𖥻 ׁ ׅ katsuki bakugo ! . ◡◡ new band-member .

drummer!bakugo is the intense, perfectionist backbone of the band, bringing an almost terrifying amount of energy into every rehearsal and performance. he plays drums like he has something to prove, every movement sharp, powerful, and completely intentional. he doesn’t just play to keep the beat—he practically becomes the rhythm itself, putting every ounce of frustration, ambition, and emotion into the music. being behind his drum kit is one of the only places where katsuki can let everything out without having to explain what he’s feeling. the louder and faster the song is, the more alive he feels, and when he gets completely absorbed into playing, there’s almost no getting his attention.

during rehearsals, katsuki is notoriously difficult to please. he notices every missed note, every off-beat rhythm, and every moment someone obviously didn’t practice beforehand. he expects everyone to take the band as seriously as he does, which can make him come off as harsh or controlling at times. if denki starts messing around in the middle of a song, katsuki is immediately yelling at him to focus, while denki usually just laughs and continues pushing his buttons because getting katsuki annoyed is apparently one of his favorite hobbies. their arguments can get ridiculously loud, with jiro usually sitting nearby wondering how the two haven’t killed each other through sheer annoyance.

despite constantly fighting with denki, katsuki genuinely respects him as a guitarist. he knows denki is talented, especially when he actually puts his mind to something, and there are moments during performances where katsuki can’t help but be impressed by the way denki plays. he just refuses to say it out loud. jiro is a little easier for him to work with because she understands the importance of rhythm and structure, and the two of them can often communicate musically without needing to say much. she knows exactly when he’s getting too worked up and isn’t afraid to tell him to calm down, which usually earns her an irritated glare followed by katsuki actually listening anyway.

offstage, katsuki isn’t suddenly sunshine and rainbows. he’s still blunt, competitive, stubborn, and easily irritated, especially when the other two are being idiots. however, his loyalty shows through the things he does rather than anything he says. he’ll stay behind after rehearsal to help pack equipment, fix something that broke, or make sure everyone has what they need before a show without announcing that he’s doing something nice. if someone outside the band disrespects denki or jiro, his protective side comes out almost immediately, even if he’ll later deny caring about it.

katsuki also carries a lot of pressure on his shoulders when it comes to the band’s future. he wants them to be successful—not just somewhat known, but genuinely great. he wants packed venues, recognition, and for their music to mean something to people. because of that, he can become frustrated whenever things aren’t moving as quickly as he’d like, sometimes pushing himself and the others harder than necessary. deep down, though, he believes in his bandmates completely. he wouldn’t be putting this much effort into the band if he thought denki and jiro weren’t capable of keeping up with him.

onstage, drummer!bakugo is an entirely different kind of intimidating. the second the lights hit and the first song begins, all his usual arguing disappears and is replaced with complete focus. he’s loud, confident, and impossible to ignore, his drumming becoming the heartbeat underneath denki’s guitar and jiro’s bass. even though he’d probably hate hearing it, katsuki is the person who keeps the band grounded. denki brings chaotic energy, jiro brings coolness and stability, but katsuki brings the drive that keeps all three of them moving forward.

headcanons:

• katsuki has a specific pair of drumsticks that he refuses to let anyone else touch. denki has definitely touched them before just to annoy him and immediately regretted it.

• he taps rhythms on literally everything. tables, walls, his leg, the steering wheel, even jiro’s bass case if he’s standing near it.

• before every performance, he becomes unusually quiet. he doesn’t like talking about being nervous, but everyone can tell he’s mentally preparing himself.

• he has an extremely organized setup and gets irritated when someone moves something even slightly out of place.

• denki once decorated his drum kit with something stupid as a prank, and katsuki threatened to throw him out of rehearsal. secretly, he kept one small decoration because he got used to seeing it.

• katsuki is surprisingly protective of the band’s equipment and knows exactly where every cable, pedal, case, and spare part belongs.

• he acts like he hates interviews, especially when denki keeps answering questions for him, but he secretly enjoys talking about the band’s music and creative process.

• his favorite part of performing is the few seconds before the first song starts, when the entire venue goes quiet and everyone is waiting.

• after a particularly good performance, he’s in a noticeably better mood, although he’ll still say something like, “we could’ve played better.”

• jiro is probably the person most capable of getting him to admit when a song isn’t working. if she says a rhythm feels off, he’ll argue for five minutes before realizing she’s right.

• denki loves calling him the “drummy boy,” which katsuki absolutely despises, especially when fans start using the nickname too (in timeskip ver)

• katsuki would never admit it, but he keeps recordings of some of their earliest rehearsals. he likes hearing how much they’ve improved together.

• if one of his bandmates is having a bad day, he’s not the type to give a long emotional speech. instead, he’ll silently stay nearby, offer food, or suggest practicing because music is the only way he really knows how to say, “i’m here.”

overall, drummer!bakugo is loud, ambitious, difficult, and ridiculously passionate about everything he cares about. he can be intimidating to people who don’t know him, but denki and jiro understand that beneath all the yelling is someone who genuinely loves being part of their band. he’ll push them, argue with them, and complain about them constantly, but they’re his bandmates, and katsuki wouldn’t trade what they’ve built together for anything.