My Hero Academia: What If Bakugo Had Received One For All?

Many stories have power plays and relationships between characters, showing how adding one new element alters the course of their lives. If one were to change a key decision in that character’s life, as it were, the directions that could be taken are endless. Such hypothetic questions are of particular interest to My Hero Academia because this anime focuses on quirks, or superpowers, and the societal structure around them.

The most famous one is, surely, a transfer called One For All, intended for passing from hero to hero. Fans love to speculate and discuss what would have happened if Bakugo instead of Midoriya had taken this incredibly powerful quirk and altered the whole premise of the series.

Bakugo’s Quirk and Heroic Potential

What is Explosion Quirk

Bakugo’s Explosion Quirk allows him to generate powerful blasts by sweating nitroglycerin-like substances from his palms. It is an offensive quirk that perfectly fits his aggressive fighting style. He has mastered this quirk very well; it can be used for attacking, mobility, and even defense. This mastery reflects his intense training and determination to be the best.

Before All Might chose Midoriya as his successor, Bakugo would seem to be one of the strongest contenders aside from Mirio Togata. With natural talent, fierce determination, and high combat aptitude, he stood at the pinnacle of the potential range. All Might at first wanted someone to handle with care the immense burden of One For All, both physically and mentally, and the confidence and power of Bakugo could have easily appealed to him. However, his rash personality and lack of humility might raise concerns.

What If All Might Had Met Bakugo First

How Bakugo’s Path Could Have Changed

The story would look very different if All Might had found Bakugo before Midoriya. Bakugo’s competitive nature and pride may have made him resistant to any person at first, but the ability to inherit One For All would probably draw him in quickly enough. The borrowed power of One For All just for a short duration elevated his already impressive abilities and thrust him into an unparalleled hero.

While Bakugo’s talent comes innately, One For All might have bolstered his highs as well as his lows. Trained under All Might’s tutelage, Bakugo could have picked up the traits of modesty and cooperation sooner, but his nature of being so aggressive might have made him struggle with the power of One For All. This would have brought up different rivalries and friendships that may have occurred within Class 1-A.

One For All Used With Bakugo’s Quirk

But With Some Caveats

Merging One For All’s immense power with Bakugo’s explosion quirk would create devastating combat potential. His explosions could have been amplified to unimaginable scales, and mobility in battle would have reached an unprecedented height. However, such channeling of both quirks may require a much greater learning curve than that of Midoriya’s development. One For All’s side effects would have been a serious problem for Bakugo. It is mentioned in the series that One For All drastically reduces the lifespan of users with pre-existing quirks, since their bodies are already taxed by their own abilities.

The heavy use of Explosion by Bakugo would have amplified this problem further, which could be very detrimental to his health in the long term. Given the physical toll it takes to use both One For All and Explosion, Bakugo’s career as a hero could have been tragically short-lived. The immense strain on his body could have forced him to relinquish the quirk far sooner than expected, bringing up questions about the next successor.

How This Would Have Changed the Story

What Midoriya’s Part Would’ve Been in a World Without OFA

If Midoriya hadn’t inherited One For All, his role in the story would be extremely different. This is because, without a quirk, he probably would have depended on his analytical mind and strategic thinking to support Bakugo or find another path in the hero world. His dynamic with Bakugo could have been much different, with Midoriya acting more as a mentor when it came to planning and tactics, that is, if Bakugo still had the same character development that he did, which was highly unlikely considering how much he wanted to push Midoriya away at first.

My Hero Academia: How Bakugo Could Become The Number One Hero

Bakugo was a major character during the final war of MHA. Despite all that, he never became the Number 1 Hero.

With Bakugo as the wielder of One For All, the battles against villains would have unfolded differently. His aggressive fighting style might have led to quicker, more destructive confrontations—one that could alienate allies or create additional collateral damage. But Bakugo’s charisma and strength could also inspire greater unity between members of Class 1-A.

Bakugo as the Symbol of Peace

If Bakugo had mastered One For All, he could have turned out to be another kind of Symbol of Peace—a fierce, relentless protector who intimidates villains rather than inspires hope. This is quite a different approach than the one All Might has kept as part of his legacy and may have changed how society judged heroes.

Interesting to consider is how this hypothetical scenario of Bakugo inheriting One For All could have shaped a completely different approach to My Hero Academia. His inherent talent and strong will, which were further proven when he declined to join the League of Villains, may have made him the most unstoppable hero, yet the pressures—probably physical and emotional—of dealing with such an immense power could change everything. This “what if” just goes to show how deep All Might was with regard to this choice and that his decision is one that shaped the entire show.

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Studio

Bones

Creator

Kōhei Horikoshi

MyAnimeList Score

7.90 (Season 7)