In Season 2 of My Hero Academia, the characters were reimagined in a fantasy style end credit sequence that mostly focused on Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugou, Uraraka, and Iida. Some aspects of their fantasy counterparts have been confirmed, such as Bakugou being a barbarian king, while other things like Kirishima’s exact rpg class have been left ambiguous. So while Bakugou will be pretty straightforward, Kirishima will require a little more work.
For his race, Bakugou is a Human. Normally for anime characters, I tend to make them Variant Humans for the free feat. Bakugou can add the Great Weapon Master to make better use of All-Might’s fractured greatsword. However, Bakugou also makes use of a scimitar in the season 2 end credits, and a scimitar is not a great weapon. So, Bakugou could also take Prodigy or Resilient to give himself more skills or better saving throws, or even Fighting Initiate to allow Bakugou to acquire the Dueling or Great Weapon Fighting fighting styles.
For his background, Bakugou is a king, making him a Noble.
BAKUGOU’S CLASS
BARBARIAN
BERSERKER
The Berserker subclass is the Barbarian subclass that notices your raging and suggests putting more rage into your rage. A lot of people give this subclass flack for the level of exhaustion it can give you when you rage, but fail to read the actual print that says that you can choose to trigger a frenzy while you’re raging, but you don’t have to. Going into a frenzy gives Bakugou the ability to make an attack as a bonus action, but he doesn’t enter a frenzy every time he rages. Later, he can enter a rage to break the effects of charms or fear, instill fear with the menacing presence of his own rage, and eventually retaliate against anyone with the nerve to attack him.
Kirishima’s race would depend on how you want to do him. Kiri’s appearance would be more accurate as a Variant Human with the Tough feat. However, he is also a dragon shifter, and therefore, he could be a red dragonborn with the added protection of his dragon scales.
Kirishima loyally stays with Bakugou because he lost a battle with him, but his actual backstory is something I know less about. My best guess would be an Outlander, living outside of society, witnessing the migration of herds, and suffering through the most extreme weather. Since he is in the service of a king, you could call him a Knight, or even a Courtier. His general vibe also has some rogue-like elements where you could make a case for Urchin or Criminal backgrounds. If Kirishima has a clearer backstory in the light novel, I apologize for not having read it.
KIRISHIMA’S CLASS
MONK
ASCENDANT DRAGON
This is hands down the best way to build Dragon!Kirishima. Although the idea of making Kirishima wise might seem a bit silly, this is the only melee class that lets the user take on Draconian traits. The only other option would be to make him a Draconic Bloodline Sorcerer, which doesn’t seem to fit his armored and weapon-bearing human form. As a Monk of the Ascendant Dragon, Kirishima can charge his unarmed attacks with elemental magic, create a breath attack regardless of his character race, grow wings, and protect his allies from harm. While it’s true that this form doesn’t permit Kirishima to fully change into a dragon as he would with a polymorph spell, it’s still the most in-character with what Kirishima’s human side is capable of.
The third build option is all about making Bakugou a Dragon Rider, which focuses on making the two of them an inseparable tag team. With this build, Bakugou is the main playable character, and is built the same way as he was as his own independant character since nothing really changes here. The main difference is his class.
DRAGON RIDER BAKUGOU
RANGER
CONCLAVE OF THE DRAKEWARDEN
With this subclass, Bakugou starts his adventure with a connection to draconic magic and the ability to summon a drake to be his companion. The dragon is a quadruped that only speaks Draconic and his would be a Red Drake. As their bond grows, the fully drake Kirishima gains wings at level 7, a breath attack at 11th level, and grow to a Large size fit for riding at 15th level. While this build does rob Kirishima of his autonomy and traps him in his dragon form, he is better able to be the dragon we see in the end credits: large, winged, and breathing fire. You could also always talk to your DM about ways to play around with this to build Kiribaku as a Drakewarden while still making Kirishima his own character.
