My Hero Academia's Ending Explained Why Its Big Villain Is Actually a Hero

Summary Shigaraki's hatred for Heroes stemmed from his tragic past but he also wanted to inspire other rejects like his friends.

Shigaraki's goal was to create a world where outcasts are not rejected, appealing to followers like Spinner and Dabi.

Shigaraki's final words confirmed his desire to be a hero for the oppressed, showing a noble motive behind his actions.

Tomura Shigaraki, All For One’s apprentice and the leader of the League of Villains, is known for being one of the most ruthless characters in My Hero Academia. After the tragic death of his family, Shigaraki developed a burning hatred for Heroes, hoping to use his power to destroy the world that turned its back on him.

Yet, Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of the manga series, could have implied that Shigaraki was hiding a heroic side of himself. Behind his destructive rampage could hide a young man who wanted to inspire others just like Deku does. This revelation seems to have been confirmed during Shgaraki’s final moments in My Hero Academia chapter 423.

Related My Hero Academia Confirms The Darkest Theory About Its Villain Chapter 418 of My Hero Academia seems to confirm that a popular fan theory is true, revealing the true extent of All for One's manipulation of Tomura.

Shigaraki Is a Hero For the Oppressed

Shigaraki Confirmed He Wanted to Be a hero for People Like Spinner

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In chapter 418 of the My Hero Academia manga, Tenko Shimura revealed to Deku that he tried to remain a villain due to those who looked up to him. His mind conjured the images of his friends, the members of the League of Villains. Shigaraki claimed he wanted to be a Hero for people like them, those abandoned and rejected by society. These motives fit Tenko’s character perfectly, as he was shown to have dreamed about saving people as a child. While Shigaraki may have wanted to destroy Hero Society, his desires were motivated by his anger and loneliness.

Tomura Shigaraki fought until the end to destroy. - Tenko Shimura

Shigaraki wanted to create a world where people would not be outcasts for being different. Spinner, one of Shigaraki’s most loyal friends, began following the leader of the League of Villains for this same reason. Due to his Heteromorph-Type Quirk, Spinner had to endure discrimination for most of his life. He saw Shigaraki’s goals as a way to achieve a world in which people with heteromorph abilities would not be considered lesser humans. Many other members of the League also saw Shigaraki as the solution to their problems.

Toya Todoroki, the eldest son of the Number One Hero Endeavor, suffered from constant abuse during his childhood at the hands of his father. He wanted to destroy the society that allowed people like his father to become beloved heroes. Like Spinner, Dabi’s goal aligned perfectly with Shigaraki’s ideals, enticing him to join the League and follow their leader. Shigaraki became a symbol, someone whom people with nothing left to lose saw as an inspiration. His presence brought hope to his friends and other marginalized members of Hero Society.

Shigaraki Was His Own Kind of "Hero" Until the End

Tenko’s Last Words Prove He Wanted to Be Spinner’s Her.

After All For One was defeated, Tenko had a few moments to speak with Midoriya before his vestige would disappear. Shigaraki used this opportunity to ask Deku to convey a message to Spinner. The message was that Tomura Shigaraki continued to destroy until the very end. One of the reasons why Spinner became so close with Tenko was due to their mutual desire to destroy Hero Society. Shigaraki’s last words seem to be the young Villain’s attempt to give his friend some comfort after his death.

Shigaraki is a clear example of this phenomenon, becoming a symbol of hope and change for the villains, just like Deku became a symbol for the rest of the world.

While these words may not seem as important at first glance, they are the definitive proof that Shigaraki still wanted to be a hero. He still wanted to inspire people like Spinner, demonstrating that he remained firm and unchanged even after death. Tenko may have abandoned his desire to be a hero like All Might when he met All For One, but his heroic spirit never disappeared. While his actions can never be forgiven, it is hard to argue that Shigaraki had no noble or heroic motives for acting that way.

One of the core values of the My Hero Academia world is that anyone can be a hero. Nevertheless, Horikoshi has made it clear that fighting Villains is not the only way to prove one's heroic spirit. Shigaraki is a clear example of this phenomenon, becoming a symbol of hope and change for the villains, just like Deku became a symbol for the rest of the world.