Summary
- Hitoshi Shinso's quirk, Brainwashing, allows him to put targets in a trance-like state and force them to obey his commands.
- Brainwashing requires the target to verbally respond to Shinso first and can only affect one person at a time, but with training, Shinso can potentially control multiple targets.
- However, Brainwashing has several weaknesses, including the target's ability to refuse to respond to verbal commands and the inability to affect inanimate objects. Shinso's support equipment, Artificial Vocal Cords, helps him overcome these weaknesses and make his quirk more effective.
Among My Hero Academia’s vast expanse of quirks is an eerily intriguing power known as ‘Brainwashing,’ one capable of turning others into mindless servants. This quirk is possessed by Hitoshi Shinso, a student of U.A. High’s Class 1-C in the General Department. Shinso was initially sidelined due to the non-offensive nature of his quirk, placing him in the General Department since his power was essentially useless in the U.A. High entrance exam.
However, Shinso has made a comeback by transferring to the Hero Department, utilizing his once-discarded quirk to make a name for himself during the Joint Training Battle. Brainwashing has proven to be an exceptional quirk, taming enemies through mere words. While Shinso still awaits transfer to either Class 1-A or 1-B, it seems that My Hero Academia has realized Brainwashing’s worth, giving Shinso the attention he deserves.
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Shinso’s Quirk: Brainwashing
True to its namesake, Brainwashing is capable of putting targets in a trance-like state, forcing them to obey the caster’s commands. While the quirk may seem rather simple, its workings are rather intricate and complex. Brainwashing cannot directly activate at Shinso’s will, as the target must verbally respond to him first for the quirk to function. However, Brainwashing still has to be voluntarily activated to work, meaning other people can hold normal conversations with Shinso without falling into his trance.
The quirk can affect multiple targets simultaneously, though only one person at a time can fall victim to Brainwashing’s trance. The number of people affected at one time is dependent on Shinso’s mastery over the quirk, meaning the number can significantly go up if he were to properly train his power. However, he still has to concentrate on each target individually while ordering them to do his bidding for him.
Those under the quirk’s command are aware of being brainwashed, yet they cannot break free due to mental fog taking over. Their face becomes expressionless and eyes turn white once they are under Shinso’s trance, and they can only be freed by Shinso himself or a strong physical jolt. After training his quirk and evolving its features, Shinso can now force his victims to talk, gaining crucial information from them.
Brainwashing’s Many Weaknesses
Every powerful quirk is balanced out by a few weaknesses and side effects, and Brainwashing is no different. The notion of brainwashing enemies and enslaving them might seem like an unparalleled power, yet it is riddled by a number of weaknesses that weigh down Brainwashing’s potency. The quirk’s primary weakness is that the target can refuse to respond to Shinso’s verbal commands, rendering the quirk entirely useless in that situation.
Opponents going against Shinso for the first time may fall victim to his brainwashing, yet those aware of his power are almost impossible to trap. This became apparent during his fight against Class 1-A during the Joint Training Battle, as his quirk became almost useless after 1-A figured out his quirk’s workings. Others were able to break free from his quirk due to a strong physical impact, meaning Brainwashing’s grip is rather weak.
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A major drawback of the quirk is that victims cannot be forced to perform a task that requires complex brain functioning, meaning Shinso must also simplify his orders for the mindless targets to follow. Another drawback of the quirk is that it does not affect inanimate objects, which is primarily why Shinso failed to defeat the robots in U.A. High’s entrance exam. Lastly, using a speaker or a microphone renders Brainwashing useless, as these devices turn Shinso’s voice into electrical signals, losing the effect of the quirk altogether.
Shinso’s Support Equipment: Artificial Vocal Cords
Shinso’s quirk is supported by his new hero equipment – Artificial Vocal Cords, a device that acts as a sort of voice changer, masking Shinso’s own voice. The purpose of this equipment is to trick victims into Brainwashing’s trance by mimicking someone else’s voice, since those aware of this power’s working would be immune to its debilitating effects.
The device becomes necessary in situations where Shinso is up against an opponent that is aware of how Brainwashing works, meaning they could potentially choose to ignore his voice commands and escape Brainwashing’s clutches. With Artificial Vocal Cords, Shinso’s quirk becomes a game of wits as opponents are forced to discern whether it’s an ally or Shinso mimicking their voice.
Shinso’s only ultimate move is Persona Chords, a technique entirely dependent on Artificial Vocal Cord’s voice mimicry. Shinso modifies his tonality and pitch through the support equipment, tricking his opponents into answering him by catching them off guard. While speakers and other machines turn vocal commands into electrical signals, Artificial Vocal Cords only alter Shinso’s pitch and tone, keeping the natural sound waves intact. Suffice to say, much of Brainwashing’s power is locked behind Artificial Vocal Cords, deeming it an integral part of Shinso’s quirk.
My Hero Academia is available to stream on Prime Video.