WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 21, "Revival Party," now streaming on Funimation, Hulu, and Crunchyroll
In the world of My Hero Academia, there is a strict "no killing" rule for Pro Heroes, who are meant to be the pillars that uphold this Quirk-based society. There's no such thing as a Quirk that is inherently good or bad -- it all depends on the person who wields it. In Season 5, Episode 21, Himiko Toga's appropriation of Ochaco Uraraka's Zero Gravity Quirk serves as a cruel reminder that even the most innocent of Quirks can have nefarious uses.
The full implications of a Quirk's power can be lost when the user is a Pro Hero who must follow strict guidelines when it comes to their abilities. The League of Villains and Meta Liberation Army, while currently in conflict with one another, are similar in that they each make free and full use of their Quirks. Thanks to this feud, Himiko Toga's Transform Quirk has powered up and now allows her to copy not just a person's appearance, but their Quirk as well.
As the League of Villains enters Deika City, the soldiers of the Meta Liberation Army immediately descend upon them. Everyone fending for themselves, Toga finds herself targeted by a large group of MLA soldiers, led by Curious, who appears to be one of the MLA's leaders. Himiko's Transform Quirk isn't suited to large battles, considering she can only copy someone's appearance. As she attempts to use her Quirk to escape, Curious and the MLA soldiers continue to cut her off as she is savagely beaten to near death.
When Toga drinks blood from her stash, she turns into Ochaco Uraraka, one of the U.A. students she has long been fixated on. In her desperation to escape, Himiko manifests the ability to wield the Quirk of the person whose appearance she has taken on. Using Uraraka's Zero Gravity, Toga floats the helpless MLA soldiers high into the air before touching her fingers back together, causing them to plummet to the ground and their deaths.
Ochaco Uraraka is far from the most "powerful" student in Class 1-A, and her Quirk is not considered to be lethal. Primarily used to restrain villains and aid in search and rescue, Zero Gravity is proven to be just as deadly as any other power-based Quirk when used with intent to kill. That half of Toga's face still resembled Ochaco when she used Zero Gravity to slaughter the MLA soldiers only adds to the disturbing implications of Himiko's actions.
Himiko and Ochaco are perfect examples of Quirks inherently being neither good nor bad. The two girls actually have a lot in common, as they have each only ever wanted to show that they care for others. Unfortunately, Himiko's penchant for drinking blood as part of her Quirk caused her to be rejected by society and even her own parents. Drinking blood is normal for Toga, and if anyone had ever just accepted her as she is, she may have never become a villain in the first place.
Toga's new ability has the potential to create many disturbing "what if…?" scenarios by transforming into a hero and using their Quirk for evildoing. It could also serve as a form of psychological warfare if a hero or student were forced to witness their own Quirk being used to hurt people. Himiko Toga's new ability offers an entirely new perspective on Quirks, and it will be interesting to see how she wields this new power, assuming the League of Villains can defeat the Meta Liberation Army, that is.
