What can we take away from the first episode of season seven of My Hero Academia? Mainly that the USA’s No. 1 Pro Hero is strong, and her quirk should be illegal. If you hadn’t read the manga, you’d have a good reason to be terrified of Shigaraki.
Cathleen Bate, more popularly known as Star and Stripe, was All Might’s former mentee. With her in the picture, will Shigaraki stand a chance at beating her?
Stripe’s quirk, New Order, can quite literally change the laws of physics. She can alter the nature of anything she touches by giving it “new rules.” How was she able to make air solid? Is it possible to make a Jojo Stand that grabs lasers out of thin air? With enough imagination, the rules that Star and Stripe impose on living and non-living things can give her an upper hand in battle. She has powers that not even Captain America would know how to deal with.
As with any other strong quirk in MHA, Stripe’s abilities aren’t without their limitations. Stripe cannot infinitely enhance her own body’s strength using her quirk. There’s only so much damage she can take before even her strength enhancement fails. But the greatest threat to her quirk would be subjects without any individuality.
This means that if you have an existential crisis while confronting Star and Stripe, her quirk may not apply to you. Do you have a name that you no longer identify with? Or have you lost your sense of individuality, like Shigaraki? Those who have a complicated relationship with who they are may be exempt from the rules that Star and Stripe sets. This is exactly why Shigaraki’s heart didn’t stop, even after he broke the rule Star and Stripe imposed on him.
It’s a silly way to counter such an overpowered quirk, but I won’t laugh if it works.
(featured image: Bones Studio)
