Bkdks. We've all read countless fics with bkdk pining after each other, of them getting jealous and whatnot. Usually, the fandom labels Kacchan as the possessive one and Deku as the protective one, but I (respectfully) disagree. I say that Deku is the possessive one and Kacchan is the protective one.
Now, when I say Deku is possessive and Kacchan is protective, I'm not saying that they don't have the other trait. bkdk are both protective and possessive of each other. HOWEVER, the way I see it is:
Deku is possessive. When he gets possessive, it feeds his protectiveness.
Kacchan is protective. When he gets protective, it feeds his possessiveness.
When you read fics from Deku's POV and he's seeing Kacchan being happy with someone else (both platonic and romantic), he gets possessive. Why not me, why THEM, I know him better, I've known him for LONGER, etc. There also is a kind of "indulging" in the "selfishness" of wanting Kacchan all to himself if that makes sense. Like yes, he'll feel bad about being jealous over Kacchan having friends, but also he can't bring himself to stop being jealous/possessive of Kacchan. Deku's possessiveness has the message of "I know Kacchan better than anyone else ever has/will, I've worked hard to stay by his side and I'm not gonna let some EXTRA take him from me."
However, when you read fics from KACCHAN'S POV, and he's seeing Deku being happy with someone else, he gets protective. He also kind of attacks himself in the sense of "I want the best for Deku and I am not the best. I hurt Deku countless times in countless ways, [person] hasn't hurt Deku like I have, and [they] will make Deku happier than I ever could. If they ever hurt him though [they]'re dead." Kacchan's protectiveness has the message of "I want Deku to always be happy. If he's happy with someone else, then I'm happy."
Again, Deku does have moments where his protectiveness shows more than his possessiveness. A prime example is the training camp arc, when Kacchan is kidnapped. It starts as possessive, with Deku basically going "Give my Kacchan back!" and Compress commenting on this and saying that Bakugo doesn't belong to anyone.
However, as his possessiveness increases, Deku's protectiveness also increases. He's a lot more self-sacrificial and desperate in reaching Kacchan to save him. To protect him.
On the other hand, Kacchan also has moments where his protectiveness gives way to more possessiveness than usual. The first example is when Kacchan is stabbed by Shigaraki. He sees Deku about to get severely injured, and he becomes protective and takes the hit instead of Deku. However, after getting stabbed, he says "stop trying to win this on your own." This is where his possessiveness shows, in which he's trying to fill the role of being a Symbol of Victory. "Let me be YOUR Symbol of Victory."
There's also the fact that Bakugo carries guilt because of his actions from the past. This has him being more prone to leaning away from being as possessive as Deku is because "I hurt Deku. I don't deserve him. Deku isn't mine. He doesn't belong to me, he never has." Because of this he leans more towards protectiveness in the sense of wishing for him to be always happy in the ways that he prevented when they were younger and whatnot.
Of course, during his apology, he also expresses how they all will help him. However, you also have the moment where Izuku stumbles and falls. Kacchan's protectiveness comes in as he rushes to grab him and hold him steady. Izuku apologizes for the things he says, and Kacchan says "I get it." Not we, because his possessiveness comes forth in that moment. It also comes forward when he talks to Class 1A and Endeavor.
"You know nothing about Deku."
"I know Deku more than anyone else."
Those are very possessive statements, which are very similar to Deku's possessive mentality.
However, Deku doesn't carry guilt. This has him lean more towards being possessive of Kacchan. "I've ALWAYS stuck by Kacchan, you must be stupid if you think YOU can take him from ME."
However, I also think that once bkdk enter a relationship and Kacchan truly, wholly believes that he is worthy of Deku's love and the relationship in general, he'll allow himself to be a lot more possessive. Like once he's had the realization of "Izuku deserves the best and he chose ME, and I trust his judgement so that means I'm the best for him," he'll go, "Anyone who tries taking him from me will lose a couple fingers. I bite bitch," which is how I feel a lot of people think he's like from the get-go, when that more blatant possessive comes later on.
Again, it all circles back to the good old "bkdk are two halves of a whole, they complete each other."
Win to save, save to win.
Victory and peace.
Protectiveness and possessiveness.
Anyways.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk, bkdk is canon I will kill AND die on that hill and I do not take criticism. Have a great day.
“I don’t expect this to change a thing between us.” (MHA MANGA SPOILERS 322-423)
I think a lot about the fact that, in Katsuki’s apology, he says “I don’t expect this to change a thing between us.” indicating that he accepts the current state of their relationship, that his apology may not be left with a reply, and that he may be the only one who entertains the idea of deepening their bond of rivalry into friendship.
