What Does Pop Step Bring to the Vigilante Trio?

Summary

Pop Step’s Leap quirk allows her to navigate urban areas but lacks super strength.
Pop Step’s intelligence and quick thinking bring value to the vigilante trio.
Pop Step serves as the emotional anchor, perceiving and addressing her teammates’ feelings.

In the initial installments of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes”, Koichi Haimawari’s swift abilities, Knuckleduster’s immense power, and Pop Step’s extraordinary quirk are emphasized. This band of vigilantes has faced a few villains; however, the majority of the challenging tasks are handled by Knuckleduster and The Crawler. Consequently, some spectators begin to question Pop Step’s relevance within the vigilante team in the spin-off series of “My Hero Academia”.

Before becoming part of the Naruhata Vigilantes, Pop Step was already a guerrilla idol who performed in unexpected locations to thrill her fans. She didn’t care about legalities, which made all her shows completely illegal. For an unexplained reason, she approached Koichi, and that marked the beginning of their story. Eventually, she joined the vigilante trio, patrolling Naruhata while seeking information on a drug called Trigger that gives people quirks.

Exploring Pop Step’s Quirk

An Inspiration for Koichi Haimawari

In the first installment of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, viewers are introduced to Pop Step and her unique ability called Leap. This power enables her to jump to astonishing heights, which is ideal for executing distinctive moves tailored for cityscapes. Unlike a flying quirk, she requires something to leap from, as without it, her abilities diminish. However, this quirk doesn’t give her increased strength, leaving her susceptible to various attacks. To fully utilize her power, Pop Step must cleverly use her environment.

“I’m still searching for what it is I can do, exactly.”—Pop Step

Although Pop Step appreciates Koichi’s useful travel ability, Koichi envies her jumping skill, secretly wishing he possessed the same talents. To him, Pop Step excels with her quirk as she jumps through the sky, contrasting his sliding and gliding abilities. In fact, Koichi believes that people crave things that seem out of reach, while everyday things are often overlooked or dismissed. Unfortunately, Koichi feels that his unusual quirk, which is often considered strange, adds to his perception that life isn’t fair.

Pop Step Brings the Brains to the Vigilante Trio

She Is Smart and Logical

In the vigilante group, Knuckleduster provides the muscle, but Pop Step brings the strategic thinking. She may not be a genius, but she’s resourceful, quick-thinking, and intuitive. When it came to finding suspicious individuals involved in the smuggling of Trigger, Pop Step was the one who used her intellect to narrow down their targets. She suggested searching for villain sightings in the area, including new faces, before attempting to locate them and questioning people. This approach has even earned Koichi’s admiration for her intelligence. Additionally, she takes charge of contacting the police or acting as a lookout while Knuckleduster and Koichi handle immediate threats.

In the midst of it all, Pop Step was the one who recalled Eraserhead, the salaryman, whom Knuckleduster intended to harm brutally. She verified her suspicions with a quick call, trusted her instincts, and took action against him. Her keen observational skills, quick thinking, and adaptability in chaotic situations make her an indispensable part of our team. However, she can sometimes be a liability, necessitating assistance from Koichi or Knuckleduster at times.

“Did it ever occur to you two to actually use your heads?”—Pop Step to Koichi and Knuckleduster

Beyond that point, Pop Step has an uncanny ability to talk her way out of perilous situations, frequently employing her allure and quick thinking to diffuse tense encounters. Her allure and widespread appeal have shown effectiveness not only on immediate adversaries but also on her followers, deescalating potential conflicts before they spin out of control. Yet, her allure can sometimes be a two-sided weapon, as she often finds herself in precarious situations that she isn’t always equipped to manage.

Pop Step Is an Emotional Anchor

An Emotionally Sharp Tsundere

Among their circle, Pop Step stands out as particularly attuned to emotions. She’s quick to recognize Koichi’s self-doubts and challenges him on his frugal living, hesitance in pursuing heroic aspirations, and significant life choices. She firmly believes that Koichi possesses the potential to realize his dreams and become a true hero, even when he doubts himself. Conversely, when it comes to Knuckleduster, she, together with Koichi, maintains a watchful eye over the old man and reprimands him for his reckless behavior and aggressive tendencies if necessary. She is resolute in preventing Knuckleduster from harming an innocent person regardless of the circumstances.

“I was going to say thanks but you’re annoying me, so I changed my mind.” —Pop Step to Koichi

In essence, Pop Step might seem tough and independent, but she’s deeply loyal to her group. Although she often comes across as blunt, she has a strong bond with her companions, especially Koichi, due to their shared past. Interestingly, she is quick to distance herself from the vigilante trio when law enforcement is involved in “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes”.

2025-04-19 16:05