Shota Aizawa

Shota Aizawa, also known as the Erasure Hero: Eraser Head, is a Pro Hero and the homeroom teacher of U.A. High School's Class 1-A.

Eight years later after the Final War, he has semi-retired from hero work to focus on training the next generation of Heroes as a teacher.^[2]

Appearance#

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, a small deep scar underneath his right eye is revealed.^[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, along with sometimes shaving to have a cleaner apperance.

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.

During the fight against Tomura Shigaraki, Eraser Head had to cut his right leg off to prevent the Quirk-Destroying Drug from destroying his Quirk.^[9]

In the aftermath of the battle, he now has a second scar on his eye stretching from his eyebrow to his lower eyelid, as well as a black eyepatch covering his right eye entirely, due to the damage received from Tomura. He also now possesses a prosthetic right leg.^[10]

Following the Final War, Shota has a short portion of his hair tied back with a long strand hanging down the right side of his face and covering his missing eye,^[11] having done this as he grew annoyed with students unintentionally staring at it.^[12]

Eight years following the war, Shota's appearance and outfit has remained the same, with the only change being his hair is cut short, now reaching halfway down his face and being parted at the right.^[13]

Personality#

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]

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]

Despite his apathetic traits, Shota genuinely cares about his students and will go to great lengths to protect them. 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 the League of 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 help restore her confidence.^[20] Even with his stern demeanor, Shota has a softer side that shows itself on occasion, genuinely wanting the best for all his students and being confident they will all go on to become great Heroes.

Shota is also quite nurturing, as he has been seen attending to his duties as Eri's temporary guardian without complaint; he has demonstrated to be very attentive and involved in his role as a provider even outside of his duties as a teacher and mentor. Thanks to his Erasure, Shota was able to keep Eri's dangerous Rewind Quirk in check, and was later able to help teach her how to control it by using small ounces of Rewind to heal bugs and lizards.

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]

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.

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 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, Shota pledged to avenge all the loved ones of people who were turned into Nomu, telling Kyudai it was time that the Heroes all took something from him.

Eight years after the Final War, Shota's personality has remained mostly the same as he is shown with Izuku, who has become a fellow teacher at U.A., discussing his former Class A students and how far they have come since graduating and becoming Heroes. Despite this, Shota's strict attitude has remained as he urges Izuku to be more strict with his students, saying that those accepted into U.A. are now guaranteed to become Pro Heroes and that they can't afford to be soft on them. Ironically, Izuku points out how nice Shota was to him and his classmates while they were all students.^[2]

Abilities#

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: 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.

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]

Quirk#

Erasure: 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 deactivated if direct eye contact on the target is lost, even from blinking.
• 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.

Stats#

Equipment#

Eyedrops: Shota carries a small green case of eye drops with him. He uses them to treat the dry eye caused by keeping his eyes open too long.

Capturing Weapon: Eraser Head's weapon of choice is a cloth made from steel wire alloy woven with carbon nanofibers.

Eraser Goggles: Eraser Head can be recognized by the gold goggles he wears around his neck, hidden by his scarf. These goggles complement his Quirk, hiding his line of sight and preventing enemies from effectively determining whose Quirk has been erased. He received the goggles during his school years with Oboro.

High Density Weights: Eraser Head and the rest of the teachers use these bracelets to give themselves a handicap while they are fighting their students.

Caltrops: Eraser Head used caltrops in the practical battle against Team Todoroki & Yaoyorozu. They were effective when used in combination with the Capturing Weapon. After suspending Shoto in mid-air with the Capturing Weapon, Shota threw caltrops beneath him so he couldn't land safely in case he escaped his restraints.

Knife: Eraser Head has a large knife he uses to cut off his Capturing Weapon should it become stuck to something. He can also use it in combat.

Prosthetic Leg: After being forced to sever his own right leg during the fight against Tomura, Shota uses a prosthetic leg.

Battles & Events#

<center><tabber> Manga= {{B&E|color=#A12929| U.S.J. Arc

• U.S.J. Incident
• Eraser Head vs. Villains
• Eraser Head & U.A. Students vs. Tomura Shigaraki & Nomu

U.A. Sports Festival Arc

• U.A. Sports Festival

Final Exams Arc

• First Term Final Exam
• Team Todoroki & Yaoyorozu vs. Eraser Head

Forest Training Camp Arc

• Vanguard Action Squad Invasion
• Eraser Head vs. Dabi Double

Provisional Hero License Exam Arc

• Ultimate Move Training

Shie Hassaikai Arc

• Shie Hassaikai Raid
• Eraser Head & Deku vs. Toga
• Nighteye Squad vs. Mimic
• Nighteye Squad vs. Overhaul & Chronostasis

U.A. School Festival Arc

• U.A. School Festival

Joint Training Arc

• Joint Training Battle

Endeavor Agency Arc

• Hero Interview Training

Paranormal Liberation War Arc

• Paranormal Liberation War
• Jaku Hospital Raid
• Hospital Raid Team vs. Nomu
• Hospital Raid Team vs. High-Ends
• Hospital Raid Team & Trainees vs. Tomura Shigaraki