But regardless, he had to speak his truth, and in the future, live by his truth, which is to give Izuku his utmost support.
In the same manner, Izuku had also accepted the current state of their relationship before hearing Katsuki’s apology, judging by how he already felt blessed that he could have a “normal-ish” conversation with him.
And since the JT arc, knowing that Katsuki’s at the center of the “control your heart” issue, it probably solidified that that’s the extent of their bond to him, cause if he indulges in these feelings and make it stronger, being able to control his heart would be increasingly more difficult. So maybe he’d been starting to entertain the idea of being close friends with Katsuki again, but then blackwhip puts his heart on his sleeve, and so his deeper feelings and the yearning he felt for something more were locked away. Katsuki at that point also hadn’t explicitly shown any interest in deepening it anyway, just that he’s committing himself to their rivalry.
But then Katsuki does, throws him a curveball and sacrifices himself for him, then apologizes—calls him his first name “Izuku,” and implies that a “change” is possible between them. It's not expected, but the ball is now in Izuku’s court.
At the moment Izuku couldn’t respond properly since the conditions weren’t ideal. But even after that, when he had the time to broach the the subject to Katsuki, he chooses not to and put a tighter rope on his feelings. He had enough courage to thank his classmates generally, and and also thank Ochaco for her speech, but the apology wasn’t something he feels like he could talk about without revealing too much when he has to hold himself together for the next war. Like a talk could change something fundamental, and take away his attention from the war.
And also, when Katsuki almost makes the mistake of calling him “Deku,” Izuku jumps to say that he doesn’t have to call him that if he can’t, showcasing some of his reluctance to the change, clinging onto the past which at the moment was easier to digest. Katsuki responds to this by saying that he’s not forcing himself, as he will continue to act and speak his truth.
After his apology he makes good on that claim, where he initiates small talks with Izuku even when people surround and can see them, stays by his side as much as he can as a form of emotional support, and continue to be his primary partner in training. And all throughout the second war he commits to his truth even further, taking his self-introspections and sentimentality with pride, and because of it yearns even more intensely.
“So Izuku… can I still catch up with you?” he says as he yearns to be on equal footing with Izuku, in power, in heart, and in their relationship, “Gotta win right… Izuku?” he says as he yearns to be the hero Izuku had always believed him to be, someone who never loses, “That’s Kacchan Bakugou to you!” he says as he becomes the hero Izuku had always seen him as.
As their eyes meet when Katsuki revives, their feelings, as had been said, become one. The feelings of wanting to save All Might, the feelings of wanting to be near and beside each other, and the feelings of wanting to work together to win and save and again be on equal footing are communicated and united. Katsuki’s questions of “Can I catch up to you?” “Gotta win, right?” were answered, as Izuku has outstreched his hand to Katsuki once more and he’d taken it. It’s also the first and only time Izuku really calls for help during the final war, where he usually just lets others help him.
But now the question is if Katsuki’s outstretched hand is something Izuku will take, if Izuku will also speak his truth, as opposed to just showing and acting his truth. It was an invitation to meet in the middle. As Katsuki said “Don’t you dare let me surpass you!” an echo to “Surpass me, become the hero I’d always seen you as—Izuku who’s full of strength and of worth—just make sure to take my hand while you’re on it.
I want to talk about the Christmas gift that Ochako got from Izuku and why it is the perfect symbol of a doomed love.
Izuku didn't choose that gift thinking of Ochaco. He was picking a generic gift for a classmate and friend. That they received each others gifts after a blind exchange and weren't thinking of each other at all when they picked them. In other words, it was random. Much like the IzuOcha pairing would look random and mashed together by coincidence if Horikoshi ultimately chose to pair them as endgame.
Ochaco might carry the doll around the same way she might carry a crush for Izuku, but the mochi that Izuku received has long gone the way of their romantic potential. I shall not elaborate.
Furthermore, the doll is problematic as a symbol for Izuku and Ochaco's relationship. Why?
Because All Might belongs to Izuku and Katsuki.
No, I don't mean that they have any claim on All Might the person, but these two boys have plotted their entire life's trajectory on All Might the Hero. Their entire relationship can be traced back to All Might. They bonded over their shared love of the hero as kids. The only reason Izuku is with Katsuki attending the same school is because of All Might. They share the secret of OFA with All Might and every time their relationship grows closer to reconciliation, All Might is there, watching over them. Their entire spiritual journey revolves around All Might and synthesizing the dual aspects of his heroic nature. All Might is their signpost and their get-a-long shirt.
