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Readers expected My Hero Academia chapter 363 to provide a concrete answer to the pressing question that arose in the last issue. Not only did mangaka Horikoshi provide some semblance of an answer to the said question, but he also jumped between several locations in this chapter.
Starting at the U.A. grounds, My Hero Academia chapter 363 moved through Kamino, the Civilian Shelters, and Skeptic’s laboratory, before finally ending in the Gunga Mountain Villa. Alongside Skeptic’s return and a rematch between the Todoroki Brothers, AFO’s face was partially revealed in this chapter for the first time in the series.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 focuses on four separate locations, the villains get the upper hand
In the previous chapter, Bakugo used his cluster to fight AFO/Shigaraki at an incredible speed, but the villain pierced through his heart. While his death was not confirmed, Bakugo did see a vision of All Might in his vestige before collapsing.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 is titled “Those Who Defend, Those Who Violate.”
The situation at U.A.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 starts with Monoma remembering Bakugo’s pledge to win a battle without any casualties and screaming that it’s pointless if the Explosive Hero himself dies in the process. Best Jeanist confirms that Bakugo’s heart has been destroyed and the boy no longer has a pulse. Mirio is horrified that he failed so tragically in his duty to protect everyone until Midoriya arrives.
Shigaraki taunts Aizawa by telling him that the teacher is directly responsible for Bakugo’s death because he let his student fight in his place. He traps Mirko in his flesh growth to make her “the next present for Midoriya,” but she bites off his flesh.
Mirko angrily retorts that if she had destroyed Shigaraki back in Jaku, this would not be happening to Bakugo. But the villain mockingly reassures her that she was not the only one who failed.
AFO/Shigaraki claims that the heroes should have followed Midoriya’s lead and rushed to confront the villains. By waiting for the right time, they gave the villains time to prepare while many of their members deserted the cause. This made them put inexperienced children on the field, who are bound to die in a war.
Dabi‘s resurgence, Skeptic appears
My Hero Academia chapter 363 cuts to Kamino, where a horrified Shoto and Iida watch Dabi burn Onima to a crisp. Dabi has copied Shoto’s Phosphor just before being encased in ice, which was the white light that appeared on his chest in chapter 353.
Burnin urges Shoto to run away, but Shoto stays in the fight. He remembers that his elder brother has honed his quirk to this level by himself, and it was Shoto’s fault for underestimating Toya.
Dabi calls out to Skeptic, who replies from a speaker set inside a Nomu’s neck. He tells Dabi that Endeavor is currently fighting AFO alongside other heroes in the Gunga Mountain Villa. Skeptic is shown operating a satellite from an undisclosed location while furiously cursing out the companies who deserted Japan and thus set the villains back on the technological front.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 reveals that Skeptic has been busy hacking into several servers, chief of which are the U.A. civilian escape routes. He is also responsible for bringing down the heroes’ communication system. Skeptic overrides the escape routes, presumably closing the gates and trapping everyone inside the structure.
Return to the Gunga Mountain Villa
The chapter focuses on the Todoroki family inside the civilian shelter. The children from Masegaki Elementary School are seen nearby, proclaiming to their teacher how Todoroki and Bakugo will defeat the villains. This catches Fuyumi’s attention. AFO’s spies are seen loitering in the periphery, and their expressions imply that they have just received some bad news.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 shifts focus for the final time to the Gunga Mountain Villa, where Endeavor and Hawks watch AFO heal himself. AFO states that the villains were underprepared during the PLF war, but this time they are ready to face the heroes. The last panel shows that AFO’s face is partially restored.
Observations
Many readers have pointed out that while Bakugo’s death was seemingly confirmed in My Hero Academia chapter 363, Horikoshi still left some room for plausible deniability later on. While his heart is shredded and his pulse has stopped, as long as he is not declared dead by a physician, the possibility of a revival remains via Eri’s Rewind quirk.
It was hinted in chapter 353 that Dabi still had some tricks left up his sleeves. It is unclear exactly how he was able to copy Shoto’s technique when it was based on two conflicting quirks.
Dabi likely channeled the flow of his flames inside his body to a consistent level to achieve a similar result. While he is evolving at a rapid rate, his body is deteriorating at the same rate as well. Even if he somehow does reach the Gunga Mountain Villa, it is uncertain if he will reach there in one piece.
My Hero Academia chapter 363 reveals AFO’s face mid-healing. It appears that AFO’s experimentation was successful, although it is unclear exactly what kind of experiment it was. His spies seem to have received some bad news, which could be the news of Skeptic closing the emergency escape routes, thus trapping them inside with all the other civilians who are likely to be taken hostage at any moment.
Skeptic’s return in My Hero Academia chapter 363 was a surprise. Given that a significant portion of the heroes’ plan is dependent on hackable technology, Skeptic can wreak unimaginable havoc on their chances of winning. Interestingly, while he is devoted to Shigaraki, he does not seem to hold AFO in very high regard.
Final thoughts
Even after the release of My Hero Academia chapter 363, a considerable section of the fandom is still in denial about Bakugo’s death. While there is some merit in the counterarguments, it is clear that Horikoshi will have to proceed very carefully if he wants to bring Bakugo back.
In the meantime, shifting focus onto other ongoing fights both divert the readers’ attention and enriches the storytelling process. However, Deku is yet to properly appear in any of the fights. Hopefully, Horikoshi will bring his protagonist soon and elaborate upon the remaining quirk of One for All.
