#bakugo katsuki analysis

[teenandbeyond]

Random BNHA Analysis (Again)

Hiii, so since yesterday I went on a whole 30 min long analysis after my first post. So today I'm going to be ranting about....buhbumdadaaaa

Katsuki Bakugo's Mentality! 🤯

It's long, but analysis usually is, so, oh well! Don't read if it's a problem for ya! 😜🤪

If you like this, check out my BakuDeku analysis!

💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

From the beginning his brain is warped into thinking he's the best. Those with Quirks on top, Quirkless the bottom.

Him? He's above them all.

He was taught that from the beginning.

"Your Quirk is so amazing."

"Your Quirk is the best."

Constantly getting those statements before you can even explore the world with this Quirk... Leads to a type of brainwashing.

So now as a child he has a superiority complex, due to society.

But then there's someone who breaks this molded ideal.

Izuku.

See, Bakugo is taught that people without Quirks are less than. Yet this little boy is brave and saves people despite not possessing one.

This makes Bakugo get angry because he contradicts what he's been taught, yet deep down he admires him for it.

In his mind he feels like he has to remind Izuku of his place. "I'm just helping you, maybe you got lost, this is where you're supposed to be. That's what I learned."

Izuku never stayed in that place, he always hoped for more. And when someone is brainwashed, it really ticks them off if someone breaks the mold they learned.

And when Izuku actually had the guts to stand up to him, it was past just the hopefulness. It probably scared him a little. "That's not what you're supposed to do!"

When you're brainwashed, something contradicting what you've been taught can be scary. Because then it makes you question what's really true.

I feel like the icing on the cake was the Hero versus Villains lesson.

First, the one who he thought was weaker than him stood a chance against him and WON.

This contradicts that people without Quirks are weak, especially considering Izuku had one now.

So in his mind, he probably thought he was tricking him. And if anything, mentally reassured him and disappointed him.

Assurance because, "Okay, now you're not contradicting what I've been taught."

But deep down, "I admired you because you didn't have a Quirk and did what you did, but you have one you've been hiding the whole time?"

Then also because of his superiority complex, "How dare you think you can trick me? You think you're better than me?"

But all this time something else has been building, and it cements itself in his brain when he sees Shoto's skill.

Bakugo gets a reality check when he sees that someone is stronger than him. And it scares him.

It's the start of his inferiority complex.

So now he starts to feel inferior, and tries to find ways to still prove to himself that he's the best.

The Sports Fest was about proving to himself that he was still good enough, not everyone else.

But when his win wasn't because he actually won, but because Shoto fell unconscious... He wasn't assured. If anything, it made his inferiority complex worse.

Then comes his internship. He was chosen because Best Jeanist wanted his personality to be corrected, his appearance.

Usually people fawned over his Quirk, but B.J. kind of brushed it aside.

"Yeah, you're Quirk's good. You know how to use it, but your personality sucks."

And this made him defensive, cause time and time again he'd been getting comments about his personality. And this is another contradiction, because he'd been raised this way. This is his normal. But there are people telling him it was wrong. Which makes him question things.

He also gets upset because he felt like he didn't learn anything to help his Quirk grow...

Not even realizing how much this would help him later. Which is why Jeanist became special to him after, too.

But back to that later.

Exams.

That also made his inferiority complex worse. It wasn't an easy win and he had to count on Izuku of all people.

This made him feel inferior to even him.

He was relentless and didn't want to give up because he didn't want to let himself down and feel like he's less than.

But he fell unconscious and needed Izuku to help him win.

I feel like because of that, he didn't want to be seen by anybody. So he avoided the class shopping trip.

Then I Island happened, again, he felt like he got to prove himself a little.

And after, camp.

The kidnapping.

Which was a lot more traumatizing to him than he let on.

His inferiority complex really hit him in the chest when he was the only one who got kidnapped. (After people already recognized him everywhere for the Sludge Villain incident where he was helpless ((which was also more traumatizing than he let on)).)

The only one people thought would go to the villain side.

And All Might stepping down from number one after saving him.

He was probably already beginning to blame himself, but what cemented the feeling, I think, was his mother's words.

"It's your fault. All this trouble is your fault."

Because that's what he says to Izuku when he confesses how he feels.

"It's my fault."

He sits in the blame he feels like everyone has on him.

Then once it's confirmed that Izuku gained the Quirk from All Might, his admiration is back.

And slowly, in this time, he realizes what Best Jeanist's point was.

Not everything is about Quirks, he needs to work on who he is.

