While much of My Hero Academia focuses on Deku and his friends in the prestigious Class 1-A, just as important are the talented kids of Class 1-B. They aren't given as much screen time as their 1-A counterparts, but they are just as varied and interesting. Recently these two classes clashed in a series of team battles arranged to help the students get some practical combat training, as well as test Hitoshi Shinso's capabilities and readiness for the proper Hero Course.
Since they've all gotten the spotlight recently, let's go over what their personalities and strengths as heroes are!
Yosetsu Awase
Despite what some might describe as his rude way of speaking, Yosetsu — whose hero name is Weld — is actually one of the most heroic and selfless characters we've been introduced to. You might remember him putting his life on the line to save Momo during the villain ambush in the camp training arc. His quirk (also called Weld) allows him to fuse any two materials he is touching. It's a powerful supporting ability, as it allows him to easily restrain his target, even keeping down the wild and unwieldy Bakugo in round 4 of the recent competition between 1-A and 1-B.
Sen Kaibara
Sen is a serious and thoughtful person at first glance. At the beginning of the third round of the joint combat training, he scolds Tetsutetsu for jumping right into action without a plan. When it comes to battle, though, his demeanor changes entirely and he becomes extremely excitable — he has a huge grin on his face while fighting 1-A's tail-wielder Mashirao. His hero name is Spiral, named after his quirk Gyrate, which enables him to rotate his body parts at extremely high speeds. While theoretically useful with any limb, Sen uses special gloves for his fingers that let them act like small drills, making him very dangerous in close combat.
Togaru Kamakiri
1-B's "Jack Mantis" Togaru is an aggressive kid with a sharp personality and a matching quirk. Razor Sharp gives him the ability to spawn dangerous blades all over his body. He uses this to great success at the beginning of round four to overwhelm Jiro and also shows how his durable blades can be used defensively by fully blocking an explosion attack from Bakugo later. Ultimately he is defeated by Bakugo's intense attacks, but not without showing just how much damage he can do with his praying mantis-like appendages.
Shihai Kuroiro
Acting as a counterpart of sorts to 1-A's infamous dark hero Fumikage, Shihai is a meticulous planner, living up to his hero moniker Scheming Hero: Vantablack. He can inject himself into shadows and other dark surfaces using his quirk Black, allowing him to move quickly and stealthily as he pleases or create ambushes given the right environment. Since it works on any dark area, he can team up with other heroes to give himself more space to maneuver in, like with his classmate Kinoko's mushrooms. In the second round, he even uses his quirk to briefly control Fumikage's Dark Shadow; while they were enemies there, it would be interesting to see how they could potentially use this synergy to their advantage as a team.
Itsuka Kendo
Itsuka is a tough-but-fair big sister figure to her classmates, supporting them while not being afraid to criticize them when they are acting out of line. While all of 1-B showed up earlier in the story, their representative Itsuka appeared in a major capacity during the camp training arc where she faced off against the villain Mustard. Mustard's gas caused most of the students to be incapacitated, but Itsuka was able to show off the power of her quirk Big Fist, using it to shield others from and dispel the gas, as well as use her enhanced strength to take the villain on in close combat. Later, she proved her leadership capabilities in the second round of joint combat training, using her team's unique powers together to lead them to victory against 1-A.
Yui Kodai
Unlike her rough and rowdy classmates, Yui — hero moniker Rule — is more reserved, not speaking much nor showing a lot of emotion during the final round of joint combat training. This might have added to the surprise on 1-A's side when she revealed her quirk, Size, capable of making things she has touched bigger or smaller. She mainly uses this ability to throw her enemies off guard, tossing seemingly tiny objects at them and making them much larger just before they make contact.
Kinoko Komori
Despite her looks, Kinoko, also known as Shemage, is one of the most excitable members of 1-B, engaging in battle against 1-A with glee. While her quirk Mushroom doesn't have obvious offensive capabilities, she proves to be able to use it to great effect in a team. Kinoko can distribute spores from her body that quickly grow into mushrooms on appropriately moist surfaces. She uses this to slow her enemies down by growing mushrooms directly on their bodies, allowing her teammates extra time to use their more aggressive powers to subdue their opponents. If she wants to, though, her mushrooms can prove deadly — as a last-ditch effort, she caused them to grow inside of Fumikage, choking him. One can only imagine the full extent of her powers!
Ibara Shiozaki
Ibara is an almost saintly figure, without a doubt one of the most pacifistic heroes we've met thus far. Her hero name, Vine, is a great descriptor of her quirk (similarly named Vines) which takes the form of vines that grow from her head in place of hair. While the vines can be used offensively — as whips, for example — Ibara almost exclusively uses them defensively, incapacitating her opponents by simply wrapping them up in her seemingly endless hair or forming almost impenetrable shields with it.
Nirengeki Shoda
Hero-in-training Mines — real name Nirengeki — is a small and unassuming boy who doesn't stand out much. This perfectly matches his quirk, though. Twin Impact allows him to create a second blow in any place he has already attacked, with the follow-up attack being much more intense than the original. To that end, he keeps a scouter over his eye that helps him keep track of where he has already struck, which also helps him keep track of his enemy's whereabouts. The double strike can also be used to accelerate the trajectory of objects he has hit, which he uses during the final round to attack with thrown objects.
