Shigaraki's death in My Hero Academia will remain Horikoshi's biggest mistake

Modified Sep 11, 2024 08:30 GMT

My Hero Academia is a groundbreaking series that concluded a flurry of emotions and actions, leaving fans with a myriad of thoughts and debates. One of the most discussed points among them would be the death of Shigaraki Tomura, pretty much a controversial character towards the end.

Now that the dust has finally settled from the release of the final chapter, many fans are seeking to consider what exactly Shigaraki's death implies for the story.

The series reached its conclusion in a complicated, thrilling fashion, though many still frown on this plot development as a highly critical misstep of creator Kohei Horikoshi. Shigaraki's end could be considered one of the major oversights of what was otherwise a masterfully crafted conclusion, and it might have impacted the resolution of the story.

Killing off Shigaraki is Horikoshi's biggest mistake as this ended Shigaraki's chance at redemption and a deeper story conclusion.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers from the manga.

How My Hero Academia creator Horikoshi's killing off Shigaraki Tomura was a mistake, explained

Shigaraki Tomura as seen in anime (Image via Studio Bones)

In My Hero Academia, Kohei Horikoshi has committed his biggest narrative mistake by killing off Shigaraki Tomura, a character whose tragic backstory and relentless quest for redemption deserved so much more thought into how it would be resolved.

From his trauma-soaked childhood, with him watching his family die in front of him to the manipulative abuse he suffered at the hands of All For One, Shigaraki lived a life entrenched in hurt and pain. This made him one of the most intriguing villains in modern shonen anime, struggling as much with his destructive Quirk as with his heinous past.

Despite his tendencies to destroy, Shigaraki's vulnerabilities, and those brief glimpses of his humanity— especially those moments where he showed remorse and longing for a different life— indicated that he was on the verge of a major shift.

Young Shigaraki as seen in anime (Image via Studio Bones)

The storyline surrounding Shigaraki's death felt purely like a shock mechanism, further ruining the possibilities of a tactical resolution. It was so close to healing and a much happier ending for him that this sudden death feels like a lost opportunity where character development and redemption are concerned.

What this did was deprive the audience of a deep psychological exploration of his trauma, and his possible redemption, which had mostly intertwined itself within the threads of the series' narrative. By doing this, Horikoshi lost an opportunity to give a much deeper and more satisfying conclusion to one of his most compelling characters.

Final thoughts

Shigaraki Tomura's death was one of the worst mistakes of Kohei Horikoshi in My Hero Academia. A character with such a deeply traumatic past and such a highly complex way to redemption deserved an ending that did some justice to his journey, rather than just a shock factor.

The near-achievement of healing and the tantalizing possibility of redemption were cut short, leaving many fans and critics to lament the missed opportunity for a more profound and satisfying conclusion. This arguably detracted from the otherwise masterful narrative and impacted the overall resolution of the series.

Related links:

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay