For fans of the My Hero Academia anime, Shota Aizawa is kind of an enigma at this point. Fans are aware that despite only having the ability to deactivate another person’s Quirk, he is still incredibly capable on the battlefield (as the witnessed when the League of Villains invaded U.A. High).
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But beyond that, not much is known about the erasing hero’s past or how he even became a hero in the first place. But for any fans looking to get a clearer vision of just who exactly Mr. Aizawa is and how he became the hero he is currently in My Hero Academia, look no further. Spoilers for the anime series and manga ahead.
Updated by Daniel Kurland on August 5th, 2021: Shota Aizawa has played a vital role at U.A. High since MHA's start and he’s become even more essential as characters like All Might and Endeavor require extra help. Eraser Head is the perfect balance of prepared and proactive, yet he remains enigmatic in certain areas and there’s more to this hero than meets the eye.
15 He Takes On Hitoshi Shinso As His Pupil
Season five of My Hero Academia eventually approaches dark territory once the Paranormal Liberation War breaks out, but before this mayhem there’s an entertaining demonstration of strength in the Joint Training Competition between U.A. High’s 1A and 1B Classes. Hitoshi Shinso, a Class 1C student, is the lone exception and Aizawa personally takes him under his wing to instill the proper values in him and properly prepare him for the competition. Eraser Head continues to look out for Shinso and they still have more training ahead of them.
14 His Use Of And The Physics Behind His Capturing Cloth Weapons
Shota Aizawa is an exceptional hero because his Erasure Quirk can disable some of the most powerful villains. This turns Aizawa into an easy target, but he has some other important accessories that make him even more dangerous. One of the defining features to Eraser Head’s hero costume is the lengthy scarf that surrounds his body. This is actually a specific type of hero item that’s known as a Capturing Weapon that’s able to bind opponents and follow its user’s commands to some extent. Eraser Head even passes on his expertise in this area onto Hitoshi Shinso with their training.
13 His Penchant For Comfy Sleeping
An important balance is necessary for any hero and neglecting such things can result in individuals who burn out or are unreliable when it really counts. Shota Aizawa isn’t one to shirk responsibilities and the extra work that he throws into the activities at U.A. High is a testament to how much he values the heroes of tomorrow.
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At the same time, Aizawa appreciates comfort and is past the point of letting social hang-ups get in his way. Aizawa is known to disappear into a comfy sleeping bag, even at work, when he’s burnt out and needs to recover.
12 He's Become Reliant On Eye Drops
It’s not easy to be one of the top heroes and some individuals have to maintain constant discipline and patience to ensure that nothing slips past them. Aggressive Quirks can perhaps just blast up a room and not worry about the consequences, but Shota Aizawa’s Erasure Quirk requires just as much intuition and impromptu problem solving as it does physical contact. Eraser Head needs to watch everything to exquisite detail to properly understand the Quirks of his enemies. This results in Aizawa having incredibly dry eyes from them consistently being open, so eye drops have become the hero’s best friend.
11 He's Routinely Ascended The Popularity Polls
Popularity isn’t everything and there are plenty of occasions where the public’s favorite characters don’t align with the author’s preferred individuals. That being said, sometimes huge trends in popularity can inevitably influence the character’s trajectory. Eraser Head is someone from My Hero Academia who’s progressively gained more acclaim. In the first popularity poll he’s in 9th place, but then 4th in the following one. Aizawa maintains consistent rankings and the past two popularity polls have him placed at 7th and then 5th, so he continues to ascend.
10 Present Mic Gave Him The Name Eraser Head
Through Mangaka Kohei Horikoshi’s work on My Hero Academia, fans all around the world have been introduced to some of the most unique and stunning superheroes to have ever landed in fiction. In My Hero Academia, fans are introduced to UA, the school that is meant to teach the next generation of heroes. In the series, fans watch on in glee as the young heroes beginning crafting their superhero personas beginning with their superhero names, which they choose for themselves in class. However, when Aizawa was in school, and still unsure of himself, it was a young Present Mic that actually gave him the name Eraser Head.
9 He’s A Cat Person
Coming as a surprise to absolutely no one, Shota Aizawa is actually a cat person. In fact, when he was younger, it was a chance meeting with a cat that would help to affirm him as the talented hero that he would one day become. After running into a stray cat while making his way towards the school on a rainy day, Aizawa would stop and leaving his umbrella for the poor young cat left out in the rain.
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Not knowing what else to do, since he was already on his way to school, Aizawa would make his way to school in the rain without an umbrella. His friend Oboro would later arrive late to school carrying the same stray cat Aizawa had left behind in the rain.
8 He Wasn’t Always Sure About Becoming A Hero
After the incident with the cat, and seeing how Eraser Head's friend, Oboro, had acted more heroically than Aizawa himself had, Aizawa was left unsure of whether or not he could actually become a hero. If he couldn’t even manage to save a poor little cat from the rain, then what could he possibly do when it came to handling real trouble? His Quirk wasn’t as strong as some of the others in his class and, at this point, there wasn’t much he could do by himself. But Oboro and his friend Hizashi (the young Present Mic) were there to reassure that he could become a great hero someday if he believed in himself.
