Did Shigaraki’s Transformation into a Vestige in the Final Chapter of My Hero Academia, Explained

After the release of My Hero Academia chapter 430, the manga series came to a close and unveiled Deku’s destiny following his loss of the remnants of the One For All quirk. The quirk held immeasurable value to Deku, but he made the difficult decision to pass it on to Shigaraki Tomura in an attempt to defeat the villain from within.

Despite eventually achieving success, Deku was once again left without a quirk. This forced him to take on a role as a teacher for a few years. However, his classmates from Class A refused to give up on him and created a support item that would enable him to reclaim his status as a hero. However, upon his return, he was confronted by a vestige-like form of Shigaraki Tomura.

Fans have begun to question whether Shigaraki Tomura has transformed into a vestige, but the truth is that the symbolism was not a vestige, but rather a ghost.

Note: Spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga are included in this article.

Shigaraki’s Role in My Hero Academia Finale Does Not Confirm His Status as a Vestige

Tenko Shimura and Izuku Midoriya as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

As many fans will recall, at the conclusion of the ultimate battle, Deku passed on his One For All quirk to Shigaraki Tomura. As a result, the OFA vestiges targeted the fractures in Shigaraki’s mind, causing significant harm to him. As his body began to deteriorate, All For One seized control and clashed with the heroes.

Amidst the chaos, All For One disclosed that he was the one who granted Tenko Shimura the Decay quirk years ago. Shigaraki was stunned by this revelation, as the same quirk had led to the accidental death of his family and his transformation into the notorious villain, Shigaraki Tomura. As a result, Shigaraki joined forces with Deku in the vestige world to confront and battle All For One.

Deku and Shigaraki as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Despite the loss of both All for One and Shigaraki Tomura in My Hero Academia chapter 424, Deku could not shake off his memories of the villain. He did not want to end Shigaraki’s life, but instead hoped to redeem and save him. Even after his passing, Deku could not help but imagine different ways in which he could have rescued Shigaraki.

Thankfully, after eight years, Deku appeared to have accepted Shigaraki’s passing as he was no longer burdened with the guilt of not being able to rescue him. This was apparent when Deku resumed his duties as a hero and upon his return, the first thing he noticed when he glanced downwards was a spectral apparition of Tomura gazing back at him with a grin.

Shigaraki Tomura's ghost as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha) — Shigaraki Tomura’s ghost as seen in the manga (Image via Shueisha)

Hence, the apparition that Deku witnessed in the finale of My Hero Academia was not a manifestation of Shigaraki Tomura’s vestige, but rather a representation of his spirit. Although the manga did not offer an explanation for this occurrence, it strongly suggested that Shigaraki’s ghost appeared before Deku to reassure him that his inability to save him did not make him a failure. In essence, Shigaraki’s ghost appeared to Deku to bestow upon him good luck for his future as a hero.

Additionally, it is important for fans to keep in mind that the manga explicitly revealed that vestiges were only present within users of All For One and One For All. Since the quirks themselves were eradicated, the idea of vestiges could not have persisted.

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