The uniqueness of the main character is always something that helps any project stand out but even Kohei Horikoshi finds one My Hero Academia character to be a delight more than his own protagonist. The complexity of Deku’s position as the main character has always been questioned by the fans, specifically when compared to the treatment Bakugo gets.
Both in the manga and the anime, Bakugo is often seen taking the spotlight from Deku, so much so that fans wondered whether he was the protagonist or not. Deku was often seen as a character who was almost pitiful at first glance and the epilogue made it more than clear. This very direction had the audiences hating on the series ending, considering that the main character deserved better.
Kohei Horikoshi’s Favoritism Towards Bakugo
During an interview (via Tumblr) Kohei Horikoshi talked about how things can become complicated when navigating a manga of his scale with characters that can impact a massive amount of people. He addressed how the bias he had towards All Might couldn’t always be evident in the manga and anime because, at the end of the day, he was a character who needed to be treated justly.
His way of fighting is also jumping and flying around, and when he actually fights he hollers and shouts. I’m really happy when I draw characters like that. However Bakugou’s words are all really rude, which might make readers feel unpleasant, though personally I like him.
There was much thought put into the making of All Might. On the contrary, Bakugo was a character with whom Horikoshi could let loose. His free-spirited and impulsive nature allowed the mangaka to dive into a story that gave him a sense of freedom.
While his foul mouth and violent outbursts did make him wonder if fans would like him, the very joy he felt while drawing such a character wasn’t going to let him stop. His personality and design both became this pleasant expression for the mangaka.
The Ease That Comes With Drawing Bakugo
Deku is a character who has a lot on his plate. He had dreams and goals that made him an aspirant character with the potential for growth and responsibility. Kohei Horikoshi had to put in a lot of care when making someone like him and that allowed little room for him to have fun.
Bakugou is somebody that I can relax to draw. I really like Otomo Katsuhiro sensei’s Akira, and within this series there is a character called Tetsuo who, even though he’s a kid, is really strong. And he uses his power like a kid too. I really like that, so I decided to create a character like that in My Hero Academia, which is why mentally speaking, Bakugou is still like a child, though he has a really strong power.
Bakugo on the other hand was this child-like character with tendencies that made him unpredictable and abrupt. Deku couldn’t provide that freedom because he simply had too much on his shoulder not only in the story, but also because he was the protagonist of the manga.
For Bakugo, he was initially just a kid with immense power. This gave Horikoshi the stepping stones that allowed him to fully let go and simply enjoy the process of drawing My Hero Academia.
My Hero Academia is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
