My Hero Academia: Katsuki Bakugo (ESTP)
Se:
“Show us with your actions, not your cheap words!”
Bakugo appears to be a Se dominant. He launches into action without a second thought. He usually strategizes on the fly rather than planning in advance. For instance, when fighting Tokoyami, Bakugo figures out the guy’s weakness by attacking over and over again. Bakugo has no patience. When in a team, he’s usually the first to break away when they’re failing to act fast enough. He’s quick to fight, quick to attack when in danger, and tends to view fighting as the solution to everything. As a child, Bakugo is rarely seen alone, which supports him being an extravert. He’s usually seen leading around a squad of children, and he never seems bothered by their presence. He doesn’t start withdrawing and acting more “introverted” until reaching the academy. Once there, his bad attitude, along with his deep-seated hate for Midoriya, isolates him somewhat from the other members of the class. In addition, he feels the need to prove his own capability like Todoroki, so he starts getting irritated with people following him around. With all of this in mind, Bakugo is most definitely an extravert, especially considering the fact that his first instinct is always to act rather than to think. He also spends the majority of the show screaming, and his classmates even find it odd when he is not.
Ti:
“I’m only going to do what I want to do, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise”
“I didn’t understand what you meant back then because what you were saying made no sense.”
Bakugo is completely callous when it comes to people’s emotions. For the longest time, he doesn’t bother to remember anyone’s names or quirks, and just gives them nicknames. He also toys with other students in sparring matches and fights, so he can show off. He’s sharp in his communication, blunt, and unafraid to call people out. He’s also an unabashed rule-breaker and hates being told what to do, which is stereotypical for STPs. However, his Ti comes out the strongest in the way he rationalizes and strategizes. Bakugo, knowing Midoriya has always been quirkless, he’s unable to believe that Midoriya has a quirk even after Midoriya has demonstrated. He asks Iida “do you think he has a quirk?” and Iida simply responds with “you saw how he threw that ball.” Bakugo is unable to rationalize how it is possible, so he struggles to accept it. He then spends the rest of the show obsessing about it until he finally figures out the truth. Bakugo pieces together that All Might’s power was somehow transferred to Midoriya after observing a multitude of things, including how All-for-One could take powers from others and force quirks onto other people, like the Nomus. He connects Ragdoll’s loss of power and forced retirement to what happened to All Might. Bakugo presents his entire logical trail to Midoriya and forces him to admit the truth. There are other obvious instances of Bakugo’s Ti, like when he is unable to recognize his win at the sport’s event as a real win because in his mind that would require Todoroki to use his full power against him.
Fe:
“All Might knows it was my fault but hasn’t said anything. Everyone has to know, though! I can’t get it out of my head. It’s like it’s constantly playing on loop!”
Bakugo struggles to process his own emotions, hates any sign of weakness or emotional displays, and is sensitive to the way people view him. After All Might loses his power, Bakugo blames himself, but does it in such a way that he sees his guilt in the eyes of others, even though no one is actually blaming him. He even mentions that All Might knows, but hasn’t said anything. He also feels the need to vent his emotions, rather than internalize them. He does this through fighting and constantly screaming at others. (FYI – this state would be hard to maintain as an inferior Fe user, which aided in ruling out ISTP.) He also is extremely bothered by the idea that Midoriya might have tricked him by hiding a quirk from him for so many years. He mentions that Midoriya must have been laughing at him behind his back the entire time. Bakugo also notices the emotional state of those around him, and is even shown lightening the mood once. (After the class receives a severe lecture from Aizawa, Bakugo forces Kaminari to electrocute himself, which then makes everyone laugh)
Ni:
“Stop pretending. What you say doesn’t match the look in your eyes.”
Bakugo’s inferior Ni comes out in his general impatience and failure to plan in advance. He usually just rushes right into a fight without any thought as to the potential long term implications. He lives completely in the moment, with his only long term goal being a desire to be like All Might. He does, however, read between the lines at times and pick up on things that others do not. His Ni most certainly played a factor in how he pieces together the mystery of Midoriya’s sudden quirk. He is able to pick up on subtle things like All Might’s public yet hidden message to Midoriya.
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Dang, thats my MBTI type
Lol. He’s immature and narcissistic though so not what I’d call healthy.
