Katsuki Bakugo

Age

15 years

Stature

172 centimeters

Hero Alias

- "Great." - "Explosion Murder God Dynamight"

Epithet

"Explosive Hero"

Nickname

"Kacchan"

Appearance

Katsuki is a young man of above-average height, with a slim but muscular build, and fair skin. He has short, spiky, sandy blonde hair with a choppy fringe that falls over his eyebrows. His eyes are piercing and a bright red.

Hero costume

His hero suit consists of a tight black sleeveless shirt with an orange "X" in the middle, creating a V-neck design. There are two black dots along the left side of the neck, which is the trademark of his suit's designer, Sasori Nimaru. The outfit includes a metallic collar with rectangular ends, each with three holes on each side. He wears black sleeves that extend from large, grenade-like gauntlets to his biceps, ending with thin orange tips. A green and orange belt, equipped with grenades, secures his loose-fitting pants that have green straps and knee pads. On his feet, he sports black knee-high combat boots with orange soles, eight eyelets, and straps at the top. His mask is irregular and black, with a large flare shape with an orange border protruding from each side around the eyes.

Personality

After being accepted into UA and experiencing several personal defeats, one even at the hands of Izuku, Katsuki has gradually become a less antagonistic person, although he still retains many of his unpleasant traits. While often portrayed negatively, Katsuki's fierce nature and competitive drive have actually earned him an important role among Class 1-A, as a kind of inspiring morale booster. Determined and thirsty for victory, Katsuki smiles unsettlingly when in the midst of battle. He is incredibly focused on achieving his own genuine victories and has learned never to underestimate his opponents. Katsuki is not only very athletic and talented in fighting, but also very intelligent and extremely perceptive, capable of strategic planning and improvisation. Furthermore, Katsuki's grades are among the highest in his class and he could already read perfectly at the age of four, evidence that he takes his studies seriously. Although he's a rather volatile hero-in-training who reacts and gets angry more than he thinks, Katsuki is intelligent enough to discern who his enemies and allies are. He's not particularly pleasant or open with those on his side, or anyone else, but he will act less hostile and sometimes even kindly towards those who manage to earn his respect. Due to his attitude and vulgar language, Katsuki's classmates at UA often react negatively to him, although they have come to appreciate his abilities and sympathize with his personality. Katsuki tends to ignore the notion that Quirks shouldn't be used in public and will activate his Quirk for various reasons, such as to intimidate someone, to emphasize a point, out of frustration, or even if he simply feels like showing off.

Superiority

Due to constant praise for his abilities and powerful Quirk, Katsuki has developed a superiority complex, and because of this, he desires to be the first and best at everything. As many people point out, Katsuki loves to win above all else and cannot stand it when he doesn't, leading him to lose his already bad temper or, less frequently, to sulk. He is fiercely competitive and will never settle for anything less than the number one spot, having a compulsive need to always strive for victory and also prove those who doubt him wrong. However, Katsuki also values hard work and fair play, to the point of refusing to acknowledge a winning result if he feels his victory wasn't earned through genuine merit. Along with that, he hates being pitied or looked down upon by others, and will scorn those who don't take him seriously, while acknowledging the effort of those who manage to challenge him, such as Ochaco Uraraka and Eijiro Kirishima. Due to his Quirk and talents, Katsuki is very confident and brave to the point of being willing to go against anyone who challenges him. He never backs down from a fight and will push forward when facing a powerful opponent. After facing several villains at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint, Katsuki knows when to deal with someone who is out of his league, as he let All Might face Nomu.

Pride

Katsuki is immensely proud and prefers to act alone, as he hates the idea of being protected or having to rely on other people for help unless, in the latter case, he is recognized as the undisputed leading figure within a team. At the beginning of the series, Katsuki's cooperation was nothing short of atrocious, often ignoring his teammates' ideas and suggestions for his own very direct approaches. His teamwork skills gradually improve as the series progresses, even if Katsuki still seems condescending through his usual tone. However, it's clear that he now recognizes its importance, protecting them from harm while expecting them to do the same for him in return. As a leader, Katsuki is a ruthless perfectionist and will only be satisfied with complete and undisputed victories. Katsuki often struggles to accept his mistakes and learn from his flaws, fiercely denying them whenever others point them out, regardless of who it is. However, that doesn't mean Katsuki doesn't listen to advice, having come to realize his shortcomings and how to improve them somewhat thanks to the words and actions of others like All Might and Best Jeanist, but he will never openly admit it due to his pride. He prefers to reflect on himself in silence and solitude, becoming somewhat more melancholic during those periods.

