The stereotype of the "teacher's pet" in My Hero Academia is as far removed as it is possible to get from Bakugo Katsuki's character. He is obnoxious, rude, and shows more than a little disdain for those in positions of authority whom he believes are not deserving of respect or for classmates who have attempted to usurp his position as the top dog.
Nevertheless, Eraserhead was able to channel his explosive energy into something useful for the other students in Class 1-A. Here's how, of all characters, Bakugo accidentally becomes one of his teacher's favorite pupils.
The History of Katsuki Bakugo and Eraserhead in My Hero Academia
Bakugo and Eraserhead initially interacted, and as expected, Bakugo left a bad impression. Eraserhead asked his assistance to explain their first Quirk assessment test to 1-A since he had already been singled out as the student with the highest entrance exam score on the first day of class. Eraserhead's argument that free use of their Quirks would enable them to overcome their physical limitations was successfully refuted by Bakugo, but his exclamation of "Die!" did little to endear him to his teacher.
However, after Deku tried to throw a softball of his own, Bakugo truly lost his mind. Bakugo was enraged to the point where he attempted to attack Deku in front of the entire class after seeing his record matched by his supposedly Quirkless childhood rival, someone he used to look down upon. Eraserhead only managed to stop him in his tracks by trapping the hothead with his capture cloth support item.
All things considered, Bakugo had a terrible first day of class performance, and the animosity he still had for Deku only served to make matters worse. Many in-universe characters and My Hero Academia fans believed Bakugo was headed for a life of villainy at this point, and this assumption was far from unfounded even though he was enrolled in a hero course. It would have been appropriate for Eraserhead to de-platform a rowdy pupil in his class, but 1-A's homeroom teacher took the opposite action.
How Eraserhead’s Faith in Bakugo Empowered Him
Eraserhead recognized that despite Bakugo's many flaws, his courage and unwavering resolve to become a hero earned the respect of his fellow students despite their reluctance to do so. When it came time to evaluate how much 1-A's Quirks had improved at the Wild Wild Pussycats Training Camp, Eraserhead once more had Bakugo demonstrate his softball throw for comparison. Once more emphasizing the significance of this fresh round of focused Quirk training was the realization by the class that their hardest hitter had barely improved his Quirk after months of practice.
Soon after, the League of Villains kidnapped Bakugo, raising concerns about both the university's security and its judgment in admitting such a violent student to their hero course. Eraserhead responded by labeling as "short-sighted" those who believed Bakugo would turn out to be a small-time villain. It's likely no coincidence that Bakugo launched his attack on the League despite being outnumbered shortly after his teacher defended him on live television. Though it may not be as fully developed as other anime student-teacher relationships, My Hero Academia still manages to make a positive and significant impact on both parties.
