The Redemption of Bakugo 

Bakugou is what happens when you take the prodigious natural talent of a character like Sasuke and mash it with the brash attitude and drive to win of Naruto

"he's reprehensible, irrogant, mean spirited, and... he's my favourite character in the series." -a lot of the bnha fans

*Bakugo gets kidnapped by villian* Naruto fans: Oh shit, here we go again

I feel like the thing that really made me love Bakugo, was that Horikoshi, over the course of what is some series entire runs, built toward an explosive moment for Bakugou, and instead of the cacophonous, booming bravado we expected, the world falls silent for a moment, as he purs his heart out about the burden he bears and I think we all had the same moment together where we all went "...oh, he's just a kid."

All this time we thought Midoryia was Green Naruto, but the truth was right under our noses... Bakugo is Angry Naruto.

Bakugo 👏 was 👏 never 👏 like 👏 Sasuke 👏

My Hero Academia is nowhere near the end of its run yet people are acting like this is the end all be all for Bakugo's development. Chill y'all, we got a few hundred chapters left for Bakugo to apologize to Izuku, I'm sure it'll happen

@07:20 This observation really got me. Keyword: "to not be shown the same respect back". I had caught how he respected Uraraka but it didn't click to me how his anger for the final victory came from not receiving the same respect he gives to everyone else. Good video, I really enjoyed it

Ya'll forgot how young these characters are. Bakugo's character not being redeemable? What are you guys talking about? I mean, the character's a teenager. A young person who has lots of room for personal growth. If the story continues the way it is for him, he is going to grow up into a hero with a decent personality. It's just that for someone like Bakugo, it's going to be an ordeal to change from being an asshat to a decent human being because he's lived like that for his entire childhood. I'm not even a fan of Kacchan, this is ridiculous.

I love how all of Deku’s rivals have enough character development to be there own protagonists. It really helps keep the character dynamic of who rises to the top interesting and fresh.

he's also very aware. i love how the series shows him eyeing at other people and using that to transition the pov onto another character. he's not dumb at all. he figured out deku's secret and even questioned it more, calmly. that fight he accepted all might's decision and deku and said that he has to be better than him if he wants to be the new number one hero. also he said rock and roll like we kill them. give it your all lol. remember, anger is just an umbrella for emotions

I don't think I like Bakugo any more than I used to, but i do think I have a better understanding of why other people do now.

It was actually Bakugo's fight against Uraraka that made me realize this part of his character. He gave her his best and didn't sugar-coat anything. He gave her a -backhanded- compliment. It was that fight that made me like him, but it was this arc, and the fight, that made me love him. But, then again I just love everyone in this series. -Yes that includes Mineta-

Bakugo had a bad first impression, but he isn't even in the level of DIO.

Yo lowkey, Deku and Bakago better be a hero duo and they will be the best team ever. If it doesn’t happen and if they don’t argue every fight regardless of who they’re fighting, ima flip my royal shit

What made me appreciate Bakugo for the first time was when the students were demonstrating their quirks and he sees Todoroki freeze an entire building. Bakugo didn’t go into denial. He didn’t pretend to be hot shit. His thought at seeing that was “I can’t beat him.” He had an honest evaluation of his own skills. And he didn’t respond by wanting to sabotage Todoroki or wish other students were worse. He responded by vowing to become BETTER. This moment was huge for me, and really payed the ground work for all the character development we see later.

I haven't seen an Anime Character this outrigh ferocious and prideful since early Vegeta. Bakugo has grown on me indeed.

I'm just waiting for the moment when bakugo saves deku. Edit: This comment aged really well.

"and he's my favourite character in the series.." *smashes like button intensely*

I love how Horikoshi said that he made Bakugo to be hated

Deku is Green Naruto confirmed

2:16 that transition between the 2 scenes was so freaking smooth. I applaud 👏👏

What made me like Bakugo is this line here: “He’ll be fine as long as he dodges”.

Bakugo's characterization reminds me of a lot of people I knew in Highschool and college. Kids who got very used to being the smartest kid in the room when they were in a class of 100 in small town middle America, rapidly forced to come to grips with the fact that they just weren't all that special once the stage got a little bigger. There are a lot of people out there who grew up thinking that their natural intelligence meant that they deserved to be on top, and were shocked to learn that it takes a lot more than just being kinda smart to get where you want to go. A lot of them figured out that the world isn't just about how you rank against others and ended up as good people, but I've watched more than a few refuse to recognize that and grow bitter and disillusioned, especially once they hit college and realized that being the best from a small town honestly doesn't really mean all that much.

