My Hero Academiafans have watched as Deku and Bakugo competed throughout the series, and now that the manga is over, it would seem that it’s finally time to declare a winner. When all is said and done, though Bakugo went through a tremendous amount of growth, it’s Deku who comes out on top–even without any superpowers of his own.
Deku and Bakugo’s rivalry has lasted throughoutMy Hero Academia, and when Bakugo learned that Deku had sacrificed One for All in the final battle, he felt like he had lost something valuable. Bakugo would spend the next eight years, along with Class 1-A, helping build up the funds tocreate a special suit of power armor for Dekuso that he might be able to be a hero once again. Bakugo was noted to have placed highly in the hero rankings when he first debuted, but has fluctuated in rank substantially, largely as a result of his behavioral outbursts.
My Hero Academia Declares Deku Beats Bakugo
The Bonus Epilogue Makes It Clear Who’s the Winner
Whileepilogue chapter 431 offers significant hero ranking information, it doesn’t give Deku’s hero rank, as he had only recently begun working as a hero again and wasn’t ranked. However, the recently-released (in Japan) Ultra Age databook includes a bonus epilogue #3, which features Deku and Bakugo and is only a few pages long. That epilogue does offer a hero rank for both Deku and Bakugo, putting Deku at rank #4 and Bakugo at rank #5, showing that Deku has once again surpassed his long-time rival, thanks to the suit of power armor that enables him to fight crime again.
Having Deku to compete against really does push Bakugo to new heights, proving that their rivalry has been beneficial to both heroes
During chapter 431, Bakugo had been ranked as low as #15, so he had improved his rank quite a bit in the unspecified time between the two chapters, butDeku debuted to an astonishingly high rank, putting him behind only Lemillion, Shoto, and Mt. Lady. Having Deku to compete against really does push Bakugo to new heights, proving that their rivalry has been beneficial to both heroes. Deku did, of course, have a big boost to his starting rank, as people still remembered his efforts and sacrifice that helped to defeat Shigaraki and save the entirety of Japan.
Deku and Bakugo Have Grown Together
The Rivalry Between Deku and Bakugo Launched Both
It’s interesting to note that the chapter doesn’t focus on Deku or Bakugo, but rather on young Eri, who has grown quite a bit herself. Deku and Bakugo are only seen on a screen during a news report, which announced their new rankings. Deku and Bakugo are shown working together alongside Shoto, with Deku swinging in on a rope as Bakugo and Shoto fly using their abilities.To think that they would be able to work as a team so effectively now, compared to how they began their relationship in the manga, is truly quite astounding and shows real character growth.
With Deku having debuted at #4, he’s no doubt gunning for that #1 spot again, which is currently held by Lemillion. At the rate he’s going, it shouldn’t take him long to make a splash and work his way up. It might be a bit more difficult for Bakugo, but he’s just as sure to be aiming for #1. While this is the latest point the story has shown, it would certainly be interesting to see all these friends competing for the top spot, especially as fully grown heroes. Hopefully,My Hero Academiawill return someday, and fans can find out who reached #1 first.