So he starts working on his personality slowly outside the spotlight in season 4 (anime). Then it shows in Season 5 (anime) when he works with his team much better than before.

Season 6 (anime) he finally apologized to Izuku, which he had to grow past his pride to do.

And as time went by throughout the series, he desired to be Izuku's friend, like it should have been. He just had to learn to jump over the wall society put around the two of them. To learn that it was okay to be friends with someone Quirkless. To learn that there was more to people than their Quirks to define them and what they'll do.

He had to break from the mold.

And Izuku was a piece of that puzzle, as well as Eijiro, who opened him up to feeling equal with other people. Having people he could feel equal to. Having those he could appreciate even if they weren't at his level in terms of power. Someone real, who wasn't only his friend because of his Quirk. But really wanted to get to know HIM.

He's continuing to grow.

Just jumping in to save someone without thought? And Izuku at that? He wouldn't have done that months back.

If you think about it, his development has been the most teenager like.

But I think his pattern of development was different and made sense. He needed to learn how to focus on himself more than growing his already powerful Quirk because it was all that mattered to him.

And needed to learn how to love himself genuinely and love others.

Everyone else majorly needs to develop their Quirks, so outside of it being society's focus, that's where they need to grow the most.

Katsuki, on the other hand, is strong in what he can do with his Quirk. Just...not his identity outside of what he was told and molded to.

And how much he's grown so quickly shows that he probably already had a desire to, but didn't realize.

And even though he's fictional, as someone who loves to see people real or not grow...

I'm SO proud of him.

I can't wait to see how else he develops.

[lilybecca1]

So they say that how you show affection reflects how you've been raised. And wellllll let's say that Bakugo didn't exactly learn how to show his affection in a healthy manner.

As we've seen so far, he and Mitsuki usually just scream at each other and his mom often boinks him or shoves his head down. Ahh such motherly love

But all this rough handling doesn't mean they don't love each other right? It's just their way of showing their love. And we also know Katsuki isn't exactly good at showing his emotions and telling people he loves them, but that's just something that he hasn't learned through his childhood.

So if children learn how to show their affection for the people they care about from their parents, then Bakugo probably expresses his love in a similar way to Mitsuki. Or to put it simply, through ✨violence✨

A prime example

To a stranger who doesn't know him, it would seem like he's actually mad, but no. This is actually his way of showing that he cares about his friend. He sat down with Kirishima to tutor him which he definitely wouldn't do to people who don't matter to him, so act of service is definitely a big one for him, and also physical touch in a way, apparently. Of course, this doesn't mean he cares about everyone he hits, but these are harmless and this is just how he learned to express himself through childhood.

But this doesn't happen a lot, EXCEPT

aaand here it goes

EXCEPT with Deku.

Like you literally don't see a single interaction between the two of them without Bakugo in some way hitting Deku. Or just shoving him. Or really anything. Like my dudes, this guy CRAVES physical contact when it comes to Deku I SWEAR.

Just look at a couple of them

He literally goes out of his way to shove or make physical contact with Deku in some way even when Deku is just minding his own poor f*king business. And he sure as heck likes to shove his head especially, kinda like how his mother does to him too. Like he just wants to reach out and touch his hair a lot...we all know you want to Bakugo, don't deny it

I swear Bakugo is like one of those kids full of testosterone that push and pull the hair of their crushes cause they don't know how else to express that they like them and they don't know what to do with those feelings

He initiates contact even when it's not necessary, and mostly with just Izuku. If violence is really the way Katsuki shows his affection then he basically showers Deku with it 🚿

And yeah, he shows that he cares to his friends too, but he seems like he cares about Deku a lot doesn't he? When we look back at all the interactions that they had, and how Bakugo generally gets ticked off by the mere presence of Deku, that makes him want to scream at him and shove him all the time..all that might just be him not knowing what to do with all that affection inside of him that he wants to express, because he never learned how to express it.

When we look back at everything, it just looks like a boy who doesn't know how to show that he cares about the people he loves in a healthy way, and it's very easy to misunderstand that and think that he dislikes everyone around him. But in reality he's just a boy who very much craves that affection too, just doesn't know how to give it and how to ask for it, so he naturally does what he has seen his parents do.

[sleepingpopplio]

A Reminder about MHA’s last chapter

Dear MHA fandom, the leaks never said that Class-A lose complete contact with Izuku for the last 6 years, only that they haven’t been able to see eachother because of scheduling conflicts. TEXTING, CALLING, AND VIDEO-CHATTING ARE STILL A THING. FOR ALL WE KNOW THEY’VE BEEN TEXTING 24/7 SO PLEASE STOP REACHING SUCH AN INSANE CONCLUSION WHEN THATS LITERALLY NOT THE CASE.