Pony Tsunotori
You will immediately notice Pony by her fittingly equine features, like her hooves and tail, as well as her long horns. Her hero name is Rocketti. Unlike most of her classmates, Pony is from the United States and is still adjusting to her new home, causing her to come off as somewhat naive at times, but she is also very kind. While her horse traits may suggest that to be her quirk, her main power is actually Horn Cannon, which allows her to fire the horns on her head as projectiles. They grow back immediately and she is able to control four at a time, making it a versatile power that can be used both offensively to attack and defensively keep enemies away from her.
Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu
Tetsutetsu, hero name Real Steel, is a hotblooded boy who has been shown to be devoted wholly to becoming a reliable and inspiring hero. During the villain ambush of the training camp in the forest, he assisted his classmate Itsuka in taking down the gas-based villain Mustard, showing stunning bravery and saving many lives in the process. His quirk, Steel, is simple — it allows him to transform all of the skin on his body into rock-solid metal. This makes him impressive defensively, as it is very difficult to pierce his skin in this state. He is even able to defend against Shoto Todoroki's flames during the joint combat training with 1-A. It is also useful offensively, adding the strength of solid steel to his physical attacks.
Setsuna Tokage
Despite her laid-back demeanor, Setsuna is a very capable hero-in-training, being one of the few who managed to get into U.A. High School through recommendations instead of by passing the difficult entrance exam. Fitting her hero name Lizardy, her quirk Lizard Tail Splitter lets her split her body into up to 50 pieces, which can act as projectiles to attack and overwhelm an enemy from afar. It's best used, however, as a more tactical ability, letting her essentially perform surveillance over large areas with just small parts of her body detached. While damaged pieces of her body regenerate if they are lost while split, this is difficult for her to do, so taking too much damage while split is her biggest weakness.
Manga Fukidashi
Manga, otherwise known as Comicman, is a hero with a boisterous personality to match his expressive abilities. His quirk, Comic, lets him expel sound effects from his mouth that then act physically as the given sound effect would imply. This has some straightforward uses, like saying "pow!" to create a forceful push. However, it can also be used more creatively, such as when he helps create better conditions for Kinoko's mushrooms to grow by saying "damp" and spreading the sound effect with "woosh" effects. It's not an easy quirk to use, but Manga seems to enjoy how expressive his quirk is and uses it to great effect against 1-A in the second round of joint combat training.
Juzo Honenuki
Juzo goes by the hero name Mudman and is a laid-back, fun-loving teenage boy. Like Setsuna, he was accepted to U.A. High School through recommendations, and his capabilities in battle show why. His quirk Softening lets him soften objects and surfaces he comes into contact with, allowing him to maneuver through the softened material as if he's swimming through mud, hence his hero name. He is clearly very comfortable with his quirk as he is quick on his feet to use it, not only blocking ice attacks from Todoroki but even turning the attack against his enemies by ensnaring Ida in the softened ice. While not physically powerful himself, he is able to use his quirk with his teammates, ending the third round of joint combat training by softening an entire building and having Tetsutetsu knock it over with his steel fists.
Neito Monoma
Perhaps the most infamous student in 1-B, Neito's boisterous personality and loud mouth precede him. While most of 1-B sees 1-A as rivals in various ways, Neito's perspective on this leans into obsession, making it known at every possible moment the ways he finds 1-A lacking compared to him and his classmates. However, all his bragging is not without merit to back it up. His hero name is Phantom Thief, which comes from his quirk Copy's ability to exactly replicate the quirk of anyone he touches for up to ten minutes. This is where he gets to show off just how smart he is under all that bluster. Quirks are difficult to use and master, but Neito is able to use his quick wit to take advantage of his opportunities with others’ quirks. It’s quite possible he could become one of the most versatile and powerful heroes.
Reiko Yanagi
Reiko is a bit of an enigma, not showing much emotion yet being one of the most verbose characters in the series. Her hero name is Emily and she likes to walk around constantly posing like a ghost, which fits her quirk Poltergeist. With Poltergeist, Reiko essentially has telekinesis, moving modestly sized objects with her mind. Potentially an effective projectile technique by itself, she is also a team player, combining her ability to control objects with Yui's Size quirk to enlarge the projectiles beyond Reiko's weight limit just before they make impact.
Hiryu Rin
Hiryu is a thoughtful hero-in-training who doesn't jump into battle without considering both his and his enemy's plans. His hero name is Dragon Shroud, and his quirk Scales appropriately gives him the ability to cover his skin in sharp scales. These scales provide some measure of defensive capability but are mostly used offensively. He can invert his scales so that their sharp ends can be used against the enemy for close combat; more often, he uses his scales as projectiles, firing them from his arms. Part of his hero outfit are gauntlets that let him store excess scales which he can later, giving him much more ammo than he would naturally be able to conjure up.
And that's Class 1-B! It was fun to watch them prove how strong they've gotten since being introduced back in the sports festival. Did any of them surprise you with their skills during the joint combat training battles? Hopefully, we'll see more from them in the future as the fight against Shigaraki and the other top villains in My Hero Academia heats up!
Who is your favorite member of Class 1-B? Let us know in the comments below!
David Lynn can be found obsessing over Fate/Grand Order and D4DJ Groovy Mix on Twitter @navycherub.
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