Overhaul could have solved half of My Hero Academia's problems, but Horikoshi didn't do it justice

Modified Oct 25, 2024 05:36 GMT

Overhaul could have solved half of My Hero Academia's problems (Image via Bones)

My Hero Academia and its quirk-based power system are inarguably among the more grounded and thoroughly explored systems, with both the benefits and drawbacks of the phenomenon being emphasized. Much of the narrative is dedicated to establishing the various types of quirks, their manifestations, and the ramifications of quirks leading to undesirable outcomes, as seen with characters like Spinner and Himiko Toga.

While the power to remove or bestow quirks was unique to All For One (AFO), Chisaki, better known as Overhaul, was a character who could have provided a similar benefit to society. Given the multiple factors involved in the functioning of quirks, Overhaul could have simply stopped the mechanism behind them without needing to resort to AFO's methods.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for the My Hero Academia series.

My Hero Academia: Issues around quirks could've been easily solved by Overhaul

Shoji as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Bones)

The quirks within My Hero Academia are a relatively new occurrence, with the first recorded instance happening less than a century ago. This first quirk manifestation was recorded with the birth of a glowing baby in China, which was followed by a sudden influx of quirk discoveries around the globe.

Initially, hypotheses suggested that quirks were caused by a virus spread from animals. However, it was later accepted as an evolutionary step, with quirks being recognized as expressions of certain genes. While quirks granted superpowers, many of them led to civil unrest, changes in psychology, and severe deviations from regular human physiology. This is evident in the cases of Himiko Toga and Spinner.

Spinner as shown in the anime (Image via Bones)

Quirks and their manifestations are essentially the result of the "quirk gene," which expresses as additional traits on a regular human body or directly alters the body. This distinction is exemplified by characters like Ojiro, whose quirk adds traits, and Shoji, whose body is physically altered.

The Quirk Singularity Theory, which theorized that quirks would eventually grow into uncontrollable, destructive powers, along with prejudice against certain types of quirks, became one of the primary issues tackled in the story.

Given that quirks and the mechanisms through which they operate, namely the quirk factor, are two separate entities, someone with the ability to rearrange molecules could, in theory, rearrange the genetic information of quirks while keeping the actual quirk factor intact.

Chisaki's Overhaul quirk allowed him to rearrange matter at a molecular level. This, in theory, could have enabled him to stop how a quirk manifests, or perform specific operations to negate certain aspects of a quirk.

Overhaul as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Bones)

Although Overhaul may not have been able to undo quirks with physical manifestations, like Ojiro's tail or Shoji's extra arms and appearance, he could theoretically tweak the quirk itself into becoming nonfunctional by stopping the pathways or adaptations required for its activation.

In theory, Overhaul could solve the Quirk Singularity problem by "turning off" certain quirks at a genetic level. This would prevent the psychological and physiological effects of quirks, solving two major issues that led to wars and civil unrest within the world of My Hero Academia. All of these possibilities were overlooked in the narrative, making Overhaul one of the most underutilized characters in the story.

Final Thoughts

The story of My Hero Academia ended with the formation of a new Public Safety Commission to address issues stemming from quirk-related prejudice and the lack of support for individuals with unusual quirks. The manga consists of 430 chapters, currently available for reading on Shueisha's MANGA Plus platform.

Overhaul could have solved half of My Hero Academia's problems, but Horikoshi didn't do it justice

My Hero Academia: Issues around quirks could've been easily solved by Overhaul

Final Thoughts

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