Another side

Katsuki has a more vulnerable side, as he has been brought to tears due to wounded pride on several occasions. After the Battle Trial, Katsuki admitted that when he saw Shoto Todoroki's power and Izuku's ability to outsmart him, he couldn't beat him head-on and yelled how Momo Yaoyorozu was right about how reckless he was during his fight with Izuku. Katsuki has also shown moments of fear and guilt, the latter due to seeing himself and his own weakness as the cause of All Might losing his remaining power and retiring as a hero. Still, due to years of misunderstandings, tension, and pride, Katsuki has difficulty doing the same with Izuku. Although his inspiration to become a hero was the same as Izuku's, the Symbol of Peace, All Might, their beliefs differ: Katsuki feels that a hero should never stop fighting or give up, regardless of the threat they face, and that winning is always the mark of a true hero. Furthermore, several heroes, civilians, and even villains have commented on his arrogance and vanity. However, Katsuki is unwavering in his aspirations of heroism, having flatly rejected Tomura Shigaraki's offer to join the League of Villains because he sees villains as people who lose and don't win like heroes.

General skills

General Abilities: Katsuki has proven to be one of the strongest students in Class 1-A, placing third in the Quirk Apprehension Test, while ranking first in both the UA Entrance Exam, having the highest number of villain points, and the UA Sports Festival. Katsuki's fighting style is a full-on offensive, using the propulsive abilities of his Quirk to close the distance between him and his opponents, followed by a barrage of close-range attacks that often begin with a powerful right hook. Katsuki can use his Explosion to propel himself through the air, blind opponents, and launch long-range blasts, among other applications. Explosion is a versatile Quirk, especially for battle situations, as Katsuki can exploit the recoil caused by the explosions for mobility purposes. During the USJ Incident, Katsuki was able to subdue and immobilize Kurogiri, a highly capable villain, without any assistance. At the UA Sports Festival, he defeated Fumikage Tokoyami and Shoto Todoroki, who were considered the other two strongest students in Class 1-A at the time. Many notable professional heroes, such as Shota Aizawa and All Might, have praised Katsuki's skill, noting the vast amount of potential he possesses. The League of Villains also recognized Katsuki's strength and went so far as to attempt to kidnap him to convert him to their cause, even if it meant sacrificing members of the Vanguard Action Squad, as his potential membership would have far outweighed the risk.

Speed

Improved Speed: Initially, Katsuki's speed depended on the constant shockwave explosions from his palms, granting him semi-flight capabilities, but he was fast enough to keep up with some of UA's fastest students, such as Tenya Ida, Shoto Todoroki, and Izuku. Thanks to his technique of using the recoil explosion and the shockwave of his Quirk, Katsuki was fast enough to catch up to Tenya during the Kamino Incident. Katsuki has been constantly improving his speed to the point where he can keep up with some of the top Heroes like Endeavor and save Natsuo Todoroki from certain death in a speeding car. By the time of the Paranormal Liberation War, Katsuki's speed has drastically improved in the span of a few months, allowing him to keep up with Izuku at 30% of One For All Full Cowling.

Force

Enhanced Strength: Katsuki possesses high-caliber physical strength, confirmed by his ability to use his Grenade Bracers without suffering recoil effects, while Izuku nearly dislocated his arm attempting to do so. He is also strong enough to casually lift and throw people the size of Izuku a considerable distance with one arm. His physical power is even sufficient to draw blood from Izuku at 5% of One For All with a kick. During the course of his internship with the Endeavor Agency, his overall strength has improved tremendously, allowing him to withstand a condensed explosion, which creates larger shockwave explosions upon release. His strength contributes to the evacuation of the Jaku Hospital raid during the Paranormal Liberation War, as he was able to carry an elderly woman and three children while also performing his Turbo Explosive at the same time. His dedication to improving his Quirk allows Katsuki to withstand increasingly larger explosions, especially during the Final War, when Katsuki was able to inflict so much damage on Tomura by unleashing his Howitzer Impact: Cluster, that it caused the entire UA Flying Fortress to shake and reverberate from the inside and surface.

