My Hero Academy is one of the most exciting shōnen series from the last decade. It has some of the best fights in anime, a great hero vs. villain saga, and two characters who eventually see the best in each other. The series centers on Izuku Midoriya. He begins the series as a person without superpowers (called “Quirks”) in a world that values Quirks above all else. Eventually, he inherits one of the strongest Quirks in the series when he becomes the ninth wielder of One For All, becoming the hero known as Deku.
His childhood friend/rival, Bakugo, is not happy with Deku for most of the series and has a difficulty accepting the fact that he is All Might’s student. Their relationship starts off rocky, with Bakugo doing what he can to disrupt Deku, after bullying him for a long time when they were children. Midoriya never looked down on Bakugo, but he had a hard time understanding his overwhelming animosity. As the series progresses, the two come to understand each other’s perspectives. It’s an incredible development between the protagonist and the deuteragonist that highlights how much people can grow and change within a series.
Bakugo hated Deku during the beginning of MHA
The character’s initial actions were controversial, to say the least
Bakugo spent most of the beginning of MHA bullying Deku. Before Deku had a Quirk, Bakugo saw him as useless, which is what the name ‘Deku’ meant in the first place. Despite his constant bullying, Izuku couldn’t help but be attracted to the confident and energetic Bakugo. Deku is the opposite of an antagonistic person, so he never defends himself. Instead, he tried to be patient with Bakugo, which backfired since Bakugo didn’t care about people spending time emotionally with him.
When the two enter UA, Bakugo can hardly accept that his neighbor, previously without Quirk, is on the same level as him. He is constantly provoking Deku, trying to start a fight with him to prove his superiority. It’s a low point for Bakugo as a characterbut thanks to Deku and the rest of the UA students, he eventually overcomes his childish immaturity and is able to see the best in the people around him.
Deku tried his best to bond with Bakugo
Deku was constantly trying to bond with Bakugo. Like a Chinese finger trap, the more Deku tried to befriend Kacchan, least Kacchan would reciprocate her feelings. It’s not hard to see from Deku’s perspective, as he was just being kind as always. Bakugo, however, is the exact opposite of everyone else, as he is a character who prefers to fight rather than talk about his feelings. He kept challenging Deku to fight him to prove he was still better than him and eventually Deku complied.
The last thing Midoriya wanted was to have a pointless fight with Bakugo, but he realized it was something Bakugo desperately wanted. During the fight, Midoriya puts his foot on the metaphorical gas and tries harder than ever while fighting his rival. He decides to fight back to show Bakugo that he is not the pushover and coward he is made out to be. It’s a great fight that sees both boys giving their all to prove their points.
Eventually, the fight ends in a near draw, but that’s not the best part. The most important moment in their fight is when Deku finally understands why Kacchan is so upset. Bakugo believes that he should be the person who succeeds his idol All Might, as All Might had to sacrifice all his power to save Bakugo. It’s a heartbreaking moment that humanizes Bakugo. It’s also the first time that Deku was able to truly see from Bakugo’s perspective, as he was the only person who could accept his friend’s feelings.
Bakugo’s speech brought Deku back to UA High School
One of the best moments in the series
The Dark Hero Arc has been aptly called the darkest period of Midoriya’s life. He had experienced loss after loss on the battlefield and thought that he had to stay away from his friends to protect them. He left UA without saying goodbye to his classmates, leaving them only notes revealing his identity as the ninth heir of One For All. The class comes together under Bakugo’s command to find Deku and bring him back to school. When they finally find him working alone on Kamino, Midoriya is in bad shape.
He has been fighting alone for a long time, ignoring sleep and meals in an attempt to catch as many bad guys as he can. He is alone, in pain and desperate. When Class 1-A finds him, he wants to run away, telling everyone he is doing it for his own safety. Bakugo challenges his pride, asking if Deku sees his classmates as obstacles that will only get in his way. Deku fights against his class, but they are not letting him go so easily.
After a tough battle, Bakugo approaches Deku. He gives one of the best speeches in the series, telling Deku he’s sorry for mistreating him all these years. He admits that the reason he bullied him all these years was because he was jealous of his willpower and resilience. He even calls Deku by his given name, Izuku, for the first time in My Hero Academia, bringing Deku back to normal and allowing him to have a little more faith in his friends. When Deku collapses from exhaustion, Kacchan is the first to hold his body and support him, showing that even after all the years of hatred, Bakugo can finally see Deku for the man he is.
Bakugo respects Deku as All Might’s successor
It took many fights, insults and difficult battles, but Bakugo eventually sees Izuku as a solid successor to All Might. He accepts that his childhood friend is worthy and supports him in the coming war. One of the most adorable moments in the series happens when Deku finally returns to UA High School and all of his friends throw him in the bathtub. As they shower, Bakugo declares that Izuku is still his rival, but has difficulty saying Midoriya’s real name. Midoriya tells Bakugo that he can keep calling him Deku if it makes him more comfortable.
Deku and Bakugo’s friendship/rivalry is one of the best reasons to watch My hero academy. Not only are they two of the series’ most well-developed characters, but they are childhood friends who want the best for each other. They support each other differently, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want the best for each other. Bakugo starts the series just despising Deku because of his own insecurity, but ends My Hero Academy as Deku’s number one supporter and the first person to enter battle alongside him.