My Hero Academia: Why does Deku call Bakugo Kacchan?

Every hero in My Hero Academia has at least two names: his first name and his professional hero name that people and colleagues know him by. However, in the case of Bakugo, there is a third name at stake, and yes, we are referring to Kacchan, which is what Deku calls the temperamental blonde hero who is his classmate at the UA Academy. What does the nickname of Bakugo mean?

What does kacchan mean?

First of all we have to remember the full name of Izuku’s friend, which is Katsuki Bakugo. In Japan it is not so common for people to call each other by their first name, as it is reserved for close circles such as family and friends. However, Deku took this custom to another level, since “Kacchan” is formed from the first syllable of the name “Katsuki” and the Japanese honorific “chan” that is often used to refer to small children, tender people and close friends. The name Katsuki is formed from the kanji “katsu” (勝), and to this Midoriya adds the “chan” to complete this curious nickname. To that extent it is an affectionate nickname that Deku has been using practically his entire life.

The real mystery here is why Bakugo lets Deku keep calling him Kacchan when it could be considered a childish nickname and, truth be told, quite cute. Though that doesn’t mean Izuku’s nickname is any less hurtful. In fact “Deku” could be interpreted as a direct insult, because Bakugo is not exactly the kindest with his childhood friend.

Why does Bakugo let himself be called Kacchan?

Deku is the only one who calls Bakugo Kacchan, but the most curious thing is that the explosive hero does not seem to have complained about it on any occasion. It could be that since Deku has called him that at least since they were four years old, he doesn’t see much point in trying to change him anymore. It is simply a habit that has remained over the years and that no longer means much to him.

It could also be that Bakugo subconsciously continues to appreciate Deku’s friendship, and one way to let him know is by letting Izuku call him Kacchan like when they were little. This could be confirmed with the development of the relationship between the heroes, which already seems more like a friendship than a bullying relationship like at the beginning.

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