All of the criticism towards Bakugou's and Deku's relationship falls on Deku's writing, not Bakugou's
One of the biggest problems with My Hero Academia discourse is that people constantly overanalyze Bakugou’s flaws while completely ignoring Deku’s weak writing.
Bakugou works as a character because the narrative forces him to emotionally evolve. His growth is messy, and deeply human. He confronts his ego, insecurity, guilt, inferiority complex head-on, and his relationships visibly change because of it. He doesn't get the revenge fantasy Deku self inserters might want and that's more realistic.
Deku, meanwhile, barely changes emotionally at all.
The issue with their dynamic was never just “Bakugou bullied Deku.” The bigger problem is that Deku rarely reacts to anything with meaningful emotional depth.
The series never seriously portrays him as traumatized by Bakugou, despite fandom treating their relationship like years of nonstop abuse. Outside of a few moments, Bakugou mostly ignored him, and Deku himself rarely shows lasting fear or any lasting emotion at all.
That emotional passivity hurts their relationship throughout the entire story:
Bakugou gives one of the most vulnerable apologies in the series, yet Deku barely emotionally engages with it. Bakugou nearly dies saving him, and Deku quickly returns to normal. Even Bakugou’s actual death becomes temporary shock value instead of a lasting emotional turning point for Deku’s character. Deku doesn't even have a dilemma or emotional moment because of these.
That’s why Bakugou ends up carrying the emotional weight of their relationship while Deku feels emotionally static no matter what happens around him.
This isn't just about Bakugo either. Uraraka, All Might, Todoroki and even Shigaraki carry the emotional weight of their relationships with Deku while Deku barely meets them halfway.
And honestly, the fandom’s hypocrisy makes the discussion worse. Other characters get endlessly criticized for their writing flaws, while Deku’s lack of emotional depth, weak interpersonal writing, and minimal character evolution constantly get excused or ignored.
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