On August 5th, the long-awaited global popularity poll for characters in “My Hero Academia” began as part of a special project to celebrate the end of the manga. Just one week after its launch, the preliminary results have stirred up the fan community.
In particular, Katsuki Bakugo took the top spot, closely followed by Izuku Midoriya and Shoto Todoroki, who secured second and third places, respectively.
Bakugo’s dominance in the popularity rankings has sparked lively discussions among fans. Although he is a character who has shown significant development throughout the series, his hot-tempered and often violent personality, alongside his past as a bully and tormentor of the main character, has led many to view him as an intolerable and unlikeable character.
Those who do not sympathize with Bakugo criticize his top spot in the poll, arguing that his attitude and behavior should not be reasons for admiration.
On the other hand, the fujoshi (female fans who enjoy “shipping” male characters together) community is considered one of the main reasons behind Bakugo’s popularity, as in “My Hero Academia”, one of the most popular pairings is Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya. This trend has led some to speculate that the poll results are skewed by the influence of fujoshi, suggesting that the outcomes do not reflect the tastes of the series’ original target audience.
These comments have further fueled the debate, with some fans defending Bakugo and the fujoshi community, while others argue that these groups are distorting the true spirit of the series.
Below are some comments about this result:
- I heard they’ll make a statue of whoever ranks in the top three. Imagine a Bakugo statue, I can’t even laugh
- Bakugo has many negative traits, but he also has many positives. So, it’s understandable that he’s popular. He’s the kind of character you don’t see much in other works, and compared to Deku and Todoroki, he has been through more extensive character development
- I’ve read everything, and I can see why Bakugo is so popular. Everyone loves a genius who knows how to fight and grow.
Source: GameK