My Hero Academia is one of the most popular animes, possessing some of the most unique and relatable characters. As the anime progresses, the younger heroes at UA, in particular, endure tremendous personal growth and transformation as a result of their life experiences, which also mold them into heroes.
Every creator has their favorite characters, irrespective of whether they want to admit it or not. Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, chose to reveal his favorite character from the series in one of his interviews, and it is not who fans might expect.
Kohei Horikoshi Reveals His Favorite Character From My Hero Academia
In the 2015 interview, which X user @Color_Division translated, Kohei Horikoshi talked about his most well-known characters and revealed which of the amazing and diverse ensemble he had developed was his real favorite. He claims that Katsuki Bakugo—rather than the series’ protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, who is also known by the nickname Deku—is his favorite.
Considering Bakugo’s difficult upbringing and harsh demeanor at the start of the series, this undoubtedly surprised both the interviewer and the viewers. At first sight, Horikoshi might not seem like the natural choice, but he has good reasons for loving Katsuki.
One of the meanest and cruelest characters in the entire series, Bakugo was the class bully at the start of My Hero Academia. He was particularly cruel to Deku, taunting him about his lack of peculiarity and boasting about his own, all the while projecting a haughty and conceited image.
At that point, Bakugo was hard to like or feel much sympathy for, according to both fans and Horikoshi himself. He even encouraged Deku to jump off a roof, which Horikoshi now acknowledges in the interview “went a little overboard.” His entire attitude was geared to bringing down the weak.
Katsuki Bakugo’s Redemption Arc Made Him a More Likeable Character
Even if Deku required a rival, Horikoshi saw that Bakugo was becoming a bit of a shallow character, distinguished primarily by his fury. In an earlier interview, he disclosed that although initially considering to keep Bakugo as a villain, he changed his mind and gave him a redemption arc.
This is probably because he began to enjoy him and wanted to see him triumph in the end as well as improve and develop into a more fully realized figure. After making this decision, he changed from being a simple bully to a more nuanced anti-hero figure.
If Bakugo had been written by Horikoshi as a real villain, he probably would not have become as well-liked or popular among fans as he is now. The most adored aspect of him among admirers is his redemption story. Katsuki’s pride was severely hurt and his fragile ego was on display when Deku developed a quirk and defeated Katsuki, making it clear to the audience that he is actually rather insecure.
In an open conversation with All Might, Bakugo acknowledged his own lack of confidence and revealed his jealousy towards Deku. Fans adored him even more because of the maturity it took to identify and label these challenging emotions.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Kohei Horikoshi’s favorite My Hero Academia character?
In a 2015 interview, series creator Kohei Horikoshi named Katsuki Bakugo as his favorite character, rather than the protagonist Izuku Midoriya (Deku). Despite Bakugo’s harsh, bullying start, Horikoshi said he had strong reasons for loving the character.
What did Horikoshi admit he ‘went a little overboard’ with when writing Bakugo?
Horikoshi acknowledged that the infamous early scene in which Bakugo tells Deku to take a ‘swan dive off the roof’ went a little overboard. At the start of the series, Bakugo was written as the class bully who mocked Deku for being born without a quirk.
Why did Horikoshi give Bakugo a redemption arc instead of keeping him a villain?
Horikoshi has said he initially considered keeping Bakugo as a villain but changed his mind, realizing the character was becoming shallow and defined only by anger. He came to enjoy writing Bakugo and wanted him to grow into a more nuanced anti-hero, a redemption arc that turned Bakugo into a fan favorite.
