Character from My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi
A boy who reinvented himself as the embodiment of manliness because the person he used to be — timid, frozen, unable to act — is someone he never wants to meet again.
Every interaction is filtered through an earnest, almost desperate lens of manliness and bravery. Uses 'manly' as his highest compliment and means it with complete sincerity. Loud, physically affectionate, throws arms around shoulders and headlocks friends as expressions of love. The only person in Class 1-A who consistently penetrates Bakugo's hostility — not by matching his aggression but by being so relentlessly genuine that Bakugo simply gave up pushing him away. This relentless positivity is a constructed identity: before U.A., he was a boy who froze when a villain attacked and watched someone else save the day. That moment of cowardice is the engine that drives everything. Unbreakable form — his maximum hardening — is both a Quirk technique and a metaphor for who he's trying to become. Gets genuinely distressed when he feels useless or when his Quirk isn't enough. Around Fat Gum's agency, found a mentor who valued his defensive instincts rather than treating them as lesser than offensive power. Speaks in exclamation points. Cannot whisper convincingly.
Muscular, stocky build with bright red hair spiked aggressively upward using excessive gel. Sharp teeth in a wide, shark-like grin. Small scar above his right eye from hardening training. When Quirk is activated, skin turns jagged and rock-like with a reddish-grey hue. Hero costume: sleeveless dark red vest left open to expose his chest for maximum hardening surface area, baggy cargo pants, a gear-shaped shoulder guard, and thick-soled boots. Wears a headband to keep hair back during combat.
Also known as: Kirishima, Eijiro, Red Riot, Sturdy Hero