Shota is a very stern and reserved man who has lofty expectations of his students. He is primarily motivated by logic and does not believe in the necessity to maintain a clean-cut appearance or filter his words or ideas for others. He often comes off as cold, apathetic, and impatient, exerting very little energy in most situations, preferring to take naps in his sleeping bag instead.[2]As a teacher with notoriously high expectations, Shota is known to expel students who he feels are not suited for U.A. High. However, it's revealed that this high expulsion rate is only on paper and that he actually re-enrolls the students he expels: Shota does this so they can experience "death" once, giving them an experience that drives them to push even higher.[8] Although it is noteworthy that he has not expelled any students from Class 1-A yet, despite being well-known for doing so.[9] He can be rigid and strict when necessary and has little tolerance for disobedience. Shota is not afraid of putting his students through rigorous training and often pushes the more unpleasant parts of Heroism, so that his students can overcome their limits. Shota has proven to be very vocal and unafraid when expressing his ideas. He has mentioned on several occasions that some of U.A.'s choices when it comes to examinations are not practical or challenging enough for real Hero hopefuls and is adamant about having certain systems used by the institution changed.[10] He also blatantly stated that he did not believe Izuku Midoriya could become a hero when they first met.[3] He is also known for lying to his students in order to manipulate them into giving their best, a technique he describes as a 'logical ruse'/'rational deception'.[11] Despite his apathetic traits, Shota genuinely cares about his students and will go to great lengths to protect them as he saved Tsuyu Asui from Tomura Shigaraki, in spite of his grievous injuries.[12] He has also expressed belief in his students on multiple occasions and is confident that even the likes of Katsuki Bakugo would not be swayed by villains.[13] Recovery Girl even implied that he allowed himself to be captured by Momo Yaoyorozu during her First Term Final Exam in order to boost her confidence.[14] Shota is also quite nurturing, as he has been seen attending to his duties as Eri's guardian and foster father without complaint. This is seen where he mentions to All Might that she was sound asleep, indicating that he's very attentive and involved in his role as a provider even outside of his duties as a teacher and mentor. He is shown to be extremely disturbed upon discovering the ultimate fate of his friend Oboro Shirakumo. He displayed intense grief upon confronting Kurogiri after discovering that he is Oboro, showing that Shota has not yet come to terms with his friend's fate. Furthered by this tragedy, Shota is shown to be particularly wrathful towards individuals who are unfortunate enough to provoke him, especially by harming those he cares about. This was seen when Shota strangled Kyudai Garaki after learning of the desecration of Oboro's corpse, blocking Kyudai's longevity Quirk, tormenting and humiliating the aged scientist in a show of sheer rage. Despite his personality, Shota has shown on several occasions that he is not completely devoid of joy or humor: he often grins whenever he is impressed by one of his students[3][15] or after he tricks them with one of his 'rational deceptions.. Overall Abilities: Shota has demonstrated incredible combat prowess and ingenuity that makes him one of the most formidable teachers and Pro Heroes at U.A. High. Shota's usual battle tactic consists of canceling an opponent's Quirk and then using his Capturing Weapon in conjunction with his high agility to easily defeat or restrain his adversaries. Even without the aid of his Quirk, Shota relies on his proficiency in hand-to-hand combat, excelling in close quarters combat. His overall abilities make him a pivotal combatant in situations that involve his opponents being solely Quirk-reliant, and with the Erasure Hero creating openings by negating their powers in the midst of battle, him and his comrades are put into advantageous positions. During the U.S.J. Incident, he effectively held his own against low-tier members of the League of Villains that surrounded and outnumbered the Erasure Hero, dozens to one. Shota evaded multiple attacks from opponents of various sizes and abilities before restraining them and sending them flying with calculated counter attacks. He was even able to nearly defeat Tomura Shigaraki, a highly capable villain before the U.S.J. Nomu intervened and overpowered the Erasure Hero. Other than Tomura, Shota can effectively fend off high-level villains such as Vanguard Action Squad members, Dabi and Himiko Toga, albeit with some difficulty. He also played vital roles during the Shie Hassaikai Raid and the Paranormal Liberation War, both of which involved large teams of heroes contending with high-class villains, with the latter spectacle involving the suppression of various High-End Nomus and Tomura's enhanced abilities. Binding Cloth: Shota fights by ensnaring and/or immobilizing his opponents with his capturing weapon, and can also use it for mobility by swinging on walls and surfaces. As highly proficient he is at using this fighting style, Shota stated that it took him six years to learn and develop it from absolute scratch. This