Everyone who thought Bakugo would get to the villain side weren't paying attention.

Prince Zuko from Avatar had the best redemption ark ever

2:14 jesus christ that transition was smooth

What I don't really understand is the other people who also made fun of midoriya had quirks, but to be honest some of their quirks sucked they might have well been quirkless themselfs.

Mumen rider> all might

Bakugo became my undisputed favorite after his fight with Uraraka. My adoration for his complexity as a character merely grows with each episode. Now that his fight with Deku has aired, I am happy to hear that many others are finally seeing the light. lol

I felt it when Allmight said "sometimes I forget that you guys are just kids". That coupled with the fight coming before it was a great way to get the audience to take a step back and see these kids for what they are. For all the high stakes and flashy powers and serious topics, these are 15 year olds. While they're learning to be heroes they're also just learning to be functional people.

I've always liked Bakugo. Thought he was hilarious from the first season, but I am really surprised that anybody thought he wasn't going to be a redeemable character. Thought it was pretty obvious seeing as how he is one of the main characters. Now, my question is, "Is Monoma redeemable?"

Former kinda - bully here. People like Bakugo cause they relate to him. Deku's a lovely person, but very little people are actually like him (being too nice as a biggest fault? Yeah lol nope). I can relate to Kacchan because prodigy/gifted kid-syndrome. When people tell you you're great and smart and special from a very young age AND your experience proves it (from your perspective, of course), you end up with a superiority complex and being the best ends up as your identity. Then you inevitably end up in a bigger pond and meet people better than you might ever be, your feelings of self-worth and identity crash down and you end up a mess. Bakugo also had a point of reference in Deku (as in, 'this is someone who I'll always be better than') who also ends up moving on, so an additional insult to injury in that. The thing is, many people feel and think like Bakugo, but very few actually act on those thoughts and feelings. The bullying and cartoonish levels of aggression go hand in hand with the crazy willpower to actually improve. I too innately hated perfectly nice people just for being kinder and more hard working than me. What really annoyed me was that I really wanted to be more like them, but it hurt to admit that I was innately worse. I never was actually truly mean to people, but I made sure to undercut them because I felt threatened. I guess I like Deku for who he is, but I also like Bakugo because I sympathise with the pain of those high school realisations about yourself. Especially since they're the realisations of the worst kind- of just how bad and lacking of a person you are.

Bakugo x Character Development is the actual best ship in MHA.

I have loved bakugo from the beginning I saw the same boy that Aisawa described durring the interview. Hes a 15 year old child most 15 year old act the way he does. Also how did anyone think bakugo would be a villain he is exactly like deku when it comes to life goals. Bakugo is the yang to dekus yin. He was always more complicated than he seamed in the beginning. He is a child that cant express himself and has anger issues and with his up bringing his behavior make since. Look at his mom she is what he will be like in the future he will always be loud and he will have a bit of a temper but it will be much more in control.

I kinda like him. As a character he is fascinating, but as a person I find him quite abusive at first. I wish that he had some sort of apology or repentance for abusing Izuku for about a decade, but that would go against the kind of character he is. Just because some of his actions can be justified by his mentality, doesn’t mean they are morally just. I think this analysis is very interesting.

Bakugo's progression is one of my favorite things about this season. He's much smarter and perceptive than a lot of people give him credit for. Damn, this season is hitting all the right notes. Pitch perfect.

Somehow, I didn’t even CONSIDER that Bakugo would become a villain. I just knew he never would.

Bakugo is the only character who doesn't feel strictly one-dimensional. The current arc in manga shows that perfectly.

"it would be dificult for a character to make a worst first impression" must have forgotten that Dio exists huh

"Bakugo is keeping his ideals sore zore" ODD FUTURE INTENSIFIES

tbh I loved Bakugo from the start, but when his redemption arc came full circle I actually had a reason to like him other than "he's cool"

I actually adored Bakugo in the first season. It was refreshing to see such a meatheaded rival character that actually had brains. For me, they gave enough glimpse into his inner thoughts that it was clear their was more to him and he would have a bright future. Although part of this might of been because I heard an indirect spoiler that he would always be a hero, not a villain, so their wasn't that doubt and I saw him through a different lens.

