Katsuki Bakugo is one of My Hero Academia's most famous faces, though his overall popularity ranking is challenged by protagonist Izuku Midoriya and fan-favorite Shoto Todoroki. Viewers are familiar with his aggressive personality and daunting strength, but there's more to Kacchan than meets the eye.
Belligerent characters are typically considered one-dimensional or predictable, so MHA fans that take Bakugo at face value might not be aware of how compelling he truly is. Here are 10 facts you probably never knew about Class 1-A's resident angry hero.
10 His Original Personality
Believe it or not, Bakugo was originally supposed to be a kind and compassionate character who would accidentally come off as offensive or insulting whenever he misspoke. At this point, it's impossible to imagine the eternally furious Kacchan with a tame personality.
Series creator Kōhei Horikoshi decided that a gentle version of the young hero was too boring and opted for making him utterly obnoxious instead. To be fair, the dynamic anger he exudes in every scene keeps the energy at a high throughout the anime.
9 He Has Interesting Hobbies
According to his character profile in Volume 1 of the My Hero Academia manga, Bakugo is into two very specific things: mountain climbing and spicy food. Given his explosive Quirk, it's no surprise that Katsuki's taste in food is as scorching hot as the blasts he creates with his sweat.
Mountain climbing might seem like an unexpected hobby for the fiery student, but it correlates with specific aspects of his personality. Bakugo loves a challenge and what could be more daring than ascending mountains?
8 He's The Oldest Student In Class 1-A
All of the students in Class 1-A fall within the same age range, but Bakugo's April 20 birthday makes him the oldest in his class by a little over a month. Mashirao Ojiro, the second-oldest student, was born on May 28. This means that Katsuki was already 16 years old going into U.A. High School while everyone else was still 15.
Though Mezo Shoji is the tallest character in Class 1-A, he's ironically the youngest of the bunch. His birthday falls in late February, meaning that one of the most physically intimidating students is also the "baby" of the group.
7 He Can Cook
Katsuki's cooking skills are implied rather than blatantly demonstrated, but if you read between the lines, there's a hint of Gordon Ramsay lurking within him. This is fitting considering he has the same temper as the Hell's Kitchen chef.
Bakugo has excellent knife skills — a fact that was highlighted in both the My Hero Academia anime and manga while the students made curry. This doesn't automatically make him a top chef, but it certainly means that he's comfortable with chopping ingredients and that has to count for something.
6 He'll Always Have Excellent Skin (Like His Mother)
Mitsuki Bakugo's Quirk grants her the ability to secrete Glycerin from her skin. Glycerin essentially functions like a moisturizer, which is why her skin is flawless and she appears far younger than her actual age.
Kacchan's Explosion Quirk is a combination of his mother's Glycerin and his father's Acid Sweat, meaning he'll likely have perfect skin his whole life. It's also worth noting that the aspiring hero has more in common with Mitsuki than his father, which includes physical appearance, so he'll presumably age well.
5 He's Nothing Like His Father
While Mitsuki and Katsuki are aggressive and hotheaded, Masaru Bakugo is relatively calm, composed, and far less violent. He genuinely loves his family despite the drastic difference in personalities. However, he's not entirely pleased with his son's vicious temper. Masaru disapproves of Katsuki's arrogance but ultimately supports him on his quest to become a pro hero.
The family embodies a "like-mother-like-son" dynamic in every sense, including physical — Kacchan clearly resembles his mother and they even have the same hair.
4 His Knee Pads Actually Serve A Purpose
Bakugo's hero costume is dramatic, but it bears a minor detail that fans hardly notice. The grenade bracers are so distracting that you almost don't register the fact that he's wearing knee pads. Protecting his knee caps (of all things) might seem a bit silly, but the pads weren't included for defensive purposes.
Bakugo's knee pads were actually designed for offensive strategies, but he hasn't really made much use of them yet. Then again, he can deal a ridiculous amount of damage with his hands alone, so he technically has no need to incorporate any intricate leg work. As the saying goes: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
3 He's Musically Talented
While climbing mountains is a challenging hobby, we're more impressed by the fact that Bakugo can actually play the drums. This scene from the MHA manga revealed that the hothead is a talented musician and he managed to thrill his classmates with his drum solo.
His unforeseen musical skills might seem random or nonsensical at first glance, but Bakugo's aggressive emotions correlate with the intensity that goes into playing a drum set.
2 Kōhei Horikoshi Didn't Expect Him To Be So Popular
Horikoshi has every right to be perplexed by Katsuki's popularity. After all, he purposely tried to make the teenager unlikable and obnoxious. The series is loaded with every personality imaginable and few could've predicted that the most hostile student would become such a fan favorite.
While Horikoshi expected anime viewers/manga readers to hate the ill-tempered character, his ferocity makes his relationship with Izuku Midoriya more compelling. The protagonist is the exact opposite of everything that Kacchan exudes.
1 His Rude Personality Is Based On Another Horikoshi Creation
Oumagadoki Zoo was written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi and fans have noted parallels between that series and My Hero Academia. One of those similarities involves a character named Shishido, whose personality and behavior closely resemble Katsuki Bakugo's.
Shishido is an arrogant lion that likes to pick fights and insult others, but his attitude changes over the course of the story. It's no mere coincidence that Shishido made a brief cameo appearance on the MHA manga.