Eijiro Kirishima, also known as the Sturdy Hero: Red Riot, was a student in Class 1-A at U.A. High School training to become a Pro Hero.
Eight years after the Final War, Eijiro has graduated from U.A., becoming a Hero alongside his classmates, previously a Sidekick for Fat Gum, and now the current No. 12 Pro Hero.[2][5]
Appearance#
Eijiro is a muscular young man of average height and a rather impressive physique for his young age. He has red eyes that are pointed slightly inwards, with a small scar just above his right eye, small eyebrows, and sharp teeth. His hair is somewhat long, dyed a bright red, and spiked away from his head at all angles with gel, with two more pronounced tufts spiked on either side of his forehead like little horns. This lofty style takes a full three minutes to set.
During his time in Mustafa Private Middle School, his hair was black and left in its natural state: just under shoulder length with some shorter bangs between his eyes. He changed it to his current style shortly after being accepted into U.A. High. His middle school uniform was a short-sleeve, button-up white shirt that was tucked in, black pants, and brown dress shoes.
At U.A., he wears the standard U.A. uniform, but with dark red trainers instead of the usual brown dress shoes.
Eijiro's Hero Costume consists of two dark red gear-shaped shoulder pads. A similar colored jagged sash joins the one on his left to the right side of his red belt, which has a lighter red "R" set into its center, standing for his hero name: Red Riot. Below this, he wears baggy black pants and a red half cape with a ripped hem. He also sports dark red boots and thick rings around his calves. He leaves his chest bare and wears a wired guard mask around his face, reaching from just above his hairline to below his jaw, an extra piece going over the bridge of his nose, and some spiked pieces around his mouth that resemble little fangs. Overall, the look slightly resembles that of an Oni.
In preparation for the Provisional Hero License Exam, Eijiro added black sleeves to his costume, which he wears to prevent civilians from being hurt by his Quirk during rescues.[6]
When using Unbreakable, he hardens his body as much as possible, taking on a form that is extremely rugged, and giving him a monstrous appearance.
Eight years after the end of the Final War, Eijiro has grown taller and bulkier, as his hair has gotten spikier and a bit longer, extending to his shoulders, while retaining the two spiky strands sticking up like a horn. His costume also remains identical aside from longer bright red cape with white fur lining being on the hem over a dark red half cape with a ripped hem underneath, his two dark red gear-shaped shoulder pads being more rock-like with two longer spike on each side, removes the jagged sash, his wired guard mask having white teeth in its design, and a sharper black belt, which still has the lighter red "R" set into its center.
Personality#
Eijiro is a boisterous and outgoing guy with a fondness for manliness, often using the terms "manly" and "unmanly" to describe things and people he does or doesn't like, respectively. Those who showcase a noble, brave, or determined attitude tend to emotionally move him to tears, quickly earning his complete admiration, respect, and friendship. Similarly, he will call out traits that are the opposite of that, such as cowardice and dirty play. Eijiro is determined and selfless, bravely putting the safety of others before himself. He is also a big fan of Crimson Riot, a retro hero from whom he takes inspiration, including personal values and his hero name.[3]
Eijiro is very honest and kind-hearted, having a straightforward way of thinking and following a specific code of chivalry that motivates him to live without regret. Thanks to his respectful and encouraging attitude, he's easily capable of making friends with most people he encounters, particularly those that show as much passion and resolve as he does. Loyal and dedicated to his friends, Eijiro is willing to break laws and rules to help or save them, becoming regretful if he cannot come to their aid. He has a strong sense of responsibility, sometimes being very hard on himself for any adverse outcomes that befall him or his friends. As such, he's always thinking about further improving his abilities and strengths to not feel weak or burdensome to others, which is how Eijiro overcame his earlier impulsiveness in battle and weak academic performance; as a result of his hard work, he's become smarter and wiser over time.
Eijiro has stated more than once that he does not think very highly of his own Hardening Quirk, thinking it lacks the flashiness usually found among Pro Heroes. He will get downright offended if he sees someone with a similar Quirk.[7] Eijiro is worried about not having a good enough Quirk for hero work and that his skills could not compare to other hero prospects. A lot of this self-doubt seems to have come from an incident in Junior High when he saw Mina Ashido stop an underclassman from being bullied and save some students from a threatening figure.[8][9]
His friends pointed out that Mina would quickly become a hero due to her outgoing personality and athletic nature. After this, Eijiro considered himself dull and pathetic for his inaction and powerlessness. However, thanks to an old, recorded interview featuring his idol, Eijiro gained the perspective he needed to regain his composure and overcome most insecurities. From that point on, Eijiro started working, studying, and training diligently.[9]
Eijiro decided to reinvent himself after being accepted into U.A. High, adopting a tough, confident, fiery persona that he considers ideal for the hero he wants to be: Red Riot. While Eijiro may not be as hot-blooded and competitive as Katsuki Bakugo, he does not shy away from comparing himself to him, with Izuku stating that the two have managed to develop a relationship as equals. As a result, Eijiro is notably one of the few people that Katsuki holds in higher esteem.