Translations say they “haven’t had enough time to get together”, which means seeing each other in person. It doesn’t mean anything about other forms of communications. Long-distance relationships happen all the time. Dont you remember still keeping in touch with others after moving away or after highschool/college? It’s the same case here.

So, let’s all take a deep breath, no matter who you ship or care about most, and remember that these kids all care about eachother and nothing can change that.

[tawney]

PLEASE pile up on me your favorite Teacher Izuku fics. Ones with some depth and personalities to the students rather than just a one-shot, I'd love to see slice of life fics with Deku dadzawa-ing his students and his students being Deku's personal problem children and all the sweet casual fluff crap 😭 all these tropes and ideas I'm seeing on twitter and tumblr are making me long and I'm close to just starting an ao3 account and writing them myself.

[kworus]

i have a small analysis of bkdk's nicknames for each other so let me yap for a bit

they are parallels of each other, save to win and win to save, and this is reflected in the nicknames they gave each other. deku always had the heart of a hero despite not even having a quirk. He had a kinder soul than most heroes, yet he lacked the external part. 'deku' is a mean nickname that reflects bakugo's way of thinking. despite this, izuku sees bakugo as his image of victory, and he recontextualizes this nickname and it ends up as his hero name, the one he will be known for by most people, what became his public personality. bakugo shaped his exterior as a hero.

on the other hand, bakugo had everything set for him to become one of the greatest heroes from the beginning. his quirk is powerful and aggressive, he's strong and incredibly determined. but he lacked a lot of what being a hero means at its core. and this isn't to say bakugo was completely selfish and evil cause we know he wasn't, but he was terribly self-centered and let his insecurities shape him. and so izuku called him 'kacchan', a deeply intimate and childish nickname that remained after decades, and reflects izuku's views and character, despite it not looking like it would fit someone as loud and sharp as him. bakugo didn't use 'kacchan' as a hero name, yet during his fight with AFO, one of the moments that cemented his growth as a character he didn't introduce himself as katsuki or dynamight, but as 'kacchan bakugo', because that's who he truly is on the inside, izuku shaped his soul to one of a hero

[dynachan]

Those of you who follow me know that one of my kins is Bakugo...

Which is why suprisingly, when I first watched the first few episodes of MHA back in 2016. I wasn't sure how to feel about Katsuki Bakugo at first. To be honest... Til episode 8 that is...

When I first saw Bakugo, I thought "okay, another bully to the MC trope thing.. yeah yeah whatever..."  But then this happened... This scene right here was the moment I realized, Bakugo's character was a lot more complex than I first thought...

In this scene at first glance, it seems like he's being a dick to Deku like usual. Which granted, is true for the most part... However, this is when I realized this is deeper. This scene I believe is when Bakugo's inferiority complex started to show. You can see him trembling, being hard on himself subtly, getting defensive, and even crying. It was clear at this moment to me that Bakugo had a lot complexities to him than just the typical bully character, and that they were doing something different this time.

[ellisbian]

just making a remind how bakugou avoids kirishima who tries to reach him because he was worried bakugou felt tired and he wanted to help, here you may think bakugou hate touching and being touched and it’s true in a way but as soon as izuku grabs his arm, making puppy eyes he doesn’t even try to pull izuku out of him. and even if he acts all tough saying to deku he has just to be the cane he lets izuku grabbing and hanging on him.

i don’t want to make this post being about the evidence or not of the bakudeku, just wanted to focus on how katsuki accepts izuku’s help even if it may not seem, he’s just a fake hater who tries to convince himself and others he hates deku but there’s another truth .

[angstydisaster02]

An analysis about why Bakudeku is one of the most inspirational relationships. (Manga spoilers)

First part : my thoughts

Tbh, I really have this impression the manga is coming to an end very soon, which breaks my heart because I don’t know what I’ll do without my daily leaks. However, I trust Horikoshi about the rest of the story and I do think he’ll make an open ending about which “ship” is canon, even if we all know that the biggest and most developed relationship in the manga is bkdk.

It would be interesting to see the “after” of this war, the hospital beds, the tears because they lost people, the relief because it’s over and the final conversation beg the ending. Knowing Horikoshi until now, never made things randomly because everyone is thinking in advance, including the conversation between Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo.

