Highlights
- Kyoka Jiro starts off as a cold hero with a sarcastic attitude but grows into a dependable and intelligent character in Class 1-A.
- Despite her quirk's limitations, Jiro's Earphone Jack ability proves to be a useful support power in missions and battles.
- Jiro's development impacts her classmates, notably Momo Yaoyorozu and Denki Kaminari, as they grow and gain confidence together.
My Hero Academia runs a tight ship of pro heroes and those in training, providing the series with a strong cast of quirk users. In Class 1-A, Izuku Midoriya and his One For All quirk joins a group of different personalities and belief systems. While they are all attending the Hero Academy for the same purposes — to master their quirks and earn a Hero Provisional License — they must also learn to work together, which means plenty of time to bond. Kōhei Horikoshi, the Mangaka of My Hero Academia, introduces several new faces to the series in short succession, giving every one of them time to breathe and flesh out their personalities to give them life.
Kyoka Jiro, known as Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack, is the hero with a cold attitude who likes to tease those she deems an easy target. Despite her seemingly negative demeanor, Jiro has a heart of gold and isn't afraid to defend her friends under any circumstances. Introduced in Episode 5, "Smashing into Academia", Jiro enters the Hero Academy after passing her U.A. Entrance Exam, and becomes the 12th student in Class 1-A. Though her grades are good enough to finish 7th among all students in the school, her popularity among the polls reaches the top-10 just once, as her usual placement hovers around the 15-20 position.
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Kyoka Jiro's Introduction In Season One
What Was Earphone Jack Like In Season One?
Of all the female heroes introduced in season one of My Hero Academia, Jiro may be the most difficult to get along with. Although she enjoys socializing with many of her classmates, Jiro has a tendency to pick on those she finds annoying, like Denki Kaminari. She has a quick tongue when a comeback to commentary is available, and she never hesitates to speak her mind when someone is out of line. Though Jiro may come off as cold, her communication with her female classmates in Class 1-A showcases a kind-hearted nature and maturity beyond her age. Early on, Jiro demonstrates a sarcastic attitude but is also someone who wishes to be accepted by others.
Despite her longing for friendship, Jiro's short fuse has gotten her into some comical situations, particularly with Minoru Mineta and Denki. Though her Earphone Jack quirk is more of a supportive power with some potential for medium-ranged attacks, Jiro has used it to keep those in line whenever they get on her nerves. Using Earphone Jack as a weapon, she releases her quirk and taps the target, sending a jolt of electricity into them. Even though a quirk user like Denki is familiar with an emitting quirk like his electrification, Jiro's power is enough to make him fear any future punishments.
Kyoka Jiro's Character Arc Analyzed
When Did Earphone Jack Start Growing?
Throughout her time at the Hero Academy, Jiro begins to demonstrate compassion towards everyone in her class. Though she often picks on Denki for being an annoyance, she eventually warms up to him, revealing her own insecurities as her motivation for the bullying. This personality growth helps build friendships with the unlikeliest of classmates, turning a once-cold Jiro into a dependable character that classmates can go to for advice. This, in turn, helps build her own confidence, as Jiro struggles with her quirk's potential, which develops an uncertainty towards her future with the other heroes in training.
The swift change in Jiro's confidence allows her to feel more comfortable showing off her intelligence. During missions, Jiro demonstrates high leadership qualities, preferring the approach of gaining information of the surrounding area before attacking, and concocting a strategy that will help her team win. Though Jiro's quirk isn't particularly powerful, her role as one of the smartest students in Class 1-A allows her to make use of a support quirk in many different ways. Jiro learns to plug her Earphone Jack quirk to sense vibrations, helping her determine how close — or far — the enemy is. Her earlobes are extra sensitive and allow her to hear from a far distance, giving Jiro the ability to spy on unsuspecting people.
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Accessing Kyoka Jiro's Growth And Development
Earphone Jack's Growth And Impact On My Hero Academia
Jiro's continued development rubs off on many of her female friends, mainly Momo Yaoyorozu, who Jiro becomes close friends with. Like Jiro, Momo has some insecurities with the strength of her quirk, struggling to find her place in Class 1-A. Like Jiro, Momo is also intelligent and can think of strategies on the fly, but her lack of belief in herself leads to some poor decision-making. This changes with the newfound confidence in Jiro, which directly affects how Momo sees her own quirk. The two work well together, especially in moments of need, as they feed off one another's strengths, while helping them correct their weaknesses.
As Denki continues to develop his quirk and gain the ability to control it for longer periods of time, Jiro understands how motivated he is despite his aloof nature. Over time, Jiro grows closer to Denki, turning from a bullying classmate to one that offers him support and wise advice, while boosting his confidence with compliments and admiration. Though Denki's quirk has its limitations, Jiro finds ways to use its full potential to gain the upper hand on the enemy, while showing him that she trusts the electrification hero's ability. They say a high tide raises all ships, and Jiro's positive outlook on her classmates' quirks is what helps increase their confidence.
What Fans Can Expect From Kyoka Jiro's Ceiling
When Will Earphone Jack Reach Her Peak?
Unfortunately, Jiro's Earphone Jack quirk ranks low on the power scale when it's compared to the quirks of others. Jiro is capable of increasing the range of her earlobes, but this extension is finite and can only reach medium-range enemies. Her earlobes aren't technically powerful either, as they offer more of a diversion with the potential to zap anything they touch. This places Jiro as more of a supporting character in My Hero Academia, which means she won't be at the front of the battle line. This isn't a knock against her true latent potential, as the Earphone Jack quirk has proven on many occasions that it can be a very useful ability to bring to a fight.
Jiro also has amplifiers in her forearms and legs, which help bring out more power and utilize her sound-based attacks. When plugging her earlobes into her legs, Jiro can release the Counter-Balance attack, which sends out a shockwave meant for cancelling out other sound-based attacks. Her forearm amplifiers are more attack-focused, as they allow her to use ultimate moves, such as Heartbeat Distortion, Heartbeat Surround, Legato, and Heartbeat Wall. These attacks can shake the ground in its surrounding area, while impeding the movement of the enemy. Though it won't be able to knock out any opponents, Jiro's quirk is perfectly suitable for pre-emptive strikes and espionage tactics.
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