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The thing with Bakugou Katsuki is that he is a very complicated person. He manages to always be himself but also be a very closed off person who hides behind emotional barriers and harsh words. He is not afraid to show his true colors, say what’s on his mind or put someone in their place but he is uncomfortable with the thought of being vulnerable. Katsuki is cruel, ruthless, passionate and caring all at the same time. He isn’t black and white but rather a perfect shade of gray who integrates both good and bad seamlessly.
For someone who is terrified of being vulnerable Katsuki is very emotional. He feels very strongly, particularly negative emotions, and reacts just the same. He is characterized as violent and aggressive and, while this is very true, he is also passionate and perceptive. His drive to save people, to do better and to be number one all come from drive to be better. That’s why he doesn’t believe in doing things half way. Katsuki commits and does his best because there is nothing else for him to give, its either all or nothing.
Katsuki strives to be the best in everything he does. He learned to do every household chore because he likes being self-sufficient. He played almost every sport in his childhood because he needs to excel at everything. He knows how to play instruments and dance because he has to be a well-rounded person and that means knowing at least a decent amount of everything. Katsuki loves learning new things, challenging himself to be better and to outperform his absolute best.
His genius doesn’t stop there. Katsuki is very perceptive even if he lacks people skills. He can read rooms and people with ease, he can deduce the probable outcomes of every interaction and has the uncanny ability of cataloging everything happening around him. The only reason why these skills don’t shine is because he is prideful and has a short temper. He can’t restrain himself and that handicaps him in any social situation.
As perceptive as he is, Katsuki never seems to know or care about how his behavior affects others. He is too singled minded and goal oriented to take into account other people’s feelings. He is used to relying on himself and working alone so he often fails to be cooperative. However, he is a great teammate when he puts his mind into it. He will adapt and overcome and carry them to victory.
This kid is the embodiment of tough love. He isn’t afraid to be truthful, he won’t spare your feelings but he will help you get through them. He won’t kiss it all better but he will cheer you on and make you believe in yourself because he cares. He protects people fiercely, he loves with all his heart even if he doesn’t show it and he believes in his friends.
As great as he is, Katsuki is also deeply flawed. He feels too much and reacts accordingly. He doesn’t know when to stop, he doesn’t care about feelings and he sure as hell has no problem getting violent. Nobody has ever been gentle or caring, they were too concerned with fawning over him, so he never learned it. He is in a constant struggle with himself because he is terrified of failure. He recognizes his flaws and shortcomings but is too prideful to accept them. He is his worst critic; he constantly tears himself down because he doesn’t know when to stop or how to do it. He has been praised all his life, he knows nothing but the taste of victory and the fear of not being good enough.
Katsuki is a hero because there is nothing else for him to be. For somebody who is incredibly talented and constantly praised there is no better challenge than to surpass himself every day.
He is a hero because he is reliable, he is flawed because he fails to believe in himself.