You can’t tell me the author of this manga who always did things with a smart brain will put aside such an important detail about the dynamic between his characters.

A part of me hopes we’ll have the bkdk talk at the hospital or somewhere else because there’s no way these two idiots keep living their lives as if nothing happened. I have high expectations due to the fanfics, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never be the same once the chapter with the bkdk talk comes.

Second part : the analysis feat manga panels

looking forward, it’s incredible how Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki’s relationship started in the worst way (I’m not including the childhood memories) and…Ended up being something like that.

I’m emotional when I think about everything they’ve been through, the many realizations about losing each other, the development of their relationship after an emotional scene such as Deku Vs Kacchan 2, the way they need to push each other’s up to be the best version of themselves in any situation.

It’s not a surprise if these two are mean to be canon (in a platonic or romantic to way, depends about your opinion !) and each little moment highlights this statement.

Think about it : they all learned one of few important things with the other’s presence by their side, on purpose or not. Their dynamic is something unique you can’t find in others shonen or mangas, because they have this specific bond, the one getting stronger though the years because their mistakes became a reason to improve and be a better person for this childhood friend they knew since the early days.

Izuku Midoriya needs Katsuki Bakugo like Katsuki Bakugo needs Izuku Midoriya.

You can’t take away this part of their soul, and even when people like AFO tried, they ended up paying the price by revealing how much they care about each other.

Don’t startd with the Heroees rising thing because I can write an entire novel about them, but this is another proof of how they’re made for each other. Their relationship improve though the years and it’s only the beginning, I can’t help but imagine how future bkdk will have an amazing relationship once they figured out everything and untold truths.

They’re each other’s pillars, holding the other up to do the best and watch from afar their other’s improvement.

That’s why the hospital conversation might be the peak of their relationship: the moment when they’ll both break their shield, welcoming the tears and listening how life is a fragile line on a thread.

None of them refuse to break this meaningful thread, because this is something they’ve built for years, and it’s their biggest strength (and biggest weakness like Shigaraki pulled out)

In conclusion: they’re driving me crazy and I have no regrets following their journey because it’s probably one of the best relationships I’ve seen (and I watched a lot of anime/manga, read a lot of books and they’re still superior !)

Thanks for reading my analysis because it’s one of my guilty pleasures when I’m passionate about something, especially my comfort ship ! Take care of yourself <3

[fireheartwraith]

I don't understand people who say Bakugou's bullying got to extreme physical levels to the point that he would burn Deku. I get saying that for ✨️angst✨️ in fanfics, but I genuinely don't think that’s the case in canon. I think the most extreme his bullying got is exactly what we saw: verbal abuse and destruction of property. Which is still bad, by the way (this is the way I was bullied too, so I know it's not fun), but also aligns more with his personality

Bakugou may be brash and aggressive but in some ways he is also a goody too shoes. He was top of his class (still is top 3 at UA) and knew that to achieve his goals of becoming number one hero and going to UA he would need a clean record. He stops his friend from smoking next to him just in case people smell the smoke on his clothes and think he was the one doing it, he would NOT be physically hurting Deku in a way that can so obviously be traced back to him.

Even if the teachers did nothing about the bullying, students are not supposed to use their quirks in non-hero schools, so he would at least get in trouble for that. There’s a reason he waited until there were no teachers around to bully Izuku. He’s too smart to leave any evidence of it on Izuku's body, as Izuku himself points out that Bakugou telling him to kill himself was reckless because if he did do it Bakugou would get in trouble.

TLDR: please stop thinking angst fanfics are canon, Bakugou was not going around burning Deku and breaking his arms

[detectivekirigirislays]

i genuinely can't keep up w these iz///oc's arguments istg

"ochako was acknowledged by izuku, while izuku never acknowledges katsuki's actions towards him!" let's break that down, shall we?

ochako & deku:

ochako— at the time deku calls her his hero— is actively mourning the loss of her villain. she is mourning himiko toga, drenched in guilt and remorse, practically clutching her stomach out of the pain from crying so much, from letting out all her repressed feelings post-war

when izuku comforts ochako, he uses iida's advice in hand-holding, he declares that ochako is his hero because yes, ochako has undeniably done so much for izuku already that it had to be acknowleged somehow sooner or later. and can we deny it? ochako is considerably one of izuku's heroes, seeing as to how she has always been there for him since his time in UA.

ochako is already feeling horrible, almost incompetent as she couldn't save himiko, so of course izuku is going to reassure her that she's still a hero to someone, and that someone is him. izuku uses these words as a means of COMFORT.

