Tomura's biggest turning point in My Hero Academia is one most fans don't realize

My Hero Academia is nearing the finish line, as the last panels of the manga have been drawn. Though the anime isn’t over, the Kohei Horikoshi masterpiece is in the last stages, and for fans, this might be the last time they connect with their favorite characters, as there haven’t been any announcements of a spin-off.

One character that viewers still revisit from My Hero Academia is Tomura Shigaraki. He is one of anime’s most enigmatic villains and an example of how to write a villain properly. Unlike most anime villains who are shown to desire good behind all their evil actions, Tomura wants chaos in the My Hero Academia world. This principle made him a difficult villain to face, as he served as a parallel to the heroes who wanted to save.

Some fans speculated that chapter 270, when he was being revived with All For One’s abilities, might have been the last time Tomura Shigaraki existed. In that chapter and the next, viewers saw a Tomura who acted with a greater thirst for destruction. This has led fans to call it the character's most crucial turning point.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s opinion and may contain spoilers from My Hero Academia.

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Was Tomura’s initial death in My Hero Academia responsible for his transformation?

Tomura's brush with death is what makes him free (Image via Studio Bones)

Some viewers speculate Tomura Shigaraki's brush with death in the Jakku Hospital to be his first turning point. In that arc, Tomura destroys memories. Every tie to the past is no more. His costume also changes as he drops the hands of his family members that were attached to him.

Tomura Shigaraki doesn’t operate in fear after Jakku Hospital Arc. He has shed his identity as Tenko Shimura and doesn’t regain it until much later in the series. His actions are also more callous, with an intent to thoroughly destroy the public.

Shigaraki always wanted to be acknowledged, and many actions he takes as a villain embody that. His appearance in the public eye and League of Villains being more popular makes him happier. He hugs the spotlight and gets annoyed at the idea of having to share it with anyone. That’s why he is angry at Stain and, by extension, any person who joins the League of Villains because of Stain’s ideology. In Jakku Hospital, that part of him dies.

A huge explanation for this transformation can be attributed to All For One. Kyudai Garaki tried to make Tomura Shigaraki a perfect host for All For One. That process didn’t just transmit quirks but also the villain’s consciousness. This is why Tomura and All For One wage a battle for control in the final chapters of My Hero Academia.

Tomura acts differently post Jakku Hospital because he is not the same person. This is why his psyche starts falling apart when he realizes that he has always been a pawn and that everything was orchestrated by All For One. This realization sets back every change that was done in the Jakku Hospital. It also worsens when Deku's quirks are forcibly transferred to Tomura as they wage a battle on the inside and further enable his mental deterioration.

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Final thoughts

The Jakku Hospital is a major turning point for Tomura in My Hero Academia and a catalyst for the series' biggest battles. Many also ignore another brief moment in the series, which happened in chapter 69: the first meeting between Deku and Tomura.

When they meet, Tomura wonders why society does not revere him despite causing so much damage. He also talks about how he hates Stain and why Stain gets more attention than him. Deku explains that Stain has a creed, whereas Tomura Shigaraki doesn’t. This is the villain’s first epiphany, and it makes him realize what he needs to do: kill All Might and destroy society’s idea of peace.

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