Now if Katsuki had received the All Might doll--
Oh.
They both carry talismans into battle, but the weight is not the same.
OK HEAR ME OUT.. We know Hori is sneaky like this. Izuku says the worst case is losing their teacher but look behind him! Katsuki who’s explosion shows in form of a sharp OFA star (which ONLY happens when he thinks of Izuku and wants to save him, I’ll show evidence later) looks like he’s reaching FOR IZUKU.
Because for Katsuki..the worst case is losing IZUKU. That’s why he follows him into every war.. to protect him. And that eventually led him to his death…That panel is in chapter 277.. so a little before Katsuki sacrifices himself to save Izuku. Which is another reason I don’t think this is a coincidence especially since Hori said speech bubble placements are very important to him.. as for OFA stars showcasing when he thinks of Izuku.. here’s evidence. These stars have NEVER shown up unless there was a thought about Izuku happening before or during their appearance.
IN FACT.. first time they EVER show up is when he follows Izuku into the first war with an excuse that he wants revenge but these stars give his true intentions away. He wants to protect IZUKU. That’s why he’s following him.
Here is the progression of the shape of Katsuki’s explosions changing for the very first time IN THE SAME CHAPTER (minus the 4th one) as he follows Izuku into the war where he later shows to be desperate to protect him and almost loses his life to save him.
And there’s more but these are my favorites! He has to think of Izuku for those stars to manifest. They show his connection to OFA (Izuku) It’s how he got access to the realm before his death.
I keep seeing people (many smart, cool people I usually agree with) say Izuku would easily kill someone. That though a hero, he can be murderous. And, to be fair, I like this take MUCH better than when people talk about Izuku like he’s an uwu cinnamon roll bottom-as-a-personality. Izuku is tough and strong, and you bet your ass he can be one scary motherfucker.
However.
Izuku’s whole thing is that he wants to save everyone. Everyone including villains. That is central to his character. Remember the first time he throws a smash without breaking his arm? Yeah, that was because he subconsciously held back from using a killing blow on a Nomu that was threatening the life of his friends.
And more recently in the war arc, when the vestiges ask Izuku if he can kill Shigaraki, Izuku says he wants to try and save him. Save The Big Bad. That’s huge, and unless I’m mistaken, pretty unusual for a shonen protagonist. And it’s clearly a big deal to the manga/anime plot, because the “can you kill Shiggy” question is Nana’s test which Izuku passes. Izuku’s drive to save, though it often gets him hurt, is shown as his greatest strength.
Of course, any good hero story must have a few climatic moments in which the hero loses sight of their greatest strength. Oh, you thought I wasn’t gonna make this about bkdk? It’s always about bkdk, babyyy. 😎
The first time Katsuki sacrifices himself to save Izuku is also the first time we see Izuku go completely feral. All rational thought demolished, eyes glowing monstrously, he charges like a rabid animal with, in my opinion, no thoughts of “saving.”
And he almost loses OFA because of it.
[major manga spoilers below]
After that fight, Shigaraki/AFO takes note of Midoriya Izuku’s greatest weakness: Bakugou Katsuki. That’s not my bkdk brainrot talking, that is canon. In the fight currently happening in the manga, Shigaraki singles Katsuki out and tells him the only reason he’s interested in him is that Katsuki is “the closest person to Midoriya Izuku.”
Shigaraki uses Katsuki as bait in the hopes of provoking the feral, irrational side of Izuku that only surfaces for Katsuki. He says he’s making a mangled corpse out of Katsuki as a “present” for Izuku.
Shigaraki/AFO expects Izuku to lose his head when he sees Katsuki’s body, and so do us readers. But as I’ve said before, this story is a hero’s journey, and we must see the hero learn from his past and overcome his weaknesses. We do see Izuku start to lose control, just as Shiggy/AFO wanted, but with the help of Mirio and the vestiges, Izuku manages to control his heart and fight rationally, despite his world (Katsuki) literally ending. Deku is still on his way to becoming the world’s greatest hero by saving to win.
