Katsuki Bakugo, from the manga “My Hero Academia,” is a character that’s a total hothead, from start to finish. He’s very emotional, and he comes across as cold and unfriendly to everyone around him. The good news is Katsuki has a redemption arc in this series, and it’s not your typical, run-of-the-mill one either. When people hear of a redemption story, they usually assume that person becomes this calmer version of themselves. That’s not the case here, and it wouldn’t feel right if it was. Katsuki continues to be full of fire; he just learns how to care about the people around him without pretending to be someone else in the process.
That’s what makes him so interesting. He doesn’t stop getting angry at things so easily, and his competitive nature doesn’t disappear either. He just starts using those aspects about him to help him push his friends to be better instead of dragging them down.
We seem to think personal growth means becoming this “softer” version of ourselves. Katsuki proves that’s not true. Instead, you can still be your passionate self while learning how to use help those around you. He doesn’t do a 180 and change into this completely different version of himself because that wouldn’t be realistic. He simply sees what he’s been doing in a new light and works to change that without changing who he is as a person.
That’s the difference between arrogance and confidence. He stops needing to prove himself as the best hero in the world and starts wanting to protect others. He goes from being all about himself and getting to the top to being focused on his classmates. That’s maturity even if it’s not in the way most people would expect.
He shows that improvement doesn’t always look pretty. Sometimes it’s raw, awkward and full of frustration. That doesn’t make it any less real. He teaches that self-awareness doesn’t change who you are as a person, it helps you grow into a better version.
We love redemption arcs where people become perfect. But Bakugo’s arc feels more realistic because he stays his flawed, loud and emotional self. Growth isn’t about losing your fire. It’s about learning to aim it in the right direction.
