My Hero Academia: Vigilantes – Knuckleduster vs Eraser Head & Koichi’s Hero Journey

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Summary

  • Episode 2 continues the battle between Eraser Head and Knuckleduster, highlighting the blurred lines of vigilante heroism.
  • Koichi takes on the mantle of “The Crawler” and starts his hero training, facing challenges in his new role.
  • The trio encounters a new villain and must navigate the consequences of their actions as vigilantes.

In episode 2 of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes”, the story continues right from where it ended last week. The character Aizawa Shota, who is quite popular, is seen handling an off-duty situation. It turns out that Knuckleduster, who can sometimes be reckless and violent, managed to hit the right spot – albeit unintentionally – with a mysterious office worker, despite his chaotic actions.

Moving forward now, we delve into the initial significant skirmish for our series and Koichi’s first grueling encounter. The second episode offers a fluid animation style similar to comics, aiming to expand upon the Vigilantes’ universe, offering deeper understanding as to why they are deemed “unlawful heroes” within their superpowered society.

The Confrontation With Eraser Head Continues

Wrongs are Righted, and Apologies are Given

In Episode 2, we delve further into the story as Aizawa Shota, also known as Eraser Head, investigates illegal Quirk usage. Being a less public figure and not typically in the limelight, characters like Pop Step and Koichi are unaware of him. Contrastingly, Knuckleduster appears to be familiar with this underground hero.

Despite being off-duty, Eraser Head feels it’s his duty as a Pro Hero and responsible citizen to intervene if he witnesses any illegal use of Quirks. As Koichi and Pop Step haven’t had any altercations yet, they both show hesitation about being associated with Knuckleduster, whom Eraser Head currently considers a villain.

In the ensuing confrontation, Eraser Head and Knuckleduster engage, with Eraser Head delivering numerous strikes and nimbly dodging all of Knuckleduster’s assaults. As the fight progresses, Eraser Head employs his power, the Eraser Quirk, to deactivate what seems to be Knuckleduster’s augmentation ability. Nevertheless, this assumption is soon disproven as the Eraser Quirk fails to function effectively against him.

During the ongoing fight, Pop Step and Koichi become preoccupied when a man, acting suspiciously, hastily departs. It’s during this moment that Pop Step recalls seeing this individual earlier, while investigating suspicious criminal activity in the town. This encounter sparks them to pursue the man with the intention of detaining him. However, it takes some encouragement from Pop to get Koichi into motion. Unfortunately, before they can even gain ground chasing after the man, they are halted by the same trio of delinquents they had encountered previously.

The camera angle shifts back to where Eraser Head and Knuckleduster were fighting, but Eraser Head swiftly brings an end to the skirmish. He acknowledges his mistake in interpreting the situation and expresses remorse for attacking Knuckleduster. Since there was no misuse of Quirks, he had no grounds to arrest Knuckleduster as he hadn’t violated any laws. This scene also reveals that Knuckleduster is indeed devoid of a Quirk.

The Effects of the Trigger Drug

After their altercation and mutual apologies for miscommunications, Koichi found himself pursued by three troublemakers, seeking retribution. This unfolded in a public space, which attracted the attention of Eraser Head. Knuckleduster arrived at the scene first, delivering a swift brick to Tochi Moyuru and Soga’s faces, while Eraser Head apprehended Soga once he was knocked down and unconscious, his tongue hanging out, indicative of the effects of the Trigger drug.

As this unfolded, Pop Step pursued the seemingly ordinary office worker who aroused suspicion, only for Rapt to bring him down forcefully. This action caused Pop Step to collide with Rapt, inadvertently revealing the contents of the office worker’s briefcase. What appeared to be ordinary action figures turned out to be Trigger injectors when they popped open their heads. The sudden revelation led to the office worker undergoing a transformation, growing to immense heights that overshadowed several buildings and capturing Pop Step, Rapt, and a nearby vehicle in his grasp. However, while this drug amplified the office worker’s abilities, it also affected his rationality, leading him to engage Pop Step and Rapt with his Playtime Quirk, a power that seemed more like child’s play.

Observing closely, I saw Knuckleduster, in his relentless pursuit to save Pop Step, charge towards the now colossal office worker. Without any superhuman abilities to assist him, the office worker counterattacked, sending Knuckleduster careening into an LED display. Thankfully, Knuckleduster’s persistence paid off as the office worker released Pop Step, enabling her to flee. However, this act of kindness created a new predicament: Pop Step was unable to save herself from falling. Fortunately, Koichi, with his quick wit, leaped into the air using a nearby building for support. This enabled him to provide Pop Step with a soft landing, activating her Quirk – Leap. Amidst contemplation about becoming a hero, the urgency of Pop Step’s predicament prompted Koichi to take immediate action.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Koichi to find himself in a tricky situation when the massive office worker notices him. However, this incident turns out to be beneficial for Koichi as he now has an opportunity to employ his Quirk: Slide and Glide, propelling himself into a heap of trash, providing a soft landing. Just before Koichi meets a tragic end beneath the office worker’s feet, Eraser Head steps in using his Erasure Quirk to halt the giantization, thus saving Koichi and averting further damage.

