My Hero Academia: Fat Gum’s Fat Absorption Quirk, Explained

Taishiro Toyomitsu, a.k.a. BMI Hero: Fat Gum, is a kind-hearted and friendly pro hero who deeply cares about his colleagues and civilians. While he is playful and carefree, when the going gets tough, he becomes determined and focused on the mission at hand. Prioritizing saving the lives of the civilians, Fat Gum is willing to put his life on the line for the greater good. In his heroic efforts, Taishiro finds courage and confidence in relying on his quirk known as Fat Absorption.

Although Fat Absorption is not as powerful as meta abilities like One for All, All for One, Fa Jin, Gearshift, and Spearlike Bones, the quirk is still effective in neutralizing threats and defending against powerful attacks. But what makes the quirk so reliable in high-stakes missions? In this article, we try to understand Fat Absorption’s unique capabilities and weaknesses.

What is Fat Absorption?

A Multipurpose Quirk That Has Many Applications

Fat Absorption is a transformation-type quirk that is effective in close-range combat. It enables Taishiro to absorb any object upon contact, making it sink into his body fat. By doing so, he can absorb energy and tire his adversary. Fat Absorption’s unique trait makes it a very difficult quirk to deal with since Taishiro uses it wisely for defensive and sometimes even offensive purposes.

While Fat Absorption does give the user an option for offensive moves, its strength lies in defence. Since it can be utilized to absorb most attacks, it provides Fat Gum with an unbelievably high degree of protection. Taishiro can survive despite being attacked with powerful quirks or other dangerous weapons, including bullets. Fat Gum can also use his fat reserves in innovative ways, like restraining those who attack him but end up getting too close to his body. It is incredibly hard to break free from the No. 58 Pro Hero’s control due to his malleable fat.

Because of the nature of his quirk, Fat Gum typically acts as a shield for his comrades during high-stakes missions. His large body becomes an immovable barrier for the villains, while the heroes then take advantage of Taishiro’s protection to launch counterattacks. Furthermore, he is extremely skilled in subduing criminals, which becomes an extremely handy asset during arrests. All these qualities that Fat Gum owes to his quirk Fat Absorption make him a valuable team player, who has the potential to turn the tables for the heroes in difficult circumstances.

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When circumstances are not going in Taishiro’s favour and his defence appears flimsy, he can resort to a cunning trick up his sleeve. As mentioned earlier, Fat Gum can use his quirk to absorb objects upon contact. This is also true for direct attacks, in which case he can soak in all the offensive force used on him. The raw power thus absorbed can then be used to unleash a counterattack, catching Taishiro’s adversaries off guard. Fat Gum is able to perform this move by trading his fat away in exchange for raw power.

In episode 118, titled “The Thrill of Destruction,” Fat Gum is working with his comrades to execute the Gunga Mountain Villa raid. During the clash, he transports Denki, Fumikage, Kinoko, and Juzo to safety by turning his body into a makeshift vehicle with the help of his malleable fat. This ultimate move is known as Fataxi and allows Taishiro to escort several allies out of dangerous situations while shielding them from any dangerous attacks. Fat Absorption gives Fat Gum robust moves that make him a reliable ally in any mission. However, his quirk is far from perfect and has some concerning flaws.

Fat Absorption’s Weaknesses

Taishiro’s Quirk Has Some Glaring Shortcomings

As the name suggests, Fat Absorption is a quirk that heavily relies on the user’s high body mass. Gaining such high fat storage requires Fat Gum’s excessive consumption of copious amounts of calories on a regular basis. Without enough fat reserve, Fat Absorption becomes unusable, which is a shocking shortcoming as a quirk’s effectiveness eventually comes down to its ease of use and its impact. Not being able to utilize one’s quirk can easily turn into a life-threatening circumstance for a pro hero who actively fights dangerous villains.

Even if Fat Gum has the appropriate fat reserves to use his quirk, he runs the risk of a significant decrease in his body mass as he uses his powers. This can also make Fat Absorption ineffective, rendering him powerless in a fight. Fat Gum’s quirk can turn into a liability in one more way. As mentioned earlier, Taishiro can use Fat Absorption to unleash a counterattack if his back is against the wall. But the move requires burning a huge fat stockpile. So if the attack fails to bring down the target, Taishiro will find himself in deep water as there won’t be enough body mass to use his quirk. While Fat Gum’s Fat Absorption does have some incredible applications, it also has some concerning shortcomings that make its use a potential risk in prolonged battles.

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In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the “One-For-All” quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Studio

Bones

Creator

Kōhei Horikoshi