Juzo Honenuki, known professionally as Mudman, secured his place in U.A. High School's prestigious Hero Course through official recommendation, joining peers like Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu. A graduate of Kintora Middle School in Kanagawa Prefecture, his distinctive appearance features pale skin, angular eyes, mid-length ash-blond spiked hair, and a skull-like facial structure where his teeth sit visibly outside his skin, resulting in no discernible lips. He stands 174 cm (5'8½") tall with a slim muscular build. He exhibits a fundamentally calm and understanding demeanor, coupled with strong analytical capabilities and flexible thinking. This personality manifests as an intense dislike for losing, especially if his actions contribute to team failure, driving him to prioritize preventing friends from suffering due to his mistakes. His keen intellect shines in combat, enabling swift strategic adaptations based on opponents' Quirks and fighting styles. Outside battle, he enjoys massages, soft blankets, and sweets, while disliking rudeness, sour foods, and dental visits. He is bilingual in Japanese and English and speaks some French. His Quirk, Softening, liquefies any non-living material upon touch, transforming substances like concrete into quicksand to immobilize opponents or reshape terrain. The effect reverses with a second touch, and he navigates softened matter using a snorkel-equipped helmet. The Quirk requires physical contact and cannot affect living organisms. His combat style emphasizes environmental control and long-range tactics, leveraging softened ground to hinder mobility or create traps like "Subside." He possesses hypersonic+ reaction speed, demonstrated by countering Shoto Todoroki's ice attacks mid-formation. During the U.A. Sports Festival, he placed fifth in the Obstacle Race and participated in the Cavalry Battle, though his team lost. At the Forest Training Camp, he joined defensive efforts against villain attacks. His tactical prowess was highlighted in the Joint Training Battle against Class 1-A, where he neutralized Shoto's opening ice assault by softening it, trapping opponents. Recognizing Tenya Ida's Recipro Turbo provided an insurmountable speed advantage, he strategically retreated, resulting in a draw. In the Paranormal Liberation War, he deployed to Gunga Mountain Villa for villain capture and impeded Gigantomachia's advance by softening the terrain. During the Second Major War, he collaborated with Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, and others to contain the giant once more. Eight years post-graduation, he achieved the rank of No. 14 Pro Hero. His hero costume evolved from an initial dark bodysuit with an elliptical helmet, armored chest plates, and orange accents to a sleeker mechanical design. He maintains close friendships with Sen Kaibara and Shihai Kuroiro.