Erasure is the Quirk used by Shota Aizawa.
Description#
Erasure allows the user to cancel out the Quirk of anyone they look at.[1] Since it renders a person's Quirk unusable, it has no effect on those who are Quirkless.[2]
When Erasure is activated, Shota is able to disable a person's Quirk Factor until he closes his eyes. Shota only needs one part of the target's body to be within his sights for Erasure to take effect. Since most people in the world rely on Quirks for combat purposes, this makes Shota an extremely bothersome opponent for anyone to deal with.
Erasure also seems to generate an anti-gravity phenomenon around the user's head while active, which Shota has incorporated into his use of the Binding Cloth.
As shown at the start of Tamaki Amajiki's fight with Toya Setsuno, Soramitsu Tabe and Yu Hojo, Erasure can be activated on multiple targets at once, and stays in effect even if the user looks elsewhere, as long as their eyes stay open.
Weaknesses#
Erasure requires the user to see the target's physical body in person in order to activate, which can be avoided by simply hiding behind obstacles or obscuring the user's vision. It also doesn't count if what the user sees is merely a construct controlled by the opponent, such as an object inhabited by Joi Irinaka.
The effects of Erasure can last as long as Shota can keep his eyes open after activating it. Whenever Erasure is deactivated, Shota's hair falls down to its original position, which an observant enemy can take advantage of by predicting a potential opening for an attack.
Erasure does not affect appendages originating from Mutant-type Quirks, but it can impair their function as the Quirk Factor that incorporates all the mechanisms necessary for a Quirk to work properly will be temporarily nullified. Physical strength or abilities not derived from Quirks are unaffected.[3]
The after-effects of the injuries he sustained during the U.S.J. Incident had negative consequences to Shota's Quirk. There is now a recharge interval between Erasure's deactivation and a new activation, with Shota requiring said interval to pass before he is allowed to use his Quirk again. This allows fast enough opponents an opportunity to counterattack should they notice that Shota isn't affecting them with Erasure.
Erasure causes the user to suffer from dry eye syndrome, which limits the amount of time Shota can keep it active. Because of this, he carries a small bottle of eye drops with him at all times.
Since Erasure's Quirk Factor resides in the user's eyes, they will be unable to use it should they lose them. After Shota lost one of his eyes during the Paranormal Liberation War, Erasure has become functionally useless,[4] though he can still use it to a certain degree with his remaining eye.[5] In order to make use of the Quirk, Shota is now required to make continuous contact with Neito Monoma, who is able to use Erasure in Shota's place through the use of Copy.
Usage#
Shota's usual battle tactic consists of cancelling an opponent's Quirk, forcing them to fight on even ground, and then using his Capturing Weapon in conjunction with his superior agility to defeat or restrain his adversaries in close combat. His combat expertise and swift movements allow him to compensate for fighters with Mutant-type Quirks who are immune to Erasure, as he cites that said enemies often rely on close combat.[6] Erasure makes Shota especially effective against opponents who have an overreliance on their Quirks, like Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu.[7] This Quirk is also helpful for disabling Transformation-type Quirks that involve concealment, and forcing the user to reveal their true selves, such as Himiko Toga.[8]
Shota wears a pair of goggles that hides his eyes from view, preventing opponents from seeing who he is looking at and when he blinks. They serve to protect his eyes as well.
Trivia#
- Erasure causes the user's eyes to glow red in the anime, while in the manga it causes their eyes to glow yellow.
- This Quirk is similar to Erasure Spot, though Erasure requires eye-contact to come into effect, while Erasure Spot erases a target's Quirk when they are within a certain vicinity of the user.
- The Quirk is also similar to Neutralization, with both users, Shota and Giulio Gandini, being unable to use their Quirks after their Quirk Factors were damaged by Villains.