izuku says these words to comfort her because she is mourning a great loss. what ochako needs is a support system, not a declaration of love, not any love confession or romantic chemistry, just someone to be there to comfort her. and izuku fulfills that role.

claiming someone as your hero doesn't have to be deemed as romantic all the time. it can be in the form of platonically, or idolization, it doesn't have to undermine the platonic aspect of seeing someone as your hero.

kacchan and deku:

izuku n katsuki are the type of duo wherein 'actions speak louder than words' and when there are words needed, those words are short, confusing, unsure, because they have a lot of experience in the field of miscommunication.

however, they're on a level of closeness that izuku doesn't have with any of the other class A's members, which tomura is aware of and exploits to his advantage. moving away from that, izuku has been with katsuki ever since they were kids and even as adults, they're still connected one way or another, so of course the bond they have is different than in contrast to anyone else in class A. they don't need to say much to each other mostly bcuz of how in sync they are.

izuku has always acknowledged katsuki, so the argument that he hasn't is pretty stupid. he says it himself, katsuki is his symbol of victory, katsuki is this amazing person in his life closer to him than all might is, he chased after katsuki for years out of admiration; all his life, he pretty much has been acknowledging katsuki. sure, he hasn't said anything about katsuki's recent developments and whatnot, so i'll explain it in the next point->

i took reference from a prev tumblr post, but izuku pretty much doesn't talk about his actual feelings. same as katsuki, as both of them are known to hide how they truly feel and use a bunch of lip-servicey words. izuku wouldn't initiate a deep conversation about katsuki's sacrifices, revivals and stuff because he'd most likely wait for katsuki to speak about it firstly between them both. at the same time, katsuki doesn't seem to be the type of person to willingly talk about that, so i doubt they'd be having such a conversation out of the blue unless the situation or the setting really needs them to do so.

we see it in the two's CHARACTER TRAITS, where izuku isn't the type to openly state how he feels unless the situation really needs him to do so or when it's already the very end/almost the very end. izuku most of the time would keep his innermost thoughts to himself. katsuki, on the other hand, while very vocal about shallower opinions and his regular outbursts, he rarely shows his deeper vulnerability or his truer thoughts within him (probably to conceal away any of his weaknesses). these two are the miscommunication-we-can't-tell-each-other-shit-kinda-outta-fear-but-also-out-of-love kings and we have to acknowledge it....

additional info: deku vs kacchan 2. midoriya "all might was my hero, but you were the one in my life! this amazing person" izuku.

[neonscandal]

I'm glad that BNHA ended with no canon pairing (I remember in one of your post, that you also hope BNHA have no canon pairing, right?). Did you hear what anti BKDK and anti Bakugou said? That because of "loud" BKDK shippers (including us), Hori scared to made Izuku/Ochaco canon. Are they serious? It's a het ship, cutest couple (yes, even if I'm BKDK shipper, I can say that IzuOcha is a cute ship), and one of the best dynamic in the series. Well, let the haters hate, right?

Hiii and thank you for your patience! Things have been crazy but I'm (slowly) getting caught up on asks 💚 I think, previously, I said I doubted (but hoped like hell) it'd be canon due to the obvious tropes and that I'd riot if they got the Destiel treatment.

I think there not being any canonized romantic pairings is on par for the story though. We literally don't see any couples in universe except for a handful of the class' parents and, presumably, Kota's deceased parents who were also a hero couple (insert awkward drop that All Might also thought they'd make an unstoppable team up..).

I think IzuOcha had a really refreshing dynamic as friends especially with how awkward Izuku was at the beginning. His comfort with her over time (especially at the end) was also an indicator of his growth and maturity just as much as her picking apart her admiration for him was for her if that makes sense. Part of that confusion was influenced by Mina being a messy ass queen (love her for that) but also is a really sweet interpretation of the kind of admiration and appreciation one can have for someone that makes you think, "is this love?".

Like despite how his previous classmates felt about him and how Izuku may have seen himself, Ochaco was so moved by his earnestness and potential that it made her strive to be more of a hero than one who is in it for the money. Bravely speaking up for Izuku was her origin story as a hero but it wasn't all of her story and minimizing it in that way when she gave one hell of a performance at the Sports Festival earning Katsuki's respect and navigated a moral dilemma in the redemption and rescuing of villains by way of Toga derails the point.

I think overall the theme that anyone can be a hero is illustrated most by characters who may seem unassuming but have garnered the admiration of someone and, in turn, motivated them to be better.