7 His Friend Oboro Shirakumo Gave Him His Googles
After being taken on by His Purple Highness, along with his friend Oboro, for their work-study, Shota begins doing some basic patrols with Oboro, hoping to help out and get some experience wherever they can. However, after their first run-in with a burglar who is capable of releasing smoke from his body, Aizawa is left essentially useless and the burglar escapes much to the dismay of everyone on Aizawa’s side. Though Aizawa feels awful about what happened, Oboro takes him aside and asks him what he could do better under those same (or similar) circumstances. After a short discussion, Oboro decides to let Aizawa borrow his goggles as he knows that the will stop the young Aizawa from being blinded should they meet the burglar again.
6 Oboro Is Also The One Who First Suggested Aizawa Work With Kids
During their time working for His Purple Highness, Oboro and Aizawa spend a lot of time together during their best to become better heroes. One day, as they are escorting the young children to their school, Oboro takes notice of how careful and considerate Aizawa is when he interacts with the young children they are escorting. It is after they begin dropping off the children that Oboro tells Aizawa that he was great with the children and should consider a career where he works with younger kids. Though Aizawa doesn’t feel the same way, Oboro’s insight is proved correct when a child comes to say goodbye to Aizawa personally.
5 He Lost His Best Friend (Oboro) During His First Big Bout With The Villain Garvey
It is almost immediately after they drop the children off at their school that Aizawa and Oboro are told to evacuate the area as the villain Garvey is in the area wreaking havoc. As they get to the school, just in time, Oboro uses his Quirk, Cloud, which allows him to create clouds dense enough to carry weight, to stop the building from collapsing on the young children. Though he is unable to keep the rubble from falling on himself.
4 After Which He Proceded To Defeat Garvey All Alone
With his mentor, His Purple Highness down for the count, and his friend Oboro (unbeknownst to Aizawa at the time) dead, Aizawa does everything he can to stop Garvey in his tracks. Though Aizawa is still having trouble being confident as a hero, he hears Oboro’s voice cheering him on.
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With Oboro cheering him on, Aizawa manages to take down the villain that took down his mentor all alone and rushes to find Oboro. Though, when he arrives at the location where Oboro was last seen, all he sees is his friend being carried away in a body bag.
3 After Oboro’s Death, Aizawa Withdraws Into Himself Almost Entirely
After the death of his friend Oboro, the person that had helped Aizawa through every step of his hero’s journey and who he had made plans to open a Pro Hero firm with after graduating UA, Aizawa became very withdrawn. Eraser Head stopped socializing altogether and while his grades were actually above average, he began to focus solely on combat training. Though his teachers worried about the young boy, there wasn’t much that they could do to help the young Aizawa who was clearly experiencing a great deal of pain.
2 Midnight Is The Hero That Actually Pushed Aizawa Into Becoming A Teacher
After graduating from UA, Aizawa goes into business for himself and becomes a hero focused solely on combating villains. After some time, and some success, Aizawa bumps into Midnight, with whom he had previously worked up His Purple Highness. Midnight informs him that she has been personally requested by UA’s principal to become a teacher at the school and remarks that Aizawa should consider becoming a teacher as well. Though Aizawa again disagrees, remarking he likely wouldn’t be any good with the students, Midnight submits a referral on his behalf (without his knowledge) and he is accepted as a teacher at UA.
1 Aizawa Meets All Might After A Raid On The Villain Factory
At a certain point in his career, Aizawa is convinced (again, by Midnight) to begin working with the police, as the instances of villain attacks he drastically shot up. After discovering that Onumura Pharma Corp has been creating a drug, Trigger, which boosts the abilities of weak quirks, the police alongside the heroes organize a raid on the facility that has been manufacturing the villains. Though he doesn’t know it, in the aftermath of this raid, Aizawa will meet Toshinori Yagi for the very first time. Though he is still unaware that he is the hero, All Might.
NEXT: My Hero Academia: The Strongest Villains In History, Ranked
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About The Author
Danny Hernandez (155 Articles Published)
I am a freelance writer and an amateur human being. Stories and Storytelling have been my passions for as long as I can remember, whether it's the stories written about superheroes, villains, or just people living in this world doing incredible and meaningful things. Stories are what interest me and writing has always been how I express that. On the freelance side of things, I tend to focus on entertainment, geek culture, vegan living, and Los Angeles culture. I follow my interests and let my passions guide my voice. My writing is likely to reflect my curiosity at any given point, which can mean anything from an article on why the MCU needs Dr. Doom far more than the Fantastic 4 or something on what it's like to be a millennial who's aged out of the foster care system. I use writing as an avenue--an excuse to explore aspects of life and the world that I wouldn't normally be able to. I'm just a nerd hoarding knowledge hoping to share what I've learned and be heard.
