Chizome Akaguro

Chizome Akaguro, also known as Hero Killer: Stain (ヒーローしステイン), and formerly Stendhal (スタンダール), was a villain and former vigilante that was notorious for having killed many Pro Heroes. He is the main antagonist in the titular Vs. Hero Killer Arc.

Chizome was imprisoned in Tartarus, but had escaped alongside most of the other inmates after All For One's attack on the prison. During the Final War, Stain sided with the heroes against All For One.

Appearance
Chizome was an intimidating, muscular man who walked with a distinct hunch and had a flat, somewhat triangular face without a nose, which he removed himself, and an extraordinarily long tongue tainted with numerous small papillae. He had long black hair, which he wears messily; it would drape over his face if not for his headband and mask. He had small red eyes (white in the manga) with tiny irises.

Chizome sported a dark combat suit, plated with metal armor across his body to holster his weapons. The torso was sleeveless, so he wrapped his arms in yellow bandages from just below his shoulders to his wrists. Chizome also wore long black wristbands and a watch on his left arm, and his knees were protected with metal pads; black boots with steel armor and spikes completing the costume. He always donned his signature blood-red scarf, matching headband, and the tattered cloth he wore around his face as a mask.

After being freed from Tartarus by All For One and returning to society alone, Stain had donned a white jacket with oversized sleeves. His forearms were wrapped with bandages, and he wore red gloves, dark navy blue pants, red metal pads around his knees, and black boots with white pads. He had two belts, one black worn diagonally on his torso where he held an old katana, and the other red worn around his waist holding what appears to be a small machete. His face was covered with a tattered cloth, leaving a part of his hair visible, which was tied into a ponytail.

As Stendhal his hair was even longer and less messy than it is currently and was tied into a neat ponytail. He wore black and red clothing that looked similar to bulletproof clothing and had six small folding knives, three on the right side and three on the left side, with two pairs of pockets beneath them, but his most striking feature was his mask, which completely covered his face.

Personality
Stain was a cruel, unforgiving, and merciless man with a sense of duty to cleanse society of false heroes. He believed that those who become Heroes for fame or money are unworthy of being called the name and only All Might is a true hero. Due to his strong ideology, he took it upon himself to become the Hero Killer: Stain to stain his own hands with blood to purge fake heroes and change the current society.

Stain did not wish to kill those not targets for his cause, and he disliked needless bloodshed, thus explaining why he came to blows with Tomura Shigaraki. He was reluctant to attack Tenya Ida before the hero-in-training provoked him. Stain even told Tenya the essential traits of a hero in contrast to those who desire to use their Quirks in selfish ways, such as Tenya seeking him out to avenge his brother. Stain spared Izuku Midoriya because he shows the characteristics of a true hero: strength and capability, as well as an innate sense of doing what's right. Stain believed heavily in creeds and convictions, stating that they are needed to accomplish anything and that people are weak and will eventually die without them. The Hero Killer even spared Tomura upon noting the seed of a warped conviction within him and their similar goals of destroying the status quo despite the radical difference in their final goals.

Despite his extremist views and beliefs, Stain did have genuine ideals about heroism, which he stood by firmly. He did not hesitate to save people he deemed worthy of being called Heroes, did not like killing without reason, and would even give advice to his enemies. Stain acknowledged that what he did was morally wrong but believed that for society to be put on the right path, someone must be what he was, suggesting that he saw himself as a martyr. This self-righteousness is further supported when he tells the now-retired All Might to come and end his life while saying beforehand that he would only allow All Might to kill him, indicating that he wanted to die at the hands of a true hero.

Stain's conviction gave him an incredibly murderous aura and bloodlust that paralyzed several heroes in fear. It gave him enough confidence to challenge several Pro Heroes simultaneously, even after sustaining significant injuries.