Speed

Enhanced Reflexes: Perhaps Katsuki's greatest physical attribute is his fantastic reflexes and reaction time. Initially, his reflexes are at human levels, but quite sharp. On several occasions he has been shown overwhelming his enemies with his speed or completely evading all their attacks while counterattacking, such as in his battles with Ochaco, Cider House, and Izuku (even when the latter was at 5% of One For All). Once Izuku began using 8% of his true power, Katsuki was quickly pushed back and could barely keep up. His magnificent reflexes even allow him to evade a jet of carbonated water strong enough to split a lamppost in two. Evading water attacks at such high speed is an impressive feat by Katsuki, as water jets can pierce metal when traveling at 760 m/s (1700 mph), which is more than twice the speed of sound.

Skills

- Improved Durability: Katsuki has demonstrated above-average strength and durability. He is strong enough to regularly withstand the recoil of his explosions with only moderate pain. He also blocked an 8% kick from Izuku without breaking his arm, although he received a significant scratch from it. - Improved Stamina: Katsuki has conditioned himself to fight for extended periods of time even when severely injured. - Indomitable Will: Katsuki's willpower is one of his greatest traits, following his notion of an absolutely flawless victory no matter what. His willpower can even rival Izuku's in terms of determination, and his strong impetuous tendencies show some evidence of that trait. Katsuki has shown a fearless drive to fight villains and win no matter how strong his opponents are, such as Tomura.

Intelligence

Sharp Intellect: Katsuki has proven to be quite intelligent and strategic, but his short temper and inflated ego often get the better of him, causing him to overlook crucial details and make several mistakes. While he occasionally lacks preventative strategies like most people and doesn't think before acting, he analyzes his opponent's weaknesses, such as when he realized Fumikage's weakness to light during the UA Sports Festival mid-battle, and can anticipate worst-case scenarios. Even when fighting weaker villains during the Unforeseen Joint Simulation, Katsuki quickly assessed which of the attacking villains was the most dangerous long-term threat and ultimately figured out a way to incapacitate Kurogiri, one of the leaders of the invasion. Katsuki also identified Kurogiri's neck armor as a weak point and bound the mist villain's body to hinder his escape, effectively trapping the League of Villains in the USJ until Nomu intervened.

Leadership

Leadership Skills: Katsuki has always been criticized for his lack of cooperation, generally a result of his overwhelming ego that prevents him from following others' lead. However, thanks to Katsuki's own determination, perfectionism, and remarkable intelligence, he is a capable leader if others choose to follow him. During the fourth round of the Joint Training Battle, Setsuna Tokage admitted that even if her team had attacked him all at once, they had no chance of victory. In the end, despite Class 1-B's exceptional teamwork and Setsuna's strategic planning, they failed to capture a single member of Class 1-A, mainly thanks to Katsuki's efforts, adaptability, and superior skills. Even more impressively, Katsuki's judicious foresight allowed his team to secure victory in under 5 minutes. Although he may not realize it, Katsuki is one of the main motivators of Class 1-A along with Izuku, thanks to his power and his indomitable drive to win.

Talents

- Culinary Skills: Katsuki is surprisingly skilled in culinary practice, able to chop vegetables very quickly and easily, and also able to detect that Shoto hadn't chopped the scallions correctly and scold him for it. Musical talent: Katsuki is very skilled at playing the drums, having taken lessons in the past. - Technical Skills: Katsuki possesses a certain degree of technical skill. He identified the location of Humarise's base by combining the two digital world maps of Trigger Bombs and narrowing down the location to one not specified by Humarise, in addition to finding the Trigger Bomb control system. - Survival Skills: Thanks to his love of hiking, Katsuki has proven to be an expert at surviving in the wild, whether on a snowy mountain or a deserted island. He is capable of setting up a campsite, as he has knowledge of the resources needed for outdoor camping, and was even able to build a shelter with limited supplies from his surroundings.