Izuku looked up to Katsuki (and vice versa)

Eijiro looked up to Mina (mind you, this was in spite of the fact that she immediately broke down in fear after)

Amajiki looked up to Togata (and vice versa)

Ochaco looked up to Izuku

So in that way, perhaps we knew it was never going to be a romance. That would have muddled the overarching message that small measures can define someone as a hero because you never know who's watching. But to extend your hand to help anyway.

Shipping is like a side quest to enjoying the story, don't let the haters ruin your appreciation. Regardless of any large romantic gestures that may have punctuated the story  👀🧡💚

[lilybecca1]

An analysis about "Their feelings becoming one"

So far, this panel still has been a mystery, we still don't know what it's really supposed to mean. Their feelings become one? What feelings? Their love for each other?

Well, as good as that may sound, I don't think that's the case here particularly. In some way, yes, it does symbolize their love for each other, and that doesn't necessarily mean romantic. It's the true, unconditional love for the person that means the whole world to you, who is more important to you than anyone else. At this moment, you can see that realization settle in their eyes as they look at each other. As they realize that the person right in front of them is the one who they'd do anything for.

But let's talk about what "their feelings becoming one" means.

The whole manga basically revolves around their story and how they've grown to accept the sides of the other that they themselves have lacked in the beginning. It began with them, Bakugo's Win to Save, and Midoriya's Save to Win. The story has always revolved around this concept, what it means to be a true hero. Like All Might said, in order to reach their full potential, they have to accept and embrace the other side of the coin too, not just their own ideals on what they believe being a hero is.

“After being a hero for so many years you learn a few things. Striving to be the best, like you, young Bakugou, and caring deeply about people, about rescuing those in trouble, like you, young Midoriya; both of those feelings are necessary in a hero, otherwise they’ll never truly be able to represent justice. That’s why you admire his strength so much, young Midoriya…and I know that’s why you’ve always feared his heart and spirit, young Bakugou. Now that you’ve laid your feelings out on the table, maybe you can understand each other. If you have mutual respect and focus on making one another stronger, I’ve no doubt you’ll become the ultimate heroes, winning and saving people at the same time.” 

That's the real story here, that was the main purpose of the whole manga. It's about their journey on accepting the other's point of view and becoming a true hero. A hero that doesn't only win or save, but both.

In the beginning, Bakugo believed that being a hero is winning at any cost, meanwhile for Izuku, it was about saving at any cost, no matter the outcome. This side of Deku always triggered something inside Bakugo because he never understood why someone would have such a strong desire to help others and save them, even at the cost of his own wellbeing. He thought of it as a weakness, it was something that pissed him off to no end. That was until Deku vs Kacchan 2, when he finally started to see the bigger picture. After having this realization about Deku, and after All Might told him that in order to be the ultimate hero he'd have to accept Izuku's point of view, Bakugo started to focus on saving too, not just winning.

Izuku on the other hand, started off the opposite. He wanted to save and help others more than anything, and to him, it didn't matter coming out as a winner in the end, because to him, saving meant winning. It didn't matter to him what happens to his own body because he always put others over himself. But he always looked up to Kacchan and admired him for his determination to win no matter what, and to him, Kacchan is the image of victory, Kacchan is the embodiment, the symbol of winning. In Izuku's mind, Kacchan always had what he didn't.

His whole view of what winning is supposed to be comes from Kacchan, not All Might. Deku started to view Kacchan as his image of victory at the moment when he saw him stand up to his bullies. And the image of saving is what comes from All Might, as we know from that debut video that Izuku loved.

For Kacchan, his image of winning comes from All Might, but the image of saving has always come from Izuku. Right from that first moment when Deku reached his hand out to him. At first he thought it was pity, but deep down he always knew that it was more than that.

He knew that Izuku's desire to save was stronger than anyone else's, and that's what made him concerned. Because Deku's desire to save was so strong that Katsuki knew he'd go to any lengths to do it. Even if it meant hurting himself in the process.

------

“I’d never admit something like this to your face, but the truth is…when I get riled up and my desire to win surpasses my desire to save someone…without meaning to, I start talking like you. You’re so mean sometimes, and I hate it, but my idea of victory is so tied to the image of you in my head, that in those moments I can’t help but imitate you."

Bakugo wasn't the only one who rejected this side of the other at first. Deku hated it, he used to suppress this desire to win inside of him because he saw that as a weakness too. He knew that saving came first, but upon being riled up, he'd throw that out the window, and he didn't want that. He thought of it as a side of himself that he should reject.