In the end, I’m still pretty much making the best with what I have. Frankly, Kirishima is difficult to translate, and if I had to remove the Dragon entirely from his fantasy alter ego, I’d probably make Fantasy!Kirishima a Fighter or a Paladin, as Kirishima is one of the few characters with a very clearly established code of conduct that would make him work very well as an Oath of Glory Paladin determined to make a legacy for himself and prove himself a worthy hero. However, the ability to polymorph into a gigantic dragon and breathe fire complicates aspects of this. Still, the draconic-inspired UA subclasses we got after the publication of Tasha’s really gave us much better methods of translating Fantasy!Kirishima to the world of Dungeons and Dragons.
a/n: this is my third time posting this istg if tumblr eats it again im gonna scream
The kingdom of Kogarashi had not known this type of hardship for a considerable amount of time. They were used to the cold climate of the mountains, finding ingenious ways to cultivate food and a sturdy people for generations now. Mother Nature was a force they reckoned with often.
But not the Tatsu Clan.
“Sire,” sputtered the messenger, eyes wide from the hell he’d espied mere moments ago, “they won’t change their minds—they remain intransigent on our surrender or something of worthy trade!” He trembled beneath the towering thrones of the royalty, focus jumping from one to the other for an input.
“What have I to give these savages?” the King bellowed, voice loud but racked with fatigue. “They’ve overwhelmed us with their strength and numbers and seized our rations for the upcoming winter… If we don’t lay down our weapons, we shall fight to the death or starve.”
Next to him, the Queen’s expression crumbled as she whispered, urgently, “Shall we take the children and run?”
“If they catch us, we’ll be killed,” he muttered, eyes lowering to the floor at his feet. At the feeling of his wife’s soft touch against his forearm, his hand curled into a fist as he struck the armrest of his throne. “God dammit, curse these monsters!”
His voice rebounded around the courtroom, cruel and mocking as it faded, escaping to somewhere they couldn't.
As the yell died away, a commotion grew beyond the wooden doors leading into their occupied space. Warnings bled from behind the barrier and the messenger dropped to his knees as he recognized the tone. He had hoped to never again see the eyes of that demon. Now it was nothing but an empty dream.
The King rose from his throne at the prospect of an encounter, lifting his hand back towards his wife as she began to stand with him. Staying seated, she watched, both of their gazes centered on the bolted doors as the iron of swords and shields clanged just passed it.
The war had breached the final safety of the castle.
In a fit of flames and thunder, the doors splintered apart and smoke filled the room in a dense fog. The King held fast as the familiar pattern of marching feet sounded, shadows falling into the once safe space with deadly precision.
When the fumes cleared, the Queen felt her heart seize at the blood trailing into the room, brought on by the horror of the Tatsu. She grabbed her lover’s hand, praying they’d spare them and those shut away far below. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing any of them, most of all her children.
“You fuckers have tested my patience long enough!” roared someone from within the sea of crimson covered warriors.
“You’ve left me no choice, tyrant!” spat the King as he scanned their stern faces. Not one seemed out of place, all perfectly resolute in their posture and guard. “Reveal yourself and be done with it! Stake a claim!”
“ Hah?” The inquiry was issued from a fanged maw, a body of pure muscle lowering as he sheathed his sullied weapon. At the soft shing of his blade being slid away, the red sea of soldiers parted leaving him to plod down the makeshift aisle, eyes ablaze with a righteous fury.
“You blind or something, you old prick? I staked my claim the moment your puny walls were burned to the ground!”
At the sight of star-kissed hair and a thick furred collar, the King resigned himself to the fall of the Kogarashi. Of all the tales ever told, not one ruler in all the country had won against the chaos that was the Dragon King, Bakugou Katsuki. He was as fierce as he was savage, his clan wide and renowned. Not a soul wished to fall on his bad side, nor on the front end of his horrid battalion.
“Your clan has claimed plenty of the west and south—the north has nothing beneficial to give you!”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” the dragon ground out, eyes sliding to the petrified woman at the King’s side. “What you need to worry about is if I’m feeling merciful today, and with the bodies littering your front yard your chances are slim to none .”
