My Hero Academia: Is Shigaraki obsessed with fighting Deku? Explored

My Hero Academia has emerged as one of the most popular series in the anime and manga communities in recent years. Created by mangaka Kohei Horikoshi, the storyline focuses on Deku, a quirkless boy with aspirations to become the world's number one hero.

The clash between Deku and his archenemy, the villain, Tomura Shigaraki, takes center stage from the outset of the protagonist's journey to become the world's greatest hero. The intricacies of their adversarial relationship have left many fans pondering whether Shigaraki is driven by an obsession to constantly pit himself against Deku.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia manga.

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Understanding if Shigaraki is motivated by his obsession to confront Deku in My Hero Academia

The narrative of My Hero Academia is constructed around the generations-long conflict between the Demon King of the quirk society, All For One, and his younger brother, Yoichii Shigaraki, who was the initial holder of One For All. This ongoing clash has been passed down to subsequent successors.

Tomura Shigaraki inherits AFO's will and quirk, while the shonen protagonist, Deku, becomes the ninth successor of OFA. Consequently, the inevitable confrontation between these two characters unfolds as they embody the representatives of good and evil within the storyline.

Shigaraki as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via studio Bones)

The developments in My Hero Academia have sparked contemplation within the fandom about whether Shigaraki's fixation on battling Deku is driven by an obsession, possibly stemming from his inheritance of AFO's will.

The answer is no, Shigaraki's fixation doesn't specifically revolve around Deku per se. As the destruction incarnate, Shigaraki stands in opposition to and seeks to dismantle the hero culture and society. Therefore, Deku is only a means to mark the beginning of Shigaraki achieving his goals. This perspective is influenced by his traumatic childhood experiences and the continual influence of AFO's manipulations.

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Exploring whether Shigaraki's first showdown with Deku led to an obsession

The animosity between Tomura Shigaraki and Izuku Midoriya dates back to the early events of My Hero Academia’s narrative when the former and his minions launched their first assault on UA High. The two characters initially crossed paths during the 1-A students’ efforts to repel the attack on their school.

Although All Might ultimately saved the day, Shigaraki's fixation on Deku persisted beyond their initial face-off. In an open declaration of his intentions, Shigaraki singled out Deku, initiating a confrontation that would serve as the starting point for the show's subsequent narrative developments.

To many viewers, this might appear as foreshadowing on the mangaka’s part, for the two characters' ultimate fate to clash with one another. Yet, upon closer scrutiny of Shigaraki's personality and backstory, it becomes apparent that had it been anyone else in Deku's position, actively opposing the villain's path of destruction and chaos, Shigaraki would likely have reacted the same way.

Shigaraki's decision to target Deku stems from a belief that by crushing the latter and his indomitable will, he can undermine the heroic spirit not only within Deku but also among the other UA students and heroes at large.

From Shigaraki's perspective, crushing Deku holds the symbolic weight of breaking the backbone of the hero society. Thus, Shigaraki’s confrontation with Deku can be seen not as a personal obsession, but as a means to express his convictions and accomplish his goals.

It can be surmised that the villain’s reaction would be the same for anyone actively standing on his path toward spreading destruction. At this juncture, it becomes apparent that Shigaraki's steadfast belief in effecting societal change through destruction has, in actuality, evolved into an obsession.

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