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This article is about the species referred to collectively as "Nomu." For any other Nomu related articles, see Nomu (Disambiguation).

The Nomu ( (のう) () Nōmu?), sometimes referred to as Artificial Humans, are deceased individuals whose bodies have been heavily modified by Doctor Kyudai Garaki in order to hold multiple Quirks and reanimated to act as mindless super-soldiers for the League of Villains, and later, the Paranormal Liberation Front.

Description

Nomu factory

Human corpses being prepared as Nomu.

Nomu are powerful monsters created from human corpses whose bodies were drastically altered in order to make them stronger and allow them to hold multiple Quirks.[1] The aforementioned human experiment ceases all higher brain function, leaving them with no will of their own, and making it so they require commands from a superior in order for them to act.

All For One plays a vital role by granting them multiple Quirks, but without him, though unclear as to how the Nomu are produced, Doctor Garaki artificially transplants Quirks through advanced surgery.[1]

Doctor Garaki and All For One possess several different laboratories that house these creatures.

History

The earliest known created Nomu is Kurogiri, a being made from the corpse of U.A. High School student Oboro Shirakumo. Through combining various different Quirk Factors, like Oboro's Cloud, his final Quirk was Warp Gate. Unlike future Nomu, Kurogiri did not possess great physical strength, but was capable of speech and free thought. He was primarily designed to act as a loyal ally for his creators, first as an assistant to All For One, and later as the watchful eye for Tomura Shigaraki. While Kurogiri did not have the memories of his time as Oboro, some of his personality traits remained within.

Sometime after All For One's defeat by All Might, he and the Doctor began experimentation work on a project that would allow them to create a being that would rival All Might in power, which would become the core purpose of the Nomu. Under the guise of the Villain Factory, these experiments included kidnapping people and preforming bio-engineering experiments on them, radically transforming their bodies and increasing their strength into what were known as Next-Level Villains, and the creation of the Bombers and Anonymous, hive-minds of drones that could endlessly attack while under someone's control.

Doctor Kyudai also would take inspiration from All For One's bodyguard, Gigantomachia, a being of immense loyalty to his master, who's capability of possessing multiple Quirks made him a valuable and dangerous asset.[2]

The final version of the Nomu were developed by All For One as a culmination of the concept of bio-engineered entities, with him coming to this conclusion thanks to Number 6 - otherwise known as Rokuro Nomura - and his actions.[3]

U.S.J. Arc

Villains appear at USJ

The first Nomu alongside Tomura and Kurogiri.

The first Nomu appears alongside Tomura & Kurogiri during their assault on the U.S.J., specifically designed to counter and defeat All Might, thanks to its bio-engineered strength, Shock Absorption, and Super Regeneration Quirks. The Nomu proves to be incredibly powerful, easily subduing Eraser Head upon command.

Izuku Midoriya tries to engage Tomura with a powerful smash, but the Nomu takes the blow using its Shock Absorption Quirk. Before the scene escalates any further, the No. 1 Hero appears.[4] All Might manages to overcome its Absorption and Regeneration Quirks through a war of attrition, beating it faster than it can react or heal until it is blasted out of the building, leaving Tomura and Kurogiri unable to retrieve the body as they're forced to retreat, something which greatly irks Kyudai.

The Nomu is soon arrested by the Police Force, being surprisingly complacent. Naomasa Tsukauchi and his colleagues investigate the Nomu and analyze his DNA. They discover he was originally just a small-time thug that had his body modified to hold multiple Quirks. This helps Detective Tsukauchi connect the Nomu to All For One himself.[5]

Vs. Hero Killer Arc

Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri try to enlist the Hero Killer: Stain into their ranks. Their meeting gets hostile and Stain returns to Hosu City. Angry, Tomura requests the power to destroy the Hero Killer from his master. All For One tells Tomura that six new Nomu are in development but he can only use three.[6]

Hosu City Incident

Nomu wreak havoc on Hosu City.

The trio of Nomu wreak havoc on the city and easily overpower Manual and his fellow Pro Heroes. The white Nomu crashes into a bullet train during the fight, so Gran Torino leaps into action and tackles it back into the street. The Nomu attacks indiscriminately at civilians, but Endeavor arrives to stop it.

