After nearly a decade of storytelling, My Hero Academia reached its long-anticipated conclusion with chapter 430. The final battle saw Deku push past his limits to defeat Shigaraki, ultimately losing One For All in the process. While the story tied up many loose ends and gave fans a satisfying resolution, Shigaraki’s fate remains one of its most controversial aspects.

As a character deeply rooted in tragedy, his death felt like a missed opportunity for the series to fully explore its themes of redemption, heroism, and the failures of hero society. Rather than being a casualty of his hatred, Shigaraki should have been saved, as his survival would have made for a more thematically resonant and thought-provoking ending for My Hero Academia.

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The Tragedy of Tomura Shigaraki

A Victim of Neglect and Manipulation

Before he was Tomura Shigaraki, he was Tenko Shimura—a frightened child who was abandoned by society. His tragic upbringing, filled with rejection and suffering, is at the heart of his descent into villainy. Tenko’s quirk, Decay, activated in a moment of terror, leading to the accidental destruction of his abusive family.

Instead of being saved by heroes, he was left alone, ignored, and ultimately picked up by All For One, who molded him into the leader of the League of Villains. His story is not one of inherent evil but of systemic failure—proof that hero society’s inability to address suffering created its own worst enemy.

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Shigaraki and Deku: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Deku and Shigaraki represent two divergent paths: one saved by heroism and another abandoned by it. Deku, once quirkless and powerless, was given an opportunity to rise through All Might’s mentorship. Shigaraki, on the other hand, was left to fester in his grief and anger under All For One’s influence.

Their clash was never just about good versus evil—it was a battle between what heroism should be and what it often fails to be. If Shigaraki had survived, it would have reinforced one of the core messages of My Hero Academia: that heroes should extend a hand even to those who seem beyond saving.

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Thematic Justifications for Shigaraki’s Survival

The Failure of Hero Society

As the series evolved, it increasingly highlighted how the hero system prioritized public image over genuine heroism. This was evident in how the system treated outcasts like Shigaraki and Spinner, as well as how heroes such as Hawks and Endeavor were forced to operate in morally gray areas.

Deku’s struggle to reach out to Shigaraki in their final fight echoed this idea, but the ultimate failure to save him felt like a contradiction to the series’ themes. If Shigaraki had survived, it would have signaled that even the most broken individuals could be given another chance—not absolved of their crimes, but given an opportunity to heal and change. After all, if Endeavor can, why not Shigaraki?

Redemption vs. Atonement

One of the most compelling aspects of villain redemption stories is how they navigate the line between atonement and forgiveness. Shigaraki didn’t need to be forgiven, nor did he need to be reinstated into society. However, his survival could have allowed him to acknowledge the pain he caused, perhaps through imprisonment or a self-imposed exile. The idea that villains can only atone through death is a limiting and outdated trope. Other shōnen series, such as Naruto with characters like Nagato and Obito, have explored villain redemption in more nuanced ways.

If Shigaraki had lived, he could have served as a symbol of hero society’s failure, a living reminder of what happens when those in need are ignored. His journey could have concluded with an effort to rebuild, to guide future generations away from his path, rather than simply being erased from the equation.

Alternative Endings That Could Have Worked

Shigaraki in Prison: A Symbol of Change

Rather than dying in battle, Shigaraki could have been sent to rehab, serving as a case study for how hero society needed to change. If handled properly, he could have been a voice advocating for better treatment of future generations of quirk users who might otherwise be pushed toward villainy. His presence would have forced the system to confront its flaws rather than sweep them under the rug.

Shigaraki’s Self-Exile: Breaking the Cycle of Hatred

Another possible ending would have seen Shigaraki, after being defeated, choosing to leave everything behind—rejecting both heroism and villainy. This would parallel characters like Sasuke from Naruto, who, after causing immense destruction, sought his own path toward atonement outside the confines of the established system. This approach would have emphasized that true change isn’t just about eliminating threats, but about breaking cycles of hatred and pain.

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A Last-Minute Rescue: A Hero Finally Extends a Hand

One of the most poignant ways Shigaraki could have survived would be through a last-minute intervention. Perhaps, instead of simply defeating him, Deku could have succeeded in reaching his heart. Even if it had taken All Might, Nana Shimura’s spirit, or even Spinner making one final plea, a moment where Shigaraki finally chooses to live rather than be consumed by hate would have been far more impactful than his death.

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If You Could Undo One Death in My Hero Academia, Who Would You Choose?

Honestly, I’d probably have to go with Stain or Toga, as I believe they were both villains who could have been something totally different. It would have been nice to see them grow from their pasts in some way shape or form, even as unrealistic as that seems for what they had done. Toga in particular was just so young, it felt rather tragic that she ended up where she did and then her decisions ultimately led her to die at such a young age. In both of these characters, “good” was showcased in them on more than one occasion, which is truly the type of villain that I enjoy in storytelling.

My Hero Academia Missed the Opportunity for a More Meaningful Ending

The death of Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia was not just the end of a villain—it was the loss of a powerful thematic resolution. His survival could have cemented the series’ message that no one is beyond saving, reinforcing the idea that true heroism is about more than just defeating enemies. Instead, the series leaned into the all-too-common trope of villain death as redemption, missing the chance to explore the consequences of hero society’s failures in a more profound way.

While My Hero Academia’s ending remains strong in many aspects, Shigaraki’s fate stands as one of its most significant missed opportunities—one that could have added layers of depth to an already compelling story.