Gearshift: When did Deku first use Gearshift in My Hero Academia? Chapter and episode number, explored

When did Deku first use Gearshift in My Hero Academia? Chapter and episode number, explored

Modified Aug 20, 2024 20:00 GMT

Izuku Midoriya aka Deku (Image via Studio Bones)

My Hero Academia's protagonist, Izuku Midorya, aka Deku, went from Quirkless to likely one of the strongest Heroes around. Thanks to a fateful encounter with his idol All Might, Deku became the 9th individual to possess the One For All (OFA) Quirk.

With it came the abilities of its previous wielders, each one unique and powerful in its own way. Among them, Deku gained access to the OFA's Second User, Kudo's Quirk called Gearshift. However, it wasn't until later in the series that the boy actually used it.

As it stands, Deku used Gearshift in chapter 368 of the manga and in episode 151 (season 7 episode 13) of the anime.

The chapter and episode when Deku first used Gearshift in My Hero Academia

In the manga, Deku first used Gearshift in chapter 368, during the Final Arc Saga. More specifically, it was during the Final War Arc when Deku arrived at the U.A Sky Coffin to face Tomura Shigaraki/All For One (AFO). The Heroes had cooked up a "Divide and Conquer" strategy, aiming to break up the Villain group into smaller segments and match them with Heroes possessing Quriks most suited to their opponents.

As such, Deku was supposed to be at the location Shigaraki/AFO was transported to, but Toga Himiko's intervention threw a spanner in the works temporarily. However, he was able to move between locations and arrived at the last moment to face his arch nemesis. In the anime adaptation, Deku used Gearshift in the most recent episode, i.e., episode 151 or season 7 episode 13.

Is gearshift Deku's strongest Quirk in My Hero Academia?

Before answering, let's understand what Gearshift does. To begin with, Gearshift was the Quirk of OFA's Second User, Kudo. It allows the user to change the speed at which things accelerate through space. Gearshift is even capable of changing speeds while totally discounting the Laws of Inertia. As the anime depicts, a glowing blue aura enveloped Deku upon use, but for Kudo, the aura only enveloped small objects.

However, Gearshift does have a couple of drawbacks: first, it needs the boost from OFA to work on larger objects; second, the physical strain of Gearshift is demanding; hence, Kudo estimated 5 minutes before the effects would incapacitate Deku; and third, being an individual Quirk Factor of the original owner and not a part of OFA, it can be stolen by AFO.

Considering these points, Gearshift can be considered as Deku's strongest Quirk. Bolstered with OFA and evolving, Gearshift's scope greatly broadened, allowing it to be applied to more diverse targets and function right down to a cellular level and capable of warping the very laws of reality. Hence, with the risks it carries, it is suitable as a final trump card to cement victory in a dire situation.

How many times does Deku use Gearshift in My hero Academia?

Deku and Shigaraki/AFO (Image via Studio Bones)

In the entirety of My Hero Academia, Deku has used Gearshift a total of 4 times. He first used it to highly boost the power of all Ultimate Moves, making them faster, to the point where he broke the sound barrier and inflicted heavy damage to Shigaraki.

Next, he later combined Gearshift with Fa Jin to create Overdrive, a force described as 120% of OFA, against Shigaraki during their battle. Izuku then proceeded to use it to boost his speed and attack power to unleash Detroit Smash: Quintuple, i.e., five Detroit Smashes in quick succession on Shigaraki.

Deku used Gearshift once more in a desperate moment on Katsuki Bakugo. The blonde coupled Deku's power with Cluster to launch himself and gain tremendous speed to save All Might from certain death.

Deku used it one last time on himself, aware that the aftereffects would render him immobile and vulnerable. After using it, the recoil blowback paralyzed Deku's breathing. Realizing the severity of the situation, Deku decided to transfer Gearshift first to destroy Shigaraki from the inside.