After the fight concluded and the authorities arrested the wrongdoers, Eraser Head spoke again with Knuckleduster, expressing gratitude for his aid but also criticizing his methods. Yet, this led Knuckleduster to admit that vigilantes perform tasks that official heroes can’t handle. This conversation between them showcases contrasting views on justice within the vigilante world, adding depth to the Vigilantes series and sparking a debate about which approach is justified in the hero society – the conventional or the unconventional way of upholding justice.

After their intense fight, Koichi and Pop Step take a breather, leaving Koichi feeling exhausted and unsure about his skills. This uncertainty causes Pop Step to wonder if Koichi is understating his actions. Not long after, Knuckleduster arrives, assuming a mentor role, and gives Koichi advice on their recent battle. Despite this, Koichi refuses, desiring instead to become Knuckleduster’s apprentice. Hidden until now, Koichi’s desire to be a hero is finally revealed, forcing him to confront the truth about himself.

Koichi Takes the Stand as “The Crawler”

No Longer in Denial, Koichi Takes the Stand

Now that Koichi has joined forces for hero training with Pop Step and Knuckleduster, we move on to find Koichi battle-ready. He’s equipped with fresh motorcycle safety gear, glasses, and an earpiece for seamless communication among teammates. In this configuration, Pop Step shares information while Koichi quickly navigates to the situation at hand, often intervening in disputes between middle schoolers – albeit a bit clumsily, as Koichi is still adjusting to his new responsibilities.

Previously, Koichi was known for his kindness towards his neighbors, earning him the nickname “The Nice Guy.” He seemed to carry this benevolent attitude into everything he did. But now, as a trainee hero under Knuckleduster, Koichi refers to himself as The Crawler, signaling a new role for him. However, when he tried to intervene in the altercation with the middle schoolers and establish his position, he was metaphorically and literally overpowered by them. Knuckleduster had to step in to prevent them from hurting Koichi.

In his determination to learn about the Trigger substance, Knuckleduster turns aggressive, threatening to harm middle school students if they don’t show him their tongues. This situation leads Koichi to intervene, causing an amusing instance where Knuckleduster seems puzzled as to why force isn’t the answer here. Growing impatient due to the lack of advancements, Pop takes charge, using her influence to coax the truth from the two boys. Suddenly, a fresh antagonist appears on the scene, prompting Koichi to leap into action and rescue a baby in the process.

Knuckleduster Shows Off His Moves

After ensuring the safety of the civilians, Knuckleduster delivers a powerful punch to the freshly-minted Villain, but it doesn’t have much impact. However, Knuckleduster and Koichi join forces and come up with a swift strategy to overpower the villain. Meanwhile, Pop Step enlightens two middle schoolers about the Trigger drug. Unfortunately, Knuckleduster’s attacks become excessive, rendering the villain unidentifiable. With the villain immobile, the drug’s effects start to fade, prompting a call to the police who arrive and arrest the villain for further interrogation.

Soon after, both the police and Detective Tsukauchi show up, delivering a summary about the emergence of the latest villains and asking which hero encountered this particular villain. This suggests that the police have knowledge of these new villains as well as the Ideo Trigger substance, despite the public not being informed. It underscores the extent to which vigilantes are willing to act for the safety of others, intervening when heroes are absent and alerting them about potential dangers.

Because vigilantism is unlawful and classified as a crime, they don’t have proper training for dealing with these wrongdoers. Detective Tsukauchi notes that the apprehended villain had serious facial wounds, potentially leading to the arresting hero facing disciplinary action for employing too much force. This underscores the difference between heroes and vigilantes, as there are strict rules governing violence. Despite their good intentions, the group heads back to Koichi’s apartment, only to find out that news of their deeds has been circulating on the internet.

In the second installment of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes,” we delved deeper into the series’ unique universe, shedding light on why acts of vigilantism are deemed illegal and offering a compelling demonstration of why this is true, thanks to Knuckleduster’s harsh treatment of villains. Despite needing a full episode and a half, Koichi finally embarked on his dream-filled journey. However, the conclusion of Episode 2 has introduced potential obstacles that could hinder his progress moving forward.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

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2025-04-15 22:05