Permeation[1] is the Quirk used by Mirio Togata and his father.
Description#
Permeation grants the user the ability to phase their body through all matter.
The user can choose to make one part of themselves intangible or their entire body. This allows one to smoothly maneuver through obstacles and effortlessly evade incoming attacks. If this Quirk is deactivated while the user is phasing through the ground or another solid object, they will be instantly repelled to the surface due to the laws of physics not allowing their own body mass to overlap with any other preexisting mass.
Weaknesses#
According to Mirio's father, Permeation could potentially lead to fatal results to the user if handled incorrectly, and this Quirk is noted to be very hard to control.[2] While Mirio can turn different parts of his body intangible, specific steps need to be taken for him to move through walls and surfaces without him falling through the floor with each step requiring great concentration, although his extensive training has made these processes far easier for him.
Permeation doesn't synchronize the user with their clothing or other objects they may be carrying, often causing said clothing to instantly slip off whenever they activate the Quirk. However, this doesn't appear to be the case with clothes made from the user's own hair, as Mirio's hero costume made of that material remains attached to his body when he passes through walls, the ground, or enemy attacks.
Gravity still affects the user while intangible, and will drag them down through the ground as well. Also, while affecting the entire body, their senses are negated as the necessary elements for them to work (light, oxygen, sound, etc.) will also pass through him. The only sensation that the user feels is falling.[1]
Permeation does not extend to other people, meaning one has to be extra careful while handling those they carry. Should they come under threat, the user becomes unable to shield the person they are carrying unless they deactivate Permeation, putting themselves at risk in the process.
All For One noted that Permeation is ineffective against unpredictable attacks. Mirio is still vulnerable to being caught by surprise before he can activate his Quirk, as seen when "Tomura Shigaraki" managed to pierce him from behind with Rivet Stab.[3]
Permeation has little impact on the physical strength of its user, limiting their attacks to their own physical capabilities, and whatever speed they can gather through exploitation when they are ejected from solid objects. This renders opponents with enhanced durability a natural counter to Permeation, as their inability to land a blow is negated by the Permeation user's inability to hurt them. For opponents with enhanced strength or other powers in addition to durability, the Permeation user is effectively rendered unable to interfere with their actions.[4]
Usage#
Despite being aware of the terrible dangers his Quirk could bring to him since childhood, Mirio never once hesitated from his ultimate goal of becoming a Hero. Mirio struggled a lot with Permeation, having trouble phasing through a simple plank of wood during his time at middle school. Thanks to his never-ending determination though, Mirio was able to learn how to utilize his Quirk well-enough to at least pass the U.A. Entrance Exam, thus being accepted into U.A. High School's hero course.
Still, Mirio kept facing hardships even as an U.A. student, failing to attain a great result at the U.A. Sports Festival, but his bright and humorous character would grab the attention of Sir Nighteye, who saw him as a potential successor for All Might. Under Sir Nighteye's internship, following a rigorous training regimen, Mirio achieved near-perfect control over Permeation to counteract its major drawbacks, overcoming the clothing issue through a hero costume made out of his hair.
To pass through an object without falling down to the Earth's core, Mirio must undergo a series of specific steps involving different parts of his body turning intangible while others do not. While ordinarily impossible to accomplish in the heat of active combat, Mirio's extensive training has made this second nature to him. He is capable of showcasing meticulous precision on when and where in his body Permeation should be active while performing swift moves. For those reasons, guarding oneself against his attacks in combat is essentially impossible.
Thanks to his rigorous training, Mirio was able to master instant transportation through the repelling property of his Quirk, being able to adjust the direction and positioning of his falling body in order to control the trajectory of his ejection, as well as using prediction based on experience in order to resurface himself next to targets, allowing him to strike them from any angle.
For an outside observer, Mirio gives the illusion that he is somehow teleporting, because of his apparent disappearance and reappearance at various spots, which happens almost immediately.[1]
Mirio has displayed fine enough control over his Quirk to partially release Permeation on parts of his body while remaining unharmed even in extremely hazardous situations, such as striking an enemy when both of them are entirely within a massive beam of energy.[5] This precision, in combination with his speed and mobility, make him the ideal target to receive enhancements from the Quirks of others to venture into situations they cannot, such as using a layer of Nejire Chan's energy to enhance the physical impact of his punches as he dove directly into "Tomura's" wave of writhing fingers.[6]
Ultimate Moves#
Blinder Touch Eyeball Crush: A feint where Mirio pretends to poke an opponent in the eye while his arm is intangible, distracting them long enough to swing around and deliver a real blow to the opponent, usually in their stomach. It was first seen used against Izuku Midoriya.[1]
Phantom Menace: Using the ejective property of his power, Mirio repeatedly activates and deactivates his quirk, catapulting himself from the walls, floor, and ceiling of an enclosed space while striking his targets at blinding speeds, his velocity increased by launching out of the environment due to physics (objects with mass cannot overlap). It was first seen used against Shin Nemoto and Deidoro Sakaki.
Trivia#
- Permeation is similar to the concept of noclipping in video games, and Mina Ashido compares his Quirk to a collision detection glitch.
- The Quirk also bares similarities to the phasing abilities of Kitty Pryde of the X-Men.
- Despite light passing through his body while his Quirk is active, Mirio is still completely visible to outside observers.
- Permeation is the first Quirk to be effectively "destroyed" in the series, albeit temporarily.