Is Bakugo alive in My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia, or Boku no Hero Academia to some, has never been more exciting — and downright silly — than it is now. As of writing, the manga has reached 404 chapters and the series’ overall hope is at an all-time low, and that’s counting the arc where Deku decided to become Batman.

It’s wholly unclear how manga author Kohei Horikoshi plans on ending this superhero epic, but one thing is for sure — absolutely no one is assured to make it to its final pages alive. Which brings us to the topic of the day: in My Hero Academia’s current arc, is Katsuki Bakugo alive? It’s a question that requires us to dive into spoiler territory. If you’re not caught up with chapter 404 of My Hero Academia, you might want to hold off on reading! Unless you don’t care about being spoiled, that is!

Is Bakugo alive in My Hero Academia?

Yes, Bakugo is alive as of chapter 404 of My Hero Academia. In the series’ community, it has become a meme to tell people who aren’t fully caught up that Bakugo died. And while he nearly did bite the dust, he has since made a full(ish) recovery. 

In chapter 362, published on August 7, 2022, Bakugo was shot through the heart in the battle against Tomura Shigaraki. Fans had no reason not to believe the hot-head had finally met his end. I mean, who comes back from a shot to the heart?

But, in chapter 364, published just two weeks later on August 28, 2022, fans would learn the hero known as Edgeshot would “be[come] the boy’s heart,” which was ambiguous at best. It turns out Edgeshot’s quirk is one that allows him to condense his body to very small sizes. It’s implied he would shrink himself down to the size of the hole in the boy’s heart.

It’s only as of chapter 403, published on October 15, 2023, that Bakugo’s survival was confirmed. In the most recent chapter, he was able to save All Might from a most certain demise.

So, yes — as of now, Bakugo is alive. Whether that’ll continue into the future of the series has yet to be determined.