My Hero Academia did give Bakugo a villain, but still couldn't measure up to Shoto or Ochako

Modified Dec 19, 2024 05:30 GMT

My Hero Academia didn't build a connection for Bakugo's villain (Image via Bones)

Several My Hero Academia fans have stated that All For One was Katsuki Bakugo's villain, emphasized by the fact they had their own battle in the final arc, but that doesn't mean this didn't fall short of what should have been. This is because when compared to Shoto Todoroki and Ochako Uraraka, Katsuki didn't have a strong connection with his villain.

Both Shoto and Uraraka had their villains in Dabi and Toga, respectively, and their connections with those characters were developed throughout My Hero Academia. However, Bakugo's villain doesn't get the same degree of connection and contrast, even if there are fans who claim the opposite.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

Explaining why Bakugo's villain and their connection didn't work as well as Shoto and Uraraka's in My Hero Academia

Bakugo didn't have any connection with All For One (Image via Bones)

A lot of fans have stated that All For One is Bakugo's villain because they had their decisive clash in the final arc and both represent an abuse of power, with the hero showing a path to redemption. While this is a valid analysis, it doesn't have a lot of legs to stand on when compared to other hero-villain dynamics in the series, such as Shoto Todoroki with Dabi and Ochako Uraraka with Himiko Toga.

Bakugo doesn't have any personal history with All For One like Shoto and Dabi nor does he have several encounters with him to form a rivalry like Uraraka and Toga, making the contrast between the two of them feel hollow and lackluster. Author Kohei Horikoshi probably felt the same way since he had to retcon the second One For All user, Kudo, as All For One's most hated foe and how he looked like Bakugo, forcing a connection that was never there.

It is worth pointing out that Bakugo isn't the only one to suffer from this in the final war arc since Spinner had to fight Mezo Shoji just because they are both people with Quirk mutations but had no real connection before this encounter. That is why Bakugo's villain doesn't work with him as well as Toga and Dabi with Shoto and Uraraka because there was no prior build-up to their encounter.

More details about this

Shoto and Uraraka got their own villains in Dabi and Toga, respectively (Image via Bones)

Shoto Todoroki had a connection with Dabi because they are brothers and both had their own issues with their father, Endeavor, with one becoming a hero and the other a villain, building a stark contrast of how to deal with family abuse. Toga never had empathy or love when she was a child and Uraraka, throughout their battles, begins to show care for her and want to help the villain, making their resolution all the more poignant.

Making All For One Bakugo's villain at the eleventh hour doesn't work and doesn't offer any of these traits, making the clash feel forced. All For One was always related to All Might, Deku, and One For All, turning Katsuki into the odd man out in this. In turn, this makes the situation appear as Horikoshi wanting to give an important battle to one of his most popular characters in My Hero Academia.

Final thoughts

My Hero Academia should have made a new character to be Bakugo's villain or build a stronger connection with All For One. Ultimately, the clash between these two characters doesn't have the intimacy and value of the ones Shoto and Uraraka went through.

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Edited by Meenakshi Ajith