My Hero Academia: Why Hawks' Wings Are Unlike Any Other Hero's (2024)

WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 15, "One Thing At a Time," now streaming on Crunchyroll, Funimation and Hulu.

Hawks is now the #2 Pro Hero in My Hero Academia, and the final episodes ofSeason 4 made it clearhe's earned that lofty rankdespite being just 22 years old. HisFierce Wings Quirk grants him a pair of red, angelic wings, allowing him to soarthrough the skies. But thesefeathers are much more than flight enablers -- they're also packed with numerous secondary functions.

Hawks can detach the feathers in his wings and control them telekinetically, usually to evacuate civilians from a hazardous area or to capture fleeing criminals.But Season 5, Episode 15 ofMy Hero Academiahas revealed asurprisingly clever and subtle -- yet still dangerous --use for Hawks' red wings.

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How Hawks Uses Feathers To Spy On His Enemies

Currently, in My Hero Academia Season 5, Hawks is playingthe role of double agent. He's a mole in the shadowy Meta Liberation Army organization, working hard to earn the trust of villains like the flame-wielding Dabi. In fact, Hawks is in a position to hand out copies of Destro'smeta liberation ideology book on behalf of the Army, showing how integral he is to the entire organization. The secret Pro Hero isable to wander deep into enemy territory and meet the Army's highest-ranking members--the perfect opportunity to put Fierce Wings' tertiary function to good use.

Despitehaving the trust of many Army members,Hawks can't visit every room of the organization's main compound, so he uses small feathers to handle the spy work for him. The Army's main leaders are quietly having a strategy meeting -- including League of Villains members such as Dabi and Himiko Toga --so Hawks must gather intel on them. After giving his report and being dismissed,Hawks leaves behind a single feather in the doorway, held in place by the sliding doors where no one can see it.

Feathers like these can sense vibrations in the air, allowing Hawks to "hear" nearby sounds remotely. The reception is weaker if his wings are folded up, but this is the best he can do for now. It would look odd if hespread his wings to their full extent inside the compound, so he's making small sacrifices to maintain cover, and it seems to be working. It's likely that Meta Liberation Army members are sweeping the compound for electronic bugs and hidden cameras, but they wouldn't think to check for Hawks' feathers -- especially since they believe he's on their side.

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Hawks' Potential Future Useof Fierce Wings

Fierce Wingsis a highly useful ability for gathering intel on the Meta Liberation Army's top brass, and there is little doubt Hawks will soon deliver a thorough report to the Pro Heroes and police. He might do this again later when the war starts,todeduce enemy troop movements ahead of time and adjust accordingly.

Being a Pro Herotakes more than speed and brute force -- it also requires proper intel, the ability to track and pursue criminals, detective work and much more, and this tertiary ability of Fierce Wings is perfect for the job. If necessary, Hawks can distribute a handful of these sensitive feathers across a city and listen for the activities of powerful or highly wanted criminals and villains. In this context, Hawks can spread his wings to maximize reception while also soaringaround the sky.

Once a large-scale battle starts, Hawks' planted feathers can pinpoint the location of many enemies at once, providing a radar of sorts to the heroes' side. No villain could move undetected any longer, which would put them at a serious disadvantage. Then Hawks and his allies can quickly zero in on the villains and capture them at the same time. This could be a game-changer in the upcoming My Hero Academia conflicts.

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