Even more so than his fellow powerhouses Deku and Shoto, My Hero Academia's Katsuki Bakugo is all about fighting. It can't be helped, since his Explosion Quirk is meant solely for offense and destruction, and Bakugo has a fierce personality to match. Sure enough, Bakugo has scored many impressive victories over his classmates and villains alike, such as his four wins in the UA sports festival and his triumph over All For One.
Now, My Hero Academia fans are eager to see who else Bakugo can take down in a duel. Bakugo has already proven he can defeat Shoto, Fumikage, and even Serpenters, so it's time for Bakugo to enjoy some new matchups and see what happens. In particular, this involves endgame Katsuki Bakugo, who commands an awakened Quirk and the humility to fight for duty's sake rather than trying to one-up Deku yet again. This version of Bakugo loses to precious few characters, with only the likes of Prime All Might and Star and Stripe being too tough for him to beat. Almost everyone else will get blown away in Bakugo's Explosions.
Stain Won't Win if Bakugo Stays in the Air While Fighting
Quirk: Bloodcurdle
There was a time when Stain, the hero killer, was a serious menace to the students of Class 1-A. Even when Deku combined the power of One For All with Shoto's ice and Tenya's rapid kicks, Stain almost won the fight in that alleyway. Stain boasts remarkable agility, stealth, and a Quirk that's perfect for rendering anyone helpless to his blades. In theory Stain could defeat Bakugo if he took the latter by total surprise one night, but otherwise, Bakugo holds all the cards.
In a straight-up fight, Stain has little chance of winning if Bakugo presses his advantages. Stain works best in cramped venues where it's tough to escape his katanas or knives, but if Bakugo takes to the air, then he's in good shape. Up there, Bakugo has nothing to fear from Bloodcurdle or any jagged katana, so he can pummel Stain into submission with ranged attacks. That's why Stain ranks last among the most formidable My Hero Academia characters whom Bakugo can take down (and never did in the anime).
Re-Destro's Stress Levels Won't Overcome Explosion's Wrath
Quirk: Stress
Tomura Shigaraki, the powerhouse, overcame Re-Destro in their battle in Deika City, and Bakugo would do the same if they ever fought for real. Notably, Re-Destro shares Bakugo's trait of getting stronger as a battle rages on, since the stress of violence and the risk of defeat fuel his Stress Quirk. Re-Destro can become a titan of battle if someone like Tomura cranks up his stress levels, but not even that guarantees victory.
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Re-Destro is an impressive fighter as the former leader of the Meta Liberation Army, but he lost to Tomura's awakened Quirk, and he would lose to Bakugo's as well. Even before Explosion was awakened, Bakugo would stand a fair chance of humbling Re-Destro in a rumble, and with Explosion's true potential awakened, Re-Destro stands little chance. Bakugo can fly around to maintain a decent distance and wear down Re-Destro with repeated blows until Re-Destro collapses in a smoking heap.
Muscular is Tough, But Bakugo Can Break Through His Defenses
Quirk: Pump Up
It's not 100% clear just how durable Muscular the villain is, since both of his losses were at the hands of Deku's plot armor. This is mostly true in their first battle, since Deku used 1,000,000% Smash to win, a move that strains anyone's suspension of disbelief. Such a move shouldn't have been possible and doesn't even make sense in My Hero Academia's combat system unless fans admit it was a total contrivance. Thus, Muscular probably should have won, making him that much scarier.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
By now, even if Muscular is strong enough to actually win against One For All, he's not going to overcome Bakugo's awakened Explosion Quirk. Muscular is even tougher than his defeats suggest, yet he has no real options for winning against Bakugo. Like many of Bakugo's victims, Muscular lacks enough ranged firepower to claim victory while Bakugo is flying around the battlefield like an angry rocket. Over time, Bakugo's explosive attacks will break through Muscular's defenses until a Howitzer Impact finishes this villain off.
