Bakugo Katsuki has played a pivotal role in the popular series My Hero Academia. Serving as a rival, childhood best friend, and inspiration to Midoriya Izuku, Bakugo has sought greatness since his Quirk manifested in kindergarten. Bakugo undoubtedly has a strong character and the intelligence and strength to prove it.

However, the events of Season 7 left him in a predicament of his own, fighting for his life after having his chest destroyed by Shigaraki Tomura. With Bakugo’s crucial importance to Midoriya Izuku and the Final War still raging, what is Bakugo’s role in Season 8 of MHA?

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Bakugo Katsuki’s Whereabouts And Battle Situation

Battling His Inferiority and Facing Death

In Season 7 of My Hero Academia, Bakugo Katsuki, along with Tamaki, Nejire, Edgeshot, Mirko, Best Jeanist, and initially Midoriya Izuku, was the team formulated to battle against Shigaraki Tomura on U.A. Floating Fortress, which was specifically designed to hinder Shigaraki during the battle, all of which are a disadvantage to his Quirk: Decay, he was also surrounded by a electromagnetic barrier which seals him within.

Throughout this confrontation, Bakugo persistently experiences feelings of inadequacy and inferiority in comparison to Midoriya Izuku. This sense of inferiority prevails despite Midoriya’s prior engagement with Himiko Toga as he hurriedly endeavors to rejoin the ongoing battle. In the conflict against Shigaraki, who has recently enhanced his powers through the transfer of additional Quirks from All For One, Bakugo finds himself incapable of effecting any substantial change in the course of the battle. This ongoing struggle contributes to his feelings of inadequacy, particularly when Shigaraki declares a lack of interest in continuing to fight him.

Throughout his experience at U.A. High School, Bakugo continuously battled his inner demons, which included his feelings of inadequacy compared to Todoroki Shoto and Midoriya Izuku. However, this also continued to push him, strengthening his resolve and determination to prove his worth as a potential Pro Hero.

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As the battle with Shigaraki in Season 7 nears its end, Bakugo attempts one final attack, his strongest thus far. Upon utilizing his new Awkwaned Quirk: Explosion Cluster, Bakugo was able to shock and terrify Shigaraki, even if just for a moment. Unfortunately, Bakugo’s final attack missed its target, and Shigaraki effectively punched a hole into Bakugo’s chest, seemingly killing the U.A. High School student. However, Edgeshot had worked tirelessly to prevent that from occurring, sacrificing his lifespan and body to save Bakugo.

Bakugo’s Role in Season 8

Bakugo Becomes The Person That Saves All Might

At the end of Season 7, Bakugo Katsuki is presumed dead. However, Edgeshot had used his Ultimate Move: Zenith, to repair his heart. During this time, All Might, Stain, and All For One had been in an intense battle, during which Stain lost his life. All Might had initially used Armored All Might during the battle with All For One; unfortunately, disparity in strength had been much too large, with All Might losing the battle and facing a public execution at the hands of All For One.

Nevertheless, this marks a pivotal moment when Bakugo awakens after Edgeshot repairs his heart. Bakugo’s role in Season 8 is to assume the role of the hero responsible for saving All Might. In the past, during his abduction by Shigaraki and the League of Villains, it was All Might, accompanied by a diverse group including Midoriya, Iida, Kirishima, and Yaoyorozu, who managed to rescue him. However, throughout this confrontation, All Might’s diminished state was made evident, leading the general public to mistakenly believe that Bakugo was responsible for the demise of All Might’s legacy, even though this assertion is factually incorrect.

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During Season 8, Bakugo will have a chance to prove himself and his strength, saving All Might from certain death where there had been no one available to do so. Bakugo’s role in Season 8 will serve two purposes, the first of which is to save All Might and the second of which is to defeat the quickly aging All For One. As mentioned above, since Bakugo joined U.A High, he has felt immensely inferior. This was because, throughout the series, All Might’s focus had been on Midoriya, the inheritor of One For All. Midoriya and Bakugo have been longtime fans of the aging hero and have been inspired to “Go Beyond” by him. However, after the kidnapping incident, Bakugo couldn’t help but feel left behind.

During the series’s final arc, after Bakugo saves All Might, he is given a portion of All Might’s Armored Suit to act as a brace for his broken arm. During this interaction, All Might refers to Bakugo by his hero name, Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, which brings a smile to Bakugo’s face as he finally feels accepted by the Pro Hero he has admired for his entire life.

During Bakugo’s interaction with Shigaraki, he realized the initial side effect of his Cluster Explosion Qurk. Although Bakugo’s battle with Shigaraki ended with a hole in his chest, Bakugo could grasp an essential part of his awakened Quirk. Through Bakugo’s delirious state, he was able to fully grasp the new side effect of his Cluster Quirk, allowing him to quickly catch up to All For One as he attempted to reach Shigaraki Tomura.

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As Bakugo now had the means to attack and wound All For One, this also meant the more damage All For One would take, the younger he would become, thus regressing his impulsivity with his taunting and attacks, forcing All For One to unleash one final attack. Bakugo emulated the same determination and resolve during the battle as the Second One For All User, Kudo. Through this, All For One would become enraged, assuming Bakugo had been a descendant of the one who “stole” his possession, his younger brother Yoichi. However, Bakugo merely resembles Kudo’s resolve and determination, which causes All For One to release the Ultimate Move: Omni-Factor Unleash in an attempt to reach Shigaraki quickly and destroy those in his path.

Nevertheless, Bakugo’s astute decision-making enabled him to expel coated beads of sweat, which subsequently initiated a triggering mechanism. In the Final Season, Bakugo will ultimately demonstrate his capabilities, illustrating that he required only a single Quirk to beat the supervillain known as All For One, which facilitated his attainment of an indisputable victory. Although Bakugo played a pivotal role in the defeat of All For One, this is not the culmination of his efforts. Despite initially being advised to seek medical care at the hospital, Bakugo secures transportation with Todoroki Shoto, aiding Midoriya in the confrontation against Shigaraki by unleashing an explosion directed at Shirakumo, who felt an obligation to assist Shigaraki.

• Bakugo saves All Might from certain death at the hands of All For One.
• Bakugo defeats All For One with the side effect of his awakened Explosion Quirk.
• Bakugo assists in the final push against Shigaraki, wounding Shirakumo and allowing Midoriya to make the final attack.

After the Final War, Bakugo is hospitalized and told that due to the extent of his injuries, his arm won’t return to normal, thus requiring him to go through physiotherapy, which he diligently performs throughout his remaining years at U.A. High School. It is also at the hospital that Bakugo learns of Midoriya’s Quirkless state, feeling remorse for his actions.

Eight years after Class A graduated from U.A. High School, all students became Pro Heroes, except Midoriya. This included Bakugo, who initially topped the Hero Billboard Charts at rank 4. However, due to his brash personality and unwillingness to conduct interviews, his popularity quickly plummeted to rank 15. Bakugo remains successful, actively searching for Sidekicks to join his agency. As the series nears its end, Class A, with Bakugo at the heart of the research, funded Midoriya’s own Armored Suit.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.