Despite being a Villain and serial murderer, Stain was willing to aid the Heroes in combating more significant threats. This collaborative aspect is shown during the Tartarus prison break, where he didn't join All For One's forces and instead collected information on the escapees while vowing to a dying guard that the data he took would end up in the hands of the right people. While he refused to acknowledge All Might in his skinny and emaciated form, Stain still recognized him as the hero everyone admired, revealing that he never admired All Might for his power but because he kept smiling and did everything he could to help people. Stain also said that he knows of All Might's great legacy and claims that those who carry on his will shall continue to fight for justice.

Much later, Stain went a step further by aiding All Might in his final battle against All For One, showing his willingness to aid the hero he genuinely looked up to. Even after being heavily injured and moments away from death at the hands of All For One, Stain confessed that it was All Might who taught him what being a hero truly meant, going as far as to refer to All Might as his everything. In his final moments, Stain merely smiled and held out his arms in support of All Might, encouraging the hero to live on and win.

As Stendhal, Chizome believed that any who "wielded power without conviction" were automatically sinners deserving of death and used this belief to justify his actions as heroic instead of hypocritical. That said, he was perfectly willing to work alongside villains like Kuin Hachisuka as a means to an end, justifying that there was value in villains seeking to exterminate other villains. Even so, he also had a sense of common ground and respect for other vigilantes, such as saving Koichi Haimawari from an Instant Villain and identifying with Knuckleduster, believing that the latter and he were on the same path of fighting for justice. Despite this, however, he was willing to fight and kill them if they opposed him.

Stendhal also appeared to suffer from a split-personality disorder that caused him to view his vigilante and civilian identities as two separate entities (his mental change was signified by whether or not he was wearing his mask at the time), with him considering Stendhal as something more significant than him. However, his confrontation with Knuckleduster caused him to change his beliefs and start thinking that those who are not "true heroes" are the reason for society's problems.

Abilities
Overall Abilities: Stain was an extremely dangerous villain who had claimed more lives than any other since All Might's debut. Stain's aptitude allowed him to murder 17 known Pro Heroes and cripple 24 others to the point of being unable to recover fully. Stain displayed creativity and mastery over his fighting style. He was able to deal with both close and long-ranged opponents through misdirection, aggression, prediction, and use of the environment. His battle prowess allowed him to overwhelm his targets in armed combat and compensate for his Quirk's restrictive activation cost.

Stain defeated and critically injured Ingenium, a Pro Hero with above-average formidability and high fortitude, who had attempted to apprehend the former vigilante. This spectacle left Tensei as a paraplegic, Stain's 24th disabled victim, and the last Pro Hero that the Hero Killer had defeated. Stain's reputation and abilities garnered the attention of Tomura Shigaraki, who attempted to recruit the Hero Killer into the League of Villains. After Stain refused to join the Villain Alliance, Tomura and Kurogiri engaged him, but the swordsman quickly overpowered the formidable pair.

While in Hosu City, Stain attempted to kill the Pro Hero Native, but was faced with Tenya Ida, and was able to incapacitate the new Ingenium, primarily due to the U.A. student being vengeance-driven over the Hero Killer crippling Tensei, Tenya's older brother. Stain almost killed Tenya had it not been for the timely arrival of Izuku Midoriya, who was searching for Tenya. Even though Izuku's new abilities took Stain by surprise, the ex-vigilante could still blindside him with his Quirk, Bloodcurdle, but, seeing Izuku as a true hero, he decided not to kill the latter. After Stain paralyzed Izuku, he attempted to kill Tenya and Native again, but his crusade was interrupted due to the additional appearance of Shoto Todoroki.

Stain found it more challenging to handle Shoto than Izuku, Tenya, and Native, primarily due to the heterochromatic using his fire and ice interchangeably. This drawn-out confrontation caused the effects of Bloodcurdle to wear off for Izuku, giving the One For All inheritor a chance to join the fight, resulting in Izuku and Shoto tag-teaming to oppose the Hero Killer. Tenya also found himself free from his paralysis, and with him jumping into the fray as well, having purged himself of his desire for revenge, Stain found himself grossly outnumbered, three-to-one, and nearly overpowered.

