WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 6, "Foresight," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.
The competition between Classes 1-A and 1-B has been an exciting, action-packed way to show off the results of Class 1-A's extensive training from past seasons of My Hero Academia. However, the main cast now finds themselves sharing the spotlight in Episode 6, creating rivalries and new friendships as we are introduced to other students who may be on par with them.
Class 1-B has always taken a backseat to 1-A, but fans are now getting acquainted with the other half of the hero course as they display their own Quirks and abilities in formidable ways. One of these characters is Kinoko Komori (hero name: Shemage), who plays a crucial role in securing Class 1-B's first win in the competition.
Kinoko's Mushroom Quirk enables her to release various types of fungus spores that latch onto any solid surface, including a person's body, and grow to their full size almost immediately. They cover a large radius and disappear on their own after two or three hours. Since they spread to wider areas in more humid environments, Kinoko carries Shroom-Shooters that allow her to increase the humidity in any given climate and spread her spores more rapidly.
While Kinoko doesn't have a strong combative ability, she is extremely proficient with her Quirk and makes the most of this seemingly benign power. She uses her skills in long-range support by overwhelming her opponents with large numbers of shrooms, obscuring their vision, etc. And she favors the idea of releasing as many mushrooms as she can as there doesn't appear to be a limit to how many she can use at a given time.
As Classes 1-B and 1-A go back and forth in trying to gain the upper hand, Tokoyami launches a surprise attack, utilizing his incredible speed to capture both Kinoko and Shihai. However, in a desperate attempt to turn the tide, Kinoko uses her Quirk to grow a rough-textured mushroom called Schizophyllum commune on Tokoyami's lungs. Since her spores are already in the air, this trap was likely set from the moment Tokoyami inhaled -- he eventually doubles over, coughing mercilessly from breathing difficulties. This move sequentially sets Kinoko and Shihai free.
Kinoko's attack was unexpected, but also alarming. It proves that if she's pushed to the edge, she doesn't have a problem growing mushrooms on her opponents' insides, which has the potential to be very dangerous. Many Quirks in the My Hero Academia universe are more hazardous than we give them credit for, especially in the hands of a hero who wields them in more creative and fun ways. For example, the consequences of Mina Ashido's Acid Quirk can be overlooked due to the unique way she uses it in battle, but it also shouldn't be taken lightly -- a single misstep could be deadly.
Though Kinoko's cute appearance and dream of becoming an idol hero is enough for any opponent to underestimate her abilities, My Hero Academia has shown what she is capable of and the extreme lengths she will go to achieve her goal. With a solid determination and a strong grasp on her Quirk, it's easy to see Kinoko playing a useful role again in the future. She has now established herself as a surprisingly terrifying foe.
