Bakugo Katsuki, the deuteragonist of the My Hero Academia manga series, is by far one of the most complex characters in the franchise. His journey from Deku’s main bully to Izuku’s loyal friend is fascinating. Many fans of Kohei Horikoshi’s work have gone as far as to claim that Bakugo has received the most character development in the series.

Despite the Final War arc approaching its end, it seems that Bakugo’s transformation is still not over. In chapter #424 of the manga, the young man refuses to have his hand replaced, despite it being maimed. This speaks volumes about Bakugo’s conviction to become a better person and a better hero, and to redeem himself for the horrible acts he committed in the past.

Bakugo Is Working Hard To Redeem Himself

The young hero wants his hand to be a reminder of his commitment to change

During the final battle against All For One, Bakugo was one of the heroes who suffered the most damage at the hands of the villains. Not only did he receive an almost mortal wound, forcing the hero Edgeshot to use his body as a thread to prevent his death, but his arms were almost destroyed. This left him in a critical state, one that even the best doctors in Japan were not able to fully heal him from. Once the war was over, Bakugo was informed that his hand would never be fully functional.

Instead of allowing the medical staff to give him a prosthetic hand that would help him overcome this struggle, Bakugo chose to undergo physical therapy. Katsuki has never been known for taking the easy way out, but he has often been shown to have a deep fear of not being stronger than everyone else. The fact that he willingly refused an aid that would help him in his daily life shows how much he has grown. While Bakugo is still brash and stubborn, he is no longer demeaning or outright aggressive, going as far as to accept Deku’s nickname for him.

Katsuki seems to want a new beginning, one in which his hard work is what awards him advantages in life, instead of his status as a person with a powerful Quirk. Ever since he apologized to Deku in chapter #322, Katsuki has put an incredible amount of effort into becoming someone worthy of being called a true Hero. He will have to work harder than ever to reach the same level he was at before, but he seems to be aware of this and is willing to see it through.

Bakugo Is Still Regretful About How He Treated Deku

Bakugo Still Has Not Forgiven Himself

Despite having apologized to Deku, Bakugo is still carrying the guilt of all the years of bullying he inflicted on his once best friend. This becomes apparent during the conversation between the two young men in chapter #424. When Katsuki became aware of Izuku having lost all of his Quirks, he began crying. Bakugo was hoping that Deku would continue being his rival and inspire him to work harder. Katsuki remembered every single horrible thing he did to Izuku, to the point of crying, something very unusual for his character.

This shocking moment reveals that Katsuki was ready to live in a world where his and Deku’s roles were reversed. He would be the one struggling to use his Quirk, while Izuku became a powerful hero admired by everyone. When the My Hero Academia series began, Bakugo would never have even thought about a world like that.. This moment reflects how much Bakugo, as well as Izuku, have changed throughout the series.

Izuku does not seem to hold any resentment towards Bakugo, but the young man will likely keep trying to earn the title of Deku’s friend. Chapter #424 is likely Horikoshi’s reminder that the world of My Hero Academia will never be the same. The war changed everyone, some like Bakugo more than others. Katsuki is a perfect example of what an ideal Hero Society should be. Pressing issues in the world of the series like discrimination or prejudice should be addressed. If Bakugo can work hard to earn forgiveness for his actions, other individuals who acted like him in the past should too.

As the My Hero Academia manga comes to an end, Horikoshi will continue depicting the outstanding changes that the war against All For One brought to the world. Bakugo, Deku, and the rest of their colleagues work hard to create a better future. Katsuki will become an example of how one can change and become better, no matter what one did in the past.