×
  • remind me tomorrow
  • remind me next week
  • never remind me
Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Who Would Win? Demon Slayer's Inosuke VS. MHA's Bakugo

by Leo Rydel,

Now that the new My Hero Academia season came and went, Demon Slayer Season 2 is in full swing. It started by retelling the events of the movie, Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, but now that it's moved into new material with the Entertainment District Arc, it's the perfect time for a versus. Since both Tanjiro and Deku have appeared in previous Versus videos, let's have a look at some of their teammates - Katsuki Bakugo from My Hero Academia and Inosuke Hashibira from Demon Slayer.

Both of them share a lot of personality traits including short tempers and aggressive fighting styles, yet very talented abilities. Bakugo is regarded as one of the strongest and most talented students of Class 1A and with his Quirk Explosion, he more than proves to be stacked with power. Inosuke developed his own breathing style, Beast Breathing, which allowed him to pass final selection and become a Demon Slayer. So who would win in this powerful faceoff? Let's find out!

Hey everyone! Leo Rydel here and I'm here to breakdown who would win a battle between Katsuki Bakugo and Inosuke Hashibara! But before we go any further, be sure to hit that big red subscribe button and follow Anime News Network on all social media platforms! Spoiler warning: If you have not caught up on My Hero Academia or Demon Slayer there are potential spoilers ahead. Turn back, catch up, and come back to the video! Alright, let's dive in.

These two hotheads would make a battle of the century! Just imagine it - Bakugo's in-your-face explosion quirk up against Inosuke's focused, yet wild and unpredictable beast breathing technique, it'd be a sight to see! For both characters we will focus on where they're currently at in the anime, I apologize in advance for those caught up on both of the manga. So we'll be looking at Inosuke in Demon Slayer season 2 and Bakugo from My Hero Academia season 5. So let's start off with Bakugo's personality first and see what makes him a formidable opponent!

Bakugo begins the series of My Hero Academia as a bully to Deku. Let's be real, he was punking Izuku! But as he witnessed Izuku gain a Quirk and pass the test to get into UA, he dialed down some of those antagonistic traits and he saw Deku as more of a rival, and later, friend. Bakugo is always determined to win. His resolution is not to be like Deku, or All Might, but to surpass the number one hero. Bakugo wants to go down in history as someone greater than All Might. Like Deku, he is also inspired by All Might but has a different perspective. While Izuku's focus is more on saving others with a smile, Bakugo's resolve is to always win, no matter how hard the challenge.

Bakugo can be depicted as harsh, mean, arrogant, and even at times unheroic, but as the series continues Bakugo's temper dampens and he begins to develop more and more as a character. In any and every combat circumstance, Bakugo will stop at nothing to win. He is consistently seen smiling eerily when facing his opponents in battle, typically showing off his cockiness and determination in winning the battle no matter the cost, albeit in a bit of a negative light due to how rude he can get. Unlike most of his classmates, Bakugo is also a natural-born genius with fierce battle prowess, intellectual combat skills, and planning.

So aside from his personality traits, let's see what Katsuki Bakugo has in his toolkit up against Inosuke. First and foremost we'll begin with Bakugo's Quirk - Explosion. Explosion is a powerful quirk that allows Bakugo to secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from his hands and ignite it on command to create super-powerful explosions! And the explosions aren't just used for attacking, they can also propel Bakugo through the air at high speeds and help him dodge attacks. And with his quirk comes many super moves that allow for other attacks from different ranges. Bakugo also has grenade bracers, two giant grenade-like gauntlets that store his sweat and can release an extremely powerful explosion His fighting style is all-out offense, typically overwhelming the enemy. On top of that Bakugo is shown to have enhanced strength, speed, and reflexes to aid him in any battle.

Bakugo also has a sharp intellect and is able to both strategize before battles and think quickly on his feet . Bakugo analyzes his opponents throughout battle and forms strategies on the fly. Bakugo is also a perfectionist and, while he can be unlikeable, has the intellect and skills necessary to lead and inspire others into battle, even with his hothead moments. It would just be unfair to include Bakugo with One For All. I COULD NOT imagine how that would go down. So with an extremely powerful quirk, an “in your face” offense fighting style, keen intellect, and a strategic mind, Bakugo is STACKED up for this battle.

So how would Inosuke fair up in this battle?! Inosuke, like Bakugo, is pretty short-tempered. He is constantly challenging others and overestimates his abilities at times, which makes it easy to jump into dangerous situations. He is typically trying to goad others in battle with him in order to prove that he's stronger than them. Insouke is consistently seen trying to nudge Tanjiro into a battle, which Tanjiro typically refuses. He is very protective of his friends, sometimes to a fault which can make him vengeful.

During his first appearance in Demon Slayer, Inosuke acted similarly to the boars he was raised by. He wasn't good at human interaction and didn't know how to read or write but with Tanjiro's influence, he grows out of this as the series progresses. Inosuke is still a very formidable fighter - he created his own fighting style based on the instincts of boars and beasts and passed the exam to become a Demon Slayer.

So let's see what Inosuke Hashibira has up against Katsuki Bakugo. First of all on top of everything, Inosuke is a master swordsman who dual-wields two katanas and is able to go toe-to-toe with some of the most powerful demons in the series. Inosuke also has his trademark “Beast Breathing” technique, which is a derivative of the wind breathing technique. With it, he can use different skills and reflexes similar to the wild boars he grew up with. He has enhanced flexibility, strength, speed, stamina, and very keen, animal-like reflexes. Inosuke also has extrasensory perception; due to being raised by boars his senses are so keen that he can sense things outside of the normal human range. He can even sense how serious opponents are. His animal upbringing allows for his fighting style to mimic that of a boar, with incredible reflexes and senses.

Each of these opponents have somewhat similar personalities and both are incredibly gifted in their abilities. So let's get to a verdict… who would win between Katsuki Bakugo and Inosuke Hashibara? I believe… between these two opponents… Bakugo would come out with the W. While both of them have enhanced strength, incredible skill, gifted abilities, and powerful weapons, Bakugo's keen intellect would likely get the best of Inosuke. Inosuke tends to overestimate himself in the face of danger and while that could shape up well against some opponents, someone like Bakugo who is thirsty for a win no matter what could likely overcome Inosuke. Both of them passed their exams to get where they need to be and have created their own fighting styles. However, Bakugo's ability to analyze his opponent and form a strategy would come in handy. Even though Inosuke would be a tough person to overcome, Bakugo has two exploding grenades that, if timed correctly, could most likely wipe Inosuke pretty quickly.

But you all let me know, do you think it would go differently? Could Inosuke's beast style, advanced reflexes, and enhanced senses potentially get the best of Bakugo and overwhelm him in a way Bakugo hasn't faced before. But I believe Bakugo's determination and willingness to always fight for a win would get the best Inosuke and set him up for the win. Let us know who you think would win down in the comments section!

Also be sure to check out our podcast/weekly show the ANN aftershow Mondays at 6 PM PT and check out our weekly videos Fridays at 10 AM PT! And don't forget to hit that subscribe button and follow Anime News Network on all social media platforms!


discuss this in the forum (5 posts) |
bookmark/share with: short url

Watch homepage / archives