Katsuki Bakugois one ofMy Hero Academia’s more interesting characters, if only because he’s so far from the mold of the traditional hero. While there’s no doubt that Bakugo did become a true hero inMy Hero Academia’s story, would that have been the case if it weren’t for All Might’s influence?
Bakugo, much like Deku, was heavily inspired by All Might, and wanting to be like All Might was a major driving factor in Bakugo’s decision to become a hero. On the other hand, Bakugo’s behavior throughout much of the series is far from heroic, and many characters wonder in-universe whether he would be better suited to a life of villainy. It’s only through All Might’s guidance and the slow reparation of his relationship with Deku that Bakugo manages to become the hero he is by the end of the series. Even more than Deku himself, Bakugo’s hero career was shaped by All Might’s influence, but what if he hadn’t had that?
Bakugo’s Dark Personality Traits Are a Recipe for Villainy
Bakugo’s Behavior Makes Him More Like a Villain Than a Hero
From the very beginning of the series, Bakugo’s behavior and motivations are hardly what one would consider appropriate for a hero-to-be.Bakugo is a terrible bully to Deku, burning his notebook and telling him to kill himself. When their class discusses becoming a hero, Bakugo’s stated reasons are that he’ll be fantastically wealthy, not because he wants to help people or even fight villains. His only real reason for wanting to be a hero is his admiration for All Might, but even that is somewhat misplaced.
Bakugo is ruled by his anger, and that lasts for a very long time. He has explosive outbursts of fury on a regular basis, even in public situations where he really should be able to control himself, like at the Sports Festival. Much of his anger is aimless, prompted by miniscule things at best and absolutely nothing at worst. It gets redirected at Deku for the most part, but he’s just as likely to lash out at any of his other classmates if they manage to provoke his ire. Much of Bakugo’s rage at Deku in particular is based on his superiority complex, thinking he’s better than everyone else and becoming irate when that isn’t the case.
Having witnessed Bakugo’s fury,the League of Villains believes he’d be easy to convertto villainy, and make it a goal to kidnap him and attempt to convince him into joining their side, as the defection of a UA student would be a massive blow to the school’s image. While Bakugo resisted their attempts, it was largely because of his desire to be like All Might, and knowing All Might would never succumb to such a thing. Bakugo’s lashing out is hardly any different from Shigaraki’s own outbursts of anger, so it’s easy to see why the villains would think him relatable.
Bakugo Admires Heroes, But Not For Their Most Heroic Qualities
Bakugo Admires Strength, Respect, and Fortune, Not Selflessness
One has to ask, then, what it is that Bakugo sees in All Might that makes him want to emulate the number one hero.From what is shown in the series, Bakugo respects All Might’s strength and power first and foremost, followed by his popularity.It’s very different from Deku, and that can easily be shown with how they look up to All Might. Deku’s favorite All Might video, for example, is All Might’s feat of saving people from a fire. Bakugo, on the other hand, seems to look up to All Might because of his status as the undisputed number one, the one seen as the strongest and best.
Bakugo only ever seems interested in fighting, and is terrible at actually helping or saving people, getting docked points on several different exams for his inability to work with others, to treat victims with respect and kindness, and to help those in need.There’s so much more to being a hero than fighting villains, but Bakugo rarely acknowledges that. This really only starts to change after he interns with Best Jeanist, and starts to see another side of being a hero than the flashy villain battles that entranced him as a child. All Might, of course, also helps to shape who Bakugo is, willing to teach him the hard way when needed.
Hidden deep in Bakugo’s superiority complex is the fact that he has been praised for having a strong Quirk with a lot of potential since a young age. What Bakugo really wants is to live up to the potential that others see in him, and to be respected for his power. When he feels like he’s failing to do that, his self-loathing kicks in, and that becomes externalized as anger at Deku and others around him.
Even Without All Might’s Influence, Bakugo Wouldn’t Be A Villain
All Might Shaped Bakugo Into the Hero He Is, But That Doesn’t Mean He’d Be Evil Otherwise
Despite Bakugo’s dark personality traits and his misguided admiration of heroes as power figures, the boy isn’t inherently evil, at least not any more so than the average childhood bully.In a world withoutAll Might as the best of the best to look up to, where Bakugo must find his own way, there is a serious chance that he wouldn’t be drawn to the field of heroics. Bakugo might be better suited to other careers where his pushy personality would be an advantage, but villainy probably wouldn’t be one of them.
Without All Might, Bakugo likely wouldn’t have his fascination with heroes that drove him to become a student at UA in the first place. As he grew up, he’d likely mature and realize the cruelty of his ways, just like he did in the story. He has no real latent criminal desires, and he wasn’t marginalized and pushed to the edges of society like real villains such as Toga or Dabi. All Might’s influence aside, Bakugo would probably grow into a fairly ordinary adult, though his temper would no doubt remain. He may not become a hero in this hypothetical situation, but it’s fair to say that even in aMy Hero Academiawithout All Might, Bakugo is no villain.