The white Nomu sends Endeavor's Hellflame back using an Absorption and Release Quirk, following it up with a Muscle Augmentation and Tongue Web Quirk combination, forcing Gran Torino to strike down the monster with a powerful Jet force dropkick.[7]

Endeavor's sidekicks restrain that Nomu while their leader goes to deal with the rest. The winged Nomu and the black Nomu prove to completely outclass an entire group of Pros. Endeavor rushes in at the last moment to save their lives. Hellflame manages to completely cauterize the black Nomu's head, destroying it beyond Super Regeneration's ability to repair it.[8]

The winged Nomu flees the battle and Endeavor pursues it through the city. The No. 2 Hero manages to injure the Winged Nomu and save its hostage. In the aftermath of the U.A. students' battle with Stain, the Winged Nomu tries to secure another hostage, grabbing Izuku Midoriya, and attempting to fly away, but Stain acts quickly and kills the Nomu after paralyzing it with his Quirk.[9] In the end only the white Nomu is left still alive, and promptly apprehended by the authorities.

Forest Training Camp Arc

Nomu chases Yosetsu and Momo

Chainsaw Nomu chases Yosetsu and Momo.

Stain's influence draws new recruits to the League of Villains, and these nine new Villains form the Vanguard Action Squad. They are sent to The Beast's Forest to invade the U.A. training camp and capture Katsuki Bakugo.

Accompanying the Squad is a Chainsaw Nomu under the control of Dabi. Twice reminds Dabi to sick the monster on the students. The Nomu brutally attacks Ragdoll, Momo Yaoyorozu, and Yosetsu Awase. Before it kills any of them, the mission is completed and Twice reminds Dabi to order it to return. As it starts to leave, Momo quickly creates a tracking device and has Yosetsu Weld it into the Nomu.[10] The Nomu also proceeds to kidnap the unconscious Ragdoll so that All For One can steal her Quirk.

Hideout Raid Arc

Momo informs the Pro Heroes and authorities of the tracking device she planted on the Nomu, greatly aiding them in their planned raid on the League of Villains hideout. Wanting to rescue Katsuki themselves, Izuku, Shoto Todoroki, and Eijiro Kirishima convince Momo to give them the tracking device as well, so she accompanies them alongside a reluctant Tenya Ida. The device ends up taking them to a Nomu production factory in Kamino, Yokohama, that house several different Nomu, including the Chainsaw Nomu.

Warping

Nomu warped by All For One to save Tomura.

The Nomu Factory is raided by the Hideout Raid Team and all thirteen different Nomu, including the chainsaw Nomu, are restrained.[11] However, All For One makes a rare appearance and attacks the Pro Heroes. He warps the Nomu to the other hideout to free Tomura and the other Villains.

The Nomu attack the Hideout Raid Team's other squad and keep them busy while All For One warps the Villains back to the Nomu Factory. These mid-level Nomu are eventually bested by Endeavor, Edgeshot, Kamui Woods, and the Police.[12]

Pro Hero Arc

High-End (Hood) Anime

Hood the High-End Nomu.

Following the Hero Billboard Chart JP, Hawks meets with Endeavor in Fukuoka to discuss the appearance of more Nomu that there have been rumors circulating about. In actuality, Dabi had been entrusted with a new kind of Nomu, the "High-End" known as Hood, a slightly intelligent Nomu capable of speech, and the most powerful Nomu to appear by a wide margin.

Hawks, who is attempting to join the League of Villains as a double agent for the Hero Public Safety Commission, makes a deal with Dabi to lure a Hero to a specific location to fight the Nomu in order to test its capabilities. However, learning that Hawks was going to recruit the recently announced No. 1 Hero, Dabi sends out Hood early in order to fight Endeavor while they're still in Fukuoka.

Hood is able to overpower Endeavor and cause a disastrous scene in Fukuoka comparable to the destruction All For One caused in Kamino. Hood even has the ability to produce nine low-level Nomu from its body using a Storage Quirk. Endeavor and Hawks are eventually able to work together to completely incinerate Hood beyond regeneration. Dabi attempts to reclaim the remains of Hood from the Heroes, but is forced to retreat.[13]

Meta Liberation Army Arc

Hood, Woman and Chubs

High-End Nomu inside Doctor Garaki's lair.

Prior to the Hero Billboard, Doctor Garaki makes contact with the League of Villains and transports them to his secret laboratory, utilizing a miniature Nomu variant that possesses the same Warping Quirk All For One had previously used, which he names Johnny.

Within it Dabi notices 12 unique Nomu surrounding them, each kept in stasis. The Doctor calls them High-Ends and commends Dabi's eye, noting that they are to be the strongest of all his creations. While the rest of the League deal with Gigantomachia, the Doctor enlists Dabi's help to test one of the High-End, which ends up being Hood.[14] During this meeting, Dabi realizes that the Doctor was the one who had saved and rebuilt him many years ago when he nearly died as Toya Todoroki, figuring out the procedure done to him was similar to how the Nomu are created.[15]

After the League's encounter with the Meta Liberation Army and the formation of the Paranormal Liberation Front, Kyudai offers his full support, including the remaining 11 High-Ends still in procedure, and a multitude of other Nomu he has in storage.

