Keigo Takami, widely known as the Wing Hero: Hawks, holds a significant role as a protagonist in the immensely popular manga and anime series called My Hero Academia, which was first introduced in 2014. He takes on the position of the deuteragonist in the Pro Hero Arc and plays a crucial role in Season 5 of the series. Additionally, he makes a minor yet pivotal appearance in the second movie installment of My Hero Academia, titled Heroes Rising.
Despite his young age, Keigo Takami has managed to establish himself as Japan's second-ranked Pro Hero. At the remarkable age of eighteen, he took the initiative to open his very own Hero Agency. Within a year of its establishment, he soared to the ranks of the top 10 Pro Heroes in Japan, thereby becoming the youngest hero to achieve such a feat. His unique ability, known as Fierce Wings, manifests as a striking set of red feathery wings sprouting from his back.
Appearance
Hawks is depicted as a young man with average height. He sports blonde hair that is swept backward and captivating gold-brown eyes, which bear a resemblance to those of a bird. Additionally, a slight hint of stubble can be observed on his chin. His Quirk grants him a striking pair of large, vibrant red wings adorned with feathers that gradually lengthen as they extend downwards.
Hawks' hero costume bears a resemblance to an aviator's uniform, featuring a predominantly yellow color scheme accentuated with white fur lining. Underneath, he wears a black top embellished with a golden pattern. To protect his eyes, he sports a yellow-tinted visor. Completing his attire are black gloves and boots. Notably, he is often seen donning headphones, which likely serve to safeguard his ears from the intense velocities he reaches while in flight.
Following the events of the War and his fierce confrontation with Dabi, Hawks suffered significant injuries across his body. As a testament to his battle scars, a prominent scar stretches along his jawline, serving as a reminder of the arduous ordeal he endured. Additionally, he wears a neck brace as part of his recovery, accompanied by a modified undercut hairstyle.
Personality
Although Hawks is forthright with his opinions, he possesses a compassionate heart. He yearns for his fellow heroes to have the opportunity to lead more relaxed lives, allowing them the occasional respite. Despite his carefree facade, Hawks experiences substantial stress and dedicates himself tirelessly to his hero duties, diligently following the directives of the Hero Safety Commission (HSPC). He confesses to Fumikage Tokoyami that he initially approached the young aspiring hero to gather information about the League of Villains (in addition to their shared avian attributes). However, Hawks subsequently resolves to inspire Tokoyami and imparts some words of wisdom. He also carries a burden of guilt over Endeavor's facial scar resulting from the Nomu attack, as he deliberately contained the High-End Nomu to minimize casualties.
Hawks exhibits exceptional intelligence, having received training from the HSPC at a young age, mastering the arts of espionage and infiltration. He possesses complete control over his facial expressions and speech patterns, rendering him an adept liar, although he openly admits his distaste for dishonesty, considering it excessively burdensome. These attributes enable him to successfully infiltrate the Liberation Army and deceive the villains into believing he is on their side. Essentially, Hawks is a prodigious talent, establishing his own Hero Agency at a remarkably young age of 18 and attaining a position among the Top Ten Heroes within the same year, thus becoming the youngest hero to achieve such a feat.
However, beneath his affable and friendly facade, a darker side of Hawks' personality emerges during his undercover mission with the League of Villains. While he remains firmly on the side of justice, his inner conflict manifests in his disgust towards Dabi following the attacks. This leads Hawks to issue a menacing threat to the villain, brandishing one of his feather blades. He subsequently reveals that, despite his heroic nature and innate goodness, this darker aspect of his character possesses the capacity for lethal action. Although Hawks forges a friendship and earns the trust of the villain Twice, he grapples with guilt over deceiving him and ultimately betraying that trust. Hawks recognizes the inherent goodness within Twice, despite his affiliation with the League of Villains, and seeks to redeem him and offer him support.
However, upon realizing that Twice would not surrender peacefully and would remain loyal to the League, Hawks reluctantly makes the difficult decision to kill the villain, acknowledging that allowing him to live would pose a significant threat.
Backstory
Keigo's parents lived in dire poverty, leading his father to resort to robbery while his mother, Tomie, utilized her unique Quirk of eyeball detachment to scan for any potential guards. Unfortunately, his father's criminal activities escalated to the point where he took a life during a robbery attempt. Faced with this dire situation, Keigo's mother harbored him, and he was inadvertently born into this tumultuous environment.