According to Izuku, Stain's tenacity completely changed his movements after getting desperate to kill Tenya before reinforcements arrived. Overall, it took the combined efforts of Izuku, Shoto, and Tenya, 3 of U.A. High School's strongest students, to finally defeat Stain. After the battle, Shoto commented on Stain being a strong combatant who likely allowed him and Izuku to live. When the Winged Nomu arrived on the scene and captured Izuku, Stain broke free of his restraints and displayed that, even after being beaten and incapacitated, he was still more than capable of immobilizing and killing the artificial human, saving Izuku as a result.

During the Final War, following the Tartarus prison break, Stain used his Bloodcurdle Quirk to immobilize the rewound All for One and attempt to decapitate the Symbol of Evil before the latter altered his blood type to escape paralysis. Consequently, Stain was quickly overpowered by All For One, who then proceeded to kill and depower the vigilante for good.
 * Immense Speed: Stain's most notable ability was his unmatched speed. He evaded Tenya's high-speed kick when they first clashed and partially blocked Tenya's "Recipro Burst" during the ensuing battle, and Tenya is revered as U.A.'s fastest student. Due to the Hero Killer's formidable reaction time, Shoto Todoroki could not land a single strike on Stain, even using fire and ice attacks. Shoto mentioned that Stain is so fast that he could not even consider running away as an option. Despite Stain's incredible speed, however, he was unable to evade the combined, high-speed assault from Tenya's "Recipro Extend" and Izuku's Full Cowl that was used in tandem with a 5% "Detroit Smash", though Shoto claims this was partly due to Stain getting desperate knowing several pros would soon be arriving on the scene.
 * Enhanced Strength: Stain had considerable strength, as it was enough to slice through many of Shoto's ice attacks cleanly.
 * Immense Stamina: Stain had a high pain threshold, as shown when he takes a direct blow from Izuku's 5% Detroit Smash to the head and remains primarily unfazed. After battling against the trio of U.A. Students and killing the Winged Nomu, it was revealed that Stain's lungs were perforated by his broken ribs, but he could remain standing even after falling unconscious. Stain was also capable of swimming from Tartarus back to the mainland. After being thrown through several city blocks by All For One's additional appendage, Stain remained conscious long enough to give his final encouragement to All Might before meeting his end and losing his Quirk.
 * Enhanced Smell: Despite his mutilated nose, Stain had an extremely keen sense of smell. While confronting All Might in Kamino he was able to memorize the retired hero's scent while in close proximity with him. Later on, during All Might's final battle against All For One, after smelling some stray blood from the fight, he was able to tell through his nose that the blood was All For One's and not All Might's.

Tactical Intellect: Stain is shown to possess some analytical skills. Stain noticed all the chaos caused in Hosu City and correctly deduced that Tomura Shigaraki and the League of Villains were behind the attack. While engaged in a battle against Shoto, Stain pointed out that the hero relied too much on the destructive power of Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk, making him predictable and easy to exploit in battle. Stain also carried a spare hidden knife to surprise his opponents should the Hero Killer have been deprived of his weapons.

Indomitable Will: Stain's ridiculous force of will seems to impact the psyches of others, even during combat substantially. He was able to paralyze several top heroes, including a seasoned veteran like Gran Torino and the No. 2 (now No. 1) Hero Endeavor, with fear despite having suffered severe injuries. He also forced many heroes to reconsider their actions and beliefs, even during combat. Even after his capture, footage of his speech to the heroes inspired many criminals and vigilantes into action bolstering the ranks of the League of Villains considerably.

Former Quirk
Bloodcurdle: Chizome's Quirk allows him to paralyze his target upon tasting a sample of their blood. The amount of time a victim remains paralyzed depends on their blood type; in ascending order from shortest to longest duration, they are: O, A , AB , and B. The maximum amount of time that anyone can be paralyzed is eight minutes.

The Quirk was taken by All For One at the same time as his death.

