Hitoshi Shinsou

Shinsou is reserved, blunt, intelligent, and initially resentful of the advantages enjoyed by students whose Quirks appear naturally suited to hero work.

People have repeatedly told him that Brainwashing sounds ideal for villainy. Those reactions make him acutely aware that society judges individuals according to assumptions about their abilities.

Shinsou is willing to manipulate opponents and exploit emotional weaknesses during competition, but his underlying ambition is straightforward: he wants to become a hero. Training under Aizawa gradually replaces some of his resentment with confidence built through genuine skill.

Brainwashing activates when someone verbally responds to Shinsou. Once affected, the target follows his spoken commands and normally enters a passive state until the effect is broken by a sufficiently strong physical stimulus.

The Quirk does not activate merely because someone hears him, and Shinsou cannot force a brainwashed target to perform complex actions requiring independent thought.

His Persona Cords modify his voice, allowing him to imitate other people and trick opponents into answering. This dramatically expands the tactical applications of Brainwashing.

Under Aizawa, Shinsou also learns to use a binding cloth modeled on Eraser Head's capture weapon, giving him mobility and close-range options independent of his Quirk.

Shinsou enters the U.A. Sports Festival specifically hoping to earn a transfer into the Hero Course. He uses Brainwashing effectively during the preliminary rounds and eventually faces Izuku Midoriya.

Although he loses, the match draws attention to his potential and determination. His classmates' support afterward challenges his assumption that hero students are simply privileged competitors.

Aizawa subsequently begins training him. During the Joint Training exercise, Shinsou participates in matches involving both Class 1-A and Class 1-B so U.A. can evaluate whether he is ready for the Hero Course.

Shinsou later uses Brainwashing during the final war to control Gigantomachia after Persona Cords allow him to imitate All For One's voice, temporarily turning one of the villains' greatest weapons against its master.

Shouta Aizawa becomes Shinsou's mentor, teaching him capture-weapon techniques and preparing him for Hero Course combat.

Izuku Midoriya is Shinsou's opponent during the Sports Festival and later faces him again during Joint Training.

Neito Monoma works particularly effectively with Shinsou during the Joint Training exercise because both favor tactical and deceptive Quirk use.

Denki Kaminari encourages Shinsou during training and openly tells him that his abilities would make him popular in the Hero Course.