Spinner got the ending he deserved in My Hero Academia Epilogue, and it's not just because he's alive

Modified Jul 23, 2024 10:30 GMT

Spinner and Shigaraki as seen in the anime (image via Bones)

In My Hero Academia, the members of the League of Villains have become immensely popular among fans over time, with Spinner being one of the most underrated yet beloved characters in the entirety of the series.

Spinner made his debut in the series way back during the Hero Killer arc, where he joined the League of Villains after being deeply inspired by the Hero Killer Stain. Initially a minor villain, Spinner's presence and importance in the series grew over time, as he eventually became one of Tomura Shigaraki's most trusted comrades.

Spinner was also one of the first villains whose character arc was concluded in the ongoing epilogue of My Hero Academia. While some fans found his fate in the epilogue to be a bit underwhelming, especially compared to Shigaraki and Dabi, it should be noted that this perspective overlooks the depth of Spinner's character arc throughout the series, which makes his ending truly satisfactory.

Disclaimer: The article contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.

Explaining how Spinner's ultimate fate in My Hero Academia is the best possible ending for the character

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From his very first appearance in My Hero Academia, Spinner was shown to be an ardent believer in the ideologies of the Hero Killer Stain. Spinner was obsessed with Stain's methods to the point where he copied his clothing and even his weaponry style, aiming to follow in the Hero Killer's footsteps.

However, following Stain's ideologies led Spinner to develop a sense of morality, which was different than that of the rest of the League of Villains. As such, there were several instances where he questioned some of the League's actions and Tomura Shigaraki's motivations in particular.

Another interesting aspect of Spinner's character is the fact that throughout his life, he was treated as an outsider by everyone and had to live in recluse due to the discrimination he faced for his Mutant Quirk. He only found a purpose in life when he got inspired by Stain's will and joined the League of Villains.

That said, the events of the Meta Liberation Army arc completely changed Spinner's priorities, which pivoted from blindly following Stain's will to his newfound loyalty to Tomura Shigaraki and his cause. From thereon, Spinner also developed a strong sense of camaraderie towards the other League members, as he was seen showcasing genuine concern for Himiko Toga prior to her fight against Uraraka.

Spinner as seen in the anime (image via Bones)

As such, the Meta Liberation Army arc marked a significant change in Spinner's character, seeing as to how he became completely devoted to Shigaraki and wanted to help him achieve his dream of eradicating the Hero society at any cost.

Even after Spinner became the leader of the heteromorph movement and was subsequently abandoned by them after causing needless destruction, he ended up returning to his original resolve, which was to help and protect Shigaraki at any cost.

It should be noted that Spinner's loyalty and sense of friendship for Shigaraki wasn't one-sided, since the latter had asked Deku in his final moments to pass on a message to Spinner, which said that Shigaraki had fought to destroy everything even till the bitter end. In a way, this moment can be interpreted as Shigaraki being unwilling to let Spinner's efforts to help the former achieve his dream to destroy, go in vain.

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When Deku visited Spinner in My Hero Academia chapter 427, the latter was seen being extremely hostile toward the former, labeling him as a 'murderer' for causing Shigaraki's death. After Deku passed on Shigaraki's message to Spinner, the latter had an emotional breakdown, which caused him to go berserk and revert to his monstrous form.

Spinner claimed that Tomura Shigaraki gave him hope when he had given up on everything and that the latter was his hero. However, Spinner said that most of all, Shigaraki was his first friend. He expressed remorse at not being able to save his friend from his demise and ultimately ended up deciding to write a book about him and the League so that they wouldn't be forgotten by the world anytime soon.

The fact that Spinner is the only one loyal to Shigaraki even after the latter's death, is a very fitting conclusion for him. Although he was unable to protect him from certain death, Spinner was successful in helping Shigaraki achieve his goal of destroying everything, including All For One.

Spinner went from blindly following Stain's ideals to learning to follow his own ideals and deciding by himself that Tomura Shigaraki is his hero. As such, it can be argued that there is no other ending that would be more suitable for Spinner's character in My Hero Academia.