#I dont want to accept compliments I dont feel like Ive earned either

[comedicreliefonlyworkswhenfunny]

I just wanna rant for a second about something I keep seeing

Bakugou losing his quirk is not going to be a good "redemption" tactic

If anything, it's a really bad plot point.

Yes, he'll understand how Midoriya felt, but people seem to forget that he already knows what it's like to be weak.

No, I don't condone any of the bullying that he's put others through. Yes, I understand that inflicting pain upon others to deal with your own is toxic, and, yes, I acknowledge that this is something his character needs to work past and overcome. However, stripping him of all his power is NOT going to "make him better;" it's going to make him worse.

People seem to forget that he's been dealing with shit for just as long as Midoriya has. Whether you focus on the constant praise that was pushed onto him- the EXPECTAIONS he was given- or the smaller fact that there was always someone out to get him. We don't know too, too much about him growing up, but he had an amazing quirk. From then on, he had a legacy; he had a duty to live up to those. He was constantly bombarded by the fact that he HAD to be strong ("because it's what everyone wants from him"). There are several issues that stem from this- one being his inability to show/acknowledge his own weakness.

When they were on the log bridge and he fell, Midoriya was the ONLY one who went down to help him. Everyone else brushed it off ("It's Bakugou, he's fine!"); he wasn't allowed to acknowledge how much pain he was in. Shit, man, did you see how high up that log bridge was? Water or not, that had to fucking hurt. Yet no one batted an eye (other than Midoriya). He was on his own, and that had a lasting impression on him.

He's not ALLOWED to lean on others, because- like everyone always told him- he's strong. This led to him pushing everyone away- this led to the idea that other people made him weak.

In addition to that, life was always against him. The show focuses a lot on how the world is always out for the weak- Midoriya, being the once quirkless main protagonist, was constantly mocked for his dreams of becoming a hero (if we're speaking honestly, those were very unrealistic dreams. While he poured every ounce of his being into studying and had the determination of an ox, he was a toothpick. He talked a lot about being willing to do anything for his dreams, but he did little to actually chase those desires- (but that's not what this discussion is about)).

When he was a first grader, a fifth grader bumped into him, and his friend group wanted Bakugou to apologize for it. Bakugou refused, and they tried to over power him. He ended up beating them (while Midoriya watched from behind a tree). Now, I can't really say for anyone else, but, when I was in first grade, the fifth graders in my school were scary, man!

But he won. He proved that he was stronger than them.

And you know what? No one was there for him. No one helped him fend them off. No one offered him a band aid or anything to help with his wounds. Of course, we can't say for sure, but (knowing any normal household) he was probably scolded for getting in a fight.

Another big event. The Sludge Villain Incident.

There were HEROES surrounding him within minutes of it happening. There were crowds of people WATCHING him squirm and suffer. They did NOTHING. They sat back and waited. The heroes got push down once, and said 'I can't do it. I'm going to wait for someone who can.'

Bakugou almost died.

He would have, if Midoriya hadn't rushed over.

If he had been weak, he could have lost his life. This event was just a staple telling him that he had to fend for himself in life, or he was going to crumble. Can you imagine being a child, VIOLATED AND SUFFOCATED in the middle of a CROWDED STREET, surrounded by people who were SUPPOSED to HELP others doing nothing?

And what happened after that?

He was praised.

He had to struggle for his life while everyone sat back and watched. And on top of that, they weren't concerned for his well being; they weren't asking him if he was okay. The heroes have him a blanket and a bottle of water, and showered him in praise for lasting so long. (Imagine if we treated r*pe victims like that. Instead of focusing on their humiliation and how wronged they were, imagine if we just told them they did great by enduring it. Does it help give you an idea of how this must have felt for him?) They told him that the only thing that mattered about him was his strength. The person that rushed in to save him- the ONLY one out of tens of people who didn't hesitate to act- was being scolded. Because he was weak (and shouldn't have rushed in).

Do you see the difference there?

Bakugou knew fully well that if Midoriya hadn't jumped in, he would have died. That was why he felt the need to chase him down after the incident and yell at him. He was so disgusted and upset with himself that he felt the need to prove himself- to say that "I didn't need your help!" Because he was so afraid of acknowledging his own weakness, he would rather look like a bully and an oppressor than the scared child he was.

Furthermore, the Sports Festival. A lot of people overlook it when it comes to Bakugou's growth and development, but it is quite important.