“Bakugo struggles to process his own emotions, hates any sign of weakness or emotional displays, and is sensitive to the way people view him. After All Might loses his power, Bakugo blames himself, but does it in such a way that he sees his guilt in the eyes of others, even though no one is actually blaming him.”
Could this be inferior Fi? I initially found ESTP too (still tink), but I saw ENTJ typing that made some sense. In them, Bakugo would be in TeSe loop, so it’s so explosive. His life goal (TeNi) would be his extreme focus on his dream of overcoming All Might. In addition, he also usually follows the objective rules, such as bedtime. He only fails in these when it involves Midoriya, which could be an infantile tantrum of his inferior Fi, since, as you said, he thinks people (or Midoriya) are judging him, when in reality, they do not even say anything.
Also in his fight against Midoriya shows how much he held his feelings, so that Midoriya himself and All Might were surprised. Could this be lower-Fi externalizing through its extroverted functions?
P.S .: A relationship between an INFP (Midoriya) and an ENTJ (Bakugo) would be very curious and beneficial to both, making sense in the context of the anime.
Typically Fi users judge themselves. They’ll view themselves as having failed their own values or code or identity. Fe users tend to hone in on how other people are seeing them or how they think other people are seeing them. It can cause paranoia in a sense because that’s a major concern of theirs. Bakugo’s statement about everyone else blaming him solidified him as an Fe user in my mind because I don’t think an inferior Fi user would ever have that thought even occur to him… much less verbalize it.
I actually thought that Bakugo was an ENTJ at first, and there is certainly a good argument for it. Ryan and I actually debated back and forth for a while because he was convinced that Bakugo was using Ti while I kept wondering if I was seeing dom Te. (funny considering that I’m the Ti user and Ryan is the Te user.) However, there were a couple things that eventually pushed me over to ESTP.
First, the constant state of emotion that Bakugo seems to be in. Te doms tend to give off more of a coldness… icy, whereas Bakugo is all fiery anger constantly, which suggests a higher F function. The other characters even crack jokes about how rare it is for Bakugo to be calm and logical (or cool and rational) because he’s usually screaming “DIE DIE DIE.” Any dom T would find it exhausting to maintain that emotional state constantly. They eventually need to revert back to a more emotionless state. Bakugo never does that…not even when he’s shown brushing his teeth.
Another thing is that Bakugo’s fighting style relies heavily on improvisation which suggests an Se dom. He doesn’t usually do any preplanning. He just rushes in and figures it out on the go… which is why him and Kirishima tend to get along and work well together.
I’ve been asking myself if he isn’t ENTJ as well.
He doesn’t seem to have Fe at all since he doesn’t have the typical Fe need of social harmony. He rarely cares about others feelings, except when it comes to people he’s really close to (which is a Fi trait, inf Fi if you think that he hardly ever even does that). A good example of that would be when he pushes Todoroki to use his fire. He doesn’t take feelings as a valid reason for not using his fire half and even goes to the point of explicitly saying he doesn’t care about Todoroki’s family issues. It shows his dom Te because he values effective use of Quirk over emotional reasons not to go full power.
Bakugo’s inferior Fi is also shown by the fact that he hardly ever shows his more complex feelings. His tertiary Se is the main reason he reacts explosively to almost everything. It’s the way his bottled up feelings expose themselves in a way that is acceptable in his own mind, a way that it doesn’t look like he’s being weak.
Other than that, he has few, incredibly strong morals. He knows which side he’s on, he knows who his allies and enemies are based on what he thinks is right or wrong. I’ve thought of Bakugo having a strong Fi, but if you stop to think, he doesn’t actually take feelings and morals in much more than that. It’s pretty much limited to that.
Also, the way he acts when something emotionally related is bothering him is pretty much how a Fi inf would. A good moment to think about is when he fights Midoriya in Deku vs. Kacchan. His self-confidence vanishes, he loses the rational composition he has in his fights, he is incapable of analyzing things in an unbiased way. And we only see that because he’s confident enough to open up with someone he’s known for very long, Midoriya (which is a Fi thing). He’s been into this kind of “grip-state” for some time, wrongly assuming everyone blames him for All Might’s end because his usually rational analyses are being affected by what his Fi is negatively seeing.
