Toshitsugu Kudo[1] was the leader of a resistance that fought against All For One. After rescuing his archenemy's brother, Yoichi Shigaraki, he became the second user and first inheritor of the One For All Quirk.
Appearance#
Distinctively, Kudo bore a strong resemblance to Katsuki Bakugo, with short, spiky, ginger salmon hair, and somewhat thin red eyes (brown in the manga) that are slanted slightly downwards. He also had a large scar on his face, starting from the left side of his forehead, forking out in the middle, and finishing underneath both of his eyes, which he received just before his death at the hands of All For One during their final battle. He wore a green combat jacket with a large, black collar. He also wore large gauntlets, which he seemingly used for offensive purposes powered by his Gearshift Meta Ability.
Personality#
Alive during the harshest era of his time, Kudo was a battle-hardened veteran who was a soldier first and foremost. He had a serious yet apathetic demeanor due to his experience in history's most chaotic era during the first couple years when Meta Abilities were rampant. Because of this, he held a strong black and white view of the world, stating that every time he fought, victory meant life and defeat meant death.
All his life, Kudo had only but one goal: to bring down All For One, having killed many people who got in his way, showing no mercy for anyone who would interfere with his mission. He holds a strong and stern sense of justice, as seen when he was unwilling to lend his power to Izuku Midoriya, due to his optimistic attitude and "ridiculous" ideals to save his archenemy, Tomura Shigaraki. Kudo also expressed cynicism towards Izuku, although perhaps rightly so given his past and everything he fought for, as he told Yoichi that Izuku will never understand the responsibility of how much One For All means to end their war against All For One.
However, Kudo was not as callous as All For One, as he did possess a more caring and empathetic side, as seen when he abandoned his goal of killing Yoichi, the brother of his mortal enemy, and chose to offer his hand and save him instead. This is further expressed when, during the Final War, he encouraged Izuku to trust in his friends and to focus on himself, knowing that he needed allies who would support him and fight by his side. While he initially opposed Izuku's desire to save Tomura, seeing it as a naïve ideology caused by Izuku's more peaceful life, after observing his memories, Kudo realizes that Izuku is driven by the belief that good can be found in anyone's heart, and reveals that he wishes to have faith in that belief as well.
Kudo was also very persistent during his final battle with All For One. Even while severely wounded and being choked to death, he tried to use his Meta Ability to kill All For One by shooting a projectile from behind. The villain regarded Kudo as a stuck-up, pompous brat who didn't even squirm during the very last moments of his life. Kudo was very prideful and expressed no fear of his impending death, even when held at chokepoint by All For One, he simply smiled down on him with satisfaction as if he was mocking the villain, knowing that he had failed to acquire One For All. His tenacity, despite his supposed weakness, and being the one who rescued Yoichi from All For One's grasp, has led to him becoming the one person All For One truly hates the most.
During Izuku's fated battle against Tomura, Kudo notices a remnant of Star and Stripe pointing at the Villain's warped core. He then formulates a plan for Izuku to forcibly transfer his and the rest of the past users' Quirks into Tomura along with One For All itself, believing that the impact will be enough for Izuku to break through and reach his origin. Here, Kudo becomes willing to sacrifice himself first, knowing that his Gearshift's effects will pain Tomura and buy Izuku some time. Kudo tells the young hero not to dwell on his sacrifice as he was only ever a phantom, smiling before his Vestige broke apart. He would later return with the other One For All users and Tomura himself to help Izuku put an end to All For One for good.
Abilities#
Meta Abilities#
Gearshift: Kudo's Meta Ability allowed him to change the speed and/or velocity at which things accelerate through space. When he initially used it, it only worked on small objects, with All For One likening it to a "peashooter".[2] However, due to the power stockpiled by One For All over the years, Gearshift evolved into a "unique power" that could not be used normally anymore.[3]
The evolved ability was able to change the speed of things and people on a cellular level, including the user themselves and even intangible things such as smoke.[4] When accelerating the user, Gearshift was able to grant an immense boost in speed, to the point of creating sonic booms and ignoring the laws of inertia. However, Gearshift put a large burden on the user's body, as prolonged usage deprived them of oxygen and caused great bodily pain, and using it again would lead to an even harsher recoil. Because of this, using this Meta Ability has been designated as a last resort.[5]
One For All: Transferred to him from Yoichi, Kudo's second Meta Ability allowed him to stockpile an enormous amount of raw power, though at the time, due to being the first one to be transferred the power, the increase in strength was unnoticeable.
Equipment#
Gauntlets: Kudo wielded large gauntlets with slit-like holes at the end, which fired pointed blades. These were used in conjunction with his Meta Ability, Gearshift, to manipulate the speed and trajectory of the projectiles as they were fired.
Rifle: Kudo used a rifle that shoots out projectiles, similar to his gauntlets. This was also used in conjunction with his Gearshift.
Chapter Appearances#
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Anime Appearances#
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Trivia#
- Kudo's name contains the kanji for "drive" and "wisteria".
- Toshitsugu contains the kanji for "quick" and "next".
- Kudo's given name has the katakana pronunciation of the English word for the number "two" in the second kanji.
- Kudo's English voice actor, Ben Balmaceda, also voices Teruo Hazukashi and Himiko Toga's father.
Quotes#
- (To Yoichi) "I sought to bring down your brother... and extinguished so many lives in the process. Because in our battle, victory meant life... and defeat meant death. Now you tell us to devote our efforts to one who wants to "save" our mortal enemy? A boy holding on to such a ridiculous delusion?"[6]
- (To Izuku) "Don't fall into desperation. This is a battle for the very future, yes? Have faith in your friends. They're all out there for their own reasons. Knowing that should allow you to focus your energy on your own battlefield."[7]
- (About Izuku's beliefs) "The desire to save one's archenemy is delusional madness. A madness that disrupts our destined path. But having observed from within... I know the truth. That this boy... clings to one driving notion. That anyone, whether the most vile among us... or even the Quirkless... that inside each one of us... beats an innately human heart. I, too... want to believe."[8]