WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia #285, by Kohei Horikoshi, Caleb Cook and John Hunt, available now in English from Viz Media.
The war against the Paranormal Liberation Front rages for over 30 chapters in the My Hero Academia manga, with creator Kohei Horikoshi hinting that the stakes will only keep getting higher and higher. Endeavor and his interns' battle against Shigaraki features the impalement of Gran Torino, the dismemberment of Aizawa's leg and Deku likely losing the use of his arms thanks to one too many 100 percent Smashes. The heroes become so bloodied and beaten from this battle that even if they emerge victoriously, they'll be helpless in the face of Gigantomachia's impending arrival.
To make things worse, in My Hero Academia #285, Katsuki Bakugo's fate is brought into question after he sacrifices himself to save Deku. He takes a bad blow from All For One in Deku's stead, but it's unknown, at the time, what the ultimate consequences of the action will be for him. Yet no matter whether Bakugo lives or dies, it's unlikely he'll escape permanent consequences when everyone around him is losing their lives and limbs.
The Lead-Up to Katsuki Bakugo's Sacrifice
Chapter #285 continues the deathmatch against Deku and Shigaraki, with Deku severely injuring himself by smashing 100 percent of One For All's power into Shigaraki over and over again, in a state of rage after Gran Torino's brutal impalement. Endeavor, Shoto and Bakugo are troubled by this and the question of whether they can actually put Shigaraki down for good.
They begin a plan of their own to take down Shigaraki, knowing Deku will lose this endurance match against the villain with his arms are out of commission. Shoto and Bakugo fly Endeavor up to Shigaraki in order to keep the No. 1 hero as cool as possible; then, Endeavor grabs on to the villain and unleashes a point-blank Prominence Burn. It's a similar tactic to the one Endeavor used to defeat Hood in the final episode of My Hero Academia Season 4.
Shoto and Bakugo's gambit proves effective. Shigaraki feels himself being burned alive, past the point that his regeneration powers are able to bring him back. Out of desperation, he accepts All For One's offer to submit to his control, allowing All For One to take control of his body. Forced Quirk Activation tendrils shoot out from Shigaraki's blackened, faceless body and skewer Endeavor in the shoulder and side. The tendrils lash out for Deku next.
Does Katsuki Bakugo Die?
At the moment the tendrils shoot for Deku, Bakugo narrates, "There were no thoughts in my head. My body just moved on its own." Mirroring Deku's attempt to save him against the slime villain in My Hero Academia Season 1, Bakugo shoves Deku from the path of the tendrils and ends up being impaled with them in his stead. It's a nice moment in Bakugo's arc to become a better person, and a certain anxiety inducer for Bakugo fans the world over.
While his fate is unclear by the end of Chapter #285, chances are Bakugo will live to fight another day given the fact that he's topped nearly every My Hero Academia popularity poll. But there's always a chance he will die, and if Deku's arms are indeed permanently out of commission, it's not beyond the pale for Bakugo to experience some lasting injuries of his own.
