My Hero Academia: Bakugo’s redemption arc was worth the wait

Bakugo’s journey from a bully to a hero was a long one, but his redemption arc made it worth the wait.

My Hero Academia started with a shonen-typical trope: an underdog protagonist and a naturally talented rival. But the series doesn’t take long to differentiate itself from other anime. From the get-go, we understand that their rivalry is not a friendly competition but brutal bullying.

That’s where Bakugo differs him every other shonen rival out there. He wasn’t looking forward to defeating Deku but to humiliating him. And so, like so many viewers, I began my My Hero Academia journey hating the character.

However, it was always obvious that Bakugo was going to go through some deep character development. It was a lengthy process, spread across more than 400 chapters in the manga. But in the end, with his redemption arc completed, I can safely say that the result was worthwhile.

Bakugo started as a bully

Kohei Horikoshi/Bones

Calling Bakugo one of the most well-written characters in My Hero Academia wouldn’t be a stretch. The superhero series didn’t shy away from showing his darker shades, all the while promising us viewers his much-anticipated growth.

Katsuki Bakugo was introduced in the story as the antithesis of our protagonist. While Deku was Quirkless, Bakugo possessed an ability too strong for a teenager. Bakugo basked in the praise of those fawning over him. For him, the world revolved around himself, and weaklings like Deku had no place in that world.

But ignoring the Quirkless boy wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to let Deku and everyone else know that he was better. He even gave the green-haired boy a humiliating nickname: Deku, which means “useless person.” Cue in some more bullying that reminded me of the early days of Naruto. However, the difference was that unlike Naruto and his classmates, Deku and Bakugo had once been childhood friends until the blond boy decided to discard his buddy.

Now, all of these were reasons enough to hate the explosion user. But it didn’t stop there. Bakugo was egotistical and self-centered to the point that he counted almost everybody as extras in his life. According to him, nobody was as good as him, and when they were, like Shoto, he was quick to disregard and insult them.

That doesn’t sound like a great character, does it? But that’s exactly where My Hero Academia’s writing excels. The author expertly takes this unlikeable character and brings him on a journey of realization and acceptance, and the result is praiseworthy indeed.

The beginning of Bakugo’s change of heart

Kohei Horikoshi/Bones

But where does Bakugo begin to change? In my opinion, his change started in the second episode. While he entered the story as a bully, lording his superiority over his Quirkless peer, his glory took a hit when he was captured by a villain. And the one who selflessly ran to save him was the very boy he detested.

That was where his character growth began. Though not apparent, this moment stayed with Bakugo and tormented him. He was adamant about not seeing Deku’s worth. But deep inside, he’d already had the realization that there was more to the Quirkless boy than he gave credit for.

Following this was when he saw Deku using One For All for the first time. It was during Class 1-A’s first throw practice, and the green-haired boy shocked everyone, especially the explosion user, by breaking all records. This was a moment as crucial to Bakugo as it was to the timid Midoriya, but for different reasons. 

After these came many such moments where Bakugo had to face how wrong he was about Midoriya. For me, these were the highlights of the explosion-user’s character. From their rescue practice to the League of Villains’ first attack on U.A. and then the sports festival, all of these contributed to Bakugo’s redemption.

But what changed the game, for both Bakugo and me, was when he was kidnapped by the League. Like us viewers, the villains thought the hotheaded teenager wasn’t hero material. But oh, how wrong they were! This marked the biggest change in his character as he was forced to once again grapple with his weakness.

In the aftermath of his kidnapping, Bakugo’s character changed forever. His horror and guilt over All Might’s retirement and the insecurity that Deku saved him once again all culminated in a poignant clash between him and the One For All user. It was the first time Bakugo was ever honest to Deku and possibly to himself.

The long journey of Bakugo’s redemption was worth the wait

Kohei Horikoshi/Bones

Bakugo’s slow and gradual character development finally came to a head during the latter arcs of My Hero Academia. He was still rough around the edges, but we can now see the real him. Because at the core of the fiery and short-tempered teenager lay a kid who worshipped All Might as much as Deku did.

Despite his rough demeanor, Bakugo never lost sight of his goal: to become the No. 1 hero like All Might. But his redemption arc made him find the part of himself that never hated Deku. Instead of hatred, there’d always been hidden admiration and insecurity.

But it’s not easy to shake off one’s habit, is it? It wasn’t easy for Bakugo either, and that’s exactly why his redemption arc feels authentic to me. True to his nature, it took a lot of screaming and explosions for him to let his true emotions show.

In one of the greatest scenes in the series, Bakugo threw himself between Deku and Shigaraki’s Rivet Stab to save his friend during the Paranormal Liberation War. It was an impactful and emotional moment. And I was just as shocked as Deku was. 

Another time Bakugo’s change of heart really shone through was during the Dark Hero Arc. After Deku left U.A. to protect everyone, Class 1-A went to great lengths to bring him back. But it was Bakugo telling Deku his true feelings of insecurity and being left behind that had me tearing up. It was also the first time he called the green-haired boy by his real name.

Following this were hundreds of little moments where we got to enjoy the explosion-user’s character development. There were some big ones too, like his (temporary) death at Shigaraki’s hands and then his miraculous revival, not to mention his grand battle against All For One.

Bakugo’s redemption arc came full circle in the epilogue. The injuries he sustained in the war left him unable to use his arms. According to the doctors, even physiotherapy might not help. For an aspiring hero whose Quirk comes from his sweat and is channeled through his hands, this meant he might never be able to use his Quirk again.

It was heartbreaking. However, it was not his own grim future that moved Bakugo to tears; it was the fact that Deku no longer had One For All, which made the short-tempered young man cry. In this heartfelt moment, he confessed to Deku that he hoped they’d compete against each other all their lives.

It was this moment that made the past 424 chapters worth it. Bakugo’s journey from a bully to someone who cries at others’ pain is what makes him the most humane character in the series. Thanks to his complexities, he’s cemented his place alongside the likes of Vegeta and Zuko in my mind.

For more of our opinions on anime and manga, check out our takes on Deku’s biggest change, Deku’s new Quirk, Boruto ruining the series’ best moment, and how Haikyuu!! The Dumpster Battle ignores two best characters.