The Paranormal Liberation War has been one of the bloodiest battles in the history of My Hero Academia, with both the heroes and villains of the world suffering casualties and with the death of Gran Torino being fresh in the minds of fans following the latest chapter of the manga, the death of Midoriya’s mentor might not be a bad thing. Gran Torino first appeared to Midoriya as a mentor, revealing that he was one of the teachers that showed All Might the ropes of crime fighting, revealing his Quirk that allowed him to bounce around at high speeds but even this couldn’t save him from the power of Shigaraki!
Videos by ComicBook.com
What do you think of Gran Torino’s death? Who do you think won’t survive the story arc of the Paranormal Liberation War? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and UA Academy!
The Endless Mentors Of Midoriya
With the likes of All Might, Eraserhead, Endeavor, and the countless other teachers of UA Academy, Midoriya has a lot of different places to look when it comes to mastering his powers. While Gran Torino was instrumental in teaching him how to control his “cowling” and amplify the One For All Quirk lying within, the elderly hero had taken a role within his life that was practically non-existent. As My Hero Academia marched on, Deku has become more comfortable in his role and perhaps he no longer needs any mentors to start his professional career, that is if he manages to beat Shigaraki!
Raises The Stakes For The Paranormal Liberation War
While we’ve already lost the likes of Twice on the villain side of things and a cadre of some lesser heroes thanks in part to the awakening of Shigaraki, the death of Gran Torino goes a long way in showing that no one is safe in this titanic struggle between the crime fighters and the antagonists of the series. With the fight seemingly far from over, the death of Torino shows that Shigaraki isn’t afraid to murder any hero that stands in his way and unleashes the full fury of Deku in the process.
Much Needed Midoriya Motivation
While Midoriya has been playing what is essentially crowd control during the Paranormal Liberation War, helping citizens alongside Bakugo, Todoroki, and his fellow classmates in Class 1-A, the death of Gran Torino has him taking off the kid gloves and going full throttle against Shigaraki. Attacking the villain responsible for his teacher’s death, Deku takes a devastating blow but his rage won’t stop him from attempting to get his revenge by bringing Shigaraki to justice, or perhaps killing him during their battle. Of all the lessons that Gran Torino taught Midoriya, perhaps his death is the most powerful lesson of all.
Exploring Gran Torino’s Past Life
In a round about way, less time devoted to Gran Torino’s present means more time can be dedicated to his past. With years of story yet untold regarding both the bouncing hero and the early lives of both All Might and Nana Shimura, Torino’s passing might give us more of an opportunity to wander through the past of this hero post-mortem.
Gran Torino’s Story Is Done
Finally, it was time for Gran Torino to leave us and it worked extremely well to not only establish how deadly Shigaraki has become but gave us a great sacrifice and send off to the elderly hero and teacher to Midoriya. While his death was certainly shocking and will hold ramifications for the world of My Hero Academia for years to come, it was definitely a great way for the professional hero to go out.