Paranormal Liberation War Arc

Through Gran Torino and Naomasa's investigations into Kurogiri, who they had arrested earlier, they discover the truth that not only is Kurogiri also a Nomu, but that he was made from the body of Oboro, Eraser Head and Present Mic's old friend. Getting the two to speak to Kurogiri, they manage to surprisingly get Oboro's personality to emerge, giving them the tip off of "Hospital", before once again disappearing, while Kurogiri goes into a status-like shut down.

Thanks to the "hospital" tip, Hawks and the Police manage to dig in and discover the true identity of the Doctor, as well as his secret laboratory at the Jaku General Hospital, thanks to a leaked photo from a spy showing Kyudai with Johnny.

When the Pro Heroes invade Kyudai's laboratory, he sends many Nomu to attack the heroes aboveground, while other Nomu attempt to take care of Mirko, although the hero easily dispatches of them.[16]

High-Ends Nomu

Five High-Ends awake in the secret lab.

The Hero bursts into the laboratory, damaging Johnny before it can warp Kyudai and Tomura away. The Doctor notes that the High-End Nomu are still in the testing phase and that it would take at least three more hours until they were finished, as it took Hood more than ten hours to stabilize after activation. To Kyudai's surprise, another little Nomu, Mocha, attacks the Hero without being ordered to, which allows the Doctor to dodge Mirko's kick and activate a remote control, which unleashes five of the High-End Nomu that all attack Mirko.

The High-Ends remark that it's been a while since they fought, and that they can go wild against the heroes. Crust arrives to assist Mirko, and the two of them prepare to fight the High-End Nomu.[17] During the battle, Mirko manages to destroy the High-End Robot, and the remaining Pros soon arrive to help neutralize the rest of the High-Ends.

Near High-Ends appear

The Near High Ends emerge.

After Tomura finally awoke from his stasis, he disintegrated all of the activated High-Ends and the majority of the laboratory. He later revealed he was keeping his Decay Quirk tamed so he doesn't destroy the tanks containing the inactive Nomus. Tomura combined Air Cannon and Radio Waves to awaken the contained Nomus that hadn't entered their testing phase and couldn't think for themselves, but still possess overwhelming power. Doctor Garaki dubbed these specific Nomu as "Near High-Ends".[18]

The Near High-End Nomu were primarily used as a distraction that kept majority of the Pro Heroes busy from taking part in the battle against Tomura. Around half of the Near High-Ends were killed by the Heroes, while the Nomu took out half of the heroes. When Tomura's situation proved more dire, he summoned four of the Nomu to his location, hoping to help their master out, proving to be trouble for the Heroes on the battlefield still able to fight, like Lemillion and Best Jeanist.[19]

Once All For One gained control of Tomura's body, he again used Radio Waves to command the remaining Near High-Ends to help them make their escape.[20] Of the 10 that were still active, 3 managed to be taken down by the Heroes. The other 7 that escaped, due to their tireless nature, were then ordered by All For One to go free his main body in Tartarus.[21] They successfully manage to execute the raid, thanks to the command of both All For Ones.[22]

Dark Hero Arc

It is revealed that, after Oboro's brief re-awakening through Kurogiri, he and the other Nomu in captivity were taken to Central Hospital, with the purpose of using their advanced medical technology for restorative research.[23]

Star and Stripe Arc

Since escaping Tartarus, All For One and the remnants of the League of Villains spend the next month hiding out in a secret cave, alongside the 7 remaining Near High-Ends under All For One's command. Learning about the incoming arrival of American No. 1 Hero Star and Stripe, All For One sends a, still incomplete, Tomura to face her, providing a flying Near High-End to accompany him.[24]

"Tomura" mainly uses the Nomu to keep himself in the air during the fight, though also uses it to distract his opponents while evading the deadly Tiamat missiles, with it taking most of the brunt of the damage, as well as commanding it to Burst for a further distraction. After the attempt to steal New Order ends disastrously, "Tomura" is forced to flee the battlefield, taking the Wing Quirk from the remains of the Nomu to do so.[25]

Final War Arc

After Tomura returns and is put on standby for about a week to recover, All For One sets about his next plan to capture Izuku and One For All, using U.A. Traitor Yuga Aoyama to lure him out. However, when the day finally arrives, Yuga and Izuku manage to deceive him, forcing All For One to summon the might of the Paranormal Liberation Front, including the Near High-Ends, to overwhelm him, only to be caught off guard again by the arrival of the Heroes through Warp Gates, starting off the Second War.