Abilities#
Overall Abilities: Eijiro has proven to be a formidable combatant. His abilities earned him second place in the U.A. Entrance Exam, having a fair balance of both villain and rescue points,[10] and 8th place in the Quirk Apprehension Test.[11] Thanks to his Quirk, Eijiro's straightforward and reckless fighting style lets his hardened body take opposing hits while delivering counterattacks. Even bullets cannot pierce his skin when his Quirk is active,[12] meaning that Eijiro can turn himself into a shield for allies or defenseless civilians.[13]
During the U.S.J. Incident, he and Katsuki attempted to take on Kurogiri before being warped away,[14] leaving the pair to battle and soon defeat, low-tier members of the League of Villains.[15] Eijiro has shown to be as formidable as Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, and due to their similar Quirks and fighting styles, the two were evenly matched during their battle at the U.A. Sports Festival, which resulted in a draw.[16] The two hard-headed students were still on par with each other during their arm wrestling tie-breaker until Tetsutetsu's Steel Quirk began to weaken due to insufficient iron intake.[17] Later, Eijiro impressively forced Katsuki, one of Class 1-A's strongest students, on the defensive for some time during their match before Eijiro's Quirk began to weaken, causing him to lose the battle.[18]
When he first underwent Hero Work-Studies, under the tutelage of Fat Gum, Red Riot confronted a villain who could protrude metal blades from his body. He was initially taken by surprise when the blade villain used the Trigger drug to enhance his Quirk, but after bringing his Hardening to its maximum durability, the red-haired hero was able to overcome the villain's increased power and defeat him.[19]
Amid the Shie Hassaikai Raid, Red Riot and Fat Gum faced off against Kendo Rappa and Hekiji Tengai of the Eight Bullets, but he was heavily struck by a powerful punch from Kendo, leaving him out of commission for the majority of the duel.[20] Eventually, Red Riot regained his resolve, stepped in to endure Kendo's volley of punches efficaciously, and had the mettle to directly engage the former cage fighter with a blow that could have negated that of the latter, but Hekiji intervened with a barrier.[21]
During the first round of the Joint Training Battle, Eijiro and Koji Koda launched a collaboration attack on Jurota Shishida of Class 1-B that forced the latter into evading the said assault, implying their combined onslaught would've been effective against someone of his caliber. Jurota himself admitted that Eijiro was the only person in their battle that could pose a threat to his abilities, so he swiped the sturdy student aside to be captured by Ibara Shiozaki.[22]
Enhanced Durability: Eijiro has above-average durability even without his Quirk. According to Katsuki, although Eijiro took a barrage of point-blank explosions during their fight at the U.A. Sports Festival, this was not due to his armored skin alone. This proves that Eijiro's natural durability is relatively strong, but can be amplified by his Hardening Quirk.[18]
Indomitable Will: A prominent aspect of Eijiro is his die-hard chivalry. During his middle school days, he lacked the courage to stand up for others, despite desperately wanting to, but was too afraid to do so. However, after watching a video containing Crimson Riot's speech on chivalry and heroic ideals, Eijiro re-evaluated himself and became a virile person who desires to help others no matter how scared he may be, even if it means recklessly rushing into situations. Eijiro changed his original black hair to the spiked, red appearance he now possesses to symbolize his admiration for Crimson Riot and his reformation into a more courageous person.[9][3] Eijiro's heroic spirit remained steadfast when he voiced his intent to help save Katsuki, who had been abducted by the League of Villains, and proclaimed that he wouldn't stand by and do nothing.[23]
At the beginning of his and Fat Gum's battle against Kendo and Hekiji, Eijiro was incapacitated by Kendo's punch and despaired over being unable to help Fat Gum, who was being repeatedly pulverized.[20] But after recalling his past hopelessness and the inspirations that pushed him to grow, he regained his resolve, refortified his hardened body, and withstood Kendo's bullet punches far better than before, nearly taking the brawler head-on. Hekiji was ultimately forced to defend his partner with a barrier. Because of his student's determination, Fat Gum was able to gather the accumulated kinetic energy from Kendo's punches into a single mighty punch that defeated the yakuza duo. In the aftermath, both Fat Gum and Kendo acknowledged Red Riot's fighting spirit, with the latter even wanting a rematch in the future.[21]
Quirk#
Hardening: Eijiro's Quirk gives him the power to harden and sharpen any or all parts of his body, causing his flesh to become jagged and rock-like.
