TV-Series
Description
Neito Monoma is a student in Class 1-B at U.A. High School's Hero Course. He is known by his hero name, Phantom Thief, and years after the Final War, he graduates from U.A. and becomes a professional hero, rising to become the No. 10 hero. Monoma has short blonde hair, blue eyes, and often wears a neatly pressed uniform, taking great care in his appearance. His hero costume consists of a black tuxedo with a light blue tie and white coattails.
Monoma's personality is complex and shifts depending on the context. When interacting with Class 1-A, he is mocking, loud, sarcastic, and theatrical, often making grandiose gestures and dramatic pronouncements. He relishes opportunities to belittle Class 1-A and undermine their popularity. Outside of these rivalrous interactions, however, he is calm, kind, intelligent, and collected. He is deeply supportive of his own classmates in Class 1-B, encouraging them and celebrating their successes. He does not compete with them or put them down. His internal mindset divides the world into main characters, those with quirks suited for heroism, and side characters, those without such quirks. This perspective fuels much of his behavior.
Monoma's primary motivation is to prove that Class 1-B is superior to Class 1-A. He is intensely competitive and sees Class 1-A as receiving disproportionate attention and favor. He wants to demonstrate the worth of his own class and himself, seeking recognition and validation. Underneath his boasting, he is also somewhat intimidated by the students of Class 1-A and privately feels relief when he does not have to face them in direct combat. There is an underlying insecurity regarding his own quirk, Copy, which he feels is better suited for a support role than a front-line hero position, making it difficult for him to be the star. This drives his need to prove himself.
In the story, Monoma serves as a rival and a foil to Class 1-A, particularly to Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya. He is a recurring character who consistently seeks to challenge and undermine Class 1-A, providing both comedic relief and a source of tension. He participates in major events such as the U.A. Sports Festival and the Joint Training Arc. During the Sports Festival, he deliberately finishes low in the obstacle course as part of a larger strategy. In the Joint Training Arc, he plays a key role by copying Hitoshi Shinsou's quirk and using it effectively in a high-stress battle. He has also shown a tendency to get carried away, receiving physical reprimands, often comedic, from his classmate Itsuka Kendo, his teacher Shota Aizawa, or other students.
Monoma's most significant relationship is with Itsuka Kendo, his classmate and co-leader of Class 1-B. Kendo acts as a voice of reason and often physically restrains him when he becomes overly antagonistic, functioning as a responsible older sibling figure. He is also deeply loyal to his other Class 1-B classmates, such as Setsuna Tokage, whom he cheers up after a loss. His rivalry with Katsuki Bakugo of Class 1-A is particularly pointed, as both share arrogant personalities but Bakugo undergoes significant development while Monoma initially stagnates, serving as a reflection of what Bakugo might have become without growth. His rivalry with Izuku Midoriya is also central, as he attempts to copy Midoriya's quirk One For All only to discover he cannot copy accumulation-type quirks.
Throughout the series, Monoma shows some development. He slowly begins to acknowledge the strengths of his Class 1-A opponents, especially by the end of the Joint Training Arc, demonstrating a deeper level of respect. He transitions from a purely antagonistic figure to someone who recognizes the value of others while still maintaining his competitive spirit. By the timeskip, he has fully graduated and become a successful pro hero.
Monoma's quirk is Copy, an emitter-type ability that allows him to temporarily copy the quirks of other people through physical contact. He can hold multiple copied quirks simultaneously, but he can only use one at a time. The copied quirks remain active for a maximum of five minutes, and any physical changes to his body caused by the quirk will persist even if he switches to using a different copied quirk. He cannot copy heteromorphic physical manifestations, such as body parts that were present from birth. He also cannot copy accumulation-type quirks like One For All. His quirk requires strategic thinking, as he must quickly assess and use unfamiliar abilities in combat. He prefers to know as much about a quirk's mechanism before using it, and he is cautious about copying quirks that could cause permanent harm or be too demanding. Monoma is a cerebral combatant who relies on planning, observation, and psychological pressure rather than raw power. He uses his intelligence to manipulate the flow of battle and devise strategies on the fly, making him a valuable asset in team battles despite his antagonistic reputation. His fighting style involves using his own quirk as his primary tool, with minimal reliance on physical combat skills.
