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While readers were making fun of Mirio’s “you have never had any friends” comment in the last chapter, My Hero Academia chapter 361 proved the importance of that statement. The fight for control inside Shigaraki’s body has always been a subject of debate, but this chapter clarifies that there are not two, but three sides involved in this struggle.
On the other hand, My Hero Academia chapter 361 also presents the most unlikely member of the Big 3 as the trump card against Shigaraki. The nature of Tamaki’s Quirk and the vast reach of its application has always interested avid fans, and this chapter puts that theory into practice.
My Hero Academia chapter 361 sets up Shigaraki vs Suneater
In the last chapter, the Big 3 worked together to rescue Bakugo and return him to Best Jeanist. Despite being severely injured, Bakugo continued to analyze the fight.
Mirio and Shigaraki came to a clash when Mirio hit the villain with a combination of his strength and Nejire’s wave. Mirio discarded AFO’s argument for a better society and told him that he simply lacked friends.
My Hero Academia chapter 361 is titled “Abnormal Happenings.”
AFO, Tomura, and Tenko
My Hero Academia chapter 361 begins with a glimpse of Tenko Shimura, trapped inside Tomura Shigaraki, similar to Chapter 334. Aggravated by Mirio’s accusation, Tenko momentarily takes control of Shigaraki’s body and loudly proclaims that he has friends.
Shocked by this outburst, Mirio apologizes for his words and simultaneously notices that Shigaraki’s main body is sturdy enough to withstand his and Nejire’s combined attacks.
AFO is also baffled by this momentary lapse of control and deduces that while he has Tomura under control, Tenko Shimura still exists within this body and is fighting to come out.
Wanting to end this fight, AFO/Shigaraki advances towards Bakugo, who is still analyzing the fight in a daze. Best Jeanist steps up to protect his mentee, while Nejire continues her attacks on Shigaraki. In a flashback, it is revealed that Tamaki has a secret weapon, and Mirio and Nejire are buying time for him to get it ready.
Sun Eater’s true power
My Hero Academia chapter 361 flashbacks to when the Big 3 were first-year students. Nejire, blessed with a powerful quirk, was envied by her peers. Nejire, in turn, viewed them as beneath her and stayed aloof in class.
Despite being an introvert with severe social anxiety, Tamaki reached out to her in the same way that Mirio had once reached out to him. Through Tamaki, Nejire met Mirio and later gathered the courage to become her cheerful self.
In the present, as Shigaraki advances, Tamaki unleashes his super move, the true form of his “Vast Hybrid.” This is a combination of all the innumerable things he has eaten over a long period of time.
Nejire and Mirio remark that Tamaki’s power increases the more he eats, thus theoretically granting him limitless potential. They both cheer on their friend as he is the only one with any real chance against Shigaraki.
Observations
My Hero Academia chapter 361 makes it clear that Tomura and Tenko have two separate identities. Tenko Shimura stopped growing the moment his family perished and Tomura Shigaraki was born, which is why the former appears in the form of a child. This is emphasized by Tenko’s use of the present tense to describe Mon-Chan, his dog that he accidentally killed when his powers manifested.
AFO himself acknowledges Tenko and Tomura as two different people. Interestingly, he refers to Tenko as Shimura, indicating that while he views Tomura as his dear student and prodigy, Tenko is still primarily thought of as only Nana Shimura’s grandson.
Clearly, AFO wants to exterminate this existence from his vessel’s body, because Tenko represents the minuscule sliver of Tomura’s soul that is still redeemable.
On the heroes’ side, readers had long theorized that Nejire was the most formidable amongst the three in terms of sheer power. While fans universally accepted that Tamaki’s unlimited potential is a theoretical possibility, very few expected it to be put into practice during any of the fights.
By a general count, over 40 organic and inorganic traits are mixed in Tamaki’s super move, including Nejire’s energy.
Final thoughts
Many fans have taken My Hero Academia chapter 361 to be a death flag for Tamaki. With the flashback from Nejire and the close-up shot of his face on the last page, it does seem that Sun Eater is being set up for a very typical Shonen send-off.
However, considering that Horikoshi strives to subvert readers’ expectations at every turn, nothing can be said for certain. One can only hope that Tamaki survives this battle and gets the graduation ceremony he wants.