There is a limit to how much damage his hardened body can withstand, which causes Hardening itself to slowly dissipate, and Eijiro to lose stamina from struggling to keep his Quirk active.[18] However, when battling Kendo Rappa, Eijiro displayed the ability to refortify his hardened body mid-combat.[21]
As part of his training, Eijiro, in his hardened form, was continuously attacked by Mashirao Ojiro's Tail, and with each hit, the strength and durability of his Quirk increased.[24]
Enhanced Durability: Eijiro's Quirk grants him greatly enhanced durability. His hardened body has displayed the ability to withstand a great deal of punishment for extended periods of time, including:
- Several tons of scrap metal from a Villain Bot - Executor falling on top of him.[25]
- A number of point-blank explosions from Katsuki.[18]
- Bullets being fired at him.[12]
- A shower of blades produced by a villain whose blade Quirk was strengthened by Trigger.[19]
- A series of powerful punches from Kendo.[21]
- Chimera's full-power flame breath at point-blank range.[26]
- Dabi's flames burning his body.[27]
- Gigantomachia swiping him away.[27]
Enhanced Strength: When using his Quirk, Eijiro's physical strength is increased, enabling him to break through most obstacles. He demonstrated this multiple times during the Sports Festival, such as digging through debris from Villain Bots and defeating metal constructs.[25] In his arm-wrestling match against Tetsutetsu, his fingers dug through concrete, eventually breaking the podium.[17] He was also able to:
- Break multiple concrete walls (alongside Rikido Sato) during a fight with Cementoss.[28]
- Shatter blades with a single elbow strike.[19]
- Destroy a concrete wall with help from Izuku.[20]
- Throw a punch strong enough to force Hekiji to block with a barrier.[21]
Ultimate Moves#
- Red Counter: While hardened, Eijiro endures a close-range attack and counters with a straight punch.[8]
- Unbreakable: Eijiro reaches his maximum hardening level by turning his entire body extremely rugged and jagged, giving him a monstrous appearance and practical invulnerability to most forms of physical attacks. This form can only be maintained for about 30–40 seconds.[8]
- Red Gauntlet: Eijiro charges the opponent and delivers a single, powerful punch to the gut. This move deals massive damage if used in his Unbreakable form.[29]
Stats#
Battles & Events#
Quirk Apprehension Test Arc Quirk Apprehension Test Battle Trial Arc Battle Trial U.S.J. Arc U.S.J. Incident Katsuki Bakugo & Eijiro Kirishima vs. Villains All Might & U.A Students vs. League of Villains U.A. Sports Festival Arc U.A. Sports Festival Obstacle Race Cavalry Battle Eijiro Kirishima vs. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu Katsuki Bakugo vs. Eijiro Kirishima Vs. Hero Killer Arc Hero Agency Internships Final Exams Arc First Term Final Exam Team Sato & Kirishima vs. Cementoss My Hero Academia: Two Heroes I-Island Incident Katsuki Bakugo & Shoto Todoroki vs. Daigo & Nobu U.A. Students vs. I-Island Security Bots All Might & Deku vs. Wolfram Forest Training Camp Arc Class 1-A Swimming Competition Quirk Training Camp Class 1-A vs. Pixie-Bob Vanguard Action Squad Invasion Provisional Hero License Exam Arc Provisional Hero License Exam U.A. Students vs. Seiji Shishikura Shie Hassaikai Arc Class 1-A vs. Mirio Togata Hero Work-Studies I Fat Gum Agency vs. Villains Shie Hassaikai Raid Battle of Spears & Shields U.A. School Festival Arc U.A. School Festival Pro Hero Arc Class 1-A vs. Nejire Chan & Suneater Joint Training Arc Joint Training Battle Round 1 My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising Hero Work Recommendation Project U.A. Students vs. Mummy U.A. Students vs. Chimera: Rematch Endeavor Agency Arc Hero Interview Training Hero Work-Studies II My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission Mission: Humarise Pro Heroes vs. Humarise Paranormal Liberation War Arc Paranormal Liberation War Gunga Mountain Villa Raid Villa Raid Team & Trainees vs. Paranormal Liberation Front Dark Hero Arc Deku vs. Class A Final War Arc Final War Operation Troy Jaku Ruins Team vs. Paranormal Liberation Front Pro Heroes, Trainees & Gigantomachia vs. All For One Pro Heroes & Trainees vs. All For One
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Anime Appearances#
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Trivia#
- In the preliminary stages of the manga, Eijiro's early design was very similar to his current appearance, aside from a few rough features.
