13 Answers2026-08-04 06:42:21
The fan reactions at the time were wild. Some people thought it was too little too late, others thought it was perfectly paced. I remember the forums exploding over that one panel where Bakugo just listens. No yelling, no explosion. Just… listening. That silence spoke louder than any monologue. It showed he was finally ready to hear what Midoriya had to say, which was the first step in any real development. The fandom’s own journey from hating Bakugo to begrudgingly respecting him mirrors the narrative. Vol 18 was a turning point for the character in the eyes of the audience, too.
9 Answers2026-08-04 17:54:24
It sets up his hero name dilemma perfectly. Later, when he struggles to choose a name, it’s because of this exact conflict. What does being a hero mean to him? Is it just winning? Volume 8 proves that answer is insufficient. So while he doesn’t find a new answer here, the volume dismantles his old one, creating the need for a new identity. That’s foundational development.
10 Answers2026-08-04 05:22:57
It's a masterclass in using action for character. Their big fight has no fancy quirks; it's just two boys beating the truth out of each other. Every punch is a sentence of dialogue they're too emotionally stunted to say. Bakugo hitting Deku is him screaming 'I feel weak and it's my fault.' Deku hitting back is him saying 'I see your weakness and I'm not scared of you anymore.' The volume develops them by making them physically express what they can't verbalize.
13 Answers2026-08-04 14:47:59
Honestly, I read it more as Bakugo's volume. Midoriya gets cool moments, sure, but the emotional core is Bakugo's quiet breakdown. The way he just sits there after failing, completely withdrawn... that's a side of him we hadn't seen. It's the beginning of his humility, which is the essential ingredient for any future relationship with Midoriya. Deku doesn't need to change how he sees Bakugo yet; he still idealizes him in a way. The development is almost entirely on the blonde bomber's side, and it's painful, slow, and beautifully written.
11 Answers2026-08-04 10:49:14
It's the end of his innocence, in a weird way. Before, school was a competition with clear rules. The villain attack shatters that illusion. This is the real world, where bad guys don't play fair and your strength can be turned against you. Bakugo's cocky, schoolyard confidence is brutally dismantled. His development is the painful process of building a new, more resilient, and more cynical form of confidence that can survive in the actual hero world. Volume 7 is the bridge between the naive, arrogant student and the hardened, professional hero he will need to become.
11 Answers2026-08-04 07:45:49
It's interesting to consider what doesn't happen. They don't have a heart-to-heart. They don't acknowledge each other's strength. The gap between them isn't bridged; it's examined under a microscope and shown to be wider and more complicated than either realized. Sometimes development is about realizing the problem is bigger than you thought.
12 Answers2026-08-04 15:50:19
Deku’s notebook brain fails him in this volume. His usual modus operandi—analyze, plan, execute—goes out the window when Bakugo is in danger. He acts on pure, untempered instinct. That’s a character reveal. It shows what’s at his absolute core, beneath the fanboy and the analyst: a heart that cannot stand to see someone suffer, especially someone he’s emotionally tied to, however badly. That instinct is his greatest strength and his most glaring weakness. The volume doesn’t judge it as purely one or the other; it presents it as a complicating, dangerous fact of who he is.
10 Answers2026-08-04 19:04:10
It's interesting to compare his development to Todoroki's in the Sports Festival. Todoroki has a breakthrough and starts healing. Bakugo has a breakdown and starts festering. Both are powerful, but Bakugo's path is darker and more internal. Volume 8 is the start of his festering period. He wins the exam but feels like a loser, and that poison sits inside him until the kidnapping forces it out. His development isn't linear progress; it's a painful incubation.
13 Answers2026-08-04 16:14:45
His development is painfully slow, which is why it feels real. Volume 14 isn't where he becomes a good teammate. It's where he starts to understand he needs to be one. The remedial classes are a massive blow to his pride. He's literally separated from the main group because he failed a core aspect of heroism. For someone who defines himself by winning, being labeled a 'failure' in a public test is a unique kind of hell. He doesn't accept it gracefully, but he does accept the re-training. That tiny concession—showing up and participating—is a massive step for him.
11 Answers2026-08-04 14:11:37
I'm just waiting for someone to put him in his place properly. This volume teases it but doesn't deliver. The failure is a good start, though.