Bakugo only shows his “weak”, emotional side to Deku. When All Might appears, he tries to hide everything with anger. He’s extremely reluctant to show his emotions, being shown only to do so when he’s completely done and even then trying not to show. That’s because his dom Te tries to suppress his Fi as much as possible, but every function manifests itself somehow and, at some point, he inevitably breaks down, his Fi leaking into consciousness.
Dom Te can be quite similar to dom Se, but I think Bakugo’s clearly a Te dom. He acts quickly, but with an objective in mind. The reason he rushes onto things is to solve them as quickly and effectively as possible, without caring for others’ feelings, which is a Te dom trait. Even when he jumps into action at his quickest, he knows WHY he’s doing that, there’s always a reason behind his actions. He acts for precision and effectiveness.
His aux Ni is difficult to perceive, since Ni in general is a pain to notice. But Bakugo’s surprisingly quick to make connections of what’s going on around him to other matters. Ni is extremely introverted, but it’s still aware of its surroundings. The difference is that, instead of absorbing things as they are, it absorbes them as parts of puzzles, that interconnect each other to form something bigger.
I can exemplify this when he’s fighting against the “””villain””” (All Might lol) who “knocked Todoroki out”. He notices that the others are doing something and is incredibly quick to piece everything together and understand, not only the plan, but also what he’s supposed to do to make it work, and then he acts precisely to finish off the “villain”. That’s his TeNi in action. Te’s focusing on solving the problem in the most effective way. Ni perceives something happening and pieces everything together to understand it. Te sees it’s the best thing that can work right now so he uses it in his favor. Quick and clean TeNi work. When he launches himself to hold Kirishima’s hand in the “rescue operation”, the process he uses is quite similar, and he’s able to put his pride aside to accept the help as it’s an efficient way out.
(Also, he puts himself in an EXTREMELY high standard, which is a Ni tendency).
(Other thing I find worth mentioning is his Te-leadership).
I really think he has a tendency (not a loop, exactly) to use Se like you pointed out. Sometimes he acts to confirm/observe stuff as a means to gather information. I don’t think it’s a loop though because he uses his Ni in a healthy way most of the time (even if his Ni can get him quite paranoid when his Fi grows stronger).
While I understand why people try to peg him as an ENTJ… Well, here are my thoughts based on what you said…
-Most of the Te stuff that you suggested is general thinker stuff. No thinker wants to show their weak side to anyone. Lower F, whether Fe or Fi, avoids showing complex feelings to others, and thinkers in general tend to fail at considering other people’s feelings, not just the Te doms.
-Bakugo demonstrates a general lack of planning which is anti-Te, and is primarily impulsive and competitive
-You said: “He acts for precision and effectiveness.” Bakugo repeatedly does things without precision in mind, like blowing apart the building when playing the villain during one of the initial training exercises. He lets impulse and anger at Midoriya destroy their chances at winning the exercise, and even got points deducted for not being strategic.
-I have a hard time reconciling how emotionally expressive/explosive Bakugo constantly is with the idea of him being a thinking dominant. High Te users tend to emanate more of a coldness, like Todoroki or even Todoroki’s father.
-Tertiary Fe tends to be used mischievously, and oftentimes doesn’t care about harmony.
-Bakugo assuming everyone is blaming him when they weren’t was one of the clearest examples of low Fe that he demonstrated. An Fi would be focusing on how he failed himself. However, Bakugo led with a statement about everyone blaming him, which points to Fe, because he’s focusing on how others view him first.
-Most of your Ni stuff is actually Ti. Ti pieces together information to make it all make sense together. Ni just gathers information. It’s the thinking function that sorts it. Ni is actually not that difficult to peg, but that’s another story. Check this article: Ti vs Ni: Differentiating the Two
Oooh, I see…you’re right!
But there’s still something about him being ESTP that doesn’t seem to add up. Have you ever thought that maybe he could be an introvert? I know that may sound weird but I do think it makes sense?
I think it’s easier to explain with a list, so here we go
(I took it from https://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/extraversion-or-introversion.htm?bhcp=1)
Extraversion (E)
I like getting my energy from active involvement in events and having a lot of different activities. I’m excited when I’m around people and I like to energize other people. I like moving into action and making things happen. I generally feel at home in the world. I often understand a problem better when I can talk out loud about it and hear what others have to say.