But over time, he has also grown to accept that side of himself, and he started to realize that winning is just as important as saving. His idea of victory is so tied to the image of Kacchan in his head, that he can't help but imitate him whenever he desires to win. Kacchan is the one who gave the Win to Save to Izuku, because the idea of what winning is supposed to look like comes from Kacchan too. Without Kacchan, it wouldn't exist. And without Izuku, Bakugo's Save to Win wouldn't exist either. For Katsuki, the Symbol of Saving is Izuku, and that's why he starts mumbling and analyzing in the last battle. That's why he jumps in knowing that he'll die, because he knew Izuku would do the same.

It has always been them. The story has always been about them, because they complete eachother. They are the two sides of the same coin. Without the other, they wouldnt exist.

Because remember, Izuku's body only moved on its own once he realized it was Kacchan.

And Katsuki's body only moved on its own once he realized that Izuku was in danger.

They are the person that awakens the hero inside of the other. Without the other, they wouldn't be true heroes. They were always meant to be true heroes together, because they push each other to be their best self, and they couldn't reach their full potential without the other.

So I say it again: the story is about the two of them and how they become the ultimate heroes together. The story wouldn't exist without the relationship that they have. THEY give each other the meaning of what it means to be a hero. All Might was always just an ideal, something that planted the dream of being a hero inside their head. But not in their heart. They never needed him, because All Might was their hero, but they were the ones in each others life.

They are two halves, and by embracing the other, they embrace being a true hero as well.

And do they ever become true heroes?

They do, and let me explain it.

This panel right here is very important in more ways than one. I think this panel is meant to symbolize the peak of the entire story, it's meant to symbolize them achieving what they have been working for in the entire manga.

This is the beginning of them being true heroes. Quoting All Might, "both of those feelings are necessary in a hero, otherwise they’ll never truly be able to represent justice". And right at this moment, their feelings become one. This is the moment where they finally embrace both sides of the coin. "Their feelings become one"="Their desire to Save to Win and Win to Save become the desire to Win AND to Save"

It's not Save to Win OR Win to Save anymore. Neither desire is stronger than the other anymore.

Look at Bakugo's panel. Right at that moment when his and Izuku's eyes meet, he realizes that winning isn't as important as it was anymore. He realizes that he desires to save Izuku just as strong as he desires to win. He realizes that winning doesn't mean anything if Izuku isn't there by his side.

And when Izuku sees Kacchan, he realizes that he has to win in order to be able to save him. He has to win this fight, because if he didn't, his world wouldn't have Kacchan in it anymore. He realizes that he has to keep fighting on, for Kacchan. That he has to win so Kacchan can live on in a world where he is safe.

At that moment when their eyes meet, both of their hearts feel that Saving to Win and Winning to Save are equally important.

By embracing the connection that they have, by embracing their other half, the person that completes them, they have finally given eachother the heart of a true hero.

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Tbh a huge amount of the issues MHA has could have been fixed had Bakugo just been expelled from UA in the first season or not gotten in at all

[aeryzdoesstuff]

Bakugou and Midoriya wearing matching rings on the same fingers on their right hand. They're married your honour.

[sleepingpopplio]

The depth of Bakugo’s apology

I saw the clip from the anime’s rendition of Bakugo’s apology and was filled with the same emotions as when I first read it in the manga. It was powerful, it was beautiful, it was gentle, and it meant something to people. But while it was great to see Bakugo apologetic for his past actions to Izuku during his time of need, the fandom often neglects the layers to that apology.

I think one thing about Bakugo’s apology that makes it so powerful is that when he says “I’m sorry [Izuku] for everything”, he’s referencing more than simply his bullying. Sure, he’s haunted by his constant guilt for what he did and the long term affects of it, but he’s also sorry that things ended up the way they did.

He’s sorry that Izuku has so much self loathing towards himself and his quirkless past. He’s sorry that Izuku was given One For All without being given the full truth about the quirk and its legacy. He’s sorry that Izuku was given so much responsibly and sorry that Izuku was put under so much pressure as he wielder of One For All— that he had to be the next symbol of piece alone. He’s sorry that Izuku was made to feel as though everything & everyone relied on him. He’s sorry that Izuku feels as though his only value comes from saving people, and that if he can’t save everyone then he’s a failure. He’s sorry that Izuku feels the need to break himself beyond repair in order to be respected as the deku who always does his best.

Bakugo is sorry that Izuku has been through so much emotional torment over the past year, going through a downward spiral since the minute he was given OFA, and he [Bakugo] couldn’t stop him from leaving the hospital and their friends behind in time. He’s sorry that things had to get to this point.

