Thread by @Laren_LN, Why is Bakugou a very well-written character? An analysis thread First [...]

Why is Bakugou a very well-written character? An analysis thread

First of all, what is a well-written character? There are many possible answers to that question. But summarizing, good characters are those who have a BASE, a construction (Where does he come from? What does he want to do?), a DEVELOPMENT (how does that base influence him?

How does he improve? How does he get worse? What does he do with the attributes he was created with?) and those who are TRIDIMENSIONAL (What's the reason behind his actions? Where does his attitude come from? What impact do this actions have on the story line?)

Having said that, as we can see Bakugou complies with all these points. Each one of his aspects have a construction, a purpose and a narrative reason. To begin with, he's one of the characters who have heroic qualities the most, according to the standards of what being a hero

means in the world of BNHA. From the beginning he demonstrates he's more than what he looks like. For example, when he respects and acknowledges Uraraka's strength, something that nobody did.

The MHA universe shows us a society where if you don't have a quirk then you are nothing. Both the chaos and the order are based on superpowers. Here Bakugou shows us something interesting: even a bully can become a hero supported and admired by society.Endeavor would be another

example of someone who can be respected by people, no matter if he's a good or a bad person. This fact isn't random, it's part of the narrative of BNHA. A hypocrite society where the greatest hero states everyone can be a hero, but that's a lie because all that matters is how

strong is the quirk you were born with. And... You know what? Bakugou is a victim of that society.

Kacchan's quirk appeared when he was a little kid. And it happened to be a extremely strong one. A quirk that even had the potential to let him become the number one hero.

People quickly make him know that. He is praised by kids, adults, men, women... Everybody demonstrate him a quirk is EVERYTHING. They didn't say anything to him before, but now that he has a good quirk he's like a little god.

That same basis is applied to the mc. He feels like he's NOTHING because he was born without a quirk. He's an eternal loser.

But, what does finally turn Bakugou into a tridimensional character?

Bakugou here gives narrative value to the story because he shows this focus:

What happens when you are born having everything going for you, with an incredible quirk and being admired by everyone, but you DON'T succeed and you DON'T become the best?

What happens if you are born destined to become the next greatest hero and the only thing you do is FAIL?

Bakugou has a lot of pressure. As far back as he can remember, everyone states he will be big and great. An idol. And how not? He was born with a strong quirk so he definitely has to be!
For him, All Might is the best because he always wins. So he has to be strong,

he CAN'T lose, he CAN'T decieve anyone. He HAS TO BE the number one. Here is where his development starts.

With his superiority complex, an inferiority complex is awaken too.

Feeling below anyone is catastrophic for him, because then it would mean that even having everything going for him, he's still a "loser" in the world we've been talking about.

Unfortunately, he projects this behaviour onto Deku, reaffirming that the kid is a loser without powers, unlike him. That's why he needs to reaffirm it; to hide his insecurities. Nobody can surpass him because then he would be a dissapointment.

That is the reason why he bullies Deku. Because for him and for the rest of the world, those who don't have anything are just trush. Next, add to that the superiority complex people created on Bakugou because of all those compliments.

Oh, and don't forget the INCIDENT OF THE LOG

I've seen a lot of people saying they don't understand why this was so traumatic for Bakugou. So I'll explain it:

Katsuki, at the age of 4, had already formed his perspective of the world.

When he fell any of the kids thought he needed help except Deku, the kid who didn't have anything. In other words, Deku breaks his role; the role he must play, according to Bakugou's standards.

Basically, Deku breaks all schemes in his mind. He opposes what has been established in society. He's doing "what he mustn't" so he's breaking the world's structure. It's invasive. It's dangerous. And it destabilizes him.

The real gesture is simply Deku trying to give him his hand, but Bakugou interpret this as a threat to HIS IDENTITY.

Deku is going against the workings of the world. In consequence, he's trying to stop Kacchan from "being himself".

This also fits with the context of the characters. Maybe other more tragic situations like a war (?) could have created a trauma in Kacchan that leads to a sup/inf complex.
But here they are just kids playing around, and the mental process inside Bakugou's mind is still the same

And I am not trying to approve or defend his bad actions, but to clarify they are caused by a reason. Maybe other characters could have react differently to this situation, but that's the point. Every character is different. If not, what would be the point on watching anime?

It's curious that NO ONE criticized Bakugou for his behaviour towards Deku. On the contrary, they flattered him for that. So that's not random, I repeat. It's because that is the world of MHA. Quirks and the fact of being a hero or not are above moral values.

Bakugou has this attitude because his superiority/inferiority complex leads him to reflex his insecurities created by everybody's words and the world where he was brought up, making him someone who by any circumstance should have been surpassed.