Todoroki used his fire against Midoriya (of course, Midoriya specifically plays into the impact for a couple of reasons, but I'm not going to go over them because this isn't the post).

Regardless of why, he went full out; he was determined to win the match.

Then, he entered the Final match with Bakugou, and refused to use his fire. From the point of view of someone who doesn't know the complicated Torodoki past, Bakugou only sees the fact that Todoroki isn't going all out. He's refusing to use the full force of his power in the FINAL match, despite being so determined in the past match.

Bakugou sees this as Todoroki looking down on him. Logically, who wouldn't? He used the full force of his power the match before, claiming that he wanted to win, but, suddenly now that he's up against Bakugou, winning doesn't matter enough for him. This is a major shot to Bakugou's pride (you know, the one that has been pushed on him for years, to the point where he has developed a hatred for weakness).

People get mad at Bakugou all the time for the Sports Festival arc, because of how his fight with Uraraka and Todoroki. However, they neglect to acknowledge the world they are in. Villains aren't going to go easy on Uraraka because she's a girl, and Bakugou going easy on her would be an insult. Same to Torodoki! Beating him at less than his full power isn't really beating him! Bakugou manages to prove to Todoroki that he doesn't need a handicap to win their match, and that Todoroki shouldn't look down on him. Even so, he doesn't step it up a notch. He doesn't kick it into full gear. Bakugou knows that he probably could have won if he had used his fire (at the very least, he had a chance), but he didn't.

He would rather lose than go all out against Bakugou.

He was so determined to win in the previous match, but all of that fire suddenly died out (literally ha)-

Bakugou was confused, hurt- angered. Why? Why was Todoroki so fired up against Midoriya *of all people (this has a specific impact given their history together, but, even without it, this has a major push), but refused to fully acknowledge Bakugou? He, no doubt, felt like it was an elaborate way to mock him.

But more than that, he didn't feel like he deserved first place. He didn't earn it. His opponent didn't go all out on him.

UA had NO RIGHT to force Bakugou to accept that medal, and I will take this to the grave.

What they did is basically like a sports team going up against their rival's injured star player. Their team's ace in the hole was limping the whole match. Of course, your team won! Except... it wasn't a fair match to begin with.

The people on Shinsou's calvalry team were allowed to just drop out, because they didn't feel like they deserved to move on after not being able to remember the event.

But Bakugou was CHAINED UP and FORCED to accept a medal he didn't think he earned?

Which led to him getting targeted by villains.

Villains who told him that they didn't think he'd make it as a hero.

Why? Because he didn't want to accept a medal he didn't think he earned.

Not just the kidnapping, the sheer scalet's of their operation- they gassed several students, injured several pros, and burned down an entire chunk of the forest- to get to Bakugou. (Yes, they would have done that with or without the goal of capture, but there's still the 'if they weren't after him... would they have go through the trouble?')

And then the rescue.

Bakugou probably didn't think the heroes were going to come get him. No one helped him during the Sludge Villain Incident, and that wasn't his fault. This one, however, he felt like was. He's massively conflicted by the fact that he should have just accepted the damn medal and the fact that he didn't truly earn it; he's pushed into a situation where neither options are good.

Then they did come to help him, no doubt, to his surprise.

The look on Bakugou's face after seeing All Might is priceless-

He wants to be happy that his mentor, his idol came to his rescue. They cared about him enough to save him.

But also

He was weak and needed saving.

Despite all of the people who pushed their broken dreams and shattered weaknesses onto him, he failed. Everyone was mad at him or disappointed in him when he was doing everything that he could to live up to the expectations they FORCED on to him. He was refused the ability to come to terms with his own weakness as a child- because of society pushing down on him- and now those same people are getting upset with him.

He was relieved to be rescued. When he saw Kirishima and the others, he didn't have to think about how it was impossible for him to take on so many villains. He was relieved to be safe.

And then he saw All Might fighting All For One.

He saw his idol bloodied up and barely standing- a shriveled form of himself.

And none of this would have happened if not for his weakness.

Yes, he has always seen weakness as something bad, but making him completely powerless isn't going to just make it all better. He KNOWS what weakness feels like. He KNOWS how much it fucking hurts. Rather than that, why dont we focus on getting this kid some kind of fucking therapy or closure?? Teach him that it's okay to be weak rather than trying to throw him into yet another fucked up situation.

Idk. Maybe I have too much of an attachment to this issue, but stripping Bakugou of his quirk is a terrible plot point and does nothing to further his character OR point out the societal flaws that made him that way.