Shouta Aizawa

Shota is a slender and tall, pale-skinned man with messy, shoulder-length black hair that partially hangs in front of his face and half-opened black eyes. He is usually recognized for his worn-out appearance,[4][5] often looking fatigued. His facial hair is almost always in a stubbly, unkempt state (shaved for the press), and his eyes tired, bloodshot, and flat unless he's in combat.

During his second and third years of high school at U.A., Shota's hero costume was a separate black jacket with shorter sleeves, pants, and shoes. He also sported a pair of black fingerless gloves and a wrap scarf. In his second year, Shota added beige goggles with sliver lenses to his costume, and later in his third year, they resemble more closely the ones he wears today.

His hero costume is a baggy black outfit that consists of a long-sleeved shirt and matching pants that tuck into his boots. He also wears a utility belt and his signature wrap scarf at all times. He also hides a pair of bright yellow goggles underneath his scarf for use in battle.[6]

Before starting his teaching career, Shota's goggles were of a silver-like color, and he had a smaller utility belt.

After being heavily injured by the U.S.J. Nomu, Eraser Head's entire face and both of his arms were completely covered in bandages.[7] Once these bandages were removed, he reveals a small deep scar underneath his right eye.[8]

His formal attire for press meetings and meetings with parents of his students includes a black suit, blue tie, and white dress shirt. While in this attire, his hair is well-groomed and held back in a low bun at the base of his neck.

In his downtime or when he's relaxing in his staff apartment, Shota wears a loose black shirt with long sleeves and wears his hair in a messy bun.

Shota is a very stern and reserved man who has lofty expectations of his students. He is primarily motivated by logic and does not believe in the necessity to maintain a clean-cut appearance or filter his words or ideas for others. He often comes off as cold, apathetic, and impatient, exerting very little energy in most situations, preferring to take naps in his sleeping bag instead.[5]

During his time as a student at U.A. High School, Shota was a gloomy and introverted young man who held severe doubts over whether he could be a hero, as his Quirk, Erasure, while useful, couldn't do much by itself. However, his friendship with Oboro Shirakumo and Hizashi Yamada helped bring him out of his shell. Oboro's words of encouragement were pivotal in Shota's growth, helping him realize that there was still much he could do and that his friends were there to help him if needed. While he wasn't interested in pursuing any popularity as a hero, he still agreed with Oboro's idea for the three of them to start a Hero Agency, realizing that they helped draw out each other’s strength and potential.

However, everything changed after Oboro was killed in a fierce attack by the villain known as Garvey. The grief of losing his close friend strongly impacted Shota and caused him to lock in on his commitment to becoming a hero. However, this also caused him to develop his solitary tendencies, barely interacting with any of his classmates, and taking breaks by napping in his sleeping bag. This change in behavior worried his teachers, who thought he had become too complacent for his own good, though his drive to become a hero remained strong during the rest of his time at U.A. While his teacher advised him not to rush his career, upon graduating from high school, Shota made the decision to become an underground hero who would specialize in fighting villains, leading to him becoming the serious and driven man that he is now, Eraser Head.

Prior to becoming a teacher at U.A. High, Shota had a more reckless and apathetic demeanor as a Hero. While still taking his duties seriously, he was willing to overlook the illegal actions of the Naruhata Vigilantes along with unethical yet well-meaning dealers such as the Hotta Brothers. He even allied himself with them multiple times in order to help take down the Villain Factory. Despite this, he didn't hesitate to try to arrest Koichi Haimawari when the latter was wanted by the police, telling the young Vigilante that he was being reckless by resisting the Pro Heroes who wanted to help and believing that he wouldn't stop until someone got hurt. Even so, he soon abandoned his attempt to arrest him so the two of them could fight Number 6 and his army of Anonymous together, though he still warned Koichi that he would break his legs if he tried to run away.

Shota's tendency to lay inside his sleeping bag. Shota's tendency to lay inside his sleeping bag.

As a teacher with notoriously high expectations, Shota is known to expel students who he feels are not suited for U.A. High. However, it's revealed that this high expulsion rate is only on paper and that he actually re-enrolls the students he expels: Shota does this so they can experience "death" once, giving them an experience that drives them to push even higher,[14] although it is noteworthy that he has not expelled any students from Class 1-A yet, despite being well-known for doing so.[15] He can be rigid and strict when necessary and has little tolerance for disobedience. Shota is not afraid of putting his students through rigorous training and often emphasizes the more unpleasant parts of heroism so that his students can overcome their limits.

Shota has proven to be very vocal and unafraid when expressing his ideas. He has mentioned on several occasions that some of U.A.'s choices when it comes to examinations are not practical or challenging enough for real hero hopefuls and is adamant about having certain systems used by the institution changed.[16] He also blatantly stated that he did not believe Izuku Midoriya could become a hero when they first met.[6] He is also known for lying to his students in order to manipulate them into giving their best, a technique he describes as a "logical ruse" or "rational deception".[17]

Shota's impression on his students. Shota's impression on his students.

Despite his apathetic traits, Shota genuinely cares about his students and will go to great lengths to protect them. As Eraser Head, he saved Tsuyu Asui from being decayed by Tomura Shigaraki, in spite of his grievous injuries.[18] He has also expressed belief in his students on multiple occasions and is confident that even the likes of Katsuki Bakugo would not be swayed by Villains.[19] Recovery Girl even implied that he allowed himself to be captured by Momo Yaoyorozu during her First Term Final Exam in order to boost her confidence.[20] Shota was very disturbed upon discovering Oboro's true fate; that his corpse was used to create Kurogiri, a Nomu who served the League of Villains. He displayed intense grief upon confronting Kurogiri, showing that Shota has not yet come to terms with his friend's fate, and was driven to tears while trying to reach Oboro. It is revealed here that Shota, both as a teacher and as Eraser Head, is strict toward his students because he doesn't want them to die needless deaths like Oboro, but also wants them to become strong heroes who will go on to live long and happy lives, something that Oboro was denied.

