With hundreds of different quirks populating My Hero Academia’s narrative, flashier quirks tend to take up the spotlight, in-turn sidelining utility and support quirks that are just as powerful as their stagy counterparts. Neito Monoma’s “Copy” quirk is one such quirk that is often glazed over due to being lumped in with the rest of Class 1-B, yet it slyly holds immense potential due to its unique applications.

Being able to copy and duplicate an opponent’s quirk is already a versatile power, but with a dash of creativity and wits, this power has endless possibilities in battle. Despite seeming like a straight-forward quirk, Copy has a few intricacies that add on to its potential, be it the ability to hold multiple quirks or the power to revive a lost quirk. While some of these applications have already been witnessed in My Hero Academia, others are speculations that could possibly take form as the series progresses.

Related

My Hero Academia: The Consequences of the Star and Stripe Arc

The Star and Stripe Arc marks a pivotal turn in My Hero Academia, completely changing the series' landscape going forward.

Simultaneously Using Multiple Quirks

Monoma Can Hold Up to Four Copied Quirks

At face value, Copy gives the impression that the user can only duplicate one quirk at a time, but it has been revealed that Monoma can train his quirk to increase the limit of his copied quirks. Monoma was initially able to only copy three quirks at a time, but this limit has increased to four, as he now wears four watches to keep track of the time limit of each stolen quirk.

In a fight with multiple opponents, this aspect of Copy would let the quirk take center stage, allowing Monoma to wield four different quirks simultaneously. He can swap between these quirks, making his fighting style rather unpredictable for opponents. Moreover, only Monoma remains aware of the quirks he is in possession of, giving him an edge in battle as his opponents would fail to anticipate his next attack.

Reviving Lost Quirks

Monoma Can Copy Quirks of Users Who Have Lost Their Quirk Factors

Since Copy duplicates a quirk through the target’s DNA, it doesn’t require the targeted user to have their quirk factor intact. This opens up the possibility for Monoma to Copy a quirk from a user that no longer has access to their power. While this application of Copy is quite niche, especially since quirk users rarely lose their quirk factors, it still serves as a novel application.

After Erasure Head lost one of his eyes in the Paranormal Liberation War, he could no longer use his Erasure quirk. However, Monoma can still copy his quirk and utilize Erasure’s quirk-erasing powers, albeit to a lesser extent. With Aizawa out of the picture, Monoma can take over Aizawa’s role with the law enforcement in terms of stripping villains of their quirks. Monoma becomes quite crucial for the Heroes later on after he uses Erasure to bar Shigaraki from using his quirks, proving the immense potential of this application.

Intuitive Understanding of Copied Quirks

Copying a Quirk Grants Monoma Knowledge of Its Workings

One lesser known aspect of Copy is its ability to analyze a duplicated quirk’s workings almost immediately. As soon as Monoma steals a quirk, he intuitively gains an understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of the power. This power is extremely useful for investigative work, as it can allow Monoma to pick apart unknown quirks and find the weakness of villains.

Related

My Hero Academia: 8 Quirkiest Quirks and What They Do

While some quirks are straightforward enhancements of strength or speed, others are downright bizarre and unexpected.

Apart from using this power against villains, Monoma can also copy an obscure quirk that the original user fails to understand. After Eri was taken into custody by the Heroes, Monoma’s quirk was employed to decipher the true workings of Rewind and the extent of its power. By copying Rewind, he was able to gain crucial knowledge about the quirk’s workings, such as the quirk’s accumulation status and the need for a large build-up of energy for the power to work.

Multiplying the Firepower of Allied Quirks

Monoma Can Copy Allied Quirks to Double Their Intensity

Arguably, the most simple yet effective application of Copy is to duplicate allied quirks and increase their firepower. Monoma’s fighting style usually revolves around copying the quirks of his opponents, though considering his fights in the series, there was never any ample opportunity for him to duplicate other heroes' quirks. This aspect of his power would essentially overlook the weakness of Copy, as he would naturally have easier access to his allies’ quirks.

For instance, Monoma could copy Star and Stripe’s New Order quirk and place two more rules for a total of four, bypassing her limit of keeping two rules active at a time. While this specific example is no longer applicable, the possibility of intensifying allied quirks is one of Copy’s greatest strengths. With the right quirk, this application of Copy could be extremely crucial for the heroes’ efforts against the League.

My Hero Academia is available to stream on Prime Video.

My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, Young Deku is born into a world where people commonly have something called quirks, also known as superpowers. He himself is born without any, but circumstances lead to that changing. He enrolls at the UA High School, a prestigious academy where the worlds future heroes learn how to use their powers.