The following article contains spoilers fromMy Hero Academia, Season 6, episode 23.Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya have been butting heads since they were little kids, although, the head-butting was rather one-sided from the get-go. No matter how hardDeku has tried to form a friendshipwith the tumultuous youngster, he has been thwarted and ridiculed at every turn, for years on end.
Thankfully, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight makes a huge personal breakthrough during the Paranormal Liberation War, where he forsakes his bitter resentment towards his nemesis so that he can save a friend instead. He is following through with this heroic momentum for the Dark Hero arc, coming to Deku’s aid once again in Season 6, episodes 22 and 23, and proving once and for all that he isn’t just another “extra” in theMy Hero Academialineup.
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Behind Bakugo’s Bitterness
While the obvious reason behind Bakugo’s superiority complex and needless disrespect regardingDeku is because he was born Quirkless,the malice actually runs much deeper. Despite all the bullying and rejection Izuku has experienced over the years, his positive outlook on life was unwavering, which used to infuriate Bakugo to no end. Both boys admire All Might greatly, and yet, even though Bakugo was the one with an awesome, powerful Quirk, Izuku always seemed to be a better hero, which bruised his ego considerably. Bullying was Bakugo’s answer to creating distance between the pair (which clearly didn’t work!)
“You were obviously way behind me, but it felt like you were ahead of me, too.”
Things did not improve whenDeku received One For All,because not only was his rival now superpowered, but he quickly ascended leaps and bounds ahead of Bakugo, with barely any practice (compared to his life’s work of honing his skills.) And with only a portion of his full power potential, unbelievable! To be surpassed by someone so “useless” was a major kick to Bakugo’s ego, fueling his discontent even further.
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Apart from being antagonistic at every opportunity, Bakugo has also been calling the fan-favorite Hero Deku since they were in middle school, which plays on the word “Dekunobou"and loosely translates to“useless person”. However, Izuku turned those insults into a source of inspiration, forcingBakugo to get more creative with his name-calling(All Might wannabeandnerdbeing a few select choices.) What seems to be the first time, possibly ever, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight abandons his slanderous nicknames and uses Izuku’s real name during their heart-to-heart in Season 6, episode 23, emphasizing the sincerity of his words.
Bakugo Becoming a Better Hero
It used to be impossible to even get Bakugo toparticipateon a team, and if he ever did contribute to a forced alliance, it was always aggressively (and still somehow involved very little teamwork.) Fortunately, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight has turned a new leaf and is not only heavily involved in Class A’s efforts to reign Deku in, but he is, for the most part, the spearhead of the entire mission. He may not be the sole mastermind behind theirstrategy to counter One For All,but Bakugo is certainly leading the charge (in an impassioned, yet surprisingly polite way!)
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Even though Bakugo has been trying to have a meaningful conversation withDeku since before Shigaraki escapedhis slumber, he gives the others a chance to say their piece first. Instead of dominating everyone like he would before, Bakugo hangs back a bit, only stealing the spotlight at the end with his big speech. Even capturing Deku is left to Tenya, which may just have been because the class rep has the required speed factor. However, in the past, the hot-headed hero would’ve done something drastic like attempting to catch a ride on Tenya’s back, always trying to stay at the head of the pack.
Making Amends
It is unclear if Bakugo formally bows when delivering his apology to Izuku, or if he is merely slumped over, burdened by the shame he carries, but his point gets made nonetheless. The instigator has seen the error in his ways and wishes to finally atone for his victimization of Deku while singing his praises as a faultless and rightful wielder of One For All. Nevertheless, he is still human and Deku clearly needs a break,which is perfect, considering Bakugoand his classmates have got things covered from here. And they have proven to be more than capable, after finallycatching upwith Deku (in every sense of the term.)
“In order to surpass the ideal, we need to save you, the refugees at U.A., and all the people in the city.”
It wasn’t that long ago (well, byMy Hero Academia’stime) that Deku was rushing in to save Bakugo from his own misplaced heroism and inflated ego before courses at UA had even begun (Season 1, episode 1.) Bakugo has thankfully grown enough as a person to return the favor in Deku’s time of need and put others' needs ahead of his own. Out of everyone involved, Bakugo knows the most about Izuku and is arguably his greatest ally (especially when it comes to saving Deku from self-destruction.)
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