My Hero Academia: Koichi's Quirk Evolution, Explained

Key Takeaways

Koichi’s Quirk evolves rapidly due to his stressful daily battles and experiences.
Koichi’s Quirk, Slide and Glide, evolved from a mediocre ability to a versatile power set.
Koichi’s Quirk constantly evolves, unlike others with singular new abilities from Quirk awakening.

As I delve deeper into the captivating world of My Hero Academia, I find myself truly mesmerized by the unique evolution of Koichi Haimawari’s Quirk – a testament to his relentless pursuit of justice and his unyielding spirit! Unlike other heroes who experience a singular, life-altering event that awakens their powers, poor Koichi has been subjected to a constant barrage of villainous encounters.

In the beginning of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes”, Koichi possessed a somewhat ordinary power that allowed him to glide over the ground albeit at a relatively slow pace. Yet, as he faced progressively formidable adversaries, his ability evolved at an accelerating pace.

It’s plausible that Koichi’s abilities, Slide and Glide, didn’t fully develop because his mother would swat him as a baby out of worry he might float away. However, dealing with challenging circumstances daily and gaining more experience transformed Koichi’s Quirk over time, making it barely a remnant of its original potential.

Who is Koichi?

An aspiring Pro Hero who has taken to the streets of Naruhata doing vigilante work

My Hero Academia: Koichi's Quirk Evolution, Explained

Previously residing in the Naruhata area of Tokyo, Haimawari Koichi was once an unofficial protector, popularly known as ‘The Crawler’. Like numerous dreamers aiming high, Koichi harbored a deep desire to transition from a vigilante into a Pro Hero. His role model, much like many others in his position, is All Might.

Despite Koichi’s ambition to become a professional hero, his Quirk lacked the strength needed to significantly impact battles. Initially, as he embarked on his vigilante career, Koichi wasn’t strong enough to single-handedly defeat villains. Instead, he relied on the help of Pop Step and Knuckleduster until professional heroes arrived at the scene of the crime.

Koichi learns more about his Quirk

Koichi may have been subconsciously suppressing his Quirk from a young age

Following an encounter with Knuckleduster, Koichi honed both his physical fitness and martial arts skills, a process that ultimately led him to advance his unique ability known as Slide and Glide. This skill enables Koichi to slide along surfaces by touching the ground in three specific spots. In Chapter 31, Koichi mentions that his Quirk possesses a pushing force, which facilitates gliding. At the onset of the series, the speed of Koichi’s Quirk was comparable to that of a bicycle. Given that Naruhata has seen a decline in pedestrian traffic due to the construction of an expressway, Koichi finds it convenient to train his Quirk during mornings. From Chapter 7 onward, Koichi acquires the skill to break using his Quirk.

In Chapter 18, it is revealed that Koichi’s Quirk’s true nature was hidden from him since childhood. As an infant, Koichi possessed a floating ability as his Quirk. However, his mother often used her Fly Swatter Quirk to stop him from utilizing this power during his early years, which could have led to him forgetting he had this capability altogether.

How did Koichi’s Quirk Evolve?

Through daily battles, Koichi’s battle experience on the defensive allowed his Quirk to evolve

As the series unfolds, Koichi’s unique ability, his Quirk, gradually becomes more powerful and reveals new capabilities. Unlike some characters like Bakugo Katsuki and Uraraka Ochaco whose Quirks awakened after a close-to-death encounter, Koichi’s Quirk has developed at a steadier pace. To trigger the awakening of a Quirk, the user must endure an extremely intense, emotionally charged situation or face a life-threatening circumstance.

Before crossing paths with Knuckleduster, Koichi hadn’t undergone any formal martial arts instruction. In various scenarios, after defeating Instance Villains, Koichi would often appear quite battered. Yet, this rough and tumble experience played a crucial role in the development of Koichi’s Quirk. Instead of conventional training, Koichi benefited from practical, real-life training in the field – a type of education that every Pro Hero could envy.

While Koichi was still refining his preferred combat method, he frequently played defense against villains. Interestingly, this tactic proved beneficial for him as it accelerated the development of his unique ability, even though he wasn’t aware of it. In Chapter 108, All For One remarks that Koichi could evolve his Quirk so rapidly because of the rich experience he accumulated while apprehending villains.

Despite not often finding himself in danger of death, each encounter with a villain presented a stressful situation for Koichi, which seems to have accelerated the evolution of his unique ability. Initially, he could merely glide along roads, but now he can float in the air, stick to walls, and shoot bursts of force from his hands. Furthermore, his Quirk has developed to the point where he can create a protective shield around targeted areas, and over time, Koichi’s Slide and Glide Quirk has undergone significant changes compared to its original form.

Through my daily encounters with villains, I’ve honed my skills and refined my own unique abilities, thanks to my past life as a vigilante. Each confrontation offers a fresh opportunity for growth, enabling me to expand not only my reflecting capabilities but also the potential of my Quirk. With each new challenge, I find myself manifesting new powers from this incredible gift.

Through his past encounters with the Villain Factory, Koichi’s special ability, or Quirk, has developed at an accelerated pace. It’s worth noting that as a baby, Koichi could float; unfortunately, he lost this skill over time. However, it seems plausible that Koichi had always been capable of such feats, and his potential was simply waiting to be realized. Yet, there’s also a chance that certain psychological factors, along with his mother’s attempts to discipline him, might have hindered Koichi from fully developing his Quirk.

The difference between Koichi’s Quirk evolution and others

Koichi’s Quirk is constantly evolving, contrary to a singular new ability manifestation

In the anime “My Hero Academia”, it’s worth noting that how characters get their powers, or Quirks, isn’t consistent across all characters. Typically, a Quirk is activated under intense stressful or life-threatening situations. For instance, Bakugo Katsuki’s explosion power was triggered when Izuku Midoriya’s life was at risk, and Uraraka’s powers were activated following a near-fatal attack by Toga.

In the world of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Koichi initially had a modest Quirk that evolved with each encounter or situation he faced. At first, it was underwhelming, but as the series progressed, his Quirk developed significantly, allowing him to confront and even handle Number 6 alone towards its end. With this newfound power and experience, Koichi ended up becoming Captain Celebrity’s sidekick in America.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.

2024-10-20 19:34

My Hero Academia: Koichi’s Quirk Evolution, Explained