Dabi Will Tear Himself Apart Before He Can Finish Off Bakugo
Quirk: Blueflame
Dabi and his pro hero brother and father all use fire to fight at close to long range, but not even that fighting style may secure victory when facing Katsuki Bakugo. It's true that Dabi's overwhelming firepower roughly matches what Bakugo is capable of, but it takes more than Quirk strength to win this duel. One problem is that Dabi's mobility isn't quite as good as Bakugo's, with both fighters using their heat-based Quirks like jets.
Dabi would stand a chance, except for his main weakness: durability. Not only does fire lack the toughness of ice or stone, it actually weakens Dabi even further. There's a good reason why Dabi looks like a cartoony Frankenstein's monster with his body stitched up like that. He's barely holding together, with his ferocious Blueflame Quirk destroying him bit by bit. And Dabi is just the type to push himself dangerously far in a bid to defeat someone like Bakugo, only for it to backfire on him during a critical moment.
Overhaul is Stronger on the Ground, But Bakugo Can Fly
Quirk: Overhaul
Overhaul is a terrifying villain, wielding a Quirk of the same name. He ruled the Shie Hassaikai Arc as the villain to beat, humbling the likes of both Mirio Togata and Sir Nighteye until Deku finally vanquished him. And even then, Deku needed Eri's risky Rewind Quirk to heal him enough for One For All to be used at 100% in that fight. Bakugo cannot call on Eri to heal him like that, so he must fight Overhaul with his power alone -- and that will be just barely enough.
Like the villain Stain, Overhaul becomes significantly more dangerous when the battlefield favors him. In this case, Overhaul wants to fight people on the ground or indoors, where he can use his Overhaul Quirk to reshape the entire venue to form spikes, barriers, and more. Bakugo might survive such a fight, but his odds are much better outdoors. Out there, when staying aloft with his Quirk, Bakugo can avoid the worst of Overhaul's attacks and eventually vaporize him with Explosion's wrath.
Endeavor May Be the #1 Hero, Yet He Cannot Outlast Bakugo
Quirk: Hellflame
For quite some time, the top pro heroes were superior to Bakugo on the battlefield. All Might, Endeavor, Best Jeanist, and Star and Stripe all had years or even decades of experience using their Quirks, and a few of those Quirks are even stronger than Explosion is. By the end of My Hero Academia, though, Bakugo surpassed a few of the top heroes with his awakened Explosion Quirk, including Endeavor.
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Such a showdown is a rough one even for endgame Bakugo, and it's almost as likely that Endeavor would win instead. But if Bakugo can last long enough and doesn't make any critical mistakes, then his victory is feasible or even likely. It helps that Endeavor has the same weakness as his son Dabi: overheating himself with his fire-based Quirk. Endeavor lacks Dabi's self-destructive attitude and is careful about his limits, but it's still an advantage that Bakugo can press.
Captain Celebrity is a Quirky Superman Who Could Almost Defeat Bakugo
Quirk: Flight
Captain Celebrity is the most powerful My Hero Academia character whom Katsuki Bakugo has a realistic chance of defeating if things go just right for him. Before Star and Stripe claimed the top spot, Captain Celebrity was the #1 American pro hero, and it's easy to see why. Aside from cultivating a huge fan base, Captain Celebrity can walk the walk with his Superman-inspired fighting style. With the immense power of Flight, Captain Celebrity may fly through the air while also boasting astonishing strength and durability. He's the one who can casually lift a massive cruise ship over his head and smile for all the cameras.
This is a close matchup where Bakugo will be pushed to his very limits. If Bakugo makes one major slip-up, he's done for, but should he play his cards just right, Bakugo can win this. Endgame Bakugo has just enough strength to rival Captain Celebrity's own and make up for his inferior level of experience. It could help a little if the perpetually cocky Captain Celebrity underestimated Bakugo, giving Bakugo an extra opening to land a serious blow.
My Hero Academia
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
Cast
-
Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
- Studio
- Bones
- Franchise
- My Hero Academia
- Characters By
- Kohei Horikoshi
- Production Company
- Bones
- Number of Episodes
- 159
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.85 (Season 1)