Final War Arc

• Final War
• Pro Heroes & Trainees vs. Tomura Shigaraki
• Pro Heroes & Trainees vs. All For One

}}

{{B&E|color=#FF9b02| History

• Team Purple Revolution vs. Robber Villain
• Eraser Head & Loud Cloud vs. Robber Villain
• Shota Aizawa & Oboro Shirakumo vs. Sensoji
• Buster Union & Purple Revolution vs. Garvey

Vigilantes Beginnings Arc

• Knuckleduster vs. Eraser Head
• Naruhata Vigilantes & Eraser Head vs. Mario Kugutsu, Soga Kugisaki, Moyuru Tochi & Rapt Tokage
• Pro Heroes vs. Instant Villains
• Pro Heroes vs. Suicide Bomber

Vs. Queen Bee Arc

• Eraser Head vs. Teruo Unagisawa

Osaka Incident Arc

• Eraser Head vs. The Hotta Brothers

Sky Egg Arc

• The Crawler, Eraser Head, the Hotta Brothers & Kirihito Kamachi vs. Octoid
• Onomura Pharma Corp. Raid
• Sky Egg Bombing

Naruhata Lockdown Arc

• The Crawler vs. Pro Heroes
• Operation Anonymous
• The Crawler & Eraser Head vs. Anonymous
• The Crawler & Pro Heroes vs. Number 6

}} </tabber></center>

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Trivia#

• Shota's given name "消太" has the character "消" that means "erase", with the other character meaning "big, thick", although, used in names to refer figuratively as "healthy". His surname also has the character which can mean "Mutual" or "Councilor". The other kanji character means "swamp".
• According to Shota's Volume 1 profile:
• Shota likes cats.
• Kohei Horikoshi conceptualized Shota's character if a person would make every decision rationally, though as a result, he doesn't care about social decency.
• Horikoshi pictures Shota's room to be quite empty, which reflects his apathetic behavior.
• Shota's specialty is short-length sneak attacks.
• Shota is a social drinker.^[26]
• While drinking with his colleagues, it is revealed that Shota is a sleepy drunk who has a habit of mistaking objects for people. Upon coming to and sobering up, he tends to forget what he said when he was drunk.^[27]
• According to Shota's Ultra Analysis profile:
• The death of his close friend, Oboro Shirakumo, has made him especially strict with his students in the hero course.
• Despite this, once Shota decides to care for someone, he will give them as much support as humanly possible.
• His personality is described as "actually kind of doting".
• Shota's rankings in the Popularity Polls are as follows:
• Shota ranked 9th in the first Popularity Poll.
• Shota ranked 4th in the second and the Global Popularity Poll.
• Shota ranked 6th in the third Popularity Poll.
• Ranked 11th in the fourth Popularity Poll.
• Ranked 7th in the fifth, seventh, and eighth Popularity Poll.
• Ranked 5th in the sixth Popularity Poll.
• Ranked 13th in the ninth Popularity Poll.
• Present Mic was the one who gave Shota his hero name.^[28]
• Shota also shares his hero name with the 1977 drama/fantasy film, Eraserhead, directed by David Lynch.^[29]
• According to Shota's Volume 9 profile in the Vigilantes spin-off:
• Hideyuki Furuhashi says that he was requested to give Shota lighter equipment and a more traditional design for him to better resemble his school days. He also states that his goggles complete his younger look.
• Betten Court also drew him and Hizashi with early versions of their costumes and gear, which they would further refine as they became the heroes they are in the present day.
• While Shota has no favorite food, he is fond of salty licorice.^[30]
• Shota shares his birthday with Soga Kugisaki.
• Shota grows his hair out and only cuts it once every few years since he believes routine haircuts are a waste of time.^[31]
• Shota's Japanese voice actor, Junichi Suwabe, also voices Jurota Shishida.

Quotes#

• (To Class 1-A) "I'm sorry to tell you... that for the next three years... U.A. will run you through the wringer. That's "Plus Ultra". Use your strength to overcome it all. So bring it."^[32]
• (To All Might, regarding Izuku) "He doesn't... have no chance. That's all I can say. Because if he had no prospects, I would cut him loose. There's nothing crueler than letting someone chase their half-baked dreams."^[33]
• (To Izuku Midoriya) "No good hero is a one trick pony."^[34]
• (To a Pro Hero, regarding Katsuki Bakugo and Ochaco Uraraka's match) "Is the one who said he's toying with her a pro? How many years of active duty? If that's what you're taking from this, then you can leave. No point in watching. Go home and start looking at job-hunting sites. She's come this far, and he knows her strength. His caution shows that he recognizes her as a worthy opponent. It's exactly because he wants to win so badly... that there's no room for carelessness or holding back."^[35]