Katsuki Bakugou: the character I have written so much about that I have run out of ways to introduce him. As you can see from the title above, this is part six of my journey of discovering exactly why Bakugou is so well loved by the anime community, displayed through his consistent wins in the My Hero Academia popularity polls, despite his disagreeable attitude. In my previous posts, I have discussed the topics of cultural, expectation, character effects, and psychology that have all played a part in people’s love for this character. However, there is another reason, arguably the most important, for the fans love of Bakugou: character development. You may be thinking, “Oh, so Bakugou’s character has drastically changed from that over-the-top attitude to a calmer and nicer person!” Nope, not really. He’s still hotheaded, foul-mouthed, and aggressive like he was at the beginning, and his goal to be the number one hero and to win at all costs is still his main driving force. Yet, he is almost unrecognizable from the start of the series. How is this possible? Although his character has barely changed, his hotheaded, aggressive attitude comes from not a place of hatred or insecurity anymore, but the willingness to put himself in danger for the betterment of others. In middle school, he bullied Izuku Midoriya. His first year of high school, he constantly sought out fights with the protagonist. By his second year of high school, he sacrificed himself to save the life of his former victim. Likewise, his goals may not have changed, but his outlook has tremendously improved. Instead of aiming to be on top by belittling or beating everybody else, he aims to be number one by saving those in need. It’s true that Bakugou will always brag about becoming the top hero one day and call those around him idiots, but Bakugou will also do everything he can to accomplish this dream and to save those so called “morons.” This is what makes Bakugou such a well-written character. Instead of developing him in a way that completely changes his fundamental personality, Kohei Horikoshi, the author of My Hero Academia, matures Bakugou’s ideals, keeping the characteristics that made him so popular in the first place intact. In fact, Horikoshi himself admits during an interview, “Yeah, actually, because of the way he is I guess, he’s one of my favorites. So much so I might like him more than Deku [Midoriya’s superhero name].” Therefore, it is not only the community that favors Bakugou, but the author himself.
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