Monoma's personality is complex and shifts depending on the context. When interacting with Class 1-A, he is mocking, loud, sarcastic, and theatrical, often making grandiose gestures and dramatic pronouncements. He relishes opportunities to belittle Class 1-A and undermine their popularity. Outside of these rivalrous interactions, however, he is calm, kind, intelligent, and collected. He is deeply supportive of his own classmates in Class 1-B, encouraging them and celebrating their successes. He does not compete with them or put them down. His internal mindset divides the world into main characters, those with quirks suited for heroism, and side characters, those without such quirks. This perspective fuels much of his behavior.
Monoma's primary motivation is to prove that Class 1-B is superior to Class 1-A. He is intensely competitive and sees Class 1-A as receiving disproportionate attention and favor. He wants to demonstrate the worth of his own class and himself, seeking recognition and validation. Underneath his boasting, he is also somewhat intimidated by the students of Class 1-A and privately feels relief when he does not have to face them in direct combat. There is an underlying insecurity regarding his own quirk, Copy, which he feels is better suited for a support role than a front-line hero position, making it difficult for him to be the star. This drives his need to prove himself.
In the story, Monoma serves as a rival and a foil to Class 1-A, particularly to Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya. He is a recurring character who consistently seeks to challenge and undermine Class 1-A, providing both comedic relief and a source of tension. He participates in major events such as the U.A. Sports Festival and the Joint Training Arc. During the Sports Festival, he deliberately finishes low in the obstacle course as part of a larger strategy. In the Joint Training Arc, he plays a key role by copying Hitoshi Shinsou's quirk and using it effectively in a high-stress battle. He has also shown a tendency to get carried away, receiving physical reprimands, often comedic, from his classmate Itsuka Kendo, his teacher Shota Aizawa, or other students.
Monoma's most significant relationship is with Itsuka Kendo, his classmate and co-leader of Class 1-B. Kendo acts as a voice of reason and often physically restrains him when he becomes overly antagonistic, functioning as a responsible older sibling figure. He is also deeply loyal to his other Class 1-B classmates, such as Setsuna Tokage, whom he cheers up after a loss. His rivalry with Katsuki Bakugo of Class 1-A is particularly pointed, as both share arrogant personalities but Bakugo undergoes significant development while Monoma initially stagnates, serving as a reflection of what Bakugo might have become without growth. His rivalry with Izuku Midoriya is also central, as he attempts to copy Midoriya's quirk One For All only to discover he cannot copy accumulation-type quirks.
Throughout the series, Monoma shows some development. He slowly begins to acknowledge the strengths of his Class 1-A opponents, especially by the end of the Joint Training Arc, demonstrating a deeper level of respect. He transitions from a purely antagonistic figure to someone who recognizes the value of others while still maintaining his competitive spirit. By the timeskip, he has fully graduated and become a successful pro hero.
Monoma's quirk is Copy, an emitter-type ability that allows him to temporarily copy the quirks of other people through physical contact. He can hold multiple copied quirks simultaneously, but he can only use one at a time. The copied quirks remain active for a maximum of five minutes, and any physical changes to his body caused by the quirk will persist even if he switches to using a different copied quirk. He cannot copy heteromorphic physical manifestations, such as body parts that were present from birth. He also cannot copy accumulation-type quirks like One For All. His quirk requires strategic thinking, as he must quickly assess and use unfamiliar abilities in combat. He prefers to know as much about a quirk's mechanism before using it, and he is cautious about copying quirks that could cause permanent harm or be too demanding. Monoma is a cerebral combatant who relies on planning, observation, and psychological pressure rather than raw power. He uses his intelligence to manipulate the flow of battle and devise strategies on the fly, making him a valuable asset in team battles despite his antagonistic reputation. His fighting style involves using his own quirk as his primary tool, with minimal reliance on physical combat skills.