My Hero Academia has been around for years now, and its creator has tied in tons of pop culture nods to the story. From Star Wars to DC Comics and even theme parks, My Hero Academia is a treasure trove of references. It can be hard to spot all the nods, but netizens do their best to suss out what Kohei Horikoshi has hidden throughout the manga. And now, the artist has confirmed our suspicions of Dabi’s ties with Resident Evil.
The whole thing came to light in My Hero Academia volume 39. The manga release just went live in Japan, and it was there Horikoshi posted plenty of behind the scenes secrets. In one section, Horikoshi listed his favorite art featured in volume 39, and he had something interesting to say about his Dabi pick.
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“I drew this piece with the goal of it looking like it came from the game Resident Evil,” Horikoshi wrote. As you can see above, the artist shared this secret about one of his Dabi pieces, and it is rather horrifying. After all, Dabi looks more like a demon than a man, and his skin has been entirely charred black.
If you are caught up with My Hero Academia, Horikoshi’s reference to Resident Evil with Dabi is hardly shocking. The villain has always had a macabre design given his scars, burns, and stapled skin. However, things only get worse in the page of volume 39. Dabi’s final stand against Shoto Todoroki and Endeavor is akin to torture. Dabi all but cooks himself alive to show up his family, but the Todoroki gang is not one to crumple easily. Horikoshi wanted to convey Dabi’s twisted nature during this fight, and given his love of pop culture, Resident Evil came to his mind.
After all, Resident Evil hardly needs an introduction. The iconic video game series is known for its ghoulish, gory designs. From zombies to werewolf and fungal parasites, Resident Evil has it all, and every bit of it is made to look terrifying. And sadly, Dabi’s dive off the deep end has made him look the part of a Resident Evil boss.
What do you think about Horikoshi’s take on Resident Evil with Dabi…? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