“Please,” the Queen spoke, every syllable shaking as they entered the air, “we’ve done nothing to offend the Tatsu Clan.”
“Oh, really?” the man chuckled, turning his sights back towards the King. “You keepin’ secrets from your hag or is she a filthy liar, too?”
“Watch your tongue, mongrel.”
“Every word out of your fucking mouth is one more closer to your grave, you shitty thief. Watch your own damn tongue.”
Bakugou stepped further into the throne room, standing front and center as he took in his surroundings. No more guards were to be seen, proving they’d pushed all their numbers to the front where his troops had pulverized them into the mud. They were nothing but fertilizer now, leaving their scum of a ruler vulnerable and alone. A bonafide checkmate.
“What have you done?” He heard the Queen whisper, the question directed at her husband.
”Be quiet.”
“You’ve endangered our children!”
“I said silence!” the King roared, foaming at the mouth. “You know nothing of the sacrifices I’ve made!”
“I’ll say, wasting her time with an ass like you sounds sacrificial enough to me,” Bakugou muttered, earning a good few laughs from the men and women under his leadership.
The King's face went purple with rage, arms shaking at his sides. “What do you want ?”
“I know you're hiding something here. What you stole made sure of that,” Bakugou said, grinning at the horror that seeped into the man’s eyes. “Hand it over.”
“I will return the Omamori—“
“Nah, I came here for that regardless,” he barked, head tilting. “You stole what was rightfully mine so now you're gonna pay for it. Either you give me the treasure you’re so keen on hiding and I let you re-build this dump you call a kingdom, or I slaughter you here and now and take it anyway.”
Just then, something seemed to occur to the Queen. He saw the way her eyes went round with shock, looking about ready to faint in her seat.
“Please,” she choked out, stumbling to her feet and past her husband who hissed after her retreating form.
Bakugou raised a hand as his soldiers shifted anxiously behind him, ready to kill on sight if she tried anything. Her skirts billowed as she ran and he watched her stagger down the steps leading up to the thrones. Soon she prostrated at his feet with her hands and face pressed against the floor in a last act of desperation.
“Please, I will give you anything else.”
“You look like you know what I’m talking about,” he grumbled, lowering to one knee as she looked up at him with watery eyes. “What was he trying to hide?”
“Don’t answer him!”
Bakugou rolled his eyes, blowing out a long sigh before gesturing two fingers forward over this shoulder. The agonized bellow from the King was annoyingly loud as an arrow pierced his shoulder. The wife flinched, but didn’t shift her gaze from the warrior chief.
“You seem to be in the dark about the shit he’s been pulling. Before I get answers, tell me…” He leaned closer to her face, his expression wiped clean. “Do you know what he did to get that Omamori?”
She looked seconds away from being sick. “What did he do?”
He clicked his tongue, getting back to both feet.
“I’ll let you live,” he decided, crossing his arms, “but everything after this decides your shitty husband’s fate.”
She trembled but managed a nod, remaining in a bowed position. Feeling prideful from such a quick takedown of this pathetic excuse for a kingdom (and the fact the Queen would rather concord with him than her own husband), the Dragon King bore down into the woman with a severe regard. He had triumphed over yet another domain, and all he wanted was to get his shit and leave.
“Now,” he said, smirking victoriously as he repeated his inquiry one final time, “what the hell is he trying to hide?”
“Hush now, Guinne,” you whispered, bouncing the small toddler on your lap. “We won’t be here much longer.”
“It’s dark,” he cried, his voice hoarse from screaming for your parents when the guards had ushered them all away and down into the deepest levels of the castle. He wasn’t taking the separation well, catching on to everyone’s frantic nerves. The boy was barely four and a half but he was a sharp little thing, sure to cause even more trouble in his teenage years.
“I know it’s scary, but you’re not alone. All your siblings are down here with you,” you crooned, wiping at his flushed cheeks. “If you keep up like this, you’ll make Leluna cry and Cirse just got her to settle down.”
“I’m cold,” he sniffed, burying his face into the collar of your dress. You felt more tears soak into the fabric. “I want Mama.”
