Highlights
- Mr. Compress’s Quirk, Compress, shrinks objects or people into marbles by touching them with his hand.
- His tactical advantages include immobilizing enemies, stealthy infiltration, and precise maiming.
- His quirk factor is in his arms, so after losing one to Overhaul, he can now only use Compress through his remaining right arm.
In the popular series My Hero Academia, most people have developed unique superhuman abilities known as Quirks. These Quirks come in many different forms and vary greatly in terms of power and capability. Within the villain group called the League of Villains, one member stands out for the unusual yet tremendously versatile abilities granted by his Quirk. That member is Atsuhiro Sako, better known by his villain name “Mr. Compress”.
Mr. Compress’s Quirk allows him to compress any object or person within a spherical area surrounding his hand into an incredibly small marble-sized sphere. Through clever tactical usage and manipulations of its properties, Mr. Compress has developed Compress into one of the most unpredictable yet formidable Quirks seen in the series.
Mr. Compress’s Quirk: Compress
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Anime Debut |
Episode 44, “Roaring Upheaval” |
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Quirk Type |
Emitter |
Mr. Compress has the power of compression within his quirk. Specifically, compress allows Atsuhiro to shrink anything inside a spherical area into a small marble without actually damaging it physically. To activate his quirk, Atsuhiro must touch the intended target with his hand. Once making contact, the target will instantly be compressed and transformed into a minuscule marble-like object. Interestingly, the compress quirk will affect anything within the spherical area around the target, including nearby environmental factors like fire or pieces of ground. However, Atsuhiro’s body parts are exempt from the effects.
Once a target is compressed, its overall weight is reduced considerably, making compressed objects very easy for Atsuhiro to transport and hide. He can carry many compressed targets effortlessly thanks to their miniature state. A unique aspect of Compress is that Atsuhiro can undo the effects by snapping his fingers, causing any compressed targets to return to their normal sizes all at once, along with anything captured within the spherical area during compression. He can also wish for individual marbles to expand back to normal. This cancellation ability gives Atsuhiro great tactical advantages in combat.
Tactical Advantages of Compress
When Atsuhiro uses his compress quirk on a living target, like a person, it instantly traps and immobilizes them, ending any confrontation immediately. This makes Compress highly effective against resistant opponents who are difficult to subdue through conventional attacks. As the target is transformed into a tiny marble, Atsuhiro can simply collect and store them away, kidnapping enemies with ease. His stealth and agility also allow him to swiftly compress targets before they can call for aid.
Interestingly, Atsuhiro’s compress quirk even allows him to shrink parts of his own body. During an invasion, he compressed himself entirely into a marble for covert infiltration. The quirk can selectively compress only portions of others as well, as demonstrated when he forcibly tore off one of Overhaul’s arms by only shrinking that limb, an act that caused no pain. Such targeted compressions make Mr. Compress a dangerous foe capable of brutal maiming through precise quirk usage.
Compress Has a Few Weaknesses
While a formidable power, Compress does have its limitations. Atsuhiro’s quirk factor is located within his arms, so after losing his left arm to Overhaul in battle, he can now only use Compress through his remaining right arm. Additionally, the spherical area of effect seems to only extend about the radius of his arm’s reach. If he cannot make direct contact, he cannot activate his quirk on that target.
Like all quirks, overuse of Compress could potentially cause Atsuhiro fatigue or strain as well. While compressed objects are easily transported, they are still physical marvels that opponents could attempt to steal or intercept if not properly secured and concealed on their person. His one-handed limitation in particular makes close combat riskier than before the loss of his other limb. However, his stage magic skills and trickery help compensate for such potential disadvantages.
Compress’s Usage In Battle
Despite only being able to use one arm after injury, Atsuhiro’s resourcefulness and history as an illusionist allow him to turn any limitation into further opportunities with Compress. He often creates decoy marbles to throw off would-be thieves or enemies attempting to steal his compressed targets. This allows him to protect the compressed individuals he has captured while misleading anyone trying to interfere.
In combat scenarios, Atsuhiro ably applies Compress for traps and environmental manipulation. If he has some marbles containing compressed objects, he can use those marbles as obstacles by throwing them at enemies and making the objects inside regrow to their normal sizes. For example, he could place a marble holding a compressed boulder below an opponent’s vehicle. With a snap of his fingers, the boulder would suddenly uncompress, launching the vehicle into the air.
Compress also proves useful for binding enemies in hazardous situations. This was demonstrated when Atsuhiro compressed the villain Snatch into one of Dabi’s Blue Flames, trapping the opponent within the flaming quirk’s deadly effects. In another example of targeted compression, Atsuhiro showed he could selectively shrink only a part of Overhaul’s body. By focusing Compress on the villain’s left arm, he forcibly tore it away—an act that caused no pain despite such a brutal injury.
Beyond direct combat usage, Mr. Compress’s Quirk allows for some stealthy infiltration tactics. Compressing his body, as seen during the Vanguard Action Squad Invasion, lets him covertly enter enclosed areas. He can also use Compress to dig through solid objects, making Atsuhiro useful for both escaping confined spaces and breaking into places. These unique skills increase Mr. Compress’s effectiveness for missions requiring subtle infiltration or escape.
My Hero Academia is available to stream on Prime Video.
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