#they thought the napalm screenshot was edited

[0vergrowngraveyard]

told my friend about the wonders of tails adventure. they were in disbelief

[bakugouscentedcaramel]

bakugo flat out told midoriya to kill himself, physically assaulted him multiple times, and verbally bullied him relentlessly. as a victim to similar bullying, he shows very little growth. yes he becomes more righteous as he becomes a hero, but his attitude never changes. his superiority complex in the early seasons makes me physically ill and will often send me spiraling as i relive what ive gone through. maybe other people see him differently but i can never bring myself to like him

Nfjfjfjf I love doing these breakdowns bc I wanted to be so many medical careers, one of them being psychology so this is great for me fnfjdj

Val's 420th Synopsis of GremlinBoomMan

So I'm not going to deny that he was a bully, I'd be blind to not see that. Now I know this Gremlin isn't everyone's cup of napalm, and that's perfectly fine darlin'! As I've said I hated him at first until I saw through some things.

He's been growing to be better than when he first appeared in episode one though. And I have receipts to prove it, along with some tea I spilt with @awkward-tension (psychology nerds ftw)

Take these two panels, one from the first chapter and the other from chapter 166 page 15. I want y'all to keep this in the back of your mind as I continue on my theory on BakuBoomBoomMan.

Now this panel grab from Chapter 165 page 5. (Now this theory was sprung by me rereading the Kindergarten Arc for another ask and this one line triggered my conspiracy theorist inside me)

Now if we consider the possibility of Bakugou having a rougher upbringing, one that we haven't really had the opportunity to witness because of the story being told by Midoriya, not a third, uninvolved party, his behavior starts to make a lot of sense.

We know that his mom isn't a stranger to smacking him around, and it's funny at first until you really reflect on it.

Mitsuki calls Katsuki weak and him ultimately being the reason for everyone being involved with the LoV (him being kidnapped). If she says these things in front of official School staff one could only imagine how the household is like when it's just them three. Mitsuki is in a way verbally and physically abusive, to what extent we don't know, but the evidence is there. As for his father, he could be classified as an enabler for his wife for not intervening and turning a blind eye to this conflict.

So where does that leave Katsuki?

Obviously having these types of parents will have a serious toll on a child. (Me being a prime example) It's safe to say that Katuski might've developed a form of depression/anxiety/self worth issues causing him to obsess over praise and power. His aggression could very easily be considered a coping mechanism for these conflicting feelings and as a way for him to have an outlet for what he was experiencing at home.

He finally found someone who he thought was below him on the totem pole, especially since Izuku hadn't developed a quirk yet. This paired with the praises he had when his quirk emerged only adding fuel to the flame of a bully mentality.

Midoriya being a perfect lightning rod for this anger.

Just think about it, you have a parent constantly calling you weak and worthless, treating you like human garbage, so you turn to your other parent, who is absent and blows off everything you tell them and turns the other cheek when they see this behavior in real time. The amount of rage, loneliness, heartache, depression, self loathing, self doubt, self consciousness, and self worth issues that a young child would experience during this all the way through adolescence? Yeah it's going to take some time to relearn healthy behaviors and communication. I know I'm still learning how to be "normal" after my family ordeals.

Now let's take a look at that panel again, this time in it's full glory. (Read right to left for those of y'all who aren't familiar with manga)

He truly doesn't want this child to be like how he was when he was they're age. He knows exactly what path this kid was on and he made sure to steer him back onto the right path. He doesn't want them to be like him. Generally people who have depression or some sister illness tend to see themselves as broken, just husks of what they could've been. Sometimes it fills them with wisdom and the ability to see others who are on the same path. Now I'm only speaking from personal experience when I say this. I would give anything in the world to stop anyone from doing some of the things I did when I was broken. And this whole topic just resonates with me.

If you apply this theory to his actions and behaviors it kinda just clicks into place just perfectly.

I wouldn't be surprised if this is actually a thing, given how fleshed out the Todoroki family is, I just hope my Gremlin gets some more backstory and/or development.

Again I'd like to thank @awkward-tension for adding their hot take on this and below is the screenshots of what started this whole analysis:

Like this only just makes me love him more bc I've personally been struggling with an abusive family my entire life and I'm just now at the age of 21 being a normal person who doesn't go into an anxiety induced panic when someone comes home.

OH (edit)

I forgot to add this panel:

This hints at the potential abuse he experienced/experiencing and also shows that he is willing to try/learn different things, fully knowing that he grew up in a uniquely cruel household. Just a small tid bit but still important