As one of the most popular new-gen anime, My Hero Academia presents an intricate view into its world of heroes and villains. While exploring the rising tensions between the two groups, the series introduces a plethora of memorable characters who captivate fans.
Among these, Stars and Stripe is one of the most prominent. Despite her lack of screen time, her heroic personality and broken powers thoroughly impressed viewers. Cathleen Bate, who goes by the hero name “Stars and Stripe," is the No. 1 Pro Hero of the United States of America in My Hero Academia.
She is a tall, muscular woman whose costume depicts her heroism and patriotism. Stars and Stripe is a selfless and confident individual who is trusted by all those around her. She is a formidable force who strives to become a pillar of hero society.
Stars and Stripe’s courageous attitude is inspired by All Might, who once saved her from a villain while visiting America as an exchange student. Despite possessing overpowering skills, she is not vain and realizes the importance of her role. This is best shown during her confrontation with Tomura Shigaraki.
Due to the villain’s exploits in the Paranormal Liberation War and his rapid rise in strength, he was classified as a threat to the entire world. When nations were busy deliberating on how to tackle him, Stars and Stripe moved into action.
Accompanied by fighter jets piloted by her friends, she faced Tomura in the air. At this point, America’s top hero showcased why she deserved her position. Through her Quirk—New Order—Stars and Stripe thoroughly dominated her battle against Tomura.
Star and Stripe’s Quirk is one of the most unfair abilities in My Hero Academia. Aptly called “New Order," it allows her to set rules for her surroundings by stating specific conditions. The Quirk is not strictly bound by certain objects and can be applied to almost anything. The frightening nature of her ability was shown against Tomura, where she could choke the villain by removing the air around him and attack him by manipulating lasers from fighter jets.
The ability seemingly had no flaws, as Stars and Stripe continuously launched a barrage of hits on Tomura and even constructed a body a thousand times larger than her. Unfortunately, at this point, the only disadvantage of New Order was revealed.
There are two conditions for Stars and Stripe to use her Quirk. The first is the need for contact, and the second is a perfect understanding of her target’s nature. However, due to this, she couldn’t apply any direct rules to Tomura. While Stars and Stripe considered her opponent to be Tomura Shigaraki, Tomura himself was in a state of confusion about his identity.
This was because of his connection with All For One and the gradual merging of their vessels. Paired with his ingenuity during battle, rapid healing, and persistence, he waited for his chance to surprise his opponent. This arrived after Stars and Stripe’s ultimate move, where she unleashed the deadly Tiamet missiles against Tomura.
Unbeknownst to her, the villain survived and rapidly inflicted his Decay Quirk on her. Therefore, due to a moment of carelessness and the inability of New Order to directly place rules on Tomura, Stars and Stripe was caught off guard.
Stars and Stripe's Controversial Final Fate in My Hero Academia
Stars and Stripe is a beloved My Hero Academia character who had one of the best battles in the series against Tomura. However, her screen time was strictly restricted to only one arc, making fans believe she was severely underused.
After Tomura used Decay on her, Stars and Stripe’s death was all but guaranteed. In her final moments, however, she saw Tomura trying to steal her Quirk and placed a rule onto New Order itself. This stipulated that her Quirk would revolt against all other Quirks within Tomura’s body. Hence, once the villain successfully got his new Quirk, his body nearly broke down, leaving him in a dangerous condition.
This forced Tomura to abandon valuable Quirks such as Reflect and slowed down his growth before the Final War Arc. Stars and Stripe, on the other hand, crumbled away to her death while reminiscing about her memories with All Might.
Though Stars and Stripe’s presence was limited, she played an immeasurable role in the heroes’ efforts against Tomura. Unfortunately, many fans were also under the impression that she could have been used for much more than just one battle against the antagonist. As a powerful female character who was the first major representative of hero society outside Japan, some viewers felt Stars and Stripe was ultimately only used as a narrative tool to heighten the stakes.
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Nevertheless, Stars and Stripe’s powerful Quirk, unwavering spirit, and captivating personality drew the attention of many. While her utilization in My Hero Academia remains a source of debate, her legacy has lasted longer than the runtime of the series.
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