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The first two episodes ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilanteshighlight Koichi Haimawari’s speed, Knuckleduster’s brute strength, and Pop Step’s unique quirk. The vigilante trio has taken on a few villains, but much of the heavy lifting falls to Knuckleduster and The Crawler. As a result, many viewers start to wonder about Pop Step’s usefulness and what she brings to the vigilante trio inMy Hero Academia’s spin-off series.
Even before joining the Naruhata Vigilantes, Pop Step was a guerrilla idol who staged her performances in the most unusual places for her fans. She has no regard for the law, making her gigs 100% illegal. For some reason, she approaches Koichi, and the rest is history. She finds herselfjoining the vigilante trio, doing patrols around Naruhata, all the while searching for leads about a quirk induction drug known as Trigger.
Exploring Pop Step’s Quirk
An Inspiration for Koichi Haimawari
The debut episode ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesintroduces the viewers to Pop Step and her quirk called Leap. This quirk grants her the ability to jump incredibly high, allowing her to perform unique maneuvers perfect for navigating urban environments. It is different from a flight quirk, as she becomes powerless without having a foothold to jump off. The drawback is that her quirk doesn’t grant her super strength, making her vulnerable to different kinds of attacks. She also needs to rely on her surroundings to maximize thefull potential of her quirk.
“I’m still searching for what it is I can do, exactly."—Pop Step
While Pop Step thinksKoichi has a pretty handy transportation quirk, Koichi himself admires her leaping quirk, wishing he had the same abilities. In Koichi’s eyes, Pop Step shines with her quirk as she bounds across the sky, contrary to his slide and glide quirk. After all, Koichi has this impression that people long for things that are naturally high above reach, while anything at eye level or below is often looked down upon. His quirk, which many find creepy, only reinforces his belief that life is unfair.
Pop Step Brings the Brains to the Vigilante Trio
She Is Smart and Logical
While Knuckleduster brings the brawn, Pop Step brings the brains to the vigilante trio. She’s not exactly a genius, but she can bestreet-smart, quick-witted, and intuitive. When the trio were about to search for suspicious individuals involved in the smuggling of Trigger, Pop Step was the only one who used her head to narrow down their options. By using her phone, she suggested searching for villain sightings around the area, including never-before-seen villains, before trying to find their location and questioning people. Because of this, even Koichi thinks she’s smart. She’s also in charge of calling the police or the other way around, in which she becomes a lookout while Koichi and Knuckleduster deal with instant villains.
Pop Step was also the first one who remembered the salaryman Eraserhead tried to protect from Knuckleduster’s violent intentions. She used her phone to confirm her suspicions, trusted her gut, and came after him. Her attention to detail, ability to think on her feet, and ability to adapt to chaotic situations make her a valuable member of the group. Of course, there are times when she can be a burden, requiringKoichi’s or Knuckleduster’s protection.
“Did it ever occur to you two to actually use your heads?"—Pop Step to Koichi and Knuckleduster
Aside from that, Pop Step has a knack for talking herself out of danger, often using her charm and wit to defuse tense situations. Her charm and popularity have proven effective on instant villains, as well as on her fans, calming things down before they escalate. However, her charm can also be a double-edged sword, as she often finds herself in risky situations she isn’t always prepared to handle.
Pop Step Is an Emotional Anchor
An Emotionally Sharp Tsundere
Within the group, Pop Step might just be the most emotionally perceptive. She sees through Koichi’s self-doubts and doesn’t hesitate to call him out for his stingy lifestyle, his reluctance to pursue his heroic ambitions, and other important life decisions. She truly believes he has what it takes to achieve his dreams and become a real hero, even when he doesn’t. On the other hand, when it comes to Knuckleduster, she, alongside Koichi, keeps the old man in check and calls him out for his recklessness and violent tendencies when needed. She won’t let the old man hurt an innocent guy no matter what happens.
“I was going to say thanks but you’re annoying me, so I changed my mind.” —Pop Step to Koichi
All in all, Pop Step may not look or act like it, but she isn’t the type of girl who would let her group go down the drain. Pop Step is usually blunt, but she gets her comrades. She understands them on a deeper level, particularly Koichi, with whom she has a shared history. But the funny thing is that she can also be the first to deny her involvement with the vigilante trio when the cops are involved inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes.
