My Hero Academia Creator Wanted Fan-Favorite Hero To Be A Villain
My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime and manga series going today, so if a character is frequently topping the fan-favorite polls, then they must be very lovable. Much to creator Kohei Horikoshi’s surprise, a character that often tops those polls is Katsuki Bakugo, who Horikoshi expected everyone to hate. In an interview with Anime News Network, Horikoshi said, “Bakugo has been a bit of a surprise,” adding, “I assumed everyone would hate him, but it’s been the opposite.”
“Bakugo has been a bit of a surprise. I assumed everyone would hate him, but it’s been the opposite.”
Kohei Horikoshi
It does make sense that Horikoshi would assume this, as Bakugo was introduced as a brash, arrogant bully to My Hero Academia‘s protagonist, Izuku Midoriya. However, Bakugo’s initial arrogance and animosity toward Midoriya was the beginning of one of the best character arcs in the series, as we saw Bakugo’s growth as gradually becoming more of a hero while also gaining more respect for Deku. His brashness also leads to quite a few funny moments, which undoubtedly helps to endear fans to him.
It doesn’t hurt that Bakugo also has one of the coolest quirks in My Hero Academia, as the sweat he produces is a glycerine-like substance that allows him to create explosions with his hands. This power can be used in extremely entertaining and versatile ways, such as launching himself through the air or storing up a big explosion in his grenade-like gauntlets. With his immense power and personal growth, it’s not hard to see why fans eventually grew to love the character.
Bakugo’s initial arrogance and animosity toward Midoriya was the beginning of one of the best character arcs in the series, as we saw Bakugo’s growth as gradually becoming more of a hero while also gaining more respect for Deku.
There’s also the fact that fans appreciated that Bakugo subverted expectations by not becoming a villain, as the rival to shonen protagonists are sometimes prone to do. Bakugo was even captured by the League of Villains in a previous season of My Hero Academia and blatantly refused to join their ranks when given the offer. While there’s nothing wrong with the rival turned-villain trope, it was refreshing to see Bakugo not go down this path despite his obvious potential to do so.
My Hero Academia Season 7
My Hero Academia finished airing its most recent season in early 2023, adapting the “Paranormal Liberation War” and “Dark Hero” story arcs of the manga. Of course, the immensely popular series was renewed for a seventh season, which has yet to officially announce a release date. Judging by the previous release schedules, though, we can likely expect to see the seventh season sometime in early or mid-2024.
Entering its seventh season, My Hero Academia is finally entering the beginning of the end, as the seventh season will likely be adapting the Stars and Stripes arc as well as the UA Traitor arc from the manga. That means that the seventh season likely won’t be the last, but we’re getting close to the end. It’s possible that the final arc of the manga, as long as it is, could be adapted into two seasons, but that remains to be seen for now.
If you want to catch up on My Hero Academia, you can stream all seasons on Funimation, Hulu, and Crunchyroll. Stay tuned as we wait for news on the upcoming seventh season. We’ll keep you updated here on all things anime.
