fans immediately noticed. Kurogiri is seen referring to himself using the term “ore” rather than the term “watashi.” The latter term is what Kurogiri has historically used to refer to himself, due to his formal and polite, albeit villainous, characterization throughout the series.

Fans also pointed out that Shirakumo uses the phrase “ore” to refer to himself, as seen in the mainline My Hero Academia series, as well as Vigilantes. This is also generally true for teenage boys in shonen manga, who typically lack the formality to refer to themselves as "watashi."

Combined with the fact that details of Shirakumo’s visage are seen shining through Kurogiri’s fog, fans are taking this as an almost certain indicator that Shirakumo is in control. Subtle language choices such as the ones mentioned have been shown to be deliberate choices by many mangaka before series author and illustrator Kohei Horikoshi, lending further credence to this theory.

If true, then this would mean that Shirakumo is indeed in control at the end of My Hero Academia chapter 373, and is likely trying to fool the villains into thinking Kurogiri is back. This will likely parlay into a defining moment in the war which sees “Kurogiri” betray All For One and Tomura Shigaraki.

In the process, he’ll likely lock up a victory for the Pro Heroes in this conflict, given how confident All For One was in Warp Gate’s ability to shift the battle. While this will no doubt lead to some heartbreaking discussions between Kurogiri and various League members, it will be an incredibly gratifying moment for readers who’ve been wanting Shirakumo to come back.

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