“Everything will be alright, I promise.”
To consolidate that, you drew up your satin cloak and cast it around his small, shivering form. As the warmth between them grew, he gradually fell into a light slumber. You stayed alert, regardless of your elder siblings maintaining vigilance. Even if you’d wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to rest. The level of threat was too high.
Turning your head towards the guards standing by at the door to the room, you caught eyes with your eldest brother, Dumiero.
He had yet to say anything since you all were ordered down here by your father, but you sensed a deep anger within him. It was an assumption but you thought, maybe, being unable to stand by his father’s side during this transgression could be the trigger. However, with the way he glowered at you every so often, you were beginning to think you’d done something to offend him since being forced into concealment. It wasn’t anything new, he’d never particularly enjoyed your company with you being so distant in age. He was the first born and with you being the middlest child, that put you around six years asunder.
The honeyed tone of your older sister calling your name grabbed your attention. You looked to Cirse and did your best to read her expression in the dim light of the room. Dumiero was closest to the guards and the only torch in the entire space while Cirse and your infant sister were in the far corner near the emergency escape route. You did your best to avoid looking down the dark corridor. Just thinking of running through that tunnel if things went badly made your stomach roil.
The toll of the warning bells from an hour past still echoed in your ears, sending a shiver down your spine. You prayed you wouldn’t hear another portent anytime soon.
“Is he asleep?” Cirse asked, referring to Guinne who had now fallen into a peaceful sleep in your lap.
“Yes,” you replied, albeit softly. “He’ll wake up soon enough, though. He senses the tension.”
“It’ll be alright.” You could just make out the ghost of a smile on her lips. “Mother and father will know what to do.”
“If they aren’t dead.”
The both of you gaped at Dumiero, one state every bit as fearful as the other. He seemed unfazed by his sisters’ dread, standing idly against the wall the door was built on. The guard closest to him shuffled a bit but remained silent.
“You’re not helping, Dumi,” Cirse reprimanded, only after her shock had faded somewhat. “Don’t scare us anymore than we already are.”
“You know why we’re being attacked,” he growled at her, pushing off the wall and pointing a finger in your direction. “She’s endangered the entire family by leading the Tatsu to us!”
“What are you talking about?” you uttered, looking between your elder siblings as your brow creased. You’d never seen such anger in your sister’s eyes as Cirse scowled at Dumiero, clutching Leluna tighter.
“Hold your tongue,” she hissed, quiet as to not wake the baby in her arms. “She‘s done nothing . You’re blaming her for something she couldn’t control.”
“What are you talking about?” you begged, struggling to keep your voice low and not disturb Guinne as well. “What did I do wrong?”
“Your highnesses please keep quiet,” a guard solicited, the very same one to have shifted out of discomfort at Dumeiro’s grim statement prior. He didn’t look much older than you, hair a golden color with a strange black shape ingrained on the left side’s strands.
He noticed you staring and grinned, hastily pulling his army headband over the dark hairs. The white band was thick, holding nothing but the crest of the royal family, the silver fox.
The other guard, an older fellow with a balding head muttered to the young man, leaned closer to the boy, “Half an hour has nearly passed with no word from the King.”
“So?” Dumiero snapped at him, overhearing his report just as you had.
The younger guard winced, seemingly apprehensive as he spoke. “I-if we don’t receive a message in the next few minutes, then we’ll have to follow your father's direct orders and leave—“
“ What ?”
“Your highness,” the older man intoned, face weary, “the King ordered you and your siblings' safety to come first and foremost.”
“We’re not leaving our parents behind,” expressed Cirse, spirit firm as she stood from her seat and walked towards the guards. Leluna shifted in her arms, fussing at the movement. “You told us they would be safe!”
As everyone began to fold from the pressure of a contrived departure, you finally looked towards the dark tunnel preceding into the underground motes where sewage ran deep. The smell was faint in the room you were kept in; however, upon heading further into the channels the odor would grow stout and nauseous.
Smelling of filth was the least of your worries.
