My Hero Academia is somehow one of the most stressful things happening in 2020. The war between heroes and villains has turned into an all-out bloodbath during the initial Raid Arc, and the list of those falling in battle is getting bigger and more serious with each chapter. (SPOILERS Follow) The latest My Hero Academia took things to the next level of tension, as Katsuki Bakugo has seemingly been fatally wounded in the battle with Tomura Shigaraki. But like so many cliffhanger moments in My Hero Academia, things may not be quite as drastic as they seem. Here’s why:
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The key to My Hero Academia is (as always) in the details of Kohei Horikoshi’s art. After Shigaraki is nearly incinerated by Endeavor’s Prominence Burn super-move, All For One takes control of his body and attempts to attack Izuku Midoriya. But the attack wasn’t just a destructive one – the bladed tendrils that All For One shoots out are actually the “Forced Quirk Activation” that the villain has used several times before.
Forced Quirk Activation allows All For One to activate the quirk of another person, against his/her will. While it has been shown to leave behind some kind of injury (like on Endeavor), so far it has never been known to fatally injure anyone. Bakugo got hit in the shoulder and through the abdomen, so already his chances of avoiding death are good. Furthermore, the attack that hit Bakugo was actually meant for Izuku, and the goal was not to kill but to complete All For One’s ultimate goal: stealing Deku’s One For All power. So Bakugo has a very good chance of surviving – but that may not necessarily be the end of the threat.
As stated, Forced Quirk Activation can be used to activate a person’s quirk against his or her will – in Bakugo’s case, that could mean turning the young boy into a living bomb, while still using him as bait for coercing Izuku to give up One For All.
Still, even though it feels like My Hero Academia is pulling a major fake-out we don’t know anything for certain. The Paranormal Liberation War arc was always expected to have big stakes, and Bakugo dying has been a major concern for fans, all along. It would be a fitting end to Izuku and Bakugo’s arc if the latter sacrificed himself for his friend (something Deku did for “Kacchan” at the start of the series).
Then again, Bakugo is a major My Hero Academia fan-favorite, and fans would riot if he truly dies. There’s only so much we can take in 2020…
My Hero Academia is in production on season 5 of the anime. Online chapters of the manga can be found HERE.
