How did Aira get her powers in Dandadan? Explained

Modified Jan 02, 2025 04:30 GMT

Dandadan and how did Aira get her powers (Image via Science SARU). — Dandadan and how did Aira get her powers (Image via Science SARU)

"How did Aira get her powers in Dandadan?" might be one of the most popular questions in the fandom after the first season of the anime, since it didn't get a lot of exposure. Aira is seen fighting the Serpo aliens when the latter return a second time for Ken Takakura, with the former displaying a new look and a set of abilities that allow her to fight at their level.

Aira Shiratori got her powers in Dandadan because the yokai Acrobatic Silky gave her aura to resurrect her, thus leading to the former having part of her supernatural powers. That is why she transforms when using her powers and even adopts some of the mannerisms of the Acrobatic Silky, which is also a representation of the short bond they shared in the series.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda as a publication.

The origins of Aira's powers, explained

Acrobatic Silky and Aira as seen in the anime (Image via Science SARU)

There was a yokai named Acrobatic Silky, who was the tormented soul of a deceased woman who lost her daughter to mobsters while alive, and now she thinks that Aira Shiratori is her child because of a meeting they had years ago. This leads to this yokai eventually fighting the likes of Momo Ayase and Okarun in the series, with Aira suffering collateral damage and getting mortally wounded.

As mentioned, upon realizing that she had hurt Aira and seeing the error of her ways, Acrobatic Silky offers her aura to keep the former alive and pay for her sins with her life. This leads to a tender moment where Aira hugs the yokai before the latter's passing, but this process that resurrected her also meant that she gained her powers.

It is in the next arc, when Okarun is attacked by the Serpo aliens, that Aira makes use of these powers for the first time, showing a more adult version of herself with red hair and a mask similar to Acrobatic Silky's face as a yokai. Moreover, she adopts some of her mannerisms, and the anime adaptation by Science SARU added a similar approach to their voices and how they sound.

Aira's evolution and use of her powers in Dandadan

Close-up of Aira's face as she is using her powers (Image via Science SARU)

A major reason why people ask how Aira got powers in Dandadan is because they want to know not only what she can do, but also how she manages to get stronger throughout the story. The first she gains from Acrobatic Silky's powers is her mobility, flexibility, and body coordination, which is a direct result of the yokai's years as a ballet dancer when she was human.

One of Aira Shiratori's main abilities in this form is Spiral Power, which is the ability to elongate her hair and use it as a weapon to attack her enemies. There is also how she uses Spiral Power in an ability known as Pirouette Noble Drill, which is a drill made of her hair, coupled with another technique, Power of Words, which has her saying the ability's name time and time again to gain a boost.

Final thoughts

How Aira gets her powers in Dandadan is one of the main focuses of the first season of the anime, and she has become a mainstay of the cast ever since. These powers also represent the short but significant connection she had with the Acrobatic Silky, which adds another layer to her using this transformation.

Edited by Ahana Mukhopadhyay