How Are Deku and Bakugo Related? Are They Cousins?

If there’s anything that fans know about My Hero Academia, it’s that the relationship between Deku and Bakugo seems to be something that is quite complicated, especially because of the history between them and due to the current dynamic between their characters. Of course, we know for a fact that Bakugo is one of the few people who know that Deku has One For All and that he is All Might’s successor. But we also know that Deku and Bakugo go way back to the point that there seems to be familiarity between them and their mothers. So, how are Deku and Bakugo related, and are they cousins?

Deku and Bakugo are not related to one another. It’s just that they have known each other since they were still children, quite possibly because they grew up in the same neighborhood. Their mothers are also familiar with one another because they raised their sons in the same neighborhood.

Even though Deku and Bakugo are sort of rivals in UA High School, they have known each other since they were still just kids, as this familiarity is what allowed their dynamic to look very complex. But as familiar as they are with one another, they are not related to each other. It is just that they lived in close proximity to one another and grew up in the same neighborhood.

Are Deku And Bakugo Cousins?

One of the things that we know about My Hero Academia is that two of the central characters have known each other for a very long time and are very familiar with one another. In fact, the series started with both of them in their middle school years, and their dynamic changed as time passed. Katsuki Bakugo, of course, wasn’t too fond of Izuku Midoriya during the start of the series but eventually learned to respect him as the storyline went along.

It was during the time that Deku and Bakugo were both attending UA High School that the relationship between them became more complicated due to the fact that Bakugo changed the way he saw Midoriya. Back in middle school, he saw Deku as a weak and useless kid that he could easily bully. But in UA, they both became rivals that aimed for the same thing, as this was apparent when Bakugo learned that Deku was the holder of All Might’s Quirk, One For All.

Nevertheless, despite how complicated their dynamic and relationship was throughout the entire series, it was clear that there was a level of familiarity between them such that they were actually familiar with each other’s mothers. At certain points, one even called the other’s mother “aunt” or “auntie.” So, does that mean that Deku and Bakugo are cousins?

Deku and Bakugo are not cousins. The fact that they call each other’s mothers “aunt” is simply a sign of respect, as they have known each other for years. In fact, Midoriya and Bakugo have been familiar with each other’s families for a very long time already, and that is why they respect one another’s mothers to the point of calling them aunts.

This isn’t something new to Asian families, where people tend to be very family-oriented, as they end up referring to certain people as a family when they are already familiar with one another. In certain Asian cultures, kids refer to older men and women as uncles and aunts as long as there is a comfortable level of familiarity between them or if they are friends of their parents. 

It’s similar to how you would probably refer to your dad’s best friend as an uncle instead of calling him by his first name. That’s why Deku and Bakugo call each other’s mothers aunt, as they know that their mothers have known each other for years and have a certain level of familiarity between them.

In fact, when their mothers moved to UA for shelter, it was clear that the moms of both Midoriya and Bakugo cared for each other and were quite concerned about each other’s well-being. This is a good sign of the fact that they have known each other for years and have a certain level of respect for each other.

How Are Deku And Bakugo Related?

Of course, the fact that Deku and Bakugo are not cousins also implies that they are not related to one another. They have no blood relations with one another at all. But the thing is that they have known each other for years due to the fact that they live in the same neighborhood.

Back when they were still children, Midoriya and Bakugo grew up together as they lived in close proximity to one another. Because children tend to need playmates, it can be presumed that their mothers allowed them to play with one another around the neighborhood. In fact, both of them belonged to a group of neighborhood children that saw Bakugo as their confident and headstrong leader. That is why both Deku and Bakugo are familiar with one another and have known each other for years.

However, the relationship between the two became complicated when they discovered their Quirks or lack thereof. When Bakugo and the other kids developed their Quirks, they became more confident about their own abilities and eventually saw Midoriya as the weak link due to the fact that he didn’t have a Quirk. That is why Midoriya eventually became an exile of the group as Bakugo bullied him until the end of their middle school years, as he saw him as a weak person that did not amount to anything.

In that regard, Midoriya and Bakugo are not related but were merely neighbors that grew up in the same area and happened to be playmates when they were still very young. That is why there is a level of familiarity between them and why they seem to be so familiar with one another that they appear to be related to each other.