The fact that he was able to call all of this out when the A vs B arc, Katsuki Bakugou: Rising, and the apology scene didn't even exist yet I think is a testament to both Horikoshi's character writing and that Bakugou stans have been right all along.

Personally, I think the best way to describe Bakugo is as the most badass asshat ever.

Great video! I'm always surprised by the amount of people who think Bakugo is irredeemable. To me, even on first watch, it was very obvious he wasn't meant to be a a truly evil person. The moment he said Uraraka's actual name during the tournament was a dead giveaway he's got some respect in him yet. And lots of people love the anti-hero! Redemption is a classic arc, often suited for dark, complex characters that viewers want to support so they can become better. If every character started moral and positive, it would be unrealistic and in my opinion, far less interesting.

dat recent manga fight really shows off both his physical and mental genius in combat and he's starting to inspire everyone now

2 years later, looking back at this. This breakdown of Bakugo’s character is super enjoyable to hear

I swear anyone who thought Bakugo would join the League of Villains wasn't watching the show...

I mean Mirio is best boy. Mostly cause I'm a filthy manga reader and I know what happens next season and yeah he's best boy.

I just love how realistic bakugou's character is and how many character development he can have, I just love my boy

The writing overall of Boku no Hero is amazing, every single character is likeable, even the villians. In fact right now we are having the league of villians arc and we got development from them as well.

Roses are red I like lemon curd "Don't come to UA, Deku" "You're a damn nerd"

Despite the blatantly obvious differences between deku and kacchan, the similarities are incredible. They both take blame for All Mights retirement, they both have naturally awesome power, and they're both intelligent. All Might is their idol and rightfully so but they take each aspect of All Might to the extreme while being complacent to the other qualities that make him number one. Bakugo and Deku make great foils to each other because of their differences of course but the similarities as well.

Why are the characters who start out as douchebags end up being my favorites

Watching this because Bakugo just totally redeems himself in the recent manga. (For me)

People keep saying Bakugo is a great character because of character development when I actually think it's more than that. Yes, it's true that through the Kamino Ward incident and his second fight with Deku he has had character development, but MB points out something crucial here I feel like many are missing. Another reason he is a great character is that Horikoshi REFRAMES our viewpoint of his past, and shows it through his line of thinking. That we can thoroughly understand and relate to WHY Bakugo does what he does, while never EXCUSING his actions. From a psychological standpoint, it's fascinating and fun to watch Bakugo, because I have fun rooting for him to change his toxic behavior while wanting him to keep his passion and drive and staying true to his core ideals of respecting his opponents strength in a fight, wanting that respect in return, always striving to win no matter what like All Might, and being an overall intelligent bastard. He has so much GOOD going for him and in him, but gets in his own way through looking down on others in order to feel better about himself and his inferiority complex. To those who feel he gets AWAY with being an asshole, you clearly haven't been thinking about narrative karma. The kid was kidnapped and attacked TWICE, once with the sludge monster after he told Deku to off himself, and then the league of villains because they saw his behavior as villainous (keep in mind they were always gonna attack the training camp, so I am not saying that is Bakugo's fault like he believes) This REALLY fucks up Bakugo's mind more than it already was, and he is so terrible at understanding people he has no idea how to handle it. Again, the show never actually EXCUSES his bad behavior, rather it gives us so much to work with on WHY he does what he does and how he has suffered internally. As All Might said, they are still only children. Bakugo is a child prodigy, a spoiled brat, a bully, a loud mouth, but all of those things are crushing him and those around him. He has been learning to use his power positively, and at the end of his second fight with Deku he knows the only way to get better is by helping others get better. It's character development yes, but it only works so well because we know how hard it was for him to GET there. It's as much about the journey as it is the destination of finally seeing him become a great hero.

when peopl say they like bakugo or endeavor some people hear it as " hey i support bullying and abuse" good character don't need to start as saints....go figure

Bakugo started to grew on me after his battle with Uraraka. The fact that even the anouncer wanted him to stop going all out against Uraraka because she’s a girl and he kept going all out shows how he has a lot of respect for his classmates. Katsuki Bakugo, the feminst icon