The Heroes utilize the Warp Gates to split up the Villains, sending groups of them all over Japan. Two Near High-Ends end up on Okuto Island alongside Himiko Toga, one in Kamino with Dabi, and one at the ruins of the Gunga Mountain Villa with All For One, with the remaining 2 Near High-Ends' location currently unknown.

The two Near High-Ends on Okuto Island cause a great deal of trouble, with the Heroes realizing that All For One gave them more Quirks, due to their increased strength since the Paranormal Liberation War. The Near High-End in Kamino also causes immense devastation, dwindling down the Heroes alongside Dabi's intense fire tornado.

Powers and Abilities

Nomu's grades

Different grades of Nomu.

The Nomu possess multiple Quirks and are designed to serve as mindless fighters. According to Doctor Garaki and All For One, there a few different grades of Nomu, and they're categorized into Lower-Tier, Middle-Tier, Upper-Tier, Near High-End, and High-End according to their physical enhancements and the amount of Quirks they possess.[1]

Lower-Tier

The Lower Tier Nomu serve as foot soldiers, and even though they are the weakest type of Nomu, they are still strong enough to overpower minor Pro Heroes. These Nomu have light colored skin and generally possess only one or two Quirks, as well as enhanced physical strength. They usually need a voice command from a designated keeper to perform an attack.[16]

Doctor Garaki keeps some of these Nomu close to him, ones whose Quirks he considers particularly useful.

Known Quirks:

Middle-Tier

The Middle Tier Nomu are more powerful than the Lower tier. These Nomu have a more vibrant coloration of their skin than the Lower-Tier.

Known Quirks:

Upper-Tier

The Upper Tier can contend with top Pro Heroes. These Nomu are black in color, possess the Super Regeneration Quirk, and are even stronger than Middle Tier Nomu. According to Garaki, those in the upper-tier are at least as strong as ten average people combined.[1]

Known Quirks:

Near High-End

The Near High-End Nomu are an incomplete form of the top-grade Nomus; they are stronger than the Upper-Tier Nomus, possessing phenomenal strength, but can't think for themselves and haven't entered their testing phase.[18] They are said to possess the same level of strength and speed as the High-End Nomu, but they lack their intelligence.[26]

Known Quirks:

High-End

Completely outclassing the other types of Nomu are the High-End, possessing stats well beyond those of the Upper-Tier Nomu, with superior strength and possessing up to six Quirks. They can even overpower the top Pro Heroes. What really sets them apart from the lesser Nomu is that they can speak.

The more advanced High-End Nomu all have the ability to think on their own and retain the personalities of the people they originally were before they died and were reanimated. As such, to create a High-End Nomu, Kyudai Garaki carefully selects only the most battle-crazed Villains to be reanimated. However, obtaining the most suitable candidates and preparing them to become High-End is an immense effort, since the artificial Quirks transplant involves complex surgeries and at least three months of stabilization time. Without All For One's power, the production of the High-Ends is tremendously arduous and difficult.[1]

They all appear to have impressive deductive skills, as Hood was able to quickly figure out the limitations of Endeavor's Quirk,[27] and Woman instantly deduced the nature of Eraser Head's Quirk and disappeared out of his line of sight.[28]

Known Quirks:

Battles & Events

Battles & Events

List of Nomu

Nomu


Trivia

  • Nomu (脳無?) means "brainless".
  • Horikoshi has hinted that the Flying Nomu from the Hosu Incident may be Katsuki and Izuku's winged childhood friend, Tsubasa.[29]
  • While technically a High-End Nomu, Kurogiri exhibits behavior and speech that is far more advanced than the other Nomu in the category. The cause of this is unknown.

See also

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 262 and Episode 115.
  2. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 283 and Episode 122.
  3. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Manga: Chapter 125.
  4. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 17 and Episode 11.
  5. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 47 and Episode 27.
  6. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 50 and Episode 28.
  7. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 51 and Episode 29.
  8. My Hero Academia Anime: Episode 30.
  9. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 56 and Episode 30.
  10. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 80 and Episode 44.
  11. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 87 and Episode 47.
  12. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 89 and Episode 48.
  13. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 191 and Episode 90.
  14. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 221 and Episode 108.
  15. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 350.
  16. 16.0 16.1 My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 260 and Episode 114.
  17. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 261 and Episode 115.
  18. 18.0 18.1 My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 276 and Episode 120.
  19. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 292 and Episode 125.
  20. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 295 and Episode 126.
  21. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 296 and Episode 127.
  22. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 297 and Episode 128.
  23. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 325.
  24. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 329.
  25. My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 334.
  26. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 294 and Episode 125.
  27. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 188 and Episode 88.
  28. My Hero Academia Manga and Anime: Chapter 268 and Episode 117.
  29. My Hero Academia Manga: Vol. 7, Omake

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