Is Gran Torino Related to Shigaraki in My Hero Academia? Explained
The My Hero Academia universe flaunts a massive spread of fascinating heroes and villains with tragic backstories, and Shigaraki has proved to be one of the most dangerous antagonists with an equally heartbreaking childhood. With Shigaraki being shrouded with so much mystery, many fans have begun wondering if Gran Torino is related to Shigaraki in My Hero Academia.
Gran Torino’s relationship with Tomura Shigaraki has not been confirmed in My Hero Academia, although it was revealed that Torino was part of Nana Shimura’s decision to place Kotaro Shimura into foster care. Since Kotaro was Shigaraki’s father, Gran Torino may have indirectly helped create the villain we now know as Shigaraki. But, it’s uncertain if Gran Torino is his biological grandfather or just a close friend of Shigaraki’s grandmother.
Although Gran Torino appears to be the grandfather of Shigaraki in My Hero Academia, there are other possibilities for their complex relationship – either way, their relationship is not as loving as one might expect. Stick around to find out everything you need to know about Shigaraki and Gran Torino in My Hero Academia, including how their relationship was confirmed as well as why there’s so much animosity between them.
Tomura Shigaraki (Tenko Shimura)
Tomura Shigaraki has one of the most tragic and heartbreaking backstories My Hero Academia fans have seen, with some deep-rooted resentment and pain from his early childhood. While Shigaraki started off as a helpless victim, he would eventually become one of My Hero Academia’s most ruthless and vicious villains.
Shigaraki (then known as Tenko Shimura) was abused by his father, Kotaro Shimura, as revealed in Tomura’s origin story. It appeared that a lot of his father’s anger and hatred stemmed from being abandoned by his mother (Shigaraki’s grandmother, Nana Shimura). In addition to his dark and gloomy family life, this was what ultimately fueled Shigaraki’s motives.
Much of his evil endeavors would come as a direct or indirect result of his upbringing, meaning that there are various characters who may have unknowingly created the future villain. One such character is revealed to be Gran Torino, who apparently had a say in a vital decision that may have led to Tomura’s cruel and cold formative years.
Gran Torino (Sorahiko Torino)
Gran Torino is known as one of the most experienced Pro Heroes in the My Hero Academia universe, refusing to retire formally despite being a senior. Gran Torino is also a former homeroom teacher at U. A. High School, as well as an esteemed mentor to Toshinori Yagi and Izuku Midoriya.
Fans don’t know too much about Gran Torino’s past, although we have been provided with some important details thanks to various flashbacks. It is known that he feels guilty for Nana Shimura’s passing since he left her during their fight with All for One in order to save All Might.
Is Gran Torino Related to Shigaraki? Relationship Explained
One of the most interesting aspects of Gran Torino and Shigaraki’s relationship is the sheer level of animosity between them. Shigaraki hates Gran Torino for indirectly causing him pain and suffering via Kotaro’s abuse, while Gran Torino hates Shigaraki believing that he has caused so much pain simply by existing.
Chapter 281 of the My Hero Academia storyline saw Gran Torino fighting Shigaraki, in which fans were met with a sudden flashback showing more details surrounding Nana Shimura’s heartbreaking decision. It was revealed that Nana cried and hugged her son before giving him up, confirming that she had altered the records to remove all traces of their connection – in order to prevent All for One from exploiting the situation.
Gran Torino also remembers that Shigaraki had said his father always spoke about how heroes neglect their families in order to help complete strangers. This is the moment when Gran Torino begins to wonder if he and Nana Shimura made the right choice – emphasizing that the choice was both Gran Torino’s and Nana Shimura’s.
Unfortunately, this small moment of reflection is seen as the perfect opportunity for Shigaraki to strike the final blow, and Gran Torino erupts with streams of blood as he envisions Nana’s teary face. While fans have been learning more about Shigaraki and Nana Shimura through other My Hero Academia characters, this interaction has left many fans wondering what the real relationship between Shigaraki and Gran Torino could be.
1. Gran Torino is Shigaraki’s Grandfather
A running theory is that Gran Torino is in fact Shigaraki’s grandfather, meaning that Gran Torino and Nana Shimura would have had romantic relations at some point. The main point of evidence for the theory is that Gran Torino states the decision was made by both himself and by Nana, leading many fans to believe he is the father of Shigaraki’s father, Kotaro.
The theories that support this possibility are quite wild, and there isn’t enough official evidence to validate any running theories. Some fans believe that Gran Torino and Nana Shimura could have been together after her husband was killed, or that Kotaro was actually a result of a secret affair between Gran Torino and Nana Shimura. Plus, Tomura Shigaraki’s white-grey hair from a young age is an interesting touch when put up against a youthful Gran Torino.
However, there are shreds of evidence that could contract this theory, mainly stemming from Gran Torino’s hatred towards Shigaraki. Despite the fact that this was Nana Shimura’s biological grandson, Gran Torino did not seem to have any kind of love or personal affection for him – which would be quite odd if Torino actually was Shigaraki’s grandfather.
2. Gran Torino is Shigaraki’s Guardian/ Godfather
With that being said, the majority of My Hero Academia fans believe that Gran Torino is not Shigaraki’s biological grandfather, and is not actually related to Shigaraki at all. It has only been confirmed that Gran Torino and Nana Shimura were very close friends – in fact, Gran Torino only became a teacher at U. A. High School as a result of a promise he made to Nana Shimura.
He cried tears of sorry after her death and even became enraged with Shigaraki as he felt Tomura was trampling over Nana’s memory. Fans still have questions regarding both Gran Torino and Nana Shimura choosing to give up Kotaro Shimura to a foster home, although there are a few other possible reasons for this.
Some fans believe that Gran Torino was simply the closest person that she had at the time – possibly the only one standing by her throughout the decision, as well as the cause for giving up Kotaro. This is further validated by the fact that Gran Torino does not really care about Shigaraki at all, only showing care for Nana’s memory.
Gran Torino may have been an unofficial guardian or godfather for Kotaro Shimura after Nana gave him away, especially considering that she had cut all ties with him after the decision. Still, he did show some remorse for his decision during the fight with Shigaraki, indicating that the weight of the decision still stuck with him even after Nana’s passing.
That’s everything there is to know about Shigaraki and Gran Torino’s relationship so far, with images thanks to the My Hero Academia Wiki. Gran Torino showed plenty of resentment toward Shigaraki on various occasions, and he was severely wounded as a result of fighting Shigaraki head-on – but, Torino isn’t dead, so fans hope he may shed more light on Shigaraki’s heritage in future My Hero Academia episodes.