Mr. "Explosion"

Katsuki's quirk allows him to secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from the palms of his hands and ignite it at will, enabling him to create powerful explosions. [4] The more Katsuki sweats, the stronger his explosions become. If Katsuki overuses this power, his forearms will begin to ache. Katsuki has a strong mastery of his Quirk's applications, something that was acknowledged by Best Jeanist, a top professional hero; Katsuki can not only use explosions to attack, but he can also use them to propel himself and navigate through the air at high speeds, allowing him to fly towards his opponents without giving them time to react, [20] as well as evade incoming attacks, even while airborne. The shockwave of an explosion can even be used as a shield. Katsuki can sustain his explosions continuously, long enough to break through Eijiro's Quirk hardening and negate Shoto's "Heaven-Piercing Ice Wall" for a short time before overwhelming Shoto.

Training

As part of his training, Katsuki submerged his hands in boiling water to expand his sweat glands, then created chain explosions towards the sky to increase the scale of his attacks.

Ultimate Moves

- "Explosive Speed": Katsuki throws his hands back and uses explosions to propel himself. He uses it both on the ground to increase his speed and in the air to achieve a pseudo-form of flight. He first used this technique on the ground during the Don's Apprehension Test. - "Stun Grenade": Katsuki begins by creating a sphere of light between his hands that explodes in a large-scale flash. Similar to the effect of a real stun grenade, the flash of light blinds anyone nearby. He first used this technique to defeat Fumikage Tokoyami. - "Point-Blank Stun Grenade": A variation where Katsuki fires his stun grenade at point-blank range at the opponent to immediately stun and immobilize them with little lasting damage. - "Howitzer Impact": This move is the strongest in Katsuki's arsenal, involving Katsuki rising into the air and then using explosions to propel himself in a circular motion to create a tornado. This tornado accumulates oxygen to fuel the incoming explosion. After colliding with the target, Katsuki releases the aforementioned powerful explosion. - "AP Shot": Katsuki extends one hand and uses his other hand to form a circle in the palm of his extended hand. Then, Katsuki fires an explosion through the circle, creating a concentrated blast beam. By focusing the trajectory of his explosions on a single point instead of around his entire palm, Katsuki creates a concentrated explosion with a reduced impact area, but with enough power to successfully pierce solid concrete.

Ultimate Moves

- "AP Shot: Auto-Cannon": A rapid-fire version of their "AP Shoot" technique. The explosive power is reduced to avoid causing serious damage to human targets. - "AP Machine-Gun": A more powerful version of his "AP Shot: Auto-Cannon" where Katsuki fires larger and faster explosions. - "Explode-A-Pult": While airborne, Katsuki grabs an opponent with one arm, then propels himself in a spinning motion, firing explosions with his free arm. Once he gains enough momentum, Katsuki forcefully throws his opponent with the help of another explosion. - "Land Mine Blast": Katsuki places his grenadier bracelet on the ground and triggers a massive explosion that blows away any obstacles surrounding him. - "Cluster": Katsuki condenses his explosions to become stronger and faster, allowing him to unleash a barrage of blasts that can be used in various ways. - "Explosive Speed: Cluster": Katsuki uses the Cluster technique to propel himself forward in a similar way to his Explosive Speed, but at a much faster rate, allowing him to reach extremely fast targets. - "Howitzer Impact: Cluster": Katsuki employs the cluster technique and the Strafe Panzer support element to enhance his howitzer impact, creating larger explosions to propel himself, as well as launching explosions in all directions.

Equipment

- "Grenadier Bracers": A pair of arm-mounted storage tanks added to Katsuki's hero suit that store his nitroglycerin-like sweat. Once full, he can pull the grenade pin to release a large focused explosion, as shown when he fought Izuku in All Might's Heroes vs. Villains test. It has enough explosive power to destroy all parts of the building within its blast radius. This equipment was first used during the Battle Trial. - "Improvised Grenades": Around the belt of his hero costume are several containers that resemble hand grenades. These can store Katsuki's sweat, similar to nitroglycerin, and can be used as normal grenades in the future. Denki first used them during the provisional hero license exam. - "Knee Pads": These are very sturdy metal accessories that Katsuki wears on his knees. They are designed so he can "kill with his knees," but he hasn't yet demonstrated that he uses them for that purpose.

Trivia

- His/Her favorite food is spicy food. - His/Her favorite activity is mountain climbing. - Katsuki and Ochaco share the same costume designer.