Guinne stirred in your embrace, awakened by the strained voices of his siblings. He asked what was wrong as the distress augmented. You weren't sure how to answer him, your mind overwhelmed with questions. Had your home been overrun by the Tatsu? Were the warriors truly as vicious as the rumors had described them to be? What did they even want with this small kingdom?
Most of all, what did your brother mean by saying it was you who had put them all in danger?
A distant horn or some other sounded from outside the room, and the two guards went rigid before ushering the five royales towards the tunnel. You could barely pick up the sound of metal clanging over the shuffling footsteps and orders to run.
“I’m not leaving my parents up there!” Dumiero yelled, shoving at the older guardsman as the other placed both hands on you and your sister’s backs.
“Please, there must be something we can do,” Cirse entreated, shrugging off his guiding touch as she gazed upon his kind face.
“There is,” he smiled softly, “it's to survive , your highness. Nothing is more important to this kingdom than it’s beloved royal family.”
Cirse bowed her head, biting her lip in anguish before grabbing your hand and hurrying towards the tunnel. The guard followed behind the two as Dumiero continued to argue further back. As you fled, you heartened to his insults, declaring his sisters cowards as the rushing of water began to silence his mania.
“Hurry, this way!” your protector directed, passing by Cirse and going right. “Stick close to the walls or you’ll fall into the water!”
Keeping a tight grip on your sister’s hand, you followed, clutching Guinne tightly as he cried into your shoulder. Once again he was weeping for his mother. You struggled to carry him with his growing size, but it was better than dragging him along.
Rapid footsteps ricocheted all over the corridor, dying off when in contact with the corrupt river flowing just to your left. The putrid smell had your eyes watering, making it increasingly difficult to see. There weren’t many torches down here to begin with and the few mounted on the wall were placed so far apart it didn’t do much to light your way.
The turns seemed to sneak up on you even with Cirse keeping you close to the wall and tugging you and Guinne along. It felt like you were stumbling through a labyrinth blindly. Your hope to escape was crumbling by the minute. For all you knew, you would be left as food for the rats in this disgusting tunnel. You’d felt plenty of them scatter passed your ankles as you ran, sending goosebumps across your skin in disgust.
Turning a tight corner that was brighter than most, the three of you halted as daylight betrayed hulking figures a few meters ahead. They were blocking the end of the tunnel where a gate had been raised behind them.
The figures yelled upon seeing your group and the guard ahead of your sister cursed, unsheathing his sword and taking on a protective stance. His uniform whipped about his legs as a wind blew down the corridor, ruffling the baby hairs that had slipped from your coiffure.
“Your highnesses,” he breathed as the infiltrators began their approach, “you’ll have to find another way out. This escape route has been compromised.”
“Stop where you are!” One of the men demanded breaking into a run.
“There’s no other exits down here!” Cirse hefted, forcing her siblings backwards as she retreated a few steps. “The only thing down is the...”
Feeling your sister’s hand constrict your own, you doubled back as Cirse whipped around you.
“Come on, this way,” she said quickly.
Your last semblance of protection called out behind you, “I’ll slow them down! Get out of here as fast as you can!”
“Wait!” you screamed, eyes stinging at the thought of the young man dying to defend the four of you, “what is your name?!”
He glanced over his shoulder, the ends of his headband brushing his cheeks as he smiled at you, allegedly unafraid with so many men rushing to face him head on.
“Kaminari, your highness! Kaminari Denki!”
Before you could thank him, Cirse was yanking you around a bend. The last thing you saw of him was his head turning to face the assailants, sword held high above him. As you ran, you could’ve sworn all your hairs were standing on end as thunder rumbled somewhere behind you, likely past the stolen escape.
“Hurry, we don’t have much time left!” Cirse choked, backtracking a ways before heading right, over a slender bridge. You yelped, your foot nearly slipping off the rim.
As you ran, you noticed the waterway growing louder with every twist your sister turned. Glancing towards the flowing sewage next to you, you felt something tug at the back of your mind as you realized you all were following the same direction the stream was running in.
“There!”
