Katsuki Bakugo (or ‘Kacchan’ to his friends) is one of the deuteragonists of ‘My Hero Academia’.
Both the manga and anime of My Hero Academia are still going, and Bakugo to date is still alive in both. This isn’t without close encounters though, such as Bakugo suffering significant injuries from Shigaraki’s attack on Deku.
Who Is Bakugo?
Katsuki Bakugo is a deuteragonist (or, a character second in importance to a show’s main character) in My Hero Academia, alongside fellow deuteragonist All Might. He was born on April 20, to mother Mitsuki Bakugo and father Masaru Bakugo.
Bakugo attends the Hero Department of U.A High School, as a member of Class 1-A.
In his childhood, Bakugo bullied Izuku Midoriya (the main character of My Hero Academia) for being ‘Quirkless’ – or, born without superpowers. The pair grew up together, and their relationship remained difficult, even after Izuku developed his own Quirk. In fact, Izuku’s nickname “Deku” was coined by Bakugo – meaning “Dekunobou”/“someone who can’t do anything”. I’m sure Izuku was thrilled about that!
While attending school though, Bakugo was humbled by a series of defeats, and these changed him personality-wise for the better.
Bakugo is extremely talented at fighting and athleticism, alongside being very intelligent and skilled at strategy.
What Does Bakugo Look Like?
Bakugo is slim, with fair skin and short blond hair. His eyes are bright red, and he has a scar on his left shoulder, with another on his stomach.
While in school, Bakugo wears the regular U.A uniform (consisting of a grey blazer, white shirt, red tie and dark pants). Bakugo forgoes the red tie, however!
When in hero-mode, Bakugo wears a black tank top adorned with an orange ‘X’ in the centre. His belt carries grenades, and he accompanies this with black combat boots.
Bakugo’s hero mask comes down just below his eyes, and is also black. Its edges form a slightly jagged shape, and there are flares jutting out from the mask on each side.
What Is Bakugo Like?
Originally, Bakugo was arrogant, condescending and could even be slightly cruel (this was especially obvious in his bullying of Izuku).
Attending school at U.A. has changed this behaviour however (due in no small part to Bakugo having suffered a good few defeats!), and Bakugo has now become less smug and overly-confident. Though still fond of teasing others, he now can acknowledge when they impress him – for instance, if they show strength or prowess during a fight.
Bakugo genuinely wants to become a good hero, and is greatly inspired by All Might (his co-deuteragonist and a former Number 1 Hero).
In addition, Bakugo has truly outgrown his previous bullying of Izuku, now being concerned with helping Izuku develop and manage his Quirks.
What Is A Quirk?
A Quirk (“個性”) is a superhuman power possessed by a person. They are usually unique to the person themselves, and can fall under a number of categories: Mutant, Emitter, and Transformation.
For instance, Bakugo’s Quirk – “Explosion” – is an ‘emitter’ type quirk. His sweat is made of a nitroglycerin-type substance, which can be ignited on Bakugo’s command.
In another instance, Izuku transferred a Quirk called “One For All” to Bakugo. This Quirk allowed him to generate a ginormous amount of power, enabling him to enhance and increase all of his abilities, including his “Explosion” Quirk itself.
What Other Abilities Does Bakugo Have?
Bakugo is a very talented fighter and strategist. He has his Quirk, it’s true, but he has a great many other abilities too, such as (but not limited to!):
Phenomenal Strength – Bakugo is extremely physically strong, as shown in multiple fights he has had.
Superhuman Speed – using “Explosion”, Bakugo can fire himself forward at incredible speeds. Think of a human cannonball!
Intelligence – Bakugo is very intelligent, which makes to be a formidable duo with his physical capabilities. He can easily analyze and strategize against an opponent’s strengths, as well as pin-pointing their weaknesses.
Stun Grenade – Bakugo can form a ball of light in his hands, which can blind an opponent.
Point-Blank Stun Grenade – like above, this ability allows Bakugo to form a sphere of light in his hands. For this version of the technique though, he fires the stun grenade at point-blank range, utterly immobilizing the victim.
Howitzer Impact – Bakugo can use “Explosion” to launch himself into the air, moving in circular motions to create a tornado. The tornado gathers oxygen, which Bakugo can then use for a gargantuan explosion.
What Equipment Does Bakugo Carry?
Bakugo carries an arsenal of weapons and equipment (alongside the fact that he is a weapon himself!) such as grenadier bracers, grenades of his nitroglycerin-type sweat, and knee pads.
When Will We See Bakugo Next?
Thankfully, Bakugo is ticking along alive and well in both the anime and manga series of My Hero Academia. The sixth series of the anime is predicted to premier in the autumn of 2022, with new manga chapters (the Japanese version) due to drop this February.
See you soon Bakugo!
