I think the most horrifying thing about Kurogiri is that, despite being mind controlled and altered, all of that is still happening to Shirakumo. It's not like Shirakumo is just gone. I think people forget Kurogiri isn't separate from him and everything that he's been subject to is part of Shirakumo's life.
We've seen proof that Shirakumo is literally there, just forced to run on a certain program, but he's still there. Kurogiri is just the name given to him after his body was forcefully changed and rewired. But, that's still Shirakumo. It's Oboro's eyes seeing everything. It's Oboro's body acting. It's not like Oboro isn't aware through all of this. That is HIM, even when he's being forced to act as a totally different person.
That's the tragedy of him. He's not a host who's unaware until suddenly woken up. He's present and that's the hell he's living. The hell of being chained to a new role because someone was able to rewire your body. The hell of subconsciously knowing who you used to be. The misery of having no control over yourself unless it's to act on the will of your creator.
Because that's the thing. Kurogiri isn't a mindless zombie. He's developed his own feelings and opinions on Tomura and the League. He just can't act in any way that goes against his programming.
So, that really makes me wonder how much Shirakumo actively remembered the life that was taken from him.
Did he remember the whole time he was Kurogiri? Did he repress it himself to prevent a full shutdown? It's not uncommon for deeply traumatized people to block out memories for their own survival. This is just stuff I wonder about because Oboro really is one of the most sad and tragic characters in MHA.
This is not two separate people in one body. This is one person in one body with a mind that, no matter what the programming wants, is still remembering everything.
These are the eyes of a man who knows what was done to him and knows what he himself has done. This is the face of someone who's known this deep down for years. The final time we see Oboro's face is through a window that shows he is aware, has suffered every minute since he was 17, and that he always was Shirakumo even when he was forced to be Kurogiri.
The final time Shouta and Hizashi see Oboro is when it's undeniable that it's always been him.
His expression is the apology. It's also a goodbye. Because, even if he lived, there was no way he could return to the people he loved most.
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