From a young age, Keigo endured both physical and verbal abuse from his father, who expressed regret over his son's existence. However, Keigo chose to shrug off the abuse, understanding that his parents were broken individuals. To distract himself from his troubled home life, Keigo found solace in watching Pro Heroes like Endeavor and All Might on television. Tomie secretly took Keigo out of the house to purchase an Endeavor doll, envisioning a future where he would follow in the footsteps of the Flame Hero. Keigo developed a strong attachment to the doll, and it became his first cherished possession, contributing to his idolization of Endeavor.
Ultimately, Keigo's father was apprehended by Endeavor, leading Keigo to believe that heroes, including his idol, were indeed real. However, the family, now implicated in harboring a fugitive, was forced to flee their home. Trapped in a cycle of poverty with no financial means and burdened by Tomie's severe mental illnesses, they struggled to survive. One fateful day, Keigo found himself involved in a car accident where he utilized his feather-based abilities to save multiple individuals.
This heroic act caught the attention of the Hero Public Safety Commission (HPSC). Recognizing Keigo's potential, they extended an offer to him and Tomie, granting them a chance to start anew. To sever any connections with their criminal past, the commission arranged for Keigo's name to be changed, removing the association with the Takami family. Keigo was recruited into the HPSC and underwent unorthodox training methods, deviating from the conventional hero training approaches.
Powers & Abilities
Hawks possess the Quirk known as Fierce Wings, which grants him a remarkable set of broad red wings, enabling him to achieve flight at exceptional speeds. In addition to flight, his Quirk allows him to telekinetically manipulate each individual feather that comprises his wings. This ability grants him great versatility in combat and rescue situations, as he can launch his feathers for various purposes, such as attacking villains or aiding civilians in distress. The feathers themselves are lightweight yet durable, and Hawks can utilize the longer ones as formidable blades. Additionally, he possesses the ability to use his feathers to detect sounds and vibrations in his surroundings, allowing him to locate individuals and eavesdrop on conversations.
It is important to note that the more feathers Hawks employs simultaneously, the more his flying capabilities are hindered. Furthermore, his feathers are susceptible to damage from fire-based attacks, rendering him vulnerable to enemies with fire-related abilities. If all his feathers are destroyed, it takes approximately two days for his main wings to regrow them.
Beyond his Quirk, Hawks exhibits exceptional intelligence, demonstrating a clever, strategic, and highly resourceful nature. Having received training from the Hero Public Safety Commission from a young age, he has acquired a wide range of experiences and honed his ability to flawlessly control his facial expressions. This enables him to maintain an outward appearance of calmness and relaxation while remaining constantly vigilant.
Hawks possesses remarkable espionage skills, as evidenced by his successful infiltration and deception within the ranks of the Paranormal Liberation Front, a villainous organization. He managed to conceal his true intentions from the group's leaders and members, with the exception of Dabi, who eventually discovered his true allegiance. However, even with Dabi's suspicions, Hawks skillfully evaded him long enough to ascertain the location of Shigaraki, the leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front.
Overall, Hawks is an immensely powerful Pro Hero who maximizes the potential of his Fierce Wings Quirk. While his Quirk may lack raw destructive power, he compensates for this by playing a crucial supportive role when partnering with more physically formidable heroes like Endeavor. His exceptional skills, sharp intellect, and unparalleled resourcefulness make him an invaluable asset to the hero community.
The person behind the voice
In the Japanese version of the anime, Keigo Takami is voiced by Yuichi Nakamura, who has also lent his voice to notable characters like Greed in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Gray Fullbuster in Fairy Tail, and Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen. In the English version, Zeno Robinson provides the voice for Keigo Takami, having previously voiced characters such as Goh in the Pokémon anime and Carapace in Miraculous Ladybug. During his childhood, Emi Lo lends her voice to portray Keigo Takami in the English version.
Trivia
Hawks received private hero education as a child instead of attending a heroics course in high school.
The character of Hawks drew inspiration from professional footballer Lionel Messi.
In the manga, a younger Hawks was depicted with an Endeavor figurine, indicating his admiration for the hero. It was later revealed that Endeavor had saved Hawks when he was a child, inspiring him to pursue the path of a hero.
Ironically, Hawks' favorite food is chicken.
There was an insinuation that Hawks was responsible for the disappearance and potential death of Best Jeanist, with hints suggesting that Hawks had killed him using one of his feather blades.
However, it is later revealed that Best Jeanist is alive and his disappearance was staged. He had been placed in a deathlike coma similar to the Nomus, with Hawks and Best Jeanist collaborating on the plan. Best Jeanist's participation was reluctant, as he did not enjoy the process of putting himself into a coma, but it was done to facilitate Hawks' believable involvement with the League of Villains and gain further trust from them.
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