Brainwashing (
Description[]
Brainwashing allows the user to put their target in a state where they are forced to obey all of the user's commands. In order to activate this power, the user needs their target to verbally respond to something they say.[1] Additionally, Brainwashing needs to be willingly activated by the user, who can otherwise hold a normal conversation with other people without brainwashing them.[2]
It is shown that the user can have more than one person under their control at once, but it can only be activated on one person at a time, as brainwashing multiple targets simultaneously is beyond Hitoshi's capabilities. He also needs to concentrate on his desired target in order to activate his Quirk.
Victims feel dazed while under the effects, like their brain is full of fog, but will remain largely aware of their current state of being brainwashed, despite looking completely spaced out and their eyes turning milky white. Once the victim is under the effects of Brainwashing, they stop moving and wait for commands from the user. Once a command has been given, the victim's body will move on its own in accordance with Hitoshi's commands, essentially rendering them caged in their own bodies and feeling helpless all the time until the brainwashing effect is broken.
While training for his enrollment into U.A.'s hero course, Hitoshi was able to bypass the limits of his Quirk. He can now make his brainwashed victims talk, something that he was previously unable to do. Hitoshi commanding people to speak also blocks out their emotions from coming into play, allowing them to deceive lie detectors or Quirks of a similar nature.[3]
Weaknesses[]
Hitoshi is unable to have his brainwashed targets perform orders that require complex brain activity, meaning that he cannot make them do things that require conscious effort on their part, such as writing down information from their memory. He must keep his commands simple for them to be followed.[4] Although, he has been training to overcome this weakness.
The brainwashing effect requires the target to respond in order for it to take place, therefore, as long as the target remains silent, this Quirk will not have any effect on them. It is also possible to escape the mind control if the victim is hit by a sufficiently strong physical jolt or through a similar amount of pain.[5] Mashirao Ojiro was able to regain his senses by receiving a bump to the shoulder during the Cavalry Battle.
Brainwashing is implied to not work on non-living entities, which can justify Hitoshi's failure in the U.A. Entrance Exam (as the targets in the practical portion of the exam were robots).
Using electronic devices, such as a megaphone, to transmit or enhance Hitoshi's voice will make the Quirk lose its effect because it converts his voice into an electric signal.
As shown while Izuku Midoriya was under the Quirk's effects and later confirmed by Hitoshi himself, while Brainwashing can control a person's actions, it cannot do the same with their thoughts and feelings.[6]
An impact from a blinding light can disrupt Brainwashing's hold over someone, causing the Quirk to deactivate on the target. This was demonstrated when All For One broke Hitoshi's control over Gigantomachia, who had been under the Quirk's influence.[7]
Usage[]
Brainwashing is an incredibly powerful and extremely useful ability. In battle, while it lacks any kind of direct offensive or defensive capabilities, it can be used to win a fight quickly and easily. By brainwashing an opponent, Hitoshi can make them obey any order he gives them, meaning he can command them to do something that would cause them to lose the fight. For example, during the Sports Festival finals, Hitoshi brainwashed Izuku and ordered him to turn around and walk out of bounds. Furthermore, without receiving any orders from Hitoshi, the victim will remain completely motionless, just waiting for orders. This gives him the opportunity to attack or restrain them.
Brainwashing is most effective when used as a first strike, preferably if the opponent doesn't know about the Quirk's activation conditions beforehand. As such, Hitoshi casually strikes up a conversation with an unsuspecting target, taking control of them the moment they reply to him. Even if the foe is somehow already aware of the brainwashing activation process, Hitoshi is still capable of taunting them or relying on some other form of trickery to get them to respond.
Brainwashing can also be used for support; by brainwashing people, Hitoshi can force them to help him. When Shoto Todoroki froze the trail during the Obstacle Race, he brainwashed a group of other students to carry him over the ice. He also took control of three Hero students so that they would be his team for the Cavalry Battle.
At some time before the Joint Training Arc, Hitoshi received a new piece of equipment: Artificial Vocal Cords, a mask-like device that allows Hitoshi to alter the tone of his voice through non-electronic mechanisms. Through this item, Hitoshi can easily trick opponents into submission, pretending to be someone else through vocal mimicry.
Brainwashing can also affect bigger enemies such as Gigantomachia, the behemoth who was designed to be All For One's bodyguard. During the Final War, Hitoshi brainwashed Gigantomachia and had the beast carry him and other heroes into the battle with All For One.
People that have been brainwashed by Hitoshi include:
- Unnamed students in Obstacle Race
- Mashirao Ojiro (Cavalry battle)
- Yuga Aoyama (Cavalry battle, eve of Final War)
- Nirengeki Shoda (Cavalry battle)
- Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu (Cavalry battle)
- Izuku Midoriya (Tournament, joint training)
- Jurota Shishida (Joint training)
- Ibara Shiozaki (Joint training)
- Mr. and Mrs. Aoyama (Eve of Final War)
- Sludge Villain (Battle at Jaku Ruins)
- Gigantomachia (Height of the Final War)
Despite its tremendous potential, Hitoshi has always thought of his Quirk as troublesome. Due to its nature, it wasn't effective against the Villain Bots of the U.A. Entrance Exam, meaning that Hitoshi had little chance of passing the test. Its conditions and effects also made people wary of Hitoshi, as they believed Brainwashing suited someone with a villainous personality. Though, after seeing it in action at the Sports Festival, many Pro Heroes wished they had a Quirk like Brainwashing, and they looked down on U.A. for letting such potential slip through the cracks.
Ultimate Moves[]
References[]
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 194 and Episode 91.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 33 and Episode 20.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 344.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 195 and Episode 95.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 196 and Episode 92.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 384.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Anime: Episode 156.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 195 and Episode 91.
External Links[]
- Brainwashing - Wikipedia article about the concept Hitoshi's Quirk revolves around.