Highlights
- Quirks in My Hero Academia range from offensive to supportive powers, with some users aiming to be Pro Heroes.
- Koji Koda’s Anivoice quirk allows him to communicate with and command animals, making him a unique support hero.
- While Koji lacks physical power for close combat, his ability to summon and control animals makes him a strategic asset in battle.
By now, My Hero Academia fans know what quirks are, but for those who don’t: Quirks are powers a select number of people are born with, unlocking at a young age and allowing those who harness the powers to use them for good or evil. Quirk powers range from tactical offense to support, and vary in strength and utility. Those who wish to use their powers for the good of humanity can enter the U.A. Hero Academy and train their powers to one day become a Pro Hero. Quirk users who use their powers for evil make up the underbelly society of villains, taking advantage of their quirks to gain anything they wish, from money to power. Not all quirks are born equal, but the right type of power in the wrong hands can become a major threat to a city and the civilians that have no powers.
Focusing on the U.A. Hero Academy’s Class 1-A, which the main protagonist Izuku Midoriya attends, there are many new characters in My Hero Academia that gain some spotlight and make up for a strong cast of quirk users. Among those students is Koji Koda, a bizarre-looking male character with a horn-shaped head and rock-like body. Koji comes off as rather innocent and unassuming, but is mature beyond his years. Though he wishes to become a Pro Hero and use his powers for good, he is also quite peaceful by nature. His quirk is perfectly accustomed to his personality, and is unlike any quirk of his classmates. Where it lacks in physical power, it comes in handy in many other supportive ways, and can lead to the tables being turned on the enemy in short notice.
Koji Koda’s Quirk: Anivoice
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First Appearance |
My Hero Academia, Episode 5, “What I Can Do for Now” |
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Air Date |
May 1, 2016 |
Koji Koda’s quirk is known as Anivoice, the combination of “Animal” and “Voice”. This quirk allows Koji to speak to the animals of the surrounding area and use his thought speech to command them to do whatever he pleases. Koji is also able to understand what animals are saying back to him, which makes for a unique skill. The quirk itself is also suited best for someone like Koji, who is peaceful at heart and the complete opposite of someone like Katsuki Bakugo, both in competitiveness and spirit. Koji’s love for nature and all living things makes him worry less about anarchy and combat, and more about preserving the life around him and using it to save humanity. Koji is also not a social outcast by any stretch, but he prefers the more simple things in life, which sometimes gives the impression that he is careless and unreliable.
On the comedic side, Koji suffers from entomophobia, meaning he has a fear of bugs. At the same time, Koji is able to control bugs which places him in a tough situation at times, as the near sight of them makes his skin crawl, yet gives him a better chance at saving his allies. His appearance alone gives the impression that Koji is brutish and indestructible, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Koji is humble and timid, choosing to live life without having to battle and spending his time with animals. Unfortunately for him, his Anivoice quirk is quite the gift for bringing thunder to villainous groups, and his ability to control limitless amounts of animals will come in handy in any situation.
Koji Koda’s Fighting Style With Anivoice
Despite his nature, Koji is more physically strong than one would expect. Though Anivoice isn’t the most havoc-inducing quirk available in My Hero Academia, it isn’t Koji’s only weapon. During the Joint Training Battle, Koji was restrained by Jurota Shishida in his Beast-transformation mode, yet was able to struggle enough to worry Shishida. Despite the clear difference in power, Koji’s ability to put up some fight indicates he has more physical power in him than expected. However, his combat style isn’t best suited for close-ranged combat, as Koji lacks experience on the battlefield and doesn’t cooperate well with allies in a combined effort.
Because of this fact, Koji’s abilities are best suited for longer-ranged attacks and support. Since Koji can communicate with any type of animal or insect, he is capable of summoning large amounts of any specific creature and sending them towards the villains. His quirk also allows for some espionage work to be done, as using a small creature like a fly or a mouse could work towards penetrating a base and gathering intel. This gives Koji plenty of utility as a major support character, as his powers can be used in all situations — from summoning a flock of birds to peck away at villains, to sending a stampede of larger animals to bulldoze through walls and give his allies a ride out of harm’s way.
Anivoice’s Usage In Battle
There are multiple examples during Koji’s time in My Hero Academia that showcase his Anivoice quirk making a difference in battle. Koji flexed his abilities while teaming up with Kyoka Jiro against Present Mic during the First Term Final Exam, summoning an obscene number of creepy crawling insects to attack their teacher. The pre-emptive strike caught Present Mic off guard and grossed him out enough to pass out from shock, allowing Jiro and Koji to escape and pass their exam. The strategy paid off, but required a ton of convincing from the part of Jiro, as Koji was fearful of the insects himself.
Koji’s preferred plan of attack is to call upon a large flock of birds, as he has done so many times, as a way to create a distraction. During the Provisional Hero License Exam, Koji launched an assault of bird attacks at their opponents, creating a big enough problem for them to consider the Anivoice user as the biggest threat. Koji also used birds to attack Nine during the battle on Nabu Island, helping the rescue mission of Mahoro and Katsuma Shimano. His abilities alone garnered interest from the Number-8 Pro Hero, Susugu Mitarai, known by his hero name Wash, who offered Koji to take him under his wing and assist him with further building up the reach of his quirk.
The Downside of Anivoice
As useful as Anivoice has proven to be, there’s a lot to be desired about this quirk. Koji alone has average speed and technical ability, leaving him as one of the weaker students in Class 1-A. His quirk is also not the strongest physically, taking a backseat to characters like Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki. While Anivoice can be used for more supportive tasks like gathering information and distracting enemies, it lacks the firepower to do anything more than temporarily disengage the villains. Whether he uses Hitchcock Birds or Bugging Out, his two ultimate moves, both abilities do little to incapacitate the opponent, but rather create a diversion for a follow-up attack.
Because Koji lacks the necessary tools to join the front of the line during a war, his role as a hero is best served at the back of the line. This doesn’t mean he’s completely useless, but even in a supportive role, Koji falls behind other characters like Jiro, who’s Earphone Jack quirk can both spy and overwhelm they opponent with its destructive force. Koji’s downside will likely lead to him being a serviceable hero under one of the top Pro Heroes, making him lost in the shuffle among the other classmates of Class 1-A.
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