I'm not saying Bakugo isn't a good character. He's a very well done, well written character. I still hate his goddamn guts.

i also like how bakugo definitely DOES inspire the rest of class a to get better, but mostly in an indirect sense of "wow i hate this guy im going to put everything ive got into making him eat his words" but occasionally, he does inspire his fellow students in a direct sense, in the case of deku, kirishima, uraraka, and now just recently kaminari seeming to be inspired by bakugo, either in his prowess in combat, or how hard he actually is trying to be a hero

Here's what I've noticed people have been missing. Bakugo has NEVER been told he was wrong. Even his mother said he caused trouble because he was weak. How would you expect a talented, intelligent, child to develop when everything he does gets praise. He got praise for being brave while captured, Deku got scolded for trying to help. His society breed has behavior as much as anything else

To be honest when I first watched My Hero Academia I idolized bakugo much in the same way that younger Deku had as they grew up, bakugo was amazing and I was excited to see how amazing he is and have the chance to watch him grow. Safe to say I was shocked when I first entered into the fandom only to discover that many people hated bakugo and demonized him for the snip-its of their childhood which showed him to be a less than perfect child. I couldn't believe that so many people had completely missed who bakugo actually is and failed to pay any attention to how his true personality was shown through the eyes of our main protagonist Izuku. It seems like in a lot of the anti-bakugo arguments I've gotten into the person arguing against his worth seems to either be projecting their past negative experiences onto him or ignoring Izuku's point of view seemingly on the basis that 'he is a victim and is too close to see the truth' The two of them grew up in a less than desirable learning environment, Izuku was ostracized thanks to the Adults around him treating him as different or disabled because he lacked a special ability, and the children picked up on this ostracizing behavior because of the adults around them enabling such things. The teachers around them clearly weren't trying very hard to correct these behaviors especially as the years went on, as can be seen during that day in middle school when their teacher called out Izuku's ludicrous over-ambition in the middle of class then watched silently and passively as the entire class tore into him with insults and jeers; because Katsuki was not by far the only one who was harassing him, and to be honest I think the other kids may have been harassing him more actively than Katsuki was because Katsuki was trying to escape from him, because as we saw in some of their other childhood flashbacks after that day at the tree bridge Katsuki had been picking on Izuku with the intent of shaking him off so Deku would stop following him everywhere. When we see Deku get the shit beat out of him on the playground it was while Deku was defending someone else, meaning that Deku had inserted himself into that situation, Kacchan had not sought him out personally but rather had tried to pick on a completely different student. This is not to say that bakugo was not a bully, he very much was one growing up, but he was not an exclusive bully hellbent on specifically abusing and destroying Deku the way some people seem to think he was. Their relationship has never been as black and white as bully and victim, it's been more akin to a falling out between friends. Katsuki had always been more skilled than his peers and as a result saw himself as better than them, this mindset was sent into overdrive when his quirk came in and the adults around him fawned over his hero potential. When it turned out that Izuku, who was already behind him in most skills, had no quirk and thus no possible way to ever catch up to Katsuki's level Kacchan solidified Deku's position in his mind as being the weakest, a mindset he'd already been using for years since it was shown that even before quirks he'd been comparing his own greatness to Izuku's shortcomings for their entire childhood(see the stone skipping scene etc) But, then the day at the tree bridge happened. One thing that is integral to understanding what happened that day is realizing that in that society the strong were viewed as being invincible and never needing help because if you're the strongest then why would you ever be in need of help? After all All Might never has to call for help does he? No, he doesn't, at least as far as the public knows. That day Katsuki, the leader and strongest in their little group, strongest in their entire class, fell off the tree bridge and into the water. His friends assumed that because he was the strongest then no way could he be hurt or anything, hence instead of asking if he's ok they tell him to hurry up and come back up, to which Katsuki of course laughs off having fallen and puts on a carefree face because of course he's alright cuz he's the strongest and the strong always win. But, then Deku come down into the river to try and help him, expressing concern about his safety, concern the other children never even considered he might need. Deku, quirkless useless weak little Deku, tried to help someone so very much stronger than him. And in their society such a thing is unheard of. Just look at the slime villain aftermath if you don't believe me, bakugo spends minutes in a hostage situation and nearly suffocates at the hands of a super villain he was completely powerless to stop all in front of a passive audience of civilian onlookers and pro heroes alike, and right after that instead of being checked for trauma he's being offered a future internship from one of the worthless pro heroes who'd just been watching as he'd nearly died. Meanwhile Izuku is being reprimanded for putting himself in danger for no good reason while bakugo is being praised for being so brave and powerful despite having been powerless to stop anything and in those last few moments having clearly been absolutely terrified of dying(because it was that fear that pushed Izuku to move and try to save him)

