Although a number of My Hero Academia fans have claimed that All For One was Katsuki Bakugo’s antagonist, as seen by their personal conflict in the last arc, this does not imply that it was not up to par. This is due to Katsuki’s lack of a close bond with his antagonist in contrast to Shoto Todoroki and Ochako Uraraka.
The relationships between Shoto and Uraraka and their respective antagonists—Dabi and Toga—were cultivated throughout My Hero Academia. Even if some fans argue otherwise, Bakugo’s antagonist doesn’t receive the same level of contrast and connection.
Note: the opinions expressed are solely those of the writer of the article and not The Flash Sports as a whole.
My Hero Academia: The missing link between Bakugo and All For One
I’ve been more excited to see Bakugo vs. All for One than Deku vs. Shigaraki
Probably cuz Bakugo is my favorite character in this stretched out arc pic.twitter.com/yt4moFp1sq
— SomeLazyNerd (@TLK217) December 14, 2023
Many have claimed that All For One is Bakugo’s antagonist because of their pivotal encounter in the last arc, where both depict a misuse of power, while the hero demonstrates a route toward atonement. Although this interpretation is sound, it lacks support in comparison to other rivalries relationships in the series, including Ochako Uraraka and Himiko Toga or Shoto Todoroki and Dabi.
Bakugo and All For One don’t have a personal history together like Shoto and Dabi, nor do they have several interactions to develop a rivalry like Uraraka and Toga. As a result, the difference between the two of them feels vacuous and uninteresting. Kohei Horikoshi, the author, likely felt the same way since he had to retcon Kudo, the second One For All user, as All For One’s most vilified enemy and because he resembled Bakugo, creating an unfounded link.
Since Spinner had to battle Mezo Shoji just because they both possessed Quirk mutations and had no prior relationship, it is important to note that Bakugo is not the only character to experience this in the final war arc. Because there was no prelude to their confrontation, Bakugo’s antagonist doesn’t work with him as well as Toga and Dabi with Shoto and Uraraka.
My Hero Academia: Enemies made for each other
WOW!! Shoto Todoroki vs Dabi is Awesome The best episode in this Season!! 🔥#MyHeroAcademia #BokuNoHeroAcademia pic.twitter.com/qYuMU18WIa
— Khalid (@Rm_5aled) June 22, 2024
Due to the fact that they are brothers and both had problems with their father, Endeavour, Shoto Todoroki, and Dabi had a bond. This created a sharp contrast in how to handle domestic violence, with one becoming a hero and the other a villain. Throughout their conflicts, Uraraka starts to feel concern for Toga and wants to aid the villain, which makes their resolution all the more heartbreaking because Toga never experienced empathy or love as a child.
It doesn’t work to make “All For One” Bakugo’s nemesis at the last minute because it lacks all of these qualities and makes the confrontation seem rushed. Katsuki was the odd man out in this since All For One was always connected to All Might, Deku, and One For All. This, in turn, gives the impression that Horikoshi wants to give one of his most well-liked characters in My Hero Academia a significant battle.
My Hero Academia needs to have developed a closer bond with All For One or created a new character to be Bakugo’s antagonist. In the end, the conflict between these two characters lacks the closeness and significance of the encounters that Shoto and Uraraka experienced.
