Is Katsuki Bakugo alive in ‘My Hero Academia?’

Warning: The following article contains major spoilers for chapter 403 of My Hero Academia.

It was a dark, gloomy day when chapter 362 of My Hero Academia came out. Perhaps not physically, but metaphorically, it certainly was — for Katsuki Bakugo fans, at least. In the manga, the hero in training took his seemingly final breath, after having his heart explode in his chest while battling an All for One-controlled Shigaraki. However, that was not the end of his story.

For over a year, the story continued in the manga, with Bakugo lying bloody and motionless on the floor as Deku took the fight to Shigaraki. With Best Jeanist doing his best to keep Bakugo’s body safe, and Edgeshot using his quirk to save the student’s life, hope remained alive in fans’ hearts, who believed we would one day see the character rise again.

There was no guarantee that Bakugo would survive Edgeshot’s surgery, of course, but the narrative seemed to point in that direction. I mean, who else would help Deku put a definite stop to Shigaraki and All for One? Fortunately, after all this time of waiting, we finally have a clear answer on whether or not Bakugo makes it out of the Final War alive.

Did Bakugo survive death in My Hero Academia?

Bakugo is still alive in the My Hero Academia manga. After Edgeshot sacrifices himself to restore the student’s heart, Bakugo reappears alive in chapter 403, just when everything seems to be going south for All Might and Deku.

Following All Might’s failed attempt to kill All for One by exploding his gauntlet, the villain uses Stain’s quirk to paralyze him and raises All Might’s body above his head. Everyone witnessing the scene play out despairs, with some trying to come to All Might’s rescue only to be stopped by All for One. As Deku holds off Shigaraki and starts to panic, though, a bright light emerges from the floating battlefield.

There stands Bakugo, still bloody and holding onto his All Might trading card, but clearly alive and looking around. Chapter 403 ends with a memory of Deku and Bakugo as children, smiling as they look proudly at their trading cards. Meanwhile, the teen versions of the characters finally meet eyes once more, as the manga declares the end of an era and the beginning of another.

Bakugo could not have returned at a better time. Now, the hero in training will rejoin the combat against My Hero Academia‘s strongest villains, as we draw ever closer to this arc’s conclusion. It won’t be easy, but Deku and Bakugo will likely be more than able to stand their ground.