My Hero Academia Animator Breaks Down the Technique Behind Bakugo’s Most Explosive Final-Season Moment

My Hero Academia is taking its final bow, and yeah, the show is pushing all its chips in. We are deep in the Final War Arc now, where Deku is throwing down with Shigaraki while All Might tries to hold off All For One and almost gets torn apart for it. And then there is Bakugo, who was last seen in Season 7 looking very dead, suddenly crashing back into the story and stealing the spotlight.

So what actually happens with Bakugo?

The show plays it big. Bakugo makes his return right as things look worst for All Might. His presence is a jolt: the bully-turned-ally who once defined himself by arrogance is now the guy leaping into disaster to save someone else — specifically the rival he used to torment and the mentor who symbolizes everything he wanted to surpass. If you felt whiplash from the Season 7 gut punch, you are not alone, and yes, the redemption arc heat is on purpose.

Timing-wise, the rollout is a little layered: his comeback moment is seeded at the end of Episode 2, the rescue and the meat of the counterattack hit in Episode 3, and the battle crescendos through Episode 4. It is a lot. It is also the sort of anime fireworks people will be arguing about at year-end. I would not be shocked if this final season ends up on plenty of 2025 best-of lists.

The animators absolutely went for it

One of the show’s best-known animators, Yuki Sato, basically called dibs on Bakugo’s big cut. She has worked across multiple seasons, the movies, and even the Vigilantes spin-off, and when it came time for Bakugo’s return, she made sure no one else got that moment.

"I absolutely, absolutely, ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!!! wanted to draw the final Bakugo Katsuki, so I forcibly snatched the cut and drew him... I drew the final Kacchan hoping that something about Bakugo’s Kacchan would come through, so I hope everyone who watches it will enjoy it."

That message came from Sato’s X account, @tapioka171, on October 25, 2025, and the energy in it matches what is on screen: short sequence, huge impact. And she is not alone. The show stacks the deck with a murderers’ row of talent for Episodes 3 and 4 — you can feel the handoffs as the set pieces escalate.

• Jason Yao: handles the playful chaos in the chase-through-the-building stretch, with All For One realizing the tide is turning.
• Shuhei Fukuda: nails Bakugo’s feral grin and the gleaming, hyper-detailed Explosion effects. The impact frames are ridiculous.
• Toshiyuki Sato: credited on the episodes alongside the others.
• Yoshiyuki Sato: animates the finishing rush — Bakugo reaching All For One and chaining blasts that bloom like fireworks. It is loud, bright, and ruthlessly clean.

Yes, that is a lot of Satos — the coverage floating around calls out both Toshiyuki and Yoshiyuki Sato in different spots while Yuki Sato is the one who posted the behind-the-scenes note. The important part: the work is cohesive and it sings.

Why this stretch matters

Outside the spectacle, this is where the story cashes in on Bakugo’s growth. The kid who used to snarl at Deku literally sacrifices himself for him in Season 7, then storms back here when All Might is on the verge of being ripped open by All For One. If you are the Symbol of Peace, you want Bakugo on your side in this arc. The character beat lands, and the animation makes sure you remember it.

The bottom line

Episodes 3 and 4 are event television for anime fans — easily among the franchise’s best, and an early contender for 2025 highlights. If you have been waiting to binge the last run, this is the stretch people will point to and say: that is why you stick with a long-running shonen. My Hero Academia’s final season is streaming on Crunchyroll now.