All of this is to say: Midoriya Izuku might have scary dog privileges, but he’s not a killer. He might have been, once, for Katsuki. Only for Katsuki. Overall, Izuku’s aversion to killing, his drive to save, is what makes him my #1 hero.
i need to talk about katsuki’s specific wording here. this is kind of just me rambling, but i feel like a lot of people misinterpret this panel. katsuki isn’t talking about catching up to izuku power-wise here.
at the beginning of the series he always talked about standing at the top, surpassing All Might and becoming #1, etc. and after dvk2, his goal is still the same, and he’s built a functional rivalry with izuku, and focuses on surpassing him. BUT after everything -- after sacrificing himself, apologizing, and watching izuku grow distant -- all he wants now is to stand by izuku’s side. katsuki knows he can no longer surpass izuku. he knows that better than anyone, especially after losing to AFO. what he wants now is to stand by his side, be his support. he told izuku time and time again, ever since he sacrificed himself, that he doesn’t need to fight alone.
i think katsuki knew he was going to die here. at the very end of his rope, he realizes and fully accepts his feelings for izuku and expresses his wish to stand by his side. his expression is so soft and blissful, unlike any expression you would expect him to make, and thinks about izuku in his last moments. idk what else that sounds like except LOVE.
I've read a lot of meta to understand Izuku and Katsuki's relationship. I never really understood Katsuki's side. But I think I've got it now. I am slow to understand character interactions sometimes (I'm neurodivergent), so please bear with me! I am also open to any corrections! Ok, this is what I understand as canon:
Katsuki thought Izuku was always a better hero (personality wise) than him when they were kids/growing up (ie. Izuku always wanted to help others, even Katsuki). Katsuki was so insecure about this because he wanted to be the best hero. So, he constantly put Izuku down in typical bully fashion.
He was so annoyed, mad, and hurt when he found out Izuku had a quirk when Izuku passed the entrance exam. He felt lied to and betrayed since Izuku always said he was quirkless. This (Izuku getting into UA) was another conformation for Katsuki that Izuku was better than him. Katsuki used to think he was automatically better than Izuku because he had a quirk. Katsuki thought that even though Izuku had a hero's personality and will, he would never surpass Katsuki because he was quirkless. But reality changed once Katsuki found out Izuku did actually have a quirk.
Then, when Katsuki found about All Might, both their childhood hero, passing down OFA to Izuku, Katsuki was heartbroken in another way. His hero (AM) recognized what Katsuki saw all along: Izuku is a hero (and maybe even a better one than Katsuki).
But this whole time, Izuku just admired Katsuki for his persistence and quirk. He thought he was amazing and wanted to be like Katsuki. So he fought tooth and nail to be on Katsuki's level. This was seen as threatening to Katsuki for the reasons above.
So essentially, both think they are inferior to the other and are trying to "catch up." But maybe they've realized neither is better and they're just different? Idk that's all I've got for now.
I was rereading a few chapters back, I got very overwhelmed by the sheer meaning of a scene that suddenly hit me today. I guess I didn't fully comprehend it on my first read even when I've read metas about how important that one panel meant.
Just at the moment he detonated his own heart, knowing that there's no chance of survival after his actions, we see Katsuki's mental state.
He's apparently in a calm, peaceful state, as if he's accepted what's gonna come, and the first thing he sees is vestige AM. And the only thing that comes to his mind is
The genuine wish that if only he could be his true self all this time.
I think there's a nuance in here. From what I felt, the highlight here isn't that there's a vestige AM in him (tho that fact is equally important for the story), but the fact that Katsuki isn't looking at AM at all even when he's right in front of him.
It's the AM card. The sheer significance of its existence and the importance it held for Katsuki.
Katsuki kept this card doesn't just signify that he still has a nerdy side in him, the side that how much he had admired AM all this time.
No. What he sees through the card was the precious time that he once shared with Izuku. The knowledge that he, on that day, so fortunately got the same AM card with Izuku, a kid who he could never stop thinking about throughout his 10+ years.
Have you started to comprehend that one panel that change the meaning of this small moment?? The sequence leading to that panel, before and after it, the implication that it brings?? Have you ever wondered why the card was highlighted two times in these scene?
Yeah people joked that it's bcs Izuku loves AM and couldn't ignore a damaged merch. But to Katsuki, the card meant a bond that he could have with Izuku if he hadn't been feeling insecure and inferior due to his pride this whole time.
In fact, he wasn't lamenting his missed chance of getting a signed merch from AM.
Towards his last moment, he was still only thinking of Izuku, of the missed out moments that they could have nerded out about AM together all this time. He recalled that precious memory while making a genuine and candid smile to himself.
