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Gearshift ( (へん) (そく) Hensoku?) was the Meta Ability used by Kudo and later inherited by Izuku Midoriya,[1] before forcibly transferring it via blood transference to Tomura Shigaraki.[2]

Description[]

Gearshift allows the user to change the speed at which things accelerate through space. It is even capable of changing speeds while ignoring the laws of inertia.[3]

In the anime, a glowing blue energy aura envelops the user, but for Kudo, it encases small objects in this blue aura.

Weaknesses[]

Initially, the Meta Ability was only capable of working on small objects, which All For One likened to being a "peashooter."[3] However, after melding with One For All, Gearshift has greatly evolved in power to the point where it is difficult to control, and thus has been designated as a last resort. The Quirk itself can drastically accelerate the speed of things as big as the entire human body with great effect until it leaves a sonic boom and creates massive impact strength if it hits the target. However, the strain of using the Quirk is also so great that Kudo advised Izuku that he would only have five minutes before the effects incapacitated him.[1]

One of the setbacks of using Gearshift in its current empowered form for too long without rest is that Izuku's body will not receive enough oxygen to properly function.[4] If Gearshift is used more than once after the initial five minutes, the blowback will be twice as greater than the previous as it may cause intense pain to the body, rendering the user nearly paralyzed.[5] Because Gearshift was an individual Quirk Factor of the original owner, it could be stolen by the All For One Quirk, after Tomura surpassed One For All's will, or could be forcibly transferred to another user. In addition, if the Quirk was transferred during its recoil recovery, the backlash can also affect the transferred individual, as shown when Tomura was struggling under the Quirk's recoil.[6][2]

Usage[]

Kudo primarily used Gearshift to control the speed and trajectory of bullets which he fired out of the gauntlets on his arms. Despite the limitations on the Meta Ability, he appeared to have a good amount of control over it, being able to use it while being choked out by All For One, though it ultimately was shown to not be considered a threat for the villain.[3]

Izuku first used the Quirk to make all of his Ultimate Moves faster, to the point where he broke the sound barrier, inflicting heavy damage to "Tomura Shigaraki", with the sound being delayed before it could be heard. All For One was able to recognize the significant increase in speed and power from their original encounter.[1]

Izuku later uses Gearshift in combination with Fa Jin to create Overdrive, a force described as 120% of One For All, using it against "Tomura" during their battle.[1] Izuku also uses the Quirk to boost his speed and power and attack "Tomura" with Detroit Smash: Quintuple, five Detroit Smashes in quick succession.[3]

Since it merged with One For All and evolved along with it, Gearshift's scope has greatly broadened, allowing it to be applied to more diverse targets than it originally could and function right down to the cellular level. When used in conjunction with the raw might of One For All, it is capable of warping the very laws of reality.[3]

Izuku used the Quirk once again in a desperate moment on Katsuki Bakugo, who, in conjunction with his own Cluster technique, was able to be launched and gain tremendous speeds in order to save All Might from a certain fate of death.[5] Izuku proceeds to use it for one last time on himself, knowing that once the effect is done he will be left immobile and vulnerable once again.[7] With the recoil blowback paralyzing Izuku's breathing, Izuku and the other vestiges decide to transfer Gearshift first to destroy the mental soul of Tomura. Izuku moves in close when Tomura was distracted, allowing him to transfer the Quirk into Tomura via blood transference, destroying the Quirk in the process.[2]

Named Ultimate Moves[]

Transmission (Anime) Transmission (トランスミッション Toransumisshon?): Izuku rushes towards his opponent and punches them several times, with each punch increasing the speed of Gearshift and affecting his opponent. These shifts in speed are labelled as "gears."[1]
Overdrive (Anime) Overdrive (五速 (オーバードライブ) Ōbādoraibu?): Izuku uses Gearshift and Fa Jin on himself, increasing his speed and boosting his power to catch up to opponents and unleash powerful attacks on them. The force he unleashes is described as 120% of One For All and can be applied to existing Ultimate Moves.[1]
Detroit Smash Quintuple (Anime) Detroit Smash: Quintuple (デトロイトスマッシュ (クイン) (ティプル) Detoroito Sumasshu Kuintipuru?): Izuku enhances himself with Gearshift and performs five Detroit Smashes in quick succession.[3]

Trivia[]

  • Gearshift is one of the oldest known Quirks in the series, along with One For All, All For One, Life Force, Spearlike Bones, Fa Jin, and the unnamed Luminescence Quirk.
  • Gearshift's setback causing damage to Izuku's cells is similar to Nine's sickness, where cells degenerate every time the villain used his Weather Manipulation Quirk.
  • Gearshift is similar to Overclock as both Quirks make their users faster, but in different ways. Overclock stimulates the user's brain, accelerating their perception and granting them accelerated speed, while Gearshift changes the speed of anything or anyone the user touches, including themselves. Although Gearshift mostly changes the physical speed of whatever or whoever the user touches, since it functions on the cellular level, it could affect the speed of the users brain cells, granting them accelerated perception, which seems to be the case as Izuku was able to act and react despite moving so fast he can't be seen with the sound of his punches also having a delay.
    • They also both have a similar weakness, a cool-down period. Although Gearshift's is longer, being five minutes, while Overclock's is 10 seconds, the same principle still applies: both Quirks' speed and power are so overwhelming that their users' bodies cannot handle the power for too long.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 368.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 414.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 369.
  4. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 377.
  5. 5.0 5.1 My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 404.
  6. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 410.
  7. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 406.

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