Anonymous: I'm watching MHA because of you and even tho your speciality are the girls I gotta ask: why there are people who like Bakugou? He's a little shit all the time and I see zero qualities to redeem him in the eyes of the audience.

supersoftly:

thespectacularspider-girl:

I have no idea because I hate him too

I think a lot of people fundamentally misunderstand what about Bakugou is so awesome, and I mean awesome as in the overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration or fear. Bakugou is the embodiment of masculinity and testosterone; the good and the bad, the fearsome man yet respected ally. Bakugou arguably a modern rendition of the byronic hero, but set as a rival character instead.

Many people handle Bakugou like he’s meant to act like Midoriya or at least, he’s needs less of himself, but if you take all the bad things you dislike about Bakugou, what do you have left.

He’s boring! What an uninspired character to be considered Midoriya’s proper “rival” and rivalry is difficult relationship to capture (Naruto Sasuke? Natsu Grey? Aang Zuko?). In this day and age where we are in such luxury that society handles aggression and physical contact as distasteful and inappropriate, I think it’s important to remind people there are many boys and men out there who won’t fall in line for that thinking. It’s not cause there’s something wrong with them, it’s because we’re all trying to shove them into a particular hole when they’re clearly something else. Everyone around Bakugou understands this, his mother, Aizawa, All Might, Kirishima and even Midoriya. Think about how they interact with him and what they’ve said about him, none of them specifically want him to “QUIT BEING AN ASSHOLE” (at least, to him directly), instead they all direct his growth towards things that indirectly make him a better hero. Best Jeanist and Gang Orca’s interactions specifically point out how just addressing Bakugou as “oh he’s just another asshole” sorely misrepresents the growth of his character.

Midoriya, bless his noble heart, has great respect for Bakugou despite his bullying, there is a will to power where Midoriya recognizes there is strength in his ferocity. Bakugou is no beast however, he is a formidable, intelligent contender for the throne of being the number one hero.

Underestimating his character and his character depth because he is a jerkface seems a little too 2-dimensional of an assessment. I really do think balancing a rival character who is believably just as passionate about a goal, but not the same character, and Deku vs. Kacchan captures it masterfully imo. He is the opposite force of Midoriya, the sharper side of man, the unbound rage that puts the fear of god into villains, the power we want on our side not the enemy’s, the man who you trust with your life to not let go, the spartan that holds the shield high, who keeps climbing through the blood and carnage, commanding the respect of fellow combatants. Midoriya, the softer side, the unbound compassion for humanity, driven by hope and determination, the man who holds the door until everyone is out safely, the commander that makes the decision to save the most lives, the underdog who persist no matter what and the knight who puts valor before glory; that’s Midoriya’s way of generating his Tau. Yet there is value in both.

Aggression and passion is two sides of the same coin, Bakugou as much of a cunt as he is, he is inspired by All Might to become a better hero. His ferocity and aggression fuels his drive to compete and fulfil his own destiny. He is arrogant, but has integrity. He is powerful, but respects authority. He is aggressive, but a fair competitor. He is brutal, but an honest man.

I hope that this opens up why I think he is a well-written rival, that’s all I really want to address since Bakugou kind of get thrown under the bus for his personality and nobody really talks about it. Like sure, he’s a dickwad, I don’t think anyone can dispute that, but reading past that is way more interesting and being charitable to characters you may not understand might merit some value :>