Magic takes all kinds of forms in the world of shonen anime, but manga/anime creators never forget the classics, such as the elements of fire, water, wind, earth and lightning. These are the five basic elements for jutsu in Naruto, and characters in Fairy Tail and My Hero Academia use them, too. Case in point: Juvia Lockser is a powerful water wizard, and Katsuki Bakugo can create fierce explosions with his Quirk.
Fire vs. water is a time-honored feud in fiction. If Juvia and Bakugo were to face one another in mortal combat, only one would be left standing by the time the smoke cleared. Juvia can use her water with all kinds of flexible techniques, but Bakugo's explosive Quirk can create an up-front assault that few opponents can withstand.
Juvia Lockser: The Aquatic Master
Juvia Lockser was part of an elemental team in the Phantom Lord guild. She's dedicated to using water as her fighting style; in fact, her very body is composed of cohesive water. This means she can resist physical attacks since they pass right through her liquid body. Only magical attacks can damage her, and even then, the impact is blunted somewhat, so it takes some seriously powerful magic to injure her or knock her out.
In combat, Juvia can use a wide variety of aquatic techniques on offense or defense. Water Slicer launches hardened, fast-moving blades of water that can cut through solid stone, while Water Jigsaw involves Juvia spinning her body into a waterspout composed of those blades for close-range slicing attacks. Water Cane is a long rod of water that can strike the enemy from afar. Against a single powerful enemy, Juvia can create two rotating jets of water to strike her opponent, calling this technique Water Nebula.
Juvia's water can be used in more conventional ways too, such as summoning vast amounts of water to drench the battlefield and put Juvia in her element. She can stay underwater for a long time, and allies can have bubbles around their heads to breathe. Enemies, meanwhile, may be drowned in solid spheres of water that envelop their bodies, the technique known as Water Lock. Juvia can also perform the Unison Raid technique with an ally, such as Gray Fullbuster, but that won't apply in a one-on-one duel with Katsuki Bakugo.
Katsuki Bakugo: King Explosion Murder Arrives
Katsuki Bakugo's Quirk combines the best elements of his parents' Quirks. Like his mother, he sweats nitroglycerin, and like his father, he can generate sparks and explosions at will. This means Bakugo can fuel and set off powerful detonations with his hands, and his enemies will soon learn that he doesn't often lose in battles of attrition. He gets stronger as the battle goes on since his constant sweat keeps fueling his Quirk. He also has a stubborn attitude to match, being fiercely determined to live up to his personal idol All Might and become #1. His persistence in battle is awe-inspiring, even frightening.
Bakugo isn't as dumb as he may seem. He is sharp, insightful and knows better than to take his enemies lightly. He will study their technique to figure out the enemy's weakness, then exploit it if he can. He's learned to not only use his Quirk for offense, but also for maneuvering, pointing his palms behind him so he can propel himself around like a living jetpack. The Howitzer Impact is his strongest move, in which Bakugo vaults high into the air with his jet pack technique, swirling around to create a tornado rich in oxygen. Then he comes back down and sets off his strongest explosion of all.
Fire Vs Water: The Sodden Match
This match will be a close one, even though Juvia enjoys a distinct advantage element-wise. Water douses fire and makes explosions difficult, but even then, Katsuki Bakugo will push her hard in their duel, and Juvia will quickly learn that Bakugo's bite absolutely matches his bark. Juvia will start off with her basic techniques such as Water Slicer and Water Nebula, which Bakugo can counter with some warm-up explosions. Bakugo will then start rocketing around the battlefield with his controlled explosions and begin the offensive, forcing Juvia to throw up water barriers to defend herself. Bakugo's explosions will keep getting stronger, and Juvia's defenses will weaken and result in injuries. She has to go all out or get blown away.
By this point, Juvia will summon all of her magical power and flood the entire battlefield, and trap Bakugo in her Water Lock technique. At the risk of hurting himself, Bakugo can vaporize the water with an explosion, but by now, Juvia can keep soaking him with the omnipresent water, and more importantly, she can break Bakugo's gauntlets with her attacks so she can wash away his sweat/fuel. That will undo Bakugo's build-up of power, and Juvia can go on the offensive once again with all of her techniques. She can wear Bakugo down this way until he lacks the explosive power to free himself from Water Lock, and Juvia can drown him in it.
