#also it’s definitely sunshine himbo x grumpy smartass and I love that for them

[gemstarstarlight]

What are your thoughts on Bakugo from BNHA?

I’m glad you asked! 😊😂

I will say that I got about halfway through season five of Boku no Hero Academia before dropping it, not because it was particularly bad, but simply because my hyper fixation was mostly done.

But man, Bakugo is such an interesting character to me. At first, like many people, I didn’t like him, because he was a really mean awful person who was only obsessed with becoming the top hero. But the more the show goes on, the more you get to see the worldview that he lives in that lets him think his actions are justified, how that worldview had been supported because of how he was raised and how the people at his middle school school treated him, and then the slow breaking of that worldview once he started attending UA.

That is the most interesting part - it’s not just Midoriya that becomes better than him. He has a (one-sided) rivalry with Todoroki and often has setbacks because he can’t work with a team or learn how to people well. He’s put in situations where he cannot save himself and is forced to depend on other people, whether he wants to or not. And he’s forced to deal with the repercussions of his actions, even if some of those actions (such as All Might’s retirement) were not really his fault.

We see Bakugo as a character, and then we see that character break down. On a fundamental level, everything Bakugo believes about the world is turned upside down and viciously denied to him until he is unable to refute the truth: he’s not the best in the world, his actions have consequences, and he cannot do this whole hero thing by himself.

And then…he changes.

Not fundamentally, he doesn’t turn into an entirely different person. I have no doubt that Bakugo will always be abrasive, brash, rude, and generally not an easy person to get along with. But, now he knows. He is continuing to make choices that revolve around repairing relationships and learning to work with people better. He still has the same goals and hopes, but he is adjusting to a world that doesn’t revolve around him. He is growing. Not turning into someone else entirely, but growing into a mature version of the explosive hero he was always meant to be.

In addition to Bakugo’s character being interesting, I love how it is so clearly influenced by people who hold him accountable, but still care about him. Bakugo had neither of those things when he was in middle school. He was just allowed to wreak havoc, and was surrounded by followers, but not people who cared about him. He had no friends, no mentors. No wonder he thought he was the center of the universe, nobody attempted to enter his.

And then he came to UA. In addition to having teachers that would not tolerate his serious antics and dealing with a harsh dose of consequences, Bakugo made a friend in Kirishima. A real friend, one who clearly cared about him and tried to see the best in him. I’m sure it was written on purpose that Bakugo’s first friend had a hardening quirk that could face explosions easily, and a personality that was relentlessly positive in the face of Bakugo’s intense need to shove other people away. Kirishima dragged him to social events, called him out on his bad behavior, and yet was still a supporter and teammate who genuinely liked him and wanted to be his friend. And this isn’t a rescuer relationship: Kirishima draws on Bakugo as inspiration when he struggles with his own insecurities. And, of course, Kamino needs no mentioning. The commitment and love Kirishima shows to Bakugo is commendable and amazing to watch. And it is essential to Bakugo’s healing.

I truly believe that Bakugo would not be able to change and become a better person if he hadn’t had someone who unconditionally loved him, and yet still drew boundaries and called him out on bad behavior when necessary. That, along with a community of teachers and mentors, who finally use their authority to tame his wild behavior while trying to understand him and support his good points, is what triggers the changes in Bakugo.

And I think that is a necessary thing for everyone regardless of if you have a “difficult“ personality or not. People that will unconditionally love you and accept you, but will call you out if your behavior crosses a line. That is how people grow, and that is why I love Bakugo as a character. 

#bakugo katuski #asks #I also love that he’s almost certainly aroace/demi #it will never be confirmed in the show but the fact that he has no reaction of any kind to anyone #while many of the other characters have very strong reactions to people they consider attractive #Just makes me think that he’s certainly on the ace spectrum somewhere #Also can you tell that I ship KiriBaku? Because yes I am also obsessed with our spiky shirtless hard boi #Friends to lovers where they both learn to be better humans because of each other and they are each other’s foils and growth points #is one of my favorite dynamics #also it’s definitely sunshine himbo x grumpy smartass and I love that for them #as a QPR or as a romance #im obsessed with kiribaku and I’ll support it till the end #their Quirks are Compatible it’s Adorable and Badass #bnha bakugo katsuki