| “ | Do not submit to selfish desires. And do not forget Master Overhaul's orders. We make the perfect team. Our combined strength is more than capable of bringing them down. | „ |
| ~ Hekiji Tengai to Kendo Rappa. |
Hekiji Tengai is a minor antagonist in the manga/anime series My Hero Academia. He is affiliated with the Shie Hassaikai and a member of the organization's Eight Bullets.
He is voiced by Jun Miyamoto in the Japanese version, and Shawn Gann in the English dubbed version.
Appearance[]
Hekiji is a tall, slim man with short, spiky hair of a pale color. He has straight, dark eyebrows and thin eyes, their irises and pupils visibly light, but he is usually seen with his eyes closed.
He wears a traditional dark-colored yukata with a pair of geta on his feet, a long white piece of cloth acting as a belt around his waist. As with the other members of the Shie Hassaikai, Hekiji wears a plague doctor mask, his being a plain brown one worn strapped to his face with three belts, one down his forehead and one on each side of his face that also cover his ears, like mufflers.
Personality[]
Hekiji is a calm man that almost never loses his composure. True to his Buddhist nature, he despises violence and finds no enjoyment in fighting, considering it to be a selfish desire and wanting to finish battles as quickly as possible. He is also very loyal to Chisaki, and hates when he is shown disrespect.
History[]
Background[]
Hekiji was a devout Buddhist that Kai Chisaki recruited into the Shie Hassaikai to serve as Kendo Rappa's "babysitter", due to the latter's belligerent behavior becoming too obnoxious to handle.
Shie Hassaikai Arc[]
Hekiji is paired with Kendo Rappa to watch over him and provide backup during the heroes' raid on the Shie Hassaikai hideout. Mimic sends Fat Gum and Eijiro Kirishima into a dark room where Hekiji and Kendo are waiting for them. Fat Gum attempts to attack Kendo, but Hekiji uses his barrier to block him and declares himself and Kendo to be a "Spear and Shield", while the two heroes are just a "Shield and Shield". Kendo complains about Hekiji interfering in his fight and tells him not to use his barrier, and Hekiji reminds him that Chisaki paired them up because their Quirks work well together and will ensure their victory. However, Kendo angrily tries to attack Hekiji and argues that Chisaki paired them up without asking and that he doesn't care what he wants, causing Hekiji to relent and let Kendo do as he pleases; though he also tells him to show respect to Chisaki.
While Kendo continues his fight with Fat Gum, Hekiji sees Kirishima frozen with fear, muttering that the young hero has lost the will to fight and expressing pity for him. During Kendo's assault on Fat Gum, Hekiji notices that the latter is planning something and orders him to finish things quickly. However, Kirishima finds his resolve again and jumps in front of Fat Gum to take all of Kendo's attacks, continuously restoring any hardened skin the latter breaks through. Before Kirishima can land a counterattack, Hekiji uses his barrier again to stop it, much to Kendo's anger, stating that meaningless actions should fall before his defense. But Fat Gum retorts that Kirishima's actions weren't in vain, as it gave him the time needed to store up all the energy he absorbed from Kendo's punches and unleash it on the duo in one powerful blow; declaring himself and Kirishma the winners in this "Sword and Shield" battle.
However, Hekiji managed to put up a barrier with maximum defense that took the brunt of Fat Gum's final attack and kept them from losing consciousness. But to Hekiji's shock, Kendo tells Fat Gum to take Kirishima to the next room where there are medical supplies and treat him, wishing to challenge the young hero again. Hekiji questions Kendo's actions and demands that he should follow Chisaki's orders, only for Kendo to get annoyed and knock him out.
Hekiji is later arrested and imprisoned along with the rest of the Shie Hassaikai in the aftermath of the raid.
Powers and Abilities[]
Barrier: Hekiji's Quirk allows him to create a powerful, dome-shaped barrier around himself. His barrier is extremely durable, with Fat Gum stating that hitting it felt like punching a steel wall. He can also control the size and radius of his barrier to cover himself and a teammate in combat. It appears it's activation is instantaneous, as shown when he out-paced both Kendo's rapid punches and Fat Gum's final attack. However, it is not indestructible and can be broken by an attack that possesses immense power or strength.
Tactical Intellect: Hekiji is shown to have some tactical expertise, noting that his barrier and Kendo's punches work as a great combination of attack and defense.
Trivia[]
- Tengai" refers to a type of Buddhist canopy or dome. Hekiji's first name contains the kanji for "wall" (壁 heki) and "mercy" (慈 ji).
- Hekiji represents a corruption of the eighth tenet of the real eight precepts of Buddhism, which forbids taking shelter and resting under a luxurious canopy.
