Summary
My Hero Academiais filled to the brim withdeep and interesting antagoniststhat the many heroes are forced to fight on countless occasions. From tragic agents of chaos like Dabi to the Symbol of Evil himself, All For One. But among this colorful cast of memorable villains, there’s one that stands out significantly more than the others, and that is none other thanTomura Shigaraki.
From the moment he was introduced, this strange character with decaying powers quickly cemented himself as one of the most intimidating villains, and he got even better with time as he slowly got more character development. And now, as the manga is approaching its conclusion, it’s important to highlight the many reasons whyShigaraki is the best villain in all ofMy Hero Academia.
8His Tragic Backstory Is Well Written
One Of The Darkest Moments In The Series
Tomura Shigaraki was the leader of the League of Villains for many years before readers could get a deep look at the origins of this iconic antagonist. And they were not ready, because Shigaraki’s backstory serves as one of thedarkest moments in all ofMy Hero Academia, and series' author Kohei Horikoshi completely delivered on its premise.
The abuse from his father caused by Nana Shimura’s absence, the accidental killing of his entire family when his Decay Quirk was activated, and the cruel manipulation of All For One. All of these elements not only made audiences empathize with Shigaraki, but they also tie in with one of the series’ main themes: Japan’s society has an unhealthy dependence on Pro Heroes, and since nobody helped him when he was at his lowest, Shigaraki is looking to fix that issue.
7His Personality Is Really Unique
He Is Crazy But Oddly Charismatic
When writing villains for anime or manga, a lot of authors focus way too much on power and motivations but forget to write interesting personalities. Fortunately, this is not what happened with Tomura Shigaraki; this is a character who feels truly unhinged while being surprisingly likable at the same time.
Shigaraki is an odd yet unique character who has no issue with toying with his opponents and laughing at their misery, but he also has an unexpected sense of honor for a villain, especially when it comes to hisfriends from the League of Villains. He’s extremely ambitious and never forgot about his true objectives. At the end of the day, Shigaraki is still a child at heart, and this can still be seen from time to time when he drops his more twisted facade.
6His Character Growth Is Amazing
One Of The Best Developed Characters In The Series
When Tomura Shigaraki was first introduced duringthe U.S.J. Arc, most audiences found him to be strange and somewhat pathetic. He didn’t seem to make that much of an impact, especially because it looked like he was just All For One’s underling and not much more. But this quickly changed with time, as it eventually became evident that he was always supposed to be the main villain ofMy Hero Academia.
Shigaraki went through a lot of significant growth throughout the series, caused by both positive and negative events. He came to terms with his past, he realized what his true goals were, his Quirk evolved into its true form, and his personality slightly changed to fit his new role as the leader of theParanormal Liberation Front. By the end of the series, Shigaraki had become an intimidating villain that could surpass even All For One himself.
5His Design Is Incredibly Unique
No Other Manga Or Comic Book Villain Looks Like Him
If there’s one area in which Kohei Horikoshi stands out as a mangaka, it’s in hisincredible character designs. In his introduction, Tomura Shigaraki immediately grabbed the audience’s attention with his malnourished body and his disturbing hand accessories, two features that also perfectly reflect his backstory and personality.
But Shigaraki’s appearance only got better with time, as he wore different attires as his character was developing. He later became extremely intimidating after unlocking his Quirk’s true potential, thanks to his white hair, red cape, and unhinged expression. Lastly, he became even more disturbing when his body evolved in order to adapt to all of his new quirks, as he gained countless hands, arms, and other limbs that made him look like a real monster, circling back to his original design at the same time.
4His Powers Are Very Dangerous
The Decay Quirk Poses A Real Threat To The Heroes
In an action shonen manga likeMy Hero Academia, it is important for the main antagonists to have powerful abilities that allow them to go toe-to-toe against the main protagonist. In the case of Tomura Shigaraki, he originally wielded the Decay Quirk, which, like the name implies, lets him slowly decay everything he touches. While it was mildly dangerous at first, it didn’t pose a true threat to everyone until Shigaraki accepted its existence and evolved it so he didn’t even need to touch someone in order to eliminate them, as the decay could be spread through the floor.
Shigaraki was responsible for the deaths of many people because of this newfound power. And, on top of that, he also inherited the All For One quirk from his mentor, meaning that he could also use multiple other quirks that allowed him to fly, regenerate wounds, and exchange blows with the strongest of heroes, like Izuku Midoriya or Endeavor. ButDecay remained his preferred poweruntil the end, and with good reason. After all, this quirk perfectly fit his mentality and main objective: to destroy everything and everyone.
3His Complex Relationship With All For One
Shigaraki Both Appreciated And Despised His Mentor
Tomura Shigaraki would never have become the feared villain he was if it wasn’t forthe help of All For One. The symbol of evil not only saved him and validated his negative thoughts on Pro Heroes, but he also allowed him to get stronger and was partially responsible for his evolution as a true menace to Hero Society. For most of the series, Shigaraki saw All For One as his mentor, similarly to what All Might was doing for Izuku.
However, the infamous villain always had ulterior motives for helping Shigaraki, and they were slowly revealed: All For One needed a new body to inhabit in order to steal One For All, and the young villain was the perfect subject for this, which led to the countless years of manipulation. When Shigaraki realized that All For One wanted to erase his personality and consciousness, he immediately rejected him and even grew to resent his mentor. This is a really complex and fascinating relationship that added more depth to each character.
2He’s A Perfect Foil For Izuku Midoriya
Shigaraki And Deku Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin
One of the most interesting relationships inMy Hero Academiawas that between Tomura Shigaraki and the series’ protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. They were always supposed to be counterparts to each other, even if it was not immediately evident when Shigaraki was first introduced. As previously mentioned, Shigaraki was supposed to become the next symbol of evil after All For One, in the same vein as Deku was supposed to become the next symbol of peace after All Might.
The clever connections did not end there, as Shigaraki slowly became stronger due to psychological torture, manipulation, and scientific alterations, while Deku became stronger thanks to his training, discipline, intelligence, and the help of his friends and mentor, two completely different methods for achieving a similar goal. However, the fact that the young hero stillsaw Shigaraki as an equaland wanted to save his soul until the very end was truly inspiring, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most endearing plot points in the entire series.
1His Resolution Was Perfect
The End of Shigaraki Was Bittersweet But Expected
Throughout the later arcs of the series, Deku is met with a difficult question: Should he kill Tomura Shigaraki after all he has done, or could his soul be saved from the clutches of All For One? This was brought up constantly during the Final War, and while fans had mixed reactions to many of this arc’s plot points, there’s no denying that Shigaraki’s story was concluded perfectly.
After an intense yet epic fight with Deku, All For One took over Shigaraki’s body one last time, and the young hero could witness all of his suffering and baggage. Thanks to the assistance of his many friends and allies, Izuku managed to get one last hit on the villain, ultimately defeating All For One and freeing Shigaraki’s soul in the process. While theMy Hero Academiamanga still hasn’t ended, this was the absolute best way Tomura Shigaraki’s character arc could have concluded. He paid for all of his evil actions, but he could also be saved from his abuser.