style of combat synchronizes well with his Erasure Quirk, as he can nullify the Quirks of his opponents while being able to restrain and defeat them. Immense Stamina: On multiple occasions, Shota was able to keep fighting on even after suffering significant and painful injuries. During the U.S.J. Incident, he fought off swarms of villains and still had energy to face Tomura. Even when Shota's left arm and skull were shattered by the U.S.J. Nomu, he remained conscious long enough to save Tsuyu from being killed by Tomura. In addition, during the climax of Paranormal Liberation War, Shota amputated his leg fast enough to stop the effects of a Quirk-Destroying Bullet, without showing signs of significant pain, and continue using his Erasure Quirk despite the lost limb. Keen Intellect: Eraser Head had been seen to have keen observation and evaluation skills. He can easily evaluate his student's personalities and their mental state. He is an expert on collaborating his equipment and Quirk with one another. In battle, Eraser Head uses goggles in conjunction with his Quirk to prevent enemies from figuring out who he's looking at, and keep them guessing. He also quickly creates strategies for dealing with different types of enemies, even those who are immune to his Quirk. In addition, he can meticulously discern the mechanics behind people's abilities after witnessing them performed once. Teaching Ability: While Shota had his reservations about becoming a teacher (having been signed up to the post by Nemuri Kayama), it is clear that his time at U.A. has turned him into an effective educator in the Hero Course. Shota employs a strict, straight to the point and no nonsense approach to Heroics, reminding his students of the responsibilities they will have as Pro Heroes. One of his recurring methods is introducing dire consequences should his students fail (like the threat of expulsion) which he dubs as "rational deceptions" in order to push his students to do their very best. Alongside All Might and the other teachers at U.A., Shota has managed help train Class 1-A to become a powerful group of heroes in training. Furthermore, Shota came up with the method of expelling and re-enrolling his students as to teach them not to confuse self-sacrifice with throwing one's life away. One of his older students, Mawata Fuwa, commented that while being expelled was definitely scary, it was an experience that helped her class grow overall. Another testament of Shota's capabilities as an instructor is when he taught Hitoshi Shinso his personal fighting style.[16] In the course of several months, he helped the Class 1-C student in further mastering his Brainwashing Quirk, enabling Hitoshi to achieve his goals to enter the hero course. Nezu acknowledged that Hitoshi's improvements were because of Shota's counsel. Erasure (抹まっ消しょう Masshō?): Shota's Quirk gives him the ability to nullify another person's Quirk by looking at the user. The effects of this Quirk can still last even if Shota's line of vision is out of range.[18] After sustaining grievous injuries at the U.S.J., Shota can't use his Quirk for as long and must rest longer between erasures.[14] After losing one of his eyes in the Paranormal Liberation War, he reveals that he has now almost completely lost the ability to use his Quirk,[17] though he can still make some use of Erasure using just the one eye.[19] While powerful, this ability has many drawbacks: Erasure deactivates if Shota blinks. His Quirk gives Shota a bad dry eye, forcing him to blink more often when he uses the power continuously. Most Mutant-type Quirks are immune to Erasure, given that these Quirks are often passively active in a way that can't be negated. Erasure has zero effect on any strength or abilities that don't originate from Quirks. Erasure makes Shota's hair stand on end while it is active, allowing his enemies to see when his Quirk is active or not. This Quirk has no offensive potential. The Quirk Factor lies within Shota's eyes, so if one or both are damaged or destroyed, he cannot effectively use Erasure. Eyedrops: Shota carries a small green case of eye drops with him. He uses them to treat the dry eye caused by keeping his eyes open too long. Capturing Weapon (捕縛武器 Hobaku Buki?): Eraser Head's weapon of choice is a cloth made from steel wire alloy woven with carbon nanofibers. Eraser Goggles: Eraser Head can be recognized by the gold goggles he wears around his neck, hidden by his scarf. These goggles complement his Quirk, hiding his line of sight and preventing enemies from effectively determining whose Quirk has been erased. He received the goggles during his school years from Oboro. High Density Weights (Final Exams Arc): Eraser Head and the rest of the teachers use these bracelets to give themselves a handicap while they are fighting their students. Caltrops: Eraser Head used caltrops in the practical battle against Team Todoroki & Yaoyorozu. They were effective when used in combination with the capturing weapon. After suspending Shoto in mid-air with the capturing weapon, Shota threw caltrops beneath Shoto so he couldn't land safely in case he escaped his restraints. Knife: Eraser Head has a large knife. It's useful to cut off his Capturing Weapon should it become stuck to something. He can also use it in combat. Prosthetic Leg: After being forced to sever his own right leg during the fight against Tomura, Shota uses a prosthetic leg.