After the latest chapter(285), oh boy did we get another one of those big moments of clarity and major character development payoff moments

I don't understand why people keep comparing him to sasuke he's always been of a vegeta and now he's naruto what's next ?

I love how Deku and Bakugo are both future All Mights and continue his legacy together

I went from hating him, to absolutely loving him to the death.

The Deku vs Bakugo 2 fight actually drew tears from me in the manga and anime. “Why was I the one responsible for All Might’s end?!?”

Honestly, the fact that he's always just so angry is funny and the reason I liked him even before his development.

>Blonde >Jackass >has A U O in his name Jesus Christ, Jeff, are you saying Bakugo is THE King of Heroes Gilgamesh?

One of the best character breakdowns I've seen. Keep up the good work!

0:30 30 seconds in and Bakugou already sounds like a Class A Shitposter. My kinda guy.

I really don't get how anyone could have ever thought Bakugou was like Sasuke. If someone is Sasuke in this anime, its Todoroki (altough even then its a stretch). Bakugo is 100% Vegeta like you said. Him and Vegeta are such an incredibly easy comparison to make, both in personality and in their character development that I cannot understand why anyone would go with Sasuke. Its like the people comparing him to Sasuke had absolutely never seen another Shonen then Naruto before they started watching My Hero Academia.

Amazing analysis. You put all my thoughts about Bakugo into words almost perfectly. I also began hating Bakugo a lot. I couldn't stand him. But his development was incredible and engaging. I don't hate him anymore. I still think he's a bad person and he's not my favorite character in MHA at all, but he's an interesting character and a major necessity for this series. I'm really looking forward his future development, especially now that he seems to be more of an actual rival for Deku and not just a bully. Too bad that he hasn't done anything in the manga for a while aside from the short Remedial Course Arc. Hopefully we'll see more of him on the current arc when he faces against Class B.

My brother: makes me watch this as I'm doing chores My brother: so what did you think *Me: what he said*

Great analysis! You totally nailed the parallels and the real human emotions that make My Hero so compelling.

The moment bakugo got kidnapped wasn't the moment he became herolike... He's been someone who wants to be a top hero for basically the whole series

There's also that part at the end of that little discussion they had while cleaning that went a long way for me in redeeming him too. He says when he saw Deku using his arms, it made him mad. Because he knows Deku was risking injuring himself seriously by doing it. When you rewatch the fight with that added context, it's even better. Deku deciding to use his arms seems like the turning point, where he's going to win against Bakugo. It would totally track with the way the rest of the series' fights have played out - Deku seems to be losing, but wins by doing something risky and unexpected. Instead, this is the moment when Bakugo takes the fight and wins it definitively. It's very possible that seeing Deku using his arms in the fight was what gave him the push to actually pull off the win. It made him mad, and at that point, he HAD to win. By winning even after Deku risked his own safety to defeat him, he proved that Deku's self-sacrificing methods are not surefire. He could get himself hurt or killed and still fail. Bakugo won the fight against Deku because Deku's ideology, in that moment, was the losing one. Deku was in the wrong for putting himself at risk there. This was the first time he lost a moral battle against Bakugo. (You could argue that he also lost one during the teacher battle arc, though I'd call that a draw at best.) You've said before that the most interesting fight scenes are the battles of ideas, not the battles of pure physical prowess. I think Deku losing to Bakugo after he put himself at risk is a perfect example of an ideological battle being the underlying framework for how the battle ends up playing out physically, too. Deku did something he shouldn't have done, and he knew he shouldn't have done, and it ends up being the reason he lost.

Man! I've been slogging through youtube creators trying to find people with a good sense of what's going on in anime and I think I've hit the jackpot with this channel! Most of what im watching currently is the a lot of the stuff you've got in your 'good/best/ones to watch' videos and the way you talk about these series is so intelligent, well thought and hits the mark with how I feel about them too. You sir are an actual gem and as sad as this may sound I feel like we would be good friends if we didnt live on opposite sides of the world hehe. Anyway, weird fanboy moment over, keep up the amazing work man!!!!

