My Hero Academia has hit fans over the head with its latest major character death: Himiko Toga. The Final War Arc brought Toga and her rival Ochaco Uraraka face to face on the battlefield for a final showdown. Toga used the quirk power of her dead villain “brother” Twice to create an unstoppable army of duplicates that were overrunning the heroes – but thanks to Ochaco’s unique compassion, she was able to reach out and touch something inside Toga: a sense of camaraderie and friendship.
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(WARNING: MY HERO ACADEMIA CHAPTER 395 SPOILERS FOLLOW!)
Unfortunately, reaching Toga’s heart meant that Uraraka had to take quite a few knife stabs – including one that left the young heroine fatally bleeding out on the ground. In order for there to still be a world with good people like Ochaco in it, Toga decides to use her quirk in a way she never has before: by giving blood, instead of taking it.
Toga drinks Uraraka’s blood in her usual vampiric way, taking on her hero rival’s form. With Ochaco’s blood running in her veins, Toga gives Ochacho a blood transfusion that cannot fail – at the expense of using up her own blood. Toga dies lying hand-to-hand with Uraraka, having cemented a bond that Ochaco will remember forever…
…Or Did She?
Is Himiko Toga Really Dead?
There are a fair number of My Hero Academia fans who are wondering if Himiko Toga’s death is yet another fake-out for the series. While this death scene being near the end of the series makes it feel real and certain, there is room for a possible surprise.
As always, the moving target here seems to be what My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi defines as “heroism.” On the one hand, Toga’s death will make Ochacho forever look at the idea of “heroes” and “villains” differently, since she’ll have a villain’s blood literally running through her. On the other hand, My Hero Academia has repeatedly pushed the notion that its heroes lay their lives on the line – even for the worst villain – so Uraraka could turn around to give back to Toga by refusing to let her die.
As it stands, it seems that Himiko Toga got one of My Hero Academia’s greatest death scenes, while her personal arc – not to mention her rivalry with Ochacho – has arguably been one of the most complete and sensible ones in the series.
My Hero Academia’s new manga chapters are online to read.