- Eijiro's surname name contains the kanji for "to cut" and "island", and his first name contains "sharp", "child, young person", and "son, male".
- According to Eijiro's profile in Volume 3:
- His favorite food is meat.
- His favorite thing is manliness.
- His role is to tie Class 1-A together with his personality, just like Denki Kaminari.
- The story behind his Quirk's first manifestation is detailed via text. The Shie Hassaikai Arc would later show a small glimpse of this event.
- According to Eijiro's Ultra Analysis profile:
- He washes his hair every day with a shampoo that helps maintain his hair dye, making the coloration go down to his roots.
- His personality is described as an "enthusiasm generator".
- Eijiro's known U.A. data is as follows:
- Student No. 8 in Class 1-A.
- Ranked 2nd during the U.A. Entrance Exam.
- Ranked 8th during the Quirk Apprehension Test.
- Ranked 15th in Class 1-A's mid-term grades.[30]
- Ranked in the Top 8 of the U.A. Sports Festival First-Year Stage.
- Eijiro received a total of 68 nominations from Pro Heroes for his U.A. Sports Festival performance, making him the 7th most nominated Class 1-A student.
- Eijiro's rankings in the Popularity Polls are as follows:
- Ranked 15th in the first Popularity Poll.
- Ranked 5th in the second, fourth and Global Popularity Polls.
- Ranked 4th in the third, fifth, and seventh Popularity Polls.
- Ranked 6th in the sixth Popularity Poll.
- Ranked 9th in the eighth Popularity Poll.
- Ranked 7th in the ninth Popularity Poll.
- While Eijiro officially debuted in Chapter 5, he actually makes a small cameo in Chapter 3, sporting his original middle school appearance and fighting some Villain Bots.
- Eijiro and Tetsutetsu share many similarities with each other:
- They share the same birthday (October 16).
- Both have prominently pointed teeth.
- They share the same stats in Ultra Analysis.
- Them and their Quirks were formally introduced in quick succession, while in identical situations: emerging from the wreckage of Villain Bots.
- Both wanted to stand out during the U.A. Sports Festival, but were disappointed that they couldn’t, upon realizing their similarities to each other.
- In the anime, their U.A. Sports Festival entry poses were exactly the same.
- Their Quirks, Steel and Hardening, are functionally similar and described likewise, including the weakness of losing power in a drawn out battle, and making their bodies harder than stone.
- Their fighting styles are the same: straightforward and reckless, letting their hardened bodies take opposing hits while delivering counterattacks.
- Both use their Quirks to turn themselves into human shields to protect their allies.
- They both chose Fourth Kind's office for workplace experience.
- Both have similar hero costumes.
- Both have a Ultimate Move that involves using their hardened fists to break through the opponent's defenses, while having the same pose when performing their Ultimate Move.
- The beginning of their Hero names start with the letter "R".
- When the Hero Work-Studies program is reinstated, both go to the Fat Gum Agency.
- Both of their dorm rooms at Heights Alliance contain exercise equipment, a punching bag, and motivational posters. Eijiro even confused Tetsutetsu's room as his own upon seeing a picture of it.[31]
- Eijiro and Hanta Sero share the same costume designer.[32]
- It takes one minute for Eijiro to style his hair.[33]
- According to My Hero Academia: Ultra Age: The Final Fan Book:
- Eijiro's dorm room is in the Top 2 of "rooms that women would never want their boyfriend to have".
- As a Pro Hero, Red Riot is incredibly popular among guys and has a yearly "Manly Calendar" that always sells out instantly.
- Eijiro shares his Japanese and English voice actors with other characters.
- His Japanese voice actor, Toshiki Masuda, also voices Futo Nagashira, the boy with the Quirk notebook,[34] Hiroshi Tameda's friend,[35] and one of the unnamed jet pilots from the United States who aided Star and Stripe against "Tomura Shigaraki".[36]
- His English voice actor, Justin Cook, also voices the U.S.J. Nomu.
- Eijiro is the only member of Class 1-A with a Transformation Quirk.
- Both Eijiro's hero name and named moves are written using ateji, which refers to kanji being used phonetically, without much regard to their meaning. This is considered stereotypical in various situations in manga and television series, especially when relating to old-school, manly, hot-blooded characters similar to Eijiro.
- Eijiro shares his last name with a character from Kohei Horikoshi's previous work, Oumagadoki Zoo.
Quotes#
- (To his classmates about Katsuki's kidnapping) "When I heard that they were after my buddy... I couldn't do anything · I didn't do anything · If I don't act now... forget being a hero, I'm not even a man!"[37]