2:14 this transition was smooth af

Bakugou is a good trash boy. I remember when the kidnapping arc was going on in the manga and i *knew* he wouldn't turn into a villain, that's not the character he is, but man was it greater than i thought it would be, and gratifying after seeing so many people say he'd be the next sasuke only to have the source material prove them completely wrong Also canonically he's kind of a cryababy and i love that, not as much as deku but still, it's nice to see such an angry and proud character shed tears like he does

I am just gonna drop this here and slowly walk away: Todoroki's entire arc existed so that Endeavor could be introduced as the number 2 hero under All Might's shadow, and thus directly reflect the relationship and mutual failings of Bakugo and Midoriya.

Adding onto this (very well thought) analysis, it really helps to understand Bakugou if you've gone through what he's gone, of that constant fear that everyone is trying to get you, that the entire world is challenging you constantly. It's not an excuse for bullying, but living like that every day is the most tedious, heartbreaking, and sadly self-inflicted vice to carry around. I think that especially in a society where your quirk is what makes you valuable, having been taught that at such a young age it's no wonder Bakugou is so desperate to win, it's what makes him valuable to society. And then adding bad people skills? No wonder Bakugou is percieved as such an asshole...

Team four star said it (sarcastically) best: 'God your such a deep character'.

I'd say Bakugo is pretty comparable to Zuko in terms of incredible character redemption arcs. Also Zuzu go fwoosh bakugo go kapow

I love all the characters in My Hero Academia (except Mineta), but a character who I feel doesn't get enough recognition is Iida. His arc in the fight against Stain is one of my favorite moments in the manga so far and I love every aspect of his quirky personality (pun fully intended).

Bakugo went from being the undisputed greatest, to losing a fight against someone he considered the worst, to failing to prove himself in the sports festival despite winning, to being left behind during the internship by deku, to having to rely on deku to beat all might during the test, to being kidnapped by villains leading to all mights retirement, to realizing that all might chose deku as his successor instead of him, to failing the hero licensing exam, to finally reaching his limit and confronting deku about his feelings. He emotional state has been in constant decline since the beginning of the show and now he can finally focus on getting better. It’s a good redemption story indeed.

"He's reprehensible, arrogant, mean-spirited,...... and my favorite character in the series." SAME! I got so interested in this "bad" guy and his character arc like I did with Zuko. He has so much room to improve on, other than his quirk, and made me want to watch him grow.

Wait a minute, if Bakugo is Naruto, then Deku is Rock Lee! Rock Lee couldn't use ninjutsu, and Deku couldn't use any quirks. Rock Lee wears green, and Deku wears green. It all makes sense now.

I don't...BELIEVE IT.

The four years since this video came out have shown even more of all of this, with Bakugo demonstrating the quality of the greatest heroes-their body moving before they can think-in season 6.

I’m still waiting on the what’s so great about my hero academia video because honestly your videos analyzing the show, their fights, characters and openings are just the best thing i’ve ever seen.

I think another reason why people love him is that he's just so goddamn hilarious. Every time he gets pissed off by something, it makes me at least chuckle, if not burst in laughter. I'm not very picky in terms of humor, but still.

Bakugo is a great character, but he is still a despicable person

Being a manga reader I had to keep to myself so I didn’t spoil this moment for Bakugo. Instantly loved him.

I still don't think that making a character 3 dimensional makes them redeemed. school yard bullies are still people but when they actively hurt others that still makes them bad people.

Bakugou is a really GOOD character. But I can't bring myself to like him, even after his battle with Deku. He still has a long way to go.

When it comes to me I still hate his guts and terrible personality but can apreciate that definitely is more to his character than just fury and almost god complex (not really that high but wanted to write it) he is a good character, an annoying one if you ask me but a good character nonetheless.

I'm still baffled at how twisted the society is that you have a kid, who has the power to do so, who constantly is telling everybody around them how he's going to KILL his class mates, innocent by standers, everybody really and nobody reacts like there is anything odd about that. WTF Japan.

You hit the nail on the head here, truly. You covered so many points that I have seen that made me adore Bakugo