My Hero Academia’s fifth season has shown an array of fantastic combat capabilities that we haven’t had a chance to experience before.
The mystifying students of Class 1-B sure have a few neat tricks up their sleeves…and with the fresh arrival of AnimeLab to the Funimation family, you can’t help but wonder what kinds of powers would be on display if the franchise had an Aussie twist.
That’s right, we’re talking about Quirks suited specifically to Australia, and we’ve got a few rattling around the old noggin. Slap on your gumboots and nab a Lamington for the road because we’re about to give it a burl.
RELATED: Life Lessons That Schooled Us in My Hero Academia
Hero Name: Tubulady, Quirk: Surfing
It’s a well-known fact that the majority of Australia’s populace live in the vicinity of coastal regions, and not coincidentally, it is famous worldwide for its surfing culture. Waxed boards, bronzed tans and a propensity for squinting blearily into the distance, surfers are as Strayan as a somewhat soggy meat pie.
If My Hero Academia were set down in Aus, it’s academic — pun! — that it would feature a Hero who rides the waves. Obviously, the ability to just be really good at surfing wouldn’t exactly be plus ultra, so Tubulady goes the extra nautical mile by literally becoming a surfboard herself. Strewth!!
She can take on the strongest riptide, doubling as a floatation device in case of emergency. Rescue is a big facet of a Hero’s job, after all, just try not to step on her face unless you want to get a stern lecture once you’re safely back on shore.
Hero Name: Slanga, Quirk: Vernacular
Have you ever travelled overseas and felt isolated, even in English-speaking nations? For Australians in particular, the reason is simple and unavoidable: that accent is so unique and loaded with abstract curios, it’s almost a language unto itself.
This isn’t limited to some of the more cultivated phrases such as yobbo or ocker, however, and applies to even throwaway terms that those from Down Under take for granted.
Tell an American that you ‘won’t be there for ages’, and their mind will race, pondering exactly what age you’re referring to, from toddler to geriatric. The Aussie lexicon is a veritable minefield of little nuggets similar to that; so natural when expressed on home soil, only to become a riddle the moment we set foot abroad.
That said, poor Slanga’s Quirk is actually functionally useless, save for the rare situations when speaking in code to other Australian Heroes, and in most conversations, it would probably prove more of a hindrance. Yeah, nah, Slanga, you’re right, mate. Onya.
Hero Name: Flicker, Quirk: Self-Combustion
Scientifically speaking, the Aussie landscape can be downright uninhabitable at times, reaching scorching temperatures that practically melt the flesh from your bones.
Hyperbolic though that statement might be — fear not, readers far and wide, Australians are not quite roasting throughout the day — it still behooves aspiring Heroes to have some kind of immunity to the arid outback plains in the most remote parts of the country.
Who better to shrug off blazing infernos than a bloke whose M.O. is bursting into flames himself? He may not quite be a whiz at putting out fires, and sure, if you catch him in a bad mood he may end up doing more damage than good (he’s a bit like Bakugo, really, just with more of an ashy sort of smell). That said, give him a go in a pinch and you’ll find that none are more appropriate to handle the pressure cooker of Hero society.
…Unless you live in the fickle climate that is Melbourne, in which case, only Todoroki’s Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk can get you through an average day. Carry an umbrella, some sunscreen, a flyswatter and a KeepCup, just to be safe.
Hero Name: Featherfoot, Quirk: Saunter
If you haven’t explored the wonders of Aboriginal legends, you’re doing yourself a disservice. There are so many incredible tales that are intriguing, inspiring and occasionally, quite terrifying.
The featherfoot can stalk their prey tirelessly, which is reasonable when one considers that Australia is the sixth largest country in the world. Yeah, you might forget it sometimes due to the low population density, but make no mistake, this place is bloody big.
As such, a Quirk that allows for relentless travel is an absolute boon, even if it’s not for nefarious purposes. We’ve all been on a late night Maccas run here and there, and despite our best intentions, it can become rather taxing on the feet after a while. Stamina is a must, and the rewards are many.
Needless to say, this Hero and Tubulady do not see eye to eye. He does not, in fact, consider her to be even vaguely gnarly.
Hero Name: Everything Will Kill You, Quirk: Everything Will Kill You
Perhaps the greatest latent ability dwelling within Australia is the fact that it so clearly wants to repel humanity from its presence at each opportunity.
The concept that every animal is venomous, poisonous or unfathomably lethal (I see you, drop bear) is universally recognised. Therefore, the most potent power an Aussie Hero could ever possess is a Quirk that channels any of these hazards at will.
The biting capacity of a saltwater croc. The striking speed of a funnel web. The toxicity of a taipan. The list goes on and on, and need not be limited merely to deadly fauna, because the jumping acumen of a kangaroo, foot speed of an emu and egg-laying functionality of a monotreme are surely going to come in handy at some point. Perhaps less so with that last one, but let’s not split hairs — this Quirk is so overpowered, even All Might would be shaking in his boots.
Any other ripper talents we neglected to mention? Don’t worry if you can’t think of any off the top of your head, because Funimation is your place to say g’day to My Hero Academia. Take a squiz at a few eppies and you’ll have just the inspiration you require.