This is the root of the problem, because he only needs one day in UA to discover there are people stronger than him. Some surpass him in net power and others in intelligence. The kid who was forced to believe he was the best, has just arrived and he's realized he's not.

And, to top it off, the kid who was born without nothing, the kid who used to bully, gets into UA too. Not only that, he has a quirk! A quirk with more potential than his, and even similar to All Might's power!

"What's happening? Did Deku pretend being useless all this time, only to defeat me when I drop my guard?"

These are the thoughts of an insecure person, who haf now the pressure of his parents too.

In other words, Bakugou COULDN'T fail. He CAN'T lose, he's expecionally gifted!

Can you imagine having that weight on your shoulders only to end losing a battle against the quirkless kid later?

Moreover, he passes the final exam cooperating with Deku. He passes the exam "thanks to Deku's help". And later, Deku gets the hero licence and Bakugou don't.

His insecurities, coupled with all the pressure of the world that surrounds him, are about to burst.

And then the worst happens: he's captured by the League of Villains, so now he looks like a "loser" who needs to be rescued.

On top of this, he discovers Deku is the succesor of HIS IDOL. He feels completely humiliated because now , without any doubt, Deku must have something that he'll never have no matter how much effort he puts in it or how much he trains.

Despite knowing there are people better than him after going to UA, he doesn't just sit back and do nothing. Even if he was born with everything in his favor, he trains and trains, he analyses himself and tries to find out what he can improve and how to better himself.

But nothing is helpful enough, he's always a few steps back.

Kacchan challenges Deku to a fight because that's his way of letting go steam. He wants to do something but he doesn't know exactly what, because he has too much pressure but very little experience.

This fight is where he turns the whole matter and demonstrates he's a very well-written character because he tells Deku this:

Deku finally understands what is happening. He'd never saw Bakugou like this.

The mean, narcissist, loud-mouthed boy has just revealed his true face. Everything else was a facade to protect himself and hide his insecurities.

Here is the real Bakugou: a kid frustrated by the pressure and by all people having that high expectations for him.

In the end he feels he's a failure and doesn't know how to hide it. He doesn't even know how to deal with this situation. Not only because he's a kid, but

because the world of bnha is constructed for us to understand that people like Bakugou HAS to be, as a matter of course, the best there is. And from his perspective, he isn't. Because "even" Deku has just surpassed him.

Even his mother is one of those people who finish bringing Katsuki down, because she says in his presence that "if he was stronger he wouldn't have been kidnapped". His own mother is dissapointed with him (partially).

And here he tells Deku another thing which with his development culminates.

Finally we see that in reality Bakugou was destroyed. He thinks the end of All Might is his fault because the fight of AFO vs OFA was originated by the rescue.

From his point of view, if he hadn't been so weak All Migth would continue being a hero. He killed his own idol.

He has 'failed' so many times that the world have lost the greatest hero of all time by his fault.

Deku realizes this, and All Might too. To the point he hugs Bakugou and apologizes for putting all that weight on his shoulders knowing that he was only a kid.

Because that's what Bakugou is: a kid who only saw success during all his life, so when he fails he doesn't know how to deal with that. Because he never experimented it.

The boy knows he's not perfect, and that's why he feels inferior, but he doesn't know what to do to improve. He tries and tries but he only fails.

And that's the character of Bakugou: someone who was taught that people like him can only aim to glory. Just that. And anything less than glory is NOTHING.
Before even having the opportunity to show his value, everyone have high expectations on him. People only need him to make

any little mistake to brand him as a loser.

In hindsight, this moment breaks with the cliché of the antihero who is mean with the protagonist. Many people thought Bakugou would turn into a villain and, honestly, it was a logic supposition 'cause that's very common. But this is not the case.

He's surrounded by all the members of the League, without nothing on his favor. They invite him to join them, so... It's okay, isn't it? "There was always evil in his heart".

It turns out, that he rejects them and attacjs them when he finds an opportunity.

The most safe option was faking he accepted. But he didn't even do that. He risked his life to the only purpose of keeping his ideals.

And that, people, is a HERO in the world of MHA. That's what being a hero means.

This reasoning is the same applied to Mirio when he saves Eri, because he follows his values and principles no matter if the situation will be catástrofe in the end.

Why? Because that's what a hero does in this manga.

Bakugou here does the same. He could have saved from that by many different ways but he didn't care. He preferred to die rather than abandone himself.

This breaks the idea of him being a "cliché" and shows that, despite all, he's a true hero.

Sorry for my English btw, if I said something weird please tell me

. It will help me to improve.

The end.

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