Talk Otaku to Me!

This post contains spoilers for the anime/manga series My Hero Academia. Read further at your own discretion.

Izuku Midoriya is NOT the main character of My Hero Academia.

Before you start bombarding me with your love for Deku, let me say this: I’m well aware that he is our protagonist in the traditional sense. The story follows his journey for the most part, and he is the chosen successor of One For All.

I’m by no means a Deku hater- I just don’t think he’s the character who changes the most throughout the series. If character development isn’t a defining trait of a main character, than what is?

We see very little character development with Izuku. Sure, he starts the series Quirkless and physically weak, and we watch as he is chosen by All Might to become the successor to One For All. We also get all the experiences of him learning to utilize it without breaking every bone in his body. That’s certainly progress, but most of it is external. He becomes stronger, masters One For All, and gains experience. Compared to Katsuki’s internal transformation, though, it’s relatively subtle.

Even when we get “Vigilante Izuku”, he isn’t having his anti-hero moment. He remains concerned for the general public and doesn’t harm villains beyond what he has to. Sure, he isolates himself and walks around menacingly in his tattered hero costume, but he’s aura farming more than anything.

You know who DOES grow as a character? You guessed it- Katsuki Bakugo.

Yes, I am biased. I love the feral gremlin that he is, and in my mind we’re married with two adorable kids. But I promise this take is (mostly) objective.

When we start the series, Katsuki is a real asshole. I mean, he straight up tells Izuku to jump off a roof. And that’s before he basically attempts murder during their training at UA! (Yes, I’m talking about the infamous, “He’ll be fine, as long as he dodges it!” line.)

However, as the series progresses, we watch my favorite explosive blonde learn to temper his rage and recognize his classmates’ value as individuals. Sure, he never loses his angry chihuahua nature and every other word out of his mouth is shouted at the top of his lungs, but that’s what makes him ENDEARING. His growth doesn’t stem from a change in who he is, but a change in the way he thinks and acts.

By the time we reach the Final War arc, Horikoshi has made it abundantly clear how central Katsuki is to the emotional core of the story. And then we reach the climax:

1. Katsuki literally dies. His death is what pushes Izuku over the edge, if we’re being honest.
2. A Pro-Hero damn near sacrifices himself in an attempt to save/resurrect him. (Shout out to Edgeshot! You’re a real one.)
3. KATSUKI IS RESURRECTED. HE IS MHA’S MESSIAH.
4. Not only does he come back to life, he has a Quirk awakening like NONE that we’ve seen before, and proceeds to declare, “I’m the final boss, All For One!”. And he was NOT exaggerating.
5.  He’s so powerful and terrifying that AFO mistakes him for Kudo- who’s bloodline AFO intentionally destroyed.
6. Katsuki is the one who ends AFO. Not Izuku. While Izuku ultimately defeats Shigaraki, Katsuki is the one who prevents AFO’s plan from reaching completion.

I think more than anything, the culmination of Katsuki’s growth is seen post-war. He’s in the hospital, recovering from the physical, mental and emotional trauma of war- not to mention he’s facing the potential of losing functionality of an entire arm. And when he discovers that Izuku has lost his Quirk, Katsuki not only cries, but takes responsibility for the loss. He not only apologizes to Izuku for “…everything I’ve done until now”, but admits that the apology was the only thing on his mind when he was impaled. I mean, come on, if that’s not character growth, then I don’t know what is.

So, sure, Izuku gets to narrate the story and inherit the power of One For All. But when it’s all said and done, Katsuki’s growth and literal world saving actions definitely make him the undisputed main character of MHA.