Raising your gaze, you felt her body seize up from a sudden chill at the sight of day filtering into the tunnel. No gate blocked the view of the snowy mountains in the distance, but this opening was much smaller than the one you’d just observed.
As Cirse came upon the end of the corridor, you suddenly grasped just why that was.
“We’ll have to jump,” she clarified, further cementing the terrifying image in your brain.
The arm holding Guinne up slackened. He slid down your body, small feet landing next to your own as he held onto you leg like a lifeline.
“ Jump ?” you echoed, enunciation trembling. Shaking your head, you pulled your hand out of Cirse’s. “No, we can’t—“
“We don’t have a choice!”
“We’ll freeze to death if the fall doesn’t kill us first!” you rationalized, your breath transforming into clouds right before your very eyes. The white mist faded between the two of you as the icy wind whipped at your figures from the opening.
“What else would you have us do?” questioned Cirse, imploring you to think of another plan if you had the slightest notion of one.
Guinne murmured your name. You gazed down at him, running a hand through his messy hair. He looked to you for guidance, chin quivering as he choked on his cries.
“Okay,” you breathed, fighting back the painful thumping of your heart as you nudged him onto your sister. Stepping forward, he was forced to let go of you as you carefully made your way towards the edge of the walkway. One glance down had you growing dizzy and clutching the rough stone wall for stabilization. It was a long drop. Would you really be able to survive a fall from this distance?
The waterfall might help break up the surface tension of the water below, but the river it bled into twisted, heading into the valley just behind the castle you called home. Eventually, it would empty out into a lake, you knew that much with all the maps you studied of your minute kingdom.
Right, Cirse would have to wrap up Leluna tight and do her best to keep her dry and her head above water. Fastening her to her chest or back would be critical—she would need both arms to swim in such frigid waters. She could use her cloak. Guinne would also have to hold tightly onto you while you swam, he was still too young to tread water on his own—
A scream sounded over the thundering water.
Whipping around, you barely had time to take in the sight of a large red haired man grabbing your siblings by the scruff of their collars before someone made a swipe for you.
Stumbling, you somehow managed to dodge the massive hand lunging in your direction with a muted shrieked. Unfortunately, the movement cost you your balance.
Teetering on the edge of the mote’s waterfall, you tipped backwards, hair whipping forward from the sudden descent. The intake of breath was your first reaction to falling, eyes widening as you stared into a pair of bright red irises.
Amidst the rush of horror taking over, you knew that the face watching you fall to your death wasn’t one you recognized.
Closing your eyes and tucking your arms in close, you prepared yourself for the drop and the wintry waters below, but there was none of that. Instead, there was the wet breeze from the tumbling mote and a tension at your lower back.
Opening one eye, you gasped at the sight of a hand clutching a fistful of your skirts just below your bodice. You found yourself meeting those blood red eyes once again.
“Think you could get away so easily?” he sneered, revealing an intimidating pair of canines that were undoubtedly inhuman.
That could mean one of the rumors of the Tatsu clan were true.
“L-let us go,” you said, trying to debar any fear from your voice. Your neck began to ache as you kept your head angled towards him.
In the background you could see your family. Leluna was crying her little heart out as the redhead from before kept them from going anywhere. He was too strong to attempt to fight their way out and the same went for the man above you.
A singular blonde eyebrow had risen at your weak command when you returned your regard to the infiltrator. His sneer shifted into a scowl as he tilted his head.
“Sure about that, princess?”
His grip on your dress weakened the slightest bit and the mere motion had you grabbing onto his wrist and shutting your eyes. The action had you feet sliding against the stone edge of the tunnel. Before you were hanging by the fabric and your own grip, the man pulled you back onto solid ground, depositing you to the left of his feet none too gently.
Collapsing in a heap of tremors, you gasped for breath, the chill of the wet ground seeping into your front. You attempted to fight off the shock encasing your mind, you couldn’t let these men hurt your siblings.
“Let’s hurry up and get them back to that shitty throne room,” your captor spoke, marching back into the corridor. “I want this over and fucking done with.”
