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I think... there's something real tasteless about bringing a gun or a knife to a fight. Whoever's got the weapon wins, right? That ain't a real fight. Men're meant to rip each other apart with their own power. You feel me?Kendo Rappa to Fat Gum in "Shield-and-Shield, Spear-and-Shield"
Kendo Rappa (乱波肩動 Rappa Kendō?) is one of the Eight Bullets who serves Overhaul and the Shie Hassaikai.
Appearance
Kendo is a very large, muscular man with long, light-colored hair.
His face is hidden beneath the plague mask given to him by the Shie Hassaikai, and he dons a tattered t-shirt and dark pants covered by a light tunic and decorated with two belts. Kendo also sports his signature gloves, which cover his hands with several leather straps and his knuckles with metal.
Gallery
Personality
Kendo's undying lust for battle.
Kendo is a very hot-blooded man who thrives on violence and bloodshed. He has a warrior-like mentality and all he cares about is seeking out a battle that can satisfy him. Kendo believes it's unbecoming for a fighter to use weapons and that everyone should fight with the power of their bodies.[1]
Unlike most of the Eight Bullets, Kendo only serves Overhaul because he hopes to one day defeat him. Kendo's entire mindset revolves around provoking others into a fight to the death where he can stake his life on the line. If someone cannot satisfy that interest, Kendo wants nothing to do with them. If someone can give him the thrill he seeks, Kendo shows them great respect.
To a certain degree, Kendo appears to have his own sense of honor. He would rather fight alone and win with his own strength than fight alongside Hekiji Tengai. Kendo also allowed Fat Gum to take Eijiro Kirishima to heal so they can fight again sometime.[2]
Abilities
Kendo pulverizing Fat Gum with endless bullet punches.
Overall Abilities: Being an Eight Bullets member of the Shie Hassaikai, Kendo is a very formidable individual. Prior to joining the Shie Hassaikai, Kendo was an experienced brawler who participated in Quirk-permitted underground fight clubs, where he remained undefeated until his encounter with Kai Chisaki, who wanted to recruit Kendo into the Yakuza, due to the brawler's fighting capabilities. Kendo proposed that, in order to gain his servitude, Kai has to defeat him in battle, but just as Kendo prepared an attack, the Yakuza leader effortlessly disassembled, then reassembled Kendo. Even after becoming a member of the Eight Bullets, Kendo had enough mettle to challenge Kai 5 times, but was overhauled and defeated with each attempt. Due to his direct combat efficiency, Kai paired Kendo with Hekiji Tengai, an individual who excels in defense. When the pair tag-teams in battle, Kendo assaults the opponents with powerful bullet punches that are augmented in terms of speed by his Strongarm Quirk, whereas Hekiji utilizes his fairly strong barriers to protect Kendo should the former meet his match, or if Hekiji wishes to protect himself from attacks.
Kendo's prowess was notoriously showcased when he and Hekiji were pitted against Fat Gum and Eijiro Kirishima, both of whom very formidable heroes who excel in defense and close-quarters combat, just as Kendo himself does in the latter case. Kendo first sent a hardened Eijiro flying a good distance away with a single punch before turning his attention to Fat Gum (who was distracted by Eijiro being hurled away) and repeatedly barraged him with a volley of punches throughout their battle. Fat Gum surmised that getting in close doesn't give the BMI hero a chance to dodge Kendo's assault, and due to the amount of strength behind the brawler's attacks, Fat Gum's Fat Absorption couldn't absorb all of the damage. With his deductions, Fat Gum concluded that Kendo would wear him down until the hero was out of might. In addition, Fat Gum knew that Hekiji would produce a barrier if Kendo needed it, rendering the defeat of the Yakuza couplet near-impossible with Hekiji still standing. Once Eijiro regained his resolve, and stepped in to endure Kendo's flurry of punches even more than he did at the beginning of the bout, Hekiji blocked the U.A. student's last attack, which he thought would be enough to counter, if not damage Kendo. However, these interferences bought Fat Gum enough time to transfer all of the accumulated energy he absorbed from the impact of Kendo's attacks, into one final punch to ultimately defeat the Yakuza dyad.
Kendo's punches are strong enough to break through Eijiro Kirishima's nigh-impenetrable Super Move, "Red Riot Unbreakable".
- Immense Strength: Kendo has great strength as his fists were powerful enough to penetrate Eijiro's "Red Riot Unbreakable" technique with a single punch that also sent his opponent flying. The pure shock of his blows were capable of injuring Fat Gum, in spite of the hero's bodily fat, and nearly defeat him in 1-on—1 combat. Fat Gum and Eijiro are known for excelling at defense, and could only withstand Kendo's attacks by working together. During his days as an underground fighter, Kendo defeated his opponents with a single blow each, while those who survived his strikes conceded defeat.
- Enhanced Durability: Kendo has proven to be fairly durable, as he was able to rise to his feet after enduring Fat Gum's final, energy-stockpiled punch that was enough to penetrate Hekiji's Barrier Quirk. While he could still move sufficiently, albeit limply, Kendo's arms were temporarily out of commission.
Quirk
Strongarm (強肩 Kyōken?):[3] Kendo's Quirk allows him to rotate his shoulders at extreme speed, allowing him to attack his targets with a near-endless barrage of bullet punches. His Quirk can only stay active for a few seconds at a time, but this is all the time Kendo needs to wear down his opponents.
Stats
| Power | 5/6 A | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 5/6 A | |
| Technique | 3/6 C | |
| Wits | 2/6 D | |
| Combo Counter | 5/6 A |
Battles & Events
| Battles & Events |
Trivia
- Kendo's last name means thug or villain (乱波 Rappa?). His first name contains the kanji for shoulder (肩 kata?) and movement (動 dō?).
- With his bloodthirsty nature and violent Quirk, Kendo seems to represent a corrupted version of the first tenet of the actual eight precepts of Buddhism: do not kill other living things.
- According to Horikoshi, Kendo is very fun to draw.[3]
- He joined the world of street fighting as an act of rebellion against his overly strict parents.[3]
- His first name is the same as Itsuka's last name, but they are spelled differently.
- Kendo is the only one of the Eight Bullets who is not a C-Rank Villain.
References
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 142.
- ↑ My Hero Academia Manga: Chapter 146.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 My Hero Academia Manga: Vol. 16, Omake