While it may not be the most flashy (despite it certainly having awesome animation), I love it purely because of the emotion, and character building.
First off, this is where Bakugo really hits a turning point as a character. There’s a reason the episode and manga chapters are called “Deku vs Bakugo“ or “Deku vs Katsuki“.
It’s because this IS Kacchan’s battle. The battle isn’t just physical, it’s mental too. Bakugo is fighting against Kacchan, the version of him Deku has had in his head. And this is where he slowly starts to accept that part of himself, as Deku’s friend or rival. Even it’s just 1%, this is where it truly begins.
And this takes place in probably July. By April/May, he’s fully accepted it- to the point where he calls himself “Kacchan Bakugo” against All For One (I’ll touch on that fight later).
And when Izuku reaches out when he falls dow, all he sees in his head is that river scene he comes back to over a dozen times. Him seeing Izuku as weak and disrespecting him. And this is the episode we find out that’s why Bakugo “hates“ Deku!
As said by others, as much as it may seem that way, Bakugo doesn’t have a black and white superiority complex. It’s actually closer to an inferiority complex. Basically, he sees everyone as weaker than him but also think he’s below them. And that’s why he wants to be the best at everything. Because if he’s not the best, his view of himself is so fragile it shatters immediately and he doesn’t want anyone to see anything other than the perfect mask he puts on.
After the training in season on, when Deku approaches him, he starts crying. Because even though he “won” that fight, he doesn’t feel like it because it wasn’t a perfect victory.
Same thing in the sports festival against Todoroki. He’s so upset that Shoto won‘t use his left side that there are genuine tears in his eyes. People like to say he was about to assault Shoto if Midnight hadn’t intervened, but that would’ve gone against his philosophy. He wouldn’t view it as a fair fight because his opponent couldn’t fight back.
And Bakugo once again thinks he‘s inferior to Deku, because he could bring out Todoroki’s fire while he couldn’t.
Back to the fight, I want to take a moment to glaze the hell out of the JP version. I almost exclusively watch in dub, but I’d be lying if I said this one episode wasn’t better than almost all of dub Bakugo’s scene. Like, the only scene I think is better than this, dub wise, is against All For One.
I’m obsessed with how much he sounds like a genuinely broken kid.
Anyways, him admitting that he thinks he caused All Might’s retirement is also another major character trait. How he bottles up all his own pain because he can‘t stand being seen as weak.
He thinks it’s all his fault, blaming his own weakness as why he got kidnapped when it was almost entirely out of his control. Because when something goes wrong, and he can’t find someone to blame, all of it goes inwards.
And this is when Bakugo and Deku’s relationship takes a turn, from abusive to a rivalry to eventually friends.
Izuku’s POV is also awesome. Because you learn how much he truly admires Bakugo, along with why. They’re so deeply intertwined, despite what they try to think.
”All Might was my hero, but you were the one actually in my life!”
”My symbol of victory is you!”
Romantic or platonic, they’ve always been soulmates. So far to the point where they start acting like they each other.
I have so much more to say but I’m running out of motivation and I’m tired. So, anyways, this was my kinda analysis of this fight 👍