Summary

• Shigaraki's redemption is crucial to the ending of My Hero Academia, and Chapter #361 hints that Deku will save him against all odds.
• Shigaraki's outburst reveals a vulnerable side, proving that he is still a lonely boy in need of acceptance and understanding.
• Killing Shigaraki would only provide a hollow ending, whereas saving him would send a hopeful message and address larger problems in hero society.

As the series finally kicks off the deciding battle against Shigaraki, Shigaraki's fate is crucial to My Hero Academia's ending and could make or break the series.

Chapter #361 of My Hero Academia hinted that Shigaraki may still possess a shred of humanity, revealing a surprisingly vulnerable side to his character, suggesting Deku will indeed save him against all odds. In the chapter, Shigaraki displays a strong reaction to Mirio's comment about him lacking friends. The comment appears to have struck a personal chord, as Shigaraki is quick to deny the statement with an unusual reference to two of his childhood friends and his old family dog, Mon.

Odd as it may be, Shigaraki's outburst proves that, at his core, Shigaraki is indeed the lonely little boy Deku sees him as, desperate to be understood, accepted, and saved. The interaction also paints Shigaraki's character in a sympathetic light, creating hope for his redemption despite his actions.

Deku Needs to Save Shigaraki Against All Odds

Shigaraki's outburst in chapter #361 entirely recontextualizes his character, proving that there are still traces of Tenko left in him despite his exterior. The series has made it abundantly clear that Shigaraki is a persona Tenko crafted to protect himself, a wall built from his traumatic experiences, guilt, and anger at hero society for rejecting him and not saving him when he needed it the most. That said, this does not mean the two are separate entities. Tenko and Shigaraki are inextricably linked, and it may not be possible for Deku to save one without saving the other as well.

Though Shigaraki has become the very epitome of destruction, he still appears to be just as hurt as he was as a child and is arguably just as much in need of saving as Tenko. Even as Shigaraki mocks Deku's choice to save him in chapter #411, his remarks seem directed more towards himself than Deku, possibly reflecting his own opinion of himself. It is likely that Shigaraki too views himself as beyond redemption, thus forcing him to continue down the only path left open to him. In turn, this proves exactly why Deku needs to save him, regardless of how controversial the decision may be.

Killing Shigaraki Does Not Solve the Larger Problem

Considering the threat Shigaraki poses, killing him would certainly be the easiest way out. However, his death would make for a hollow, empty ending. Despite becoming the very epitome of destruction, Shigaraki's actions are still motivated by his desire to create a world where he and the League of Villains can finally simply exist, even if he has to destroy everything first to do so.

Both Shigaraki and the League of Villains represent the biggest problems with hero society, such as the general prejudice towards less sightly quirks like Spinner's, the demonization of quirks like Toga and Tenko's, and most importantly the lack of rehabilitation for villains.

Quirk society has left such individuals with no choice but to turn to crime and become villains, and once they do, there is no redemption for them or any way to turn their lives around.

Hence, if Deku can redeem even a villain like Shigaraki, the hopeful message it would send to conflicted and troubled individuals like the League of Villains would make for a vastly more compelling ending for My Hero Academia than the hollow victory of simply killing Shigaraki would.

My Hero Academia is available from MANGA Plus and Viz Media.

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