Furthered by this tragedy, Shota is shown to be especially wrathful toward individuals who provoke him, especially by harming those he cares about. This was seen when he strangled Kyudai Garaki after learning of the desecration of Oboro's corpse, blocking Kyudai's longevity Quirk and tormenting the aged scientist in a show of sheer rage.

Despite his personality, Shota has shown on several occasions that he is not completely devoid of joy or humor: he often grins whenever he is impressed by one of his students[6][21] or after he tricks them with one of his "rational deceptions."[15][17]

Overall Abilities: Eraser Head has demonstrated exceptional combat prowess, tactical intelligence, and adaptability, making him one of the most formidable teachers and Pro Heroes at U.A. High School. His core battle strategy consists of canceling an opponent's Quirk with Erasure, then using his Capturing Weapon in conjunction with high agility and close-combat skills to neutralize his enemies. Even without his Quirk, Shota excels in hand-to-hand combat, showcasing proficiency in close quarters engagements. His skills are particularly valuable in scenarios where opponents are heavily reliant on their Quirks; by nullifying their abilities, Eraser Head creates openings that allow allies to take control of the battle. During his time as a student at U.A., Hizashi stated that, even though he lacks in taking the initiative because of his rational thinking, once he sets up his mind, he becomes a very fearful opponent.

During the U.S.J. Incident, Eraser Head held his own against numerous low-tier members of the League of Villains who surrounded and outnumbered him. He evaded a barrage of attacks from enemies of various sizes and Quirks, taking them down with precision counterattacks. He nearly incapacitated Tomura Shigaraki before the arrival of the U.S.J. Nomu, which overwhelmed and severely injured him. Despite this, Eraser Head has shown the ability to engage even high-level Villains such as Dabi and Himiko Toga from the Vanguard Action Squad, albeit with effort. He also played pivotal roles during the Shie Hassaikai Raid and the Paranormal Liberation War, assisting in the suppression of High-End Nomus and Tomura's augmented powers.

Binding Cloth (操そう縛ばく布ふ Sōbakufu?): Eraser Head wields a specialized Capturing Weapon, which he uses for immobilizing enemies, swinging across terrain, and setting traps. Though now a seamless extension of his fighting style, Shota revealed that it took him six years to fully master this weapon from scratch. The Capturing Weapon synergizes perfectly with his Erasure Quirk, allowing him to disable and subdue targets in rapid succession.

Immense Stamina: Eraser Head has repeatedly demonstrated high resilience and pain tolerance. During the U.S.J. Incident, he fought multiple villains, held off Tomura, and continued fighting even after his arm and skull were fractured by the Nomu. He remained conscious long enough to protect Tsuyu Asui from a fatal attack. In the climax of the Paranormal Liberation War, Shota amputated his own leg to prevent the effects of a Quirk-Destroying Bullet from fully manifesting, and still managed to continue using Erasure despite his injury.

Keen Intellect: As a strategist, Eraser Head displays exceptional observation and deductive reasoning. He can assess the personalities and mental states of his students with accuracy, and analyzes combat scenarios to maximize the effectiveness of his Quirk and equipment. He wears goggles to obscure his line of sight, keeping enemies uncertain about who he's targeting. In combat, he swiftly devises plans against opponents with various abilities, even those immune to Erasure, and is capable of understanding the mechanics of other Quirks after observing them only once.

Shota helps train Hitoshi in his personal fighting style. Shota helps train Hitoshi in his personal fighting style.

Teaching Ability: Though reluctant to become a teacher (having been signed up for the job by Nemuri Kayama), Shota has developed into one of the most effective educators in the Hero Course. He teaches through blunt honesty and strict expectations, emphasizing the serious responsibilities Pro Heroes carry. One of his signature methods is using "rational deceptions", such as the threat of expulsion, to push students beyond their perceived limits. Alongside All Might and the rest of the U.A. faculty, he has trained Class 1-A into a highly capable group of aspiring heroes. Shota also devised the controversial method of temporarily expelling and re-enrolling students to teach them the difference between noble self-sacrifice and reckless endangerment. Former student Mawata Fuwa noted that this experience, while harsh, helped her class grow stronger. A notable example of Shota's teaching ability is his work with Hitoshi Shinso, whom he personally mentored in the use of the Binding Cloth and helped refine his Brainwashing Quirk, training that earned praise from Nezu.[22][23]

Advertisement Quirk Eraser Head's eyes while using Erasure. Eraser Head's eyes while using Erasure.

Erasure (抹まっ消しょう Masshō?): Eraser Head's Quirk allows him to nullify another person's Quirk by looking at them. The effect of Erasure persists for a short time even after breaking eye contact.[24]

After suffering serious injuries during the U.S.J. Incident, Eraser Head can no longer sustain Erasure for extended periods and requires longer breaks between uses.[20] Following the loss of one of his eyes in the Paranormal Liberation War, he now has limited use of the Quirk, relying on his remaining eye.[23][25]

While powerful, Erasure comes with several limitations:

Erasure is disabled when Shota blinks. Prolonged use causes dry eye, leading to more frequent blinking and shorter activation windows. Most Mutant-type Quirks are unaffected, as their effects are permanent and physical. Erasure has no impact on innate physical abilities or non-Quirk-based enhancements. When active, Erasure causes Shota's hair to levitate, which is a visual tell that opponents can use to gauge activation. The Quirk has no inherent offensive capability. Since the Quirk Factor is tied to Shota's eyes, any serious injury to them can reduce or eliminate his ability to use Erasure effectively.