Habuko Mongoose

Habuko Mongoose is a friend of Tsuyu Asui and student of Isamu Academy High School.

Appearance
Habuko's most prominent features are undoubtedly her head and neck, which, rather than being of a regular human shape, are instead that of a gray patterned snake. Her head has bright yellow eyes with slit pupils and a shock of spiked, shoulder-length red hair around the top. Despite this, however, her body is of a regular human shape, and it is quite petite with fair skin.

She wears the Isamu High uniform, which consists of a white dress shirt with a dark red bow tied below the collar, over which is a dark blue blazer and below is a pleated, gray, knee-length skirt, below-the-knee black socks and plain brown loafers.

Her hero costume consists of a blue bodysuit with a high collar and attached high-heeled shoes, a snake pattern running down her arms and legs. She has darker blue straps around her shoulders, a section over her torso like a snake’s chest, and she wears a long piece of yellow cloth tied around her waist, and a split, yellow-tinted visor over each eye.

Personality
At first, Habuko considered herself to be a treacherous and disagreeable person; this perception of herself stemmed from her lack of self-esteem caused by her loneliness. However, after becoming friends with Tsuyu Asui, she became more sociable and friendly, as seen by a photo of her having made new friends at her high school.

Despite this, Habuko is still rather shy when meeting new people, as she hid behind Kashiko Sekigai while being introduced to Class 1-A.

History
Two years before Tsuyu became a U.A. student, Habuko was a student attending the same middle school as her. During her time at middle school, Habuko started stalking her and often used her Quirk, which paralyzed whoever she looked at for three seconds, on Tsuyu. Despite this, Tsuyu wasn't bothered by Habuko's stalking because she could understand that they were both lonely.

One day, Tsuyu mustered up the courage and asked Habuko to be friends. Habuko was touched by Tsuyu's kindness and agreed to be friends with Tsuyu. Eventually, Tsuyu and Habuko graduated from their middle school but went to different high schools.

Synopsis
A day after U.A.'s new school year began, Habuko sent a message to Tsuyu, telling her that she has made new friends at her high school and promises to introduce them the next time they meet.

During one of Class 1-A's training sessions, Habuko was one of the four guest students from Isamu Academy High School who would be taking part in the Survival Training exercise. At first, she nervously hid behind her class president, Kashiko Sekigai, while they were being introduced. After spotting Tsuyu however, the two friends embraced upon seeing each other again. While changing in the locker rooms, Tsuyu explains that they have been friends since middle school, but Ochaco Uraraka, Mina Ashido, and Toru Hagakure can't help but be intimidated by Habuko's appearance.

During the Survival Training exercise, Habuko is teamed up with her Isamu Academy classmates in Team F. After Dadan Tadan launches a barrage of missiles containing his Flash Bang Sweat, the Isamu students scout for their opposition. They encounter Team B, composed of Mezo Shoji, Momo Yaoyorozu, Eijiro Kirishima, and Katsuki Bakugo, who all avoided being knocked unconscious by cloaking themselves. Habuko uses her Quirk, which paralyzes the U.A. students, but Katsuki manages to jump just before being paralyzed and he attacks after it soon wears off. Romero Fujimi ends up unleashing his Zombie Virus Quirk, which turns all the students in the surrounding area into zombies, including Habuko. A while after, a zombified Habuko encounters Tsuyu, but she manages to remember her and doesn't attack her. Tsuyu is touched by the strength of their friendship, but this leaves her open and she is bitten by a zombified Yuga Aoyama.

The training exercise soon comes to an end and the Isamu Academy students prepare to take their leave. Habuko and Tsuyu say goodbye to each other, saying that the training was still fun even though they both got turned into zombies and hurt afterwards. They both agree to work hard and become great Pro Heroes.

Quirk
Paralysis: Habuko's Quirk gives her the ability to paralyze her targets for three seconds, making them go limp. She activates this power by staring into her target's eyes. The victim remains conscious while immobilized.

Battles & Events

 * Survival Training

Tsuyu Asui
Habuko was a student who attended the same middle school as Tsuyu and was the first friend Tsuyu made. They had many similarities to each other: having strange appearances that made it difficult for them to make friends and the loneliness that followed. Often, Habuko would stalk Tsuyu, but not with ill-intent. Tsuyu did not mind this because she understood Habuko's loneliness resulting from her appearance.

Eventually, Tsuyu asked to be friends with Habuko. Touched by her kindness, Habuko agreed. They graduated from middle school together but went to different high schools. Despite this, Tsuyu and Habuko never stopped being friends with one another as shown when Habuko sent her a message and when Tsuyu herself noted that Habuko will always be her friend. Their friendship became a catalyst that helped them both socialize more and make new friends at their respective high schools.

Habuko's friendship with Tsuyu is strong enough that she recognized her after being affected by Romero's Zombie Virus Quirk and displayed no intent on biting her.

Trivia

 * "Habu" (ハブ) is the name of a specific species of snake native to Japan.
 * Her surname is ironic considering that mongooses naturally prey on snakes, with some even being resistant to snake venom.
 * By the same token, her friendship with Tsuyu is ironic as snakes naturally prey on frogs.
 * Her Quirk's ability is a reference to Medusa, Cockatrice and Basilisk, all of whom have the ability to turn their victims to stone by looking at them. Her appearance further references these creatures, as all these monsters are based on or related to snakes in one way or another.
 * Her Quirk also references the expression 蛇に睨まれた蛙, "a frog glared at by a snake", meaning "to be paralyzed in fear", which is quite fitting of her character since she is friends with Tsuyu, who is very frog-like.
 * She is the only Isamu Academy High School student to be introduced in the manga instead of My Hero Academia - Training of the Dead.

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Habuko Mongoose