So much can be taken from just a few words. Bakugo knows deku very well, and he knows that Deku’s suffering extends far beyond his being bullied. I think that is another reason Deku has such a strong visible reaction to Bakugo’s words. He feels seen, and he feel like everyone in his class, not just limited to but especially Bakugo, are finally understanding him on a level that he refused to understand himself on. The light comes back to his eyes because Izuku Midoriya has suffered, and everyone knows, and they still love him. Luckily, things will be ok because he is not alone. Bakugo’s there for him. 1-A’s there for him. They’ll heal together.

In conclusion, I believe that during fandom discussions about Bakugo’s apology that we should really take the time to realize just how charged his words are and how he is using his apology to build a level of understanding— not just simply to right a past wrong. He wants to right ALL the wrongs of Izuku’s life, and that can simply be done through empathy and understanding. You can’t undo the past, but you can help one-another heal, because in the words of Bakugo Katsuki, “I/we know.”— I/we get it, and we’re sorry you’ve gone through all that.

Before I go, I also just want to mention how Bakugo’s use of language in Japanese is noticeably softer than how he usually talks. He cares so much, and he wants to make that fact known. In addition, he uses Izuku’s first name, which as many of you already know is a huge deal in Japanese culture. It signifies intense closeness. Bakugo is once and for all reclaiming his status as Izuku’s childhood friend. This has already been happening for a while, but in this moment he finally wants to make that known to the people around him without shame or guilt. As he stands surrounded by water, he apologizes for not taking Izuku’s hand in the river. He also reclaims this moment by metaphorically taking Izuku’s hand in the form of the apology. It doesn’t matter anymore whether he physically takes his childhood friend’s hand, what matters is his intent and his want to connect. What matters is Bakugo Katsuki’s ability to never let Izuku go again.

This isn’t really necessarily meant to be shippy I just love character connections and quotes with multiple meanings. Also when I mention Deku’s pressure from OFA please don’t think that I’m bashing All Might. I love him I just think that some mistakes were made and Izuku just generally feels pressure from his role as the yielded of the quirk.

[xexiar]

Nothing like chatting with a friend and they go “Bakugo is a spoil brat.” While I’m over here telling them “Nope! Bakugo suffers from Gifted Child Syndrome.”

Let me explain.

Bakugo is smart af. Like at a very young age he was smarter than other kids his age. He’s even highly praise for his “amazing” quirk. So, he’s put in the spotlight on having extremely high expectations.

So, he’s constantly having to keep the image that he’s perfect. Because if he doesn’t there’s likely a lot of negative pressure from the adults in his life. He pretty much wasn’t allowed to be a kid.

And how does someone who has to constantly being the spotlight would behave after a while. He’s not allowed to be weak. So what’s the only acceptable emotion he can show? Anger. Pure aggression. Because it’s the only thing left.

At that, a spoiled brat typically doesn’t know how to cook and care for themselves. And Bakugo over and over again proves he not only takes care of himself, but also in under a lot of pressure.

Most likely he whole life nobody ever treated him as a person. Everyone saw him as a “thing”. Yet the only one who saw him for him was Izuku. Hence why, I believe, is another reason he lashed out.

Bullies are usually lashing out due to not having any other coping skills to handle their personal issues. And so lashing out at the one person that understands is the only thing he thinks he has to do.

When Bakugo gets to UA is when he finally gets the chance to have a reality check. He finally sees that he’s not at the top and it’s ok. That there’s people, besides Izuku, that sees him for him.

He gets a chance to truly breathe and isn’t pressured to be perfect. He finally got the chance to freely explore options he didn’t think were possible. And I can strongly sympathize with both him and Izuku.

I was bullied my whole childhood. Heck, I was also put on the spotlight to be absolutely perfect. That’s a lot of baggage that not a lot of people get. It doesn’t help that I wasn’t allowed to be a kid. I had to grow up without getting a chance to grow up.

But unlike Bakugo, I pulled a Izuku. I had pent up anger and I was extremely aggressive during my high school years because I didn’t know what else to do.

Basically what I’m saying is that since Bakugo is in high school, he’s getting the chance to find himself. He’s not a brat because of money. He had an ego because that is all he knew.

Which makes it even more enjoyable to watching how to trauma babies slowly heal from what they been through and find each other. Especially accepting the feelings that they always been told shouldn’t be there.

And I’m trying really hard to make this point as I write my BKDK fanfic, Keep Watching.