My Hero Academia: Yuga Aoyama's Navel Laser Quirk, Explained

The essence of what makes My Hero Academia special is the intense, drama-packed episodes and the many quirks of each hero and villain. Quirks are established powers that are awakened at a young age, and children around the world learn to develop those powers to either become a hero or villain. Some don't inherit any at all, and are labeled as "quirkless", living at the mercy of those with incredible skills to protect them from the villains that use their quirks for harm. In My Hero Academia, there are many types of quirks: Accumulation-Type Quirks, Emitter Quirks, Mutation Quirks, and Transformation Quirks.

Some quirks have more potential of turning a hero into a pro hero, and a villain into one of the most dangerous threats in the world. Izuku Midoriya's One For All quirk is heralded as the greatest pro quirk in My Hero Academia, while other heroes have powers like invisibility and running at extremely fast speeds — each has their own utility in battle but are lower on the power scaling system. Yuga Aoyama trends towards the bottom of this scale, as his quirk leans more towards the comical side of Mangaka Kōhei Horikoshi's slice-of-life writing style. Despite Aoyama's whimsical portrayal, there is a side to his quirk that could benefit the Hero Academy in the future.

Yuga Aoyama's Quirk: Navel Laser

Aoyama's quirk, Navel Laser, is exactly what one would expect from its name — a laser that fires out from his navel area. Wearing a belt which was given to him at a young age as a means to control his power, Aoyama can emit high-frequency energy beams from his abdomen, which are managed by the accessory he wears. This quirk leads into Aoyama's hero name, Shining Hero: Can't Stop, which highlights the shining nature of his attacks, and his inability to control his powers. Navel Laser is mostly played for laughs during his introduction, as Aoyama can only use it a few times before becoming exhausted and on the verge of vomiting.

Not particularly strong or athletically gifted, Aoyama comes off as an underwhelming hero in training during his arrival in My Hero Academia. Finishing 14th in the Quirk Apprehension Test and in the Top-16 during the U.A. Sports Festival, there's plenty of room for him to grow and develop his Navel Laser quirk. Unfortunately, during his time in the U.A. Hero Academy, Aoyama doesn't find much use in his Navel Laser quirk, as his body can't maintain overuse and his inability to control it leaves him at the back of the line when it's time to join a battle. However, what Aoyama lacks in athleticism and physical potential, he makes up for in the desire and motivation for improvement.

Yuga Aoyama's Fighting Style With Navel Laser

Aoyama is not gifted in hand-to-hand combat, which leaves him at the rear of the party during major battles. Thankfully, he begins to learn how to control his quirk and, over time, manage its power and the effects it leaves on his body. This gives Aoyama the opportunity to team up with other heroes to plow through some of the obstacles in their way, helping clear out large areas for the stronger heroes to rush into. Aoyama's increased potential of Navel Laser allows him to destroy multiple attack bots during their field tests, and he has been known to hold his own in combat, resisting defeat in time for back-up to arrive.

Regardless of his shortcomings in battle, Aoyama possesses a keen intellect for deceiving his opponents. Aoyama successfully tricks All For One into believing he is defecting over to the villain's side, delivering Midoriya to My Hero Academia's main antagonist, before launching a surprise attack to catch him off guard. Aoyama has also come up with a great teamwork strategy, having launched his Navel Laser off-mark at Kunieda, a plant-like villain, during the climax of the battle, just to have it redirected by Toru Hagakure. The plan was effective in tricking the foe and landing the attack, claiming victory for the two heroes.

Navel Laser's Usage In Battle

The first time Aoyama used Navel Laser, it led more to the humorous side of My Hero Academia, as the young and aspiring hero couldn't control the effects it had on his body. Despite his lack of control and negative side effects of using the quirk, Aoyama never hesitates to draw out his power for the betterment of his allies. As Aoyama learns to control the power of his quirk, he becomes more confident in its use and is capable of negating the damage it does to his stomach. During future field exams, Aoyama showcases his improved skills by launching multiple energy beam shots in quick succession, showing little sign of the agony he once suffered.

Aoyama develops into a capable and motivated fighter, as highlighted by his extended use of his quirk and discovery of new ultimate moves that can push the enemy back. During the battle against Nine and his army, Aoyama utilizes the mini cannons on his shoulders and knees to expel extra energy as a supplement to his Navel Laser attack, which he names Navel Buffet Laser. The new move pushes back the foe and gives him enough time to re-group. Aoyama's Navel Saber allows him to create a sword from his abdomen and use it to slice down anything in his way, while Supernova is an attack that takes time to charge but allows Aoyama to fire off a stronger beam than his usual power.

The ultimate move, Warp Refraction: Navel Laser, is more of a last-resort type of attack, as Aoyama fires off an uncontrollable beam of energy in the surrounding area. This attack serves as more of a support, as the light spreads around and blinds anyone it reaches. Aoyama used Warp Refraction: Navel Laser to escape sticky situations, proving he can serve as a good support in My Hero Academia, giving him multiple different styles at his disposal.

The Downside of Navel Laser

All quirks come with their downsides, and Aoyama may be one that suffers the most. During his first spotlight for using the quirk, Aoyama grows incredibly sick as the beam that comes out of his abdomen makes him feel sick. This means that Aoyama must be selective with when he uses Navel Laser, and how much power he expels each time. As he grows as a hero and develops the quirk, the impact the quirk has on his body becomes less painful, but it eventually still leaves some damage behind. It doesn't help that Aoyama's stamina levels aren't as high as others in My Hero Academia, which leads him into a secondary role in most fights.

Regardless of his inability to remain in battle for long periods of time, Aoyama has his moments to shine. His Navel Laser and ultimate attacks have been known to catch enemies off guard, either through a pre-emptive strike or as part of a group assault. With the Warp Refraction: Navel Laser attack serving as an excellent support and escape method, Aoyama's utility serves the hero team well, and will continue to be a contributing factor to their success in battle.

The My Hero Academia manga is available to read on Viz and the Dragon Ball anime is available to stream on Crunchyroll.