No, Bakugo was never going to become Endeavor 2.0 in My Hero Academia (and it's obvious why)

With some resemblances in the My Hero Academia series, the fandom had some theories and speculations that Katsuki Bakugo would become a second version of Endeavor. This was mostly based on their scarce similarities and how their self-reflection arcs run parallel in the series.

However, some factors between the two prevented Bakugo from turning into someone like Endeavor, especially with their key difference in how they proceeded after making mistakes or realizing what they had done was wrong.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author's opinions and contains potential spoilers from the My Hero Academia series.

Bakugo's character arc in My Hero Academia was the key difference between him and Endeavor

From the very beginning of the My Hero Academia series, Bakugo had come a long way in terms of redeeming himself and turning a new leaf. While Bakugo was shown as someone very toxic and acting as a bully towards Deku for being quirkless, after joining UA High, his character's journey showed huge improvement, turning him into a true hero by the end of the series.

However, towards the end of the series, Bakugo showed some resemblances that reminded fans of the pro hero, Endeavor, but for all the wrong reasons. With their similarities in character traits, many believed that Bakugo would eventually become a reflection of Endeavor's character.

Despite the fans' speculations and conclusions, one glaring difference between the two is that it prevented Bakugo from walking the same path as Endeavor. The reason in question here is Bakugo's capability to learn and improve from his mistakes rather than making rash decisions or running away from situations, something Endeavor clearly lacked, as per his narrative.

Unlike Endeavor, who chooses to take twisted shortcuts and runs away from his failure, Bakugo treats them as setbacks, learning from them and bouncing back to improve himself. In a way, despite their massive age difference, Bakugo handles failure much maturely than Endeavor, who is more than double his age.

Throughout the My Hero Academia series, some key redemption points or character growth of Bakugo that made it very clear why he would never walk in the shadow of Endeavor. To begin with, one of the biggest transformations Bakugo showed was towards Deku. After the Sludge incident, Bakugo started showing a change in his demeanor towards Deku, and by the end of the series completely changed himself.

Furthermore, he completely stopped underestimating his opponents and overestimating himself, which landed him in tough situations on several previous occasions. He also stopped letting his insecurities get the best of him, and had a clearer vision towards his goal of becoming a hero, and chose the correct path to his goal, especially after the License Exam.

Final thoughts

Unlike Endeavor, who mostly took all the wrong paths in the My Hero Academia series after committing a mistake, Bakugo learnt from them and flipped his character arc completely. From being a bully and arrogant boy in the school, Bakugo turned into a responsible and strong-willed hero who has secured his main character status by becoming the pinnacle of redemption in the story.

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Edited by Bharath S