My Hero Academia: Mutant Quirks, Explained

My Hero Academia: Mutant Quirks, Explained

Key Takeaways

  • Mutant Quirk users rely on physical abilities, can’t nullify their Quirks, and face societal discrimination.
  • Mutant Quirks result in permanent physical abnormalities and can’t be turned off like Transformation Quirks.
  • Discrimination against Mutant Quirk users leads to societal abuse, struggle with attire, and possible shut-in life.

As a long-time fan of My Hero Academia, I can’t help but feel a deep connection with the characters who possess Mutant Quirks. Having grown up in a society much like the one depicted in the anime, I find myself drawn to these unique individuals who face challenges that most others don’t even fathom.


Mutant Quirk users, also known as heteromorphs, could be among the most disadvantaged Quirk users in the Hero society of My Hero Academia. Although characters greatly benefit from their Mutant Quirks, those with frightening appearances are often discriminated against, leading them to have a vengeful attitude towards Pro Heroes and the Hero society.

Characters with Special Abilities often rely heavily on their physical prowess, granting them a significant edge in combat since these abilities can’t be neutralized. Possessing a Special Ability may require adjustments to one’s attire, lifestyle, or even encounter discrimination, highlighting the flaws within a fractured Hero community.

What are Mutant Quirks?

A Mutant Quirk Can Affect Your Appearance and Give You an Extra Appendage

My Hero Academia: Mutant Quirks, Explained

In the world of Quirks, each person has a unique ability that’s tied to their ancestry. While there are many categories of these abilities, a character might belong to multiple groups. For instance, their overall characteristics could be considered Mutant, but their specific power, or Quirk, might be Emitter.

A Mutant-type ability is one of the types of abilities. A Mutant ability is an ability that results in a permanent and visible change in a person’s physical form at birth. These abilities are genetic, meaning they are passed down from parent to child, causing a distinct physical trait in the individual’s appearance.

Characters in the anime “My Hero Academia” who possess a Mutant Quirk are referred to as inheritors of unique traits. These individuals frequently showcase humanoid forms with distinct anomalies, such as extra limbs, unusual skin textures, or altered facial structures. Unlike Transformation abilities, those with Mutant Quirks do not have the option to deactivate their special attributes.

Characters like Hawk or Spinner, who have distinct bodily features such as an alternate skin texture or additional limbs, are unable to retract these unique traits. These characteristics can be perceived as a continuous state of activity. For instance, Shota Aizawa’s Erasure Quirk doesn’t have the ability to neutralize the extra limbs possessed by those with Mutant Quirks. Although it may somewhat weaken their quirk capabilities, the raw strength of these additional limbs will remain unaffected.

In summary, Mutant Quirks are traits inherited over multiple generations of users, such as Tsuyu Asui with her Frog-related abilities stemming from generations of frog-quirk users in her family. These inherited characteristics make her a formidable adversary for villains, as their unique quirks provide an essential advantage in combat situations.

What Are the Disadvantages of Having a Mutant Quirk?

Characters with a Frightening Appearance Can be Discriminated Against by Society

My Hero Academia: Mutant Quirks, Explained

People with Genetically Altered Traits may possess extraordinary strength, but they typically require specific circumstances to activate these traits. It’s worth noting that these genetically inherited abilities, often referred to as Genetically Altered Traits, cannot be modified. However, this inherent trait also comes with its own set of challenges in terms of societal perception and acceptance of those who possess it.

Although Quirks have been established for more than 100 years, most Quirk users have regular human appearances, making Mutant Quirk users a minority. Due to this, a portion of society still sees heteromorphs or Mutant Quirk users as less than human, although this is far from the case. In My Hero Academia, heteromorphs are often discriminated against for their unusual appearance, leading them to be abused and shunned by the community.

“A drawback they face is that they can’t transform or hide their unique traits. For instance, Spinner from the League of Villains, who has a reptile-like skin and snout, can’t alter his appearance. This lack of control over his physical features has led to discrimination against him. A similar situation applies to Shoji, who covers his facial scars with a mask, having suffered abuse as a child due to his distinctive looks.

Beyond this, characters with additional body parts like tails or wings may require customizing their clothing to match their genetic changes. These alterations might cause discomfort for the character in specific scenarios, such as sitting or resting. Consequently, they must adjust to these peculiarities, which I’ll refer to as “Quirks,” by making necessary adaptations.

Not every individual with unique physical characteristics, known as heteromorphs, encounters the same level of bias and mistreatment as others. Those with intimidating features are frequently subjected to the harshest discrimination. Nevertheless, in bustling cities and towns, such prejudice is unlikely to occur and the community and society within them tend to be progressive and welcoming. Heteromorphs residing in rural areas may face severe discrimination from their peers, which can escalate to violence, and may find themselves adapting to a life of social isolation.

This discrimination also affects Heteromorphic Pro Heroes such as Gang Orca, and Heroes with frightening appearances can be considered villains. In Chapter 110, it was noted that in the “Looks most like a villain” poll by citizens, Gang Orca ranked number 3, even though he was ranked number 10 on the Hero Billboard chart.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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2024-10-02 22:33