My Hero Academia: Why Bakugo’s return is essential

My Hero Academia manga readers are still waiting for the potential return of Katsuki Bakugo in the final war.

2022 has been a very eventful year for the manga, especially with the highly controversial My Hero Academia Chapter 362. As the final war rages on with no signs of stopping, readers have expressed worries about the fate of Bakugo. He was last seen getting a hole in his chest from Tomura Shigaraki.

A few months later, the issue still hasn't been resolved. Bakugo remains lifeless on the ground while several Pro Heroes try resuscitating him. Of course, very few readers believe that he will truly stay dead in My Hero Academia. Bakugo's anticipated return is crucial to the overall plot.

Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It will also contain major spoilers from the manga.

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Here's why Bakugo needs to return in the final arc of My Hero Academia

There's too much effort going on to just let him die

Always keep in mind that My Hero Academia caters to a teenage audience in Weekly Shonen Jump. Kohei Horikoshi wants to instill heroic values of never giving up in the face of despair. From a narrative point of view, it would make perfect sense for Bakugo to make his return somehow.

In addition, several Pro Heroes are putting in a great deal of effort to keep him alive. Edgeshot is risking his own life to perform heart surgery on Bakugo. Meanwhile, heroes like Mirko and the Big Three held off Shigaraki for as long as they could, with the former losing her limbs in the process.

It would be entirely pointless for Horikoshi to waste panels on their efforts if Bakugo still dies in the end. My Hero Academia is not that kind of series in the first place. At some point, Bakugo needs to make a comeback in the final war. There is some business that he needs to take care of.

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The mystery involving the second OFA Quirk user

For reasons that remain unexplained, the second user of the OFA Quirk has a strong resemblance to Bakugo in My Hero Academia. They both have spiky blonde hair and very stern dispositions. Of course, the only difference is that the second user has a distinctive scar across his face.

AFO noticed this during Shigaraki's fight with Bakugo. At the climax of that battle, AFO thought back to the second user. He even started asking himself why Shigaraki was getting beaten up by somebody without the OFA Quirk.

Horikoshi is clearly setting up a major reveal in regards to Bakugo and the second user in My Hero Academia. There has to be a reason why the latter hasn't been named yet. If Bakugo does make his return, it will likely tie into the history and lore of the OFA Quirk somehow.

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Deku might not be able to defeat Shigaraki alone

With the use of the powerful Gearshift Quirk, Deku is clearly running the clock in My Hero Academia. Despite giving Shigaraki a good beating, he only has less than five minutes before his body gives out.

Realistically, the only hero that can provide support at this point is a revived Bakugo. The remaining Pro Heroes are either too weak or injured to do anything. Bakugo could be a deciding factor in how the series ends. It would be a poetic way to close out his rivalry and friendship with Deku.

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