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Creator Kohei Horikoshi’s handling of his deuteragonist, Katsuki Bakugo, has always been a subject of debate amongst readers, and the recent My Hero Academia chapter only added fuel to the fire. With the entire Weekly Shonen Jump on a break due to Obon, fans have been left to stew in this tragedy for two weeks until the next chapter comes out on August 22.
In that vein, My Hero Academia chapter 363 may just make or break the rest of the series depending on how Horikoshi handles the Bakugo situation. It could be a perfect culmination of Bakugo’s character arc, or it could be one of the biggest missteps the mangaka has made so far.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga up to My Hero Academia chapter 362 and reflects the writer’s opinion.
Immediately reviving Bakugo in My Hero Academia chapter 363 is the biggest mistake Horikoshi can make
My Hero Academia chapter 362 ended with Katsuki Bakugo lying motionless on the ground. His heart was seen to be pierced by Shigaraki/AFO and Best Jeanist never clarified if Bakugo truly perished. However, the ambiance and the panel make it abundantly clear that the explosive boy has met his end.
From the hallucination of All Might that Katsuki had before the final blow to the panel of his mother lamenting that her son hates the rain, the perfect atmosphere for a heart-breaking tragedy was set up.
Contradictory opinions
Many readers have pointed out that it is too soon for Horikoshi to have done away with his deuteragonist. They raise the issue that Bakugo has not had a great fight yet, like Kirishima, nor does he have a personal villain, like Uraraka. He also does not have an independent storyline, like Todoroki.
In a sense, Bakugo has not yet made his mark on the story when emancipated from Midoriya, and therefore must be alive to do so in later chapters. However, other readers raise the same points to clarify that Bakugo’s death does not hamper the story because he does not have any loose ends.
His character arc began negatively and came full circle with his heartfelt apology to Izuku in the Tartarus Escapees arc. If Bakugo were to have an independent relevance in the story, Horikoshi will have to give him a new arc, which doesn’t seem feasible when My Hero Academia is already in its final arc.
The issue with a revival
However, given that Bakugo is the most popular character in My Hero Academia, and Horikoshi has not confirmed his death yet, there remains a chance of reviving him. There are several theories on how that is possible, but the key question is not “how can Bakugo be revived”, but rather “should Bakugo be revived?”
My Hero Academia readers have already been deliberately misled quite a few times, most notably during the Aoyama-Hagakure-traitor fiasco and Bakugo's own rumoured "death" during the PLF war.
Killing off the series’ most popular character just before a break only to revive him in the very next issue will be fatal for Horikoshi. While many fans are sad to see their favorite character go, most readers agree that this death is a good development for both Bakugo’s character and the series as a whole.
Considering that Bakugo has no ulterior purpose in the plot as a character (not to be confused with his purpose inside the story as a person), this could be a culmination of his character arc.
The suddenness of the death will give readers the necessary shock to come out of the victory high they have been on since Shoto’s win against Dabi, and will drastically raise the stakes of the war. Its effect on Deku, while severe, can be considered secondary to the death’s effect on the plot of My Hero Academia.
Final thoughts
As much as Horikoshi has hurt his readers by portraying Bakugo’s supposed death, he will hurt both the credibility of his story and his own reputation by hastily reviving him.
That is not to say that Bakugo cannot be revived at all, but it is a slippery slope that must be navigated with caution and trepidation. Any hasty or gimmicky revival or twist will only be detrimental to My Hero Academia in the future.
