By Levana Jane Chester-Londt
Learn about the six new Quirks displayed during Shigaraki's Awakening debut in Season 6 of My Hero Academia, and what else he may have in store.
This article will discuss details from Season 6, episodes 5 & 6 of My Hero Academia, currently streaming on Crunchyroll. Shigaraki has officially risen from his extended slumber but still remains shrouded in mystery, as the Heroes have no idea which Quirk enhancements (or how many) they are dealing with. "Freed from the shackles of humanity, with increased power," the Awakened Shigaraki's debut leaves most fans scraping their jaws off the floor, while they anxiously analyze if the Heroes have any chance at opposing the "transcendent" supervillain before them.
The Chosen One continues to dominate the battlefield while the Pro-Heroes scramble to find their footing, and Deku (along with Bakugo) high-tails it out of there before Shigaraki adds One For All to his collection, too.
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Advanced Decay
While Shigaraki already had a pretty lethal caress to begin with, his Decay Quirk has only intensified with Dr. Ujiko's assistance, leaving the ruthless villain with an unimaginable source of power that nothing can seem to counter. Like an uncontrollable virus, Shigaraki's Decay spreads to everything it touches, creating a destructive domino effect that snakes its way through the scenery, as if it has a mind of its own.
With just five fingers alone, the chosen one demolishes Jaku Hospital and the surrounding cityscape within seconds, exterminating anything (and anyone) within his Quirk's range in the process. Shigaraki can also be more particular about his attacks and specifically target (or save) certain things from instant decomposition (an element of control that would have certainly benefitted him during childhood.)
Ragdoll's Stolen Search
While Tomoko Shiretoko's Search is essentially a support Quirk, in Shagaraki's hands (excuse the pun), anything is deadly. All For One initially stole this skill during the Forest Training Camp arc and has subsequently passed it on to his prodigy, along with all the corresponding information that Ragdoll had previously stored in her memory banks.
With this new power, Shigaraki can now pinpoint the locations of anyone he (or Tomoko) has laid eyes on before, which can simultaneously target up to one hundred people at a time. Additionally, Search is able to assess each victim's shortcomings and fragile points, essentially honing in on everyone's Achilles Heel, which undoubtedly helps to create the most efficient strategies on the battlefield.
Super Regeneration
Shigaraki has evidently taken a leaf out of the High-End Nomus' book, as his healing abilities are so fast-acting that he appears to be virtually invincible. He survives the full force of Endeavor's Hellflame without even flinching, his burn wounds fading away in the blink of an eye, and so efficiently that the No. 1 Hero mistakes this Quirk for a form of Fire Resistance.
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Although his most recent injuries leave no trace on Shigaraki's body, his older scars remain imprinted on his skin, which suggests that these Regenerative properties cannot rectify the damage acquired before adopting the Quirk. So, for example, if Midoriya somehow obtained this power, he would still not be able to heal his hands and would still require his specialized gloves during battle. It would, however, allow him to fight at 100% Full Cowl, which would be amazing to witness (again)!
Air Cannon
Attentive fans may have noticed how strangely Shigaraki travels through the air, as he holds his body at strange angles and appears to simply be falling at an intense speed. The omnipotent villain does not actually have the power of flight, but rather propels himself through the air with high-pressured blasts of air that (also) emanate from his hands, almost like Bakugo's Explosive maneuvers, except more potent.
Shigaraki's Air Cannon is powerful enough to negate Endeavor's inferno by blocking the No. 1 Hero's close-range discharge of flames by constructing an air shield of sorts. Newton's Third Law of Motion is hard at work whenever Air Cannon comes out to play, benefitting this diabolical fiend greatly in terms of offensive, defensive, and mobility enhancing techniques.
Radio Waves
Although most of the Heroes' communications are broken down when Shigaraki's Decay lays waste to Jaku Hospital, some connections remain established, allowing Endeavor, Burnin, Deku, and a select few to strategies their next plan of action. Highly irritated by their meddlesome teamwork, the white-haired hooligan quickly resolves the issue by sending a concentrated electromagnetic pulse across the area, focusing the blast on Endeavor.
This long-ranged Emitter Quirk can specifically target hardware and efficiently annihilate communication systems, expelled with enough force to blast the No. 1 Hero out of the sky. When combined with Air Cannon, Radio Waves' reach increases considerably, and even makes its way to the outskirts of the surrounding city. This pulse of electromagnetism also has enough power to trigger a whole hoard of Nomus to rise from their hibernation state (much to the dismay of the Heroes.)
All For One
As most fans already know, All For One is capable of permanently appropriating other people's powers, discarding their Quirkless forms to the side in the aftermath. If feeling particularly generous, All For One can gift these stolen Quirks to others in need of a boost, however, once this transfer process is complete, the supervillain loses his connection with that particular ability. In order to share certain skills without losing in the process, Dr. Ujiko ensures to replicate crucial Quirks which All For One could then bestow on other entities (including Nomus.)
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Some of the Quirks that All For One has already taken possession of (and assumedly passed on to Shigaraki) include:
- Warping: Utilizing a dark liquid to create portals comparable to Kurogiri's Warp Gate.
- Springlike Limbs: provides advanced physical strength and dexterity.
- Rivet Stab: Creates blade-like protrusions to extend from the body, generally from the fingers.
- Forced Quirk Activation: Causes the victim to involuntarily use their powers.
- Impact Recoil: A damage deflection of sorts.
- Multiplier: Causes additional, overpowered limbs to sprout from the user's body.
- Muscle Augmentation: Increases body mass and overall physical strength.
- Hypertrophy: Enlarges and enhances specific body parts at will.
- Life Force: Doubles the user's overall lifespan.
Shigaraki's Potent Potential
Thanks to his genetically modified body, superhuman strength, and incredible reflexes seem to be fixed into Shigaraki's DNA, as even Eraser Head's nullifying ability does little to impede the almighty villain's catastrophic momentum. Chances are, as soon as Aizawa loses sight of the villainous prodigy, Shigaraki will go on a Quirk-stealing rampage (if he has enough self-restraint to perform the procedure before sad*stically murdering everybody first, that is.)
During a flashback scene in Season 6 Episode 6, Dr. Ujiko discusses Shigaraki's upgrade with the youngster and states:
"It was the only power that All For One wanted that didn't go the way he wanted."
Which Quirk is he referring to? Shigaraki's latest obsession, One For All, or another potent superpower that All For One has been pining after? It wouldn't be surprising if Shigaraki targets Aizawa sometime soon, especially after gawking about how "cool" the Hero is. It is also no secret that Dr. Ujiko would love to get his hands on the Erasure Quirk (having failed the first time around) and particularly since Overhaul's "cures" have been accidentally destroyed in the chaos. Shigaraki will likely continue working with the evil Doctor as soon as the chance arises, and if the Paranormal Liberation Front manages to share in these neutralizing abilities, then the Heroes have little hope of taking back control of the situation.
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