(He is indeed active, when it comes specifically to fighting. But he shows reluctance when it comes to more…people-related stuff. He just like people when it comes to showing off, thus explaining his childhood since his followers were just there to admire him. When it comes to the people in general, for example the class, he’s often seen more to the side, mostly only interacting to give his input or screaming at someone who made him angry. He is one to move into action, no doubt. I think he is not one to talk out loud and hear what others have to say, I mean, he mostly just creates something on his head and goes with it without caring about what others may think at all).
The following statements generally apply to me:
-I am seen as “outgoing” or as a “people person.” (More or less)
-I feel comfortable in groups and like working in them. (He is able to work in groups as shown recently, but it’s clear he doesn’t like it at all)
-I have a wide range of friends and know lots of people. (Eh…no)
-I sometimes jump too quickly into an activity and don’t allow enough time to think it over. (Yep)
-Before I start a project, I sometimes forget to stop and get clear on what I want to do and why. (Nope)
Introversion (I)
I like getting my energy from dealing with the ideas, pictures, memories, and reactions that are inside my head, in my inner world. I often prefer doing things alone or with one or two people I feel comfortable with. I take time to reflect so that I have a clear idea of what I’ll be doing when I decide to act. Ideas are almost solid things for me. Sometimes I like the idea of something better than the real thing.
(The whole “getting energy” thing is quite complex to say, since is kinda hard as an outsider to see that, so I have no opinion on that. He does prefer to work alone, that’s an easy yes. He’s not exactly one to take time to reflect unless it’s really something worth of putting lots of thought on. About the two last ones I again don’t know what to think, like, the introvert general description is way harder to observe ;u;)
The following statements generally apply to me:
-I am seen as “reflective” or “reserved.” (He is reserved indeed, I dunno what to say about reflective tho)
-I feel comfortable being alone and like things I can do on my own. (Yeeep)
-I prefer to know just a few people well. (It’s hard to say cause we don’t know what he PREFERS, but practically, it applies)
-I sometimes spend too much time reflecting and don’t move into action quickly enough. (Definitely not)
-I sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if my ideas really fit the experience. (Sometimes, I think).
So, I went with the list because, again, the general description made me more confused than anything. He does have some clear extrovert tendencies, like acting quickly, but then again, no one is completely I or E. So, when it comes to the dichotomies, he’s more likely to be introvert as for what I see. I’d really like to see what you think though, because I still find it confusing if he’s either I or E.
Sorry for the delay… I don’t really place much weight in the dichotomies. They only give a surface level understanding of typing. I know it’s commonly believed that an extrovert will like people and want to be around them, but that’s not always the case… People don’t have to be present for someone to use an extroverted function. The extroverted function is just how you interact with the external world, people or otherwise. An extrovert can easily get jaded and cynical when it comes to other people. (Check out Typing 101: Introversion vs. Extroversion) With Bakugo, that’s what I see going on, plus I see way too much constant use of Se.
When it comes to people orientation specifically… Both young Bakugo and Bakugo immediately before leaving for UA had followers/friends. He didn’t start to dislike people until he was at UA and was suddenly on par with everyone, rather than being drastically more powerful. No one respected and admired him anymore and just saw him for his toxic personality. He got continually mocked so he pushed everyone away. Thus, it became about proving that he was the best, not gathering another a group of friends or followers. This all seemed to happen out of necessity, and wasn’t necessarily what he preferred. He’s obviously not good at winning over people.
But beyond that, Bakugo continually launches into action without thinking which demonstrates Se dominance or extroversion in general. An ISTP (or any introvert) would come across as more pensive and hesitant, thinking first, whereas Bakugo continually demonstrates the opposite. (Although, it frequently works out for him because he is actually very intelligent.)
The other thing to bear in mind is that Bakugo is a fictional character, created by the mind of some other personality. It’s unlikely he’s going to make complete sense with any type, plus people in general are more complex than the 16 boxes we try to divide them into.
I don’t really want to write another book on this blog post… If you have any other questions, feel free to shoot me an email.