The popular manga series My Hero Academia has an eagerly awaited new chapter 414 – coming out soon on February 11th. Fans are excited because the previous chapter set up an intense cliffhanger.
One of the past users of the special power “One For All” suggested a dangerous plan to stop the villain Shigaraki’s destructive rampage.
However, this plan could seriously hurt the main character Deku. So readers are left wondering – will this risky gambit pay off? Or will it backfire and cause harm?
Some fans have also theorized that this new chapter may highlight parallels between Deku’s journey and that of his friend/rival Bakugo. Their complex relationship has been an important theme, so perhaps chapter 414 will feature a key development or moment that sheds new light on this idea.
Bakugo’s Crucial Role in Redeeming the Villain’s Tormented Soul
In the last chapter of My Hero Academia, readers get more insight into the main villain – Tomura Shigaraki.
The deceased hero Star and Stripe appears as a ghostly vestige and points out a crucial weakness inside Shigaraki’s mind.
She describes a massive dark mass that represents all of Shigaraki’s negative emotions and traumatic memories. This seething anger and sadness is what fuels his drive for destruction.
However, Star and Stripe also inflicted a small “crack” in this darkness when she fought him.
This crack signifies that there is still a way to reach the good buried deep within Shigaraki. Ever since meeting him, the hero Deku has hoped to save the crying child that still exists under layers of pain and villainy.
Although the evil All For One manipulated Shigaraki and catalyzed his descent into becoming a supervillain, Deku hopes to reverse the damage. Fans now wonder if this mental fracture inside Shigaraki is the key to defeating him while still redeeming the boy he once was.
Looking back to chapter 404, readers saw the villain All For One perched ominously atop the dark mass representing Shigaraki’s trauma. He was about to defeat the heroic symbol All Might once and for all.
But in a pivotal moment, All Might’s student Bakugo dramatically jumped in to rescue his mentor from death’s door. This courageous act was spotlighted and paralleled against the looming threat of All For One.
Now, an intriguing fan theory proposed on-site X suggests chapter 414 may feature a similar parallel – but this time, with Bakugo helping to save Deku/Izuku.
Just as Bakugo was a shining light against All For One’s sinister darkness in chapter 404, perhaps he will once again step up to fight the manifestations of Shigaraki’s pain.
The original poster analyzes the panel layouts, noting how Bakugo was depicted firing off attacks next to the panel introducing All For One. They believe a structured callback here highlights Bakugo’s role as a foil against the forces driving Shigaraki’s descent into becoming a destroyer.
Deku’s Daring Leap – A Parallel to Bakugo’s Heroic Intervention
The original fan theory does dive into some hypothetical romance between Deku and Bakugo, but that seems irrelevant to the core story and characters at this stage. However, the central parallel being drawn is still intriguing.
As noted, Chapter 404 saw an embattled All Might nearly defeated by All For One before Bakugo explosively intervened with a last-minute save. So could Chapter 414 feature Deku stepping in as a saving “ray of light” to pull Shigaraki back from the darkness and pain orchestrated by All For One?
Throughout the manga, Deku strives to save Shigaraki rather than kill him. Despite Shigaraki becoming a symbol of evil and destruction, Deku believes the scared child within, Tenko Shimura, can still be redeemed.
He wants to rescue Tenko from the trauma and manipulation that transformed him.
Physically overpowered, Deku may need to take an unconventional approach.
As proposed last chapter, he could transfer his One For All power to exploit cracks in Shigaraki’s psyche – his emotional wounds. It’s a risky gambit that would weaken Deku, but perhaps let him penetrate Shigaraki’s mental defenses in a last ditch attempt at salvation.
So in this way, Chapter 414 may parallel 404 – with Deku now in Bakugo’s shoes, ready to take a climatic leap of faith to pull his foe back from the brink. Fans are eager to see if he can succeed where brute strength has failed him thus far.