Equipment
Weapon Arsenal: Before being arrested, Stain carried various weapons with him: After escaping from Tartarus, he made with fewer weapons:
 * A worn and partially damaged katana.
 * Five daggers.
 * Throwing knives.
 * Toe-spiked boots.
 * Folding knives.
 * A worn katana.
 * A small machete.
 * Throwing knives.

Glider: A transportation device that allows him to fly through the air. He used it to fly above the battlefields during the Final War, and to reach All Might's location to aid him.

Battles & Events
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Anime Appearances

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Vigilantes Chapter Appearances

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Trivia

 * In his first sketches, Stain had shorter hair, his headband was smaller, and he wore a belt with pockets on his sides. He did not have his wristbands, his neck was covered with ribbons and he carried more weapons. He also had tube equipment connected from his throat to his mouth, possibly to assist him with blood ingestion for his Quirk activation.
 * The tube equipment idea may have been reused for Himiko Toga, who utilizes similar equipment for quick blood absorption.
 * Stain's dark outfit, choice of weapons and violent ideology are most likely derived from the comic book anti-heroes of the 90s, a trend galvanized primarily by creators like and . His mainly black costume and long, flowing, tattered red scarf are particularly reminiscent of the McFarlane character.
 * Stain's design, bandanna, samurai equipment, and perhaps even his lack of a nose may have possibly been inspired by the, given that they debuted in a comic with a much darker tone than what they are known for today.
 * Interestingly, Spinner, his admirer, has a similar appearance, furthered with his green skin, reptile attributes, and wild teenage motivations.
 * Chizome's personality and premise are very similar to the Marvel anti-hero Frank Castle, aka The Punisher. Both are seasoned warriors (Chizome a vigilante, Frank a Vietnam War veteran) who resort to murder to act upon their absolutist ideals of "justice", both with a strict moral code conducting their actions that separates them from outright villainy (The Punisher only kills criminals, while Chizome only kills corrupt heroes). Chizome is also similar to Billy Butcher, the secondary protagonist-turned final villain in the controversial comic book series The Boys.
 * Chizome's surname contains the kanji for "red" (赤) and "black" (黒), and his first name contains "blood" (血) and "stain" (染).
 * Chizome's Vigilante name, "Stendhal", is likely a reference to, a 19th-century French writer who is better known by his pen name "Stendhal". His most known novel, , may have also been what inspired Chizome's surname.
 * Stain's Japanese voice actor, Go Inoue, also voices Daikaku Miyagi.
 * The glider device that Stain uses during Final War resembles Green Goblin's glider machine in terms of shape and purposes.

Quotes

 * (To Tomura) "To truly accomplish anything... one needs will and conviction. Those without it... the weak ones.. They'll be weeded out. It's only natural. That's why you're about to die."
 * (To Kurogiri) "Hero is a title reserved for those who perform truly great feats! Too many are undeserving... Just money worshipers playing hero! Until this society wakes up and rectifies itself... I will continue to do my work."
 * (To Tenya) "Forget about yourself for a second and try saving others. Don't wield your power for your own sake. Because getting trapped by your own hate and acting out of pure self-interest... makes you the furthest thing from a hero."
 * (To himself) "Both this sham-filled society... and the criminals who wield their power in the name of petty mischief... are targets of my purge... All for the sake of a better society..."
 * (To various heroes and U.A. students) "If I don't fix it... if someone isn't... stained with blood...! If heroes aren't restored...!! Come! Just try me... you fakes! The only one allowed to kill me is... All Might, a true hero!!"
 * (To Toshinori Yagi) "The flickering ember he left behind... is nurtured by those select few, who succumb neither to chilling rain nor howling wind! Until the ember grows anew into a roaring blaze. The people must not let that fire die out. No matter how undignified the struggele, they must stoke the flames so long as they draw breath."
 * (Stain's last thoughts) "I never benefitted from higher education. It was you who taught me what a hero is. Live on. Triumph. My everything. My All..."

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