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My Hero Academia overlooks Bakugo’s potential by denying him a personal villain, missing key opportunities for his character.
Katsuki Bakugo is one of the most compelling parts of My Hero Academia, often receiving more praise than the protagonist himself. As a mix of arrogance, determination, and vulnerability, Bakugo’s development in the series is beautiful to watch. Additionally, his explosive Quirk and clever usage of it make him a highlight on the battlefield too.
That being said, when it comes to villains, Bakugo’s narrative feels sidelined. He lacks a personal villain in his life, one who could truly test his character arc. This oversight can make fans feel as if certain facets of his character have been left unexplored.
Bakugo’s Final Fight
Bakugo took fans through an emotional rollercoaster in the Final War Arc, where he was heavily involved in the battle against both Shigaraki and All For One. During an intense battle with the heroes against Shigaraki, they were left helpless in the face of the antagonist’s extreme power. This caused Bakugo to take heavy damage and nearly die. However, thanks to Edgeshot’s quick thinking, the hero is saved.
He quickly used his second chance at life to save All Might from near death against All For One. Bakugo could also fully explore his powers after a revelation of their potency, matching up to All For One’s strength. This let him cause continuous explosion attacks that heavily damaged All For One. Since All For One was also using his rewind abilities to age backward, he eventually became a child before disappearing.
Right when we think Bakugo’s role in this arc is over, All For One returns, taking control of Shigaraki’s body. While Deku himself had nearly achieved victory, Kurogiri attempted to interfere and save his master. In the nick of time, Bakugo jumped in yet again and dealt a fatal blow to Kurogiri. This assisted Deku in beating All For One, following which Shigaraki succumbed to injuries.
Bakugo’s Rivalry with Deku
A major part of My Hero Academia focuses on Bakugo’s rivalry with Deku, a tale of nuance. It reflects emotions such as jealousy, and envy, and eventually reaches reconciliation. Bakugo had always been a prideful individual but developed an inferiority complex to Deku’s selfless nature.
This led him to put down his friend at every opportunity, even though he knew his actions were wrong. However, with the many dangers they face together in U.A. High School, Bakugo’s condescending attitude towards Deku gradually mellows out.
He matured and was even willing to sacrifice himself to protect Deku in the Paranormal Liberation War. While their dynamic is undoubtedly well-written, it also prevents Bakugo from ever stepping out on his own. In a way, his fears also come true, since Bakugo’s potential as a standalone character is overshadowed by his rivalry with the protagonist whenever they share the screen.
Hence, the rivalry starts with an unlikeable Bakugo who is unnecessarily mean to Deku but realizes his own shortcomings. While this makes him a memorable character, Bakugo’s descriptions are often only made in association with Deku.
All Might’s Influence on Bakugo
Similar to Deku, another character who had a heavy hand in shaping Bakugo is All Might. The deuteragonist idolized All Might, believing him to be the perfect depiction of a Hero who would never lose.
Bakugo never lost his trust in All Might, no matter how disrespectful his attitude to the mentor was. He was also one of the first to know about All Might’s retirement and Deku being his successor. He believed All Might’s state to be his fault, after being caught by the League of Villains. This was the start of Bakugo’s path to being a more empathetic character, as he attempted to help Deku perfect his abilities.
In the final arc, Bakugo also helped All Might avoid death, changing the fate foreseen by Sir Nighteye. Bakugo’s heroism and complexity were shown through these too, but he was still playing second fiddle. Deku was All Might’s main focus and Bakugo’s interactions with the two were always related to One For All or other issues they faced.
He never really had a separate storyline for himself, one that truly made him reassess his values and challenged his perception of heroism. Hence, while his relationship with the main characters is beloved by many, it is also a double-edged sword.
Missed Opportunities with Bakugo’s Character
As you have probably guessed from the title of the article, the main missed opportunity with Bakugo’s character is his lack of a villain. Everyone from Shoto to Ochako had personalized antagonists, those who were direct opposites to the personalities of the heroes.
Bakugo’s issues were more internal, ones he had to sort out through his experiences. While these did fit him, they also impacted his role as a main character in his own right. Despite being one of the first heroes to come in direct contact with the League of Villains, the potential of this meeting is never explored. Instead of developing Bakugo’s relationship with the villains, the storyline quickly shifted focus back to Deku and All Might.
An impressive villain, one who truly pushed Bakugo to the very depths of his morality and wit, would have created some edge-of-the-seat moments for the character. Even setting up All For One as Bakugo’s opposing antagonist after All Might’s retirement would have been equally exciting.
Bakugo was the one who defeated All For One, but the villain is still considered in opposition to All Might. Hence, although they shared several awe-inspiring moments, it still only felt as if Bakugo was carrying out his duties rather than having a poignant meaning behind them.
Why Bakugo Deserved More
It must be particularly noted that we are not suggesting Bakugo is a bad character. On the contrary, he is one of the best ones in My Hero Academia who had great development and played a huge role in a lot of arcs.
What we do believe is that Bakugo was never properly covered as a singular character, and was mostly just part of someone else’s story. His character arc started and ended with Deku, rather than ever following any of his relationships with other peers in depth.
Bakugo is a fiery person, one who thrives on challenges and constantly pushes himself to surpass his limits. He can be a bit of a bully but shows compassion in his own way. A villain or any opposition who made him confront his fears, anxieties, and aspirations would have added a layer of complexity and provided him with his own narrative.
Since he is already loved by so much of the fandom, allowing him to step out on his own and giving his journey the narrative weight of Deku or Todoroki is undoubtedly something he deserves.
Conclusion
Katsuki Bakugo is a character brimming with potential, all of which is not fulfilled through My Hero Academia. He has standout moments in every main character’s storyline but fails in having one of his own. Resultantly, the balance between his relationship with other characters and his own journey is skewed.
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