Board Thread:Off Topic/@comment-27425734-20180301024049/@comment-27144409-20180620164135

Aura is the manifestation of the soul. It isn't the actual soul itself. If your Aura level reaches zero, you don't die. We've seen it happen multiple times, and their Aura being depleted never directly caused death. It just made them vulnerable to attack and meant they couldn't use their Semblance.

Since RT loves video game metaphors, think of it as a recharging overshield that doubles as your store of magic points, which are used for powers.