TV-Series
Description
Juzo Honenuki, also known by his hero name Mudman, is a student in the Hero Course at U.A. High School, specifically in Class 1-B. He comes from Kanagawa Prefecture and is one of a small group of elite students admitted through recommendations, placing him alongside powerful peers like Shoto Todoroki from the parallel Class 1-A. He possesses a unique and memorable appearance that is not related to his Quirk; his teeth sit outside of his skin, and he has no visible lips, which gives his face a skull-like quality. Despite this intimidating feature, the series' creator has described him as having the appearance of a good-looking guy. He stands at 174 centimeters tall, has pale skin, angular eyes, and spiked, ash-blond hair. His hero costume is a full-body black bodysuit covered in orange armor plates, including a round, tinted helmet equipped with a retractable snorkel, which he uses to breathe while submerged in softened terrain.
Juzo's personality is defined by a combination of calm analytical thinking and a strong sense of responsibility toward his teammates. He is consistently depicted as level-headed, patient, and observant, often serving as a stabilizing force for his more boisterous classmates. While he dislikes losing, he does not let defeat consume him unless he believes his own actions caused his team to fail, a scenario he is deeply determined to avoid. His thinking is frequently described as flexible, allowing him to devise creative strategies and adapt to changing circumstances on the fly without stubbornly clinging to a failing plan. He is not one to seek the spotlight, preferring instead to operate as an invisible support for his class, often coordinating efforts and setting up opportunities for others to shine. Outside of combat, his interests include giving and receiving massages and speaking fluent English, a skill he often uses to communicate with his American classmate, Pony Tsunotori.
Juzo's Quirk, named Softening, allows him to liquefy any non-living material he touches, transforming solid substances like concrete or ice into a malleable, quicksand-like state. A second touch on the affected area reverses the effect and returns the material to its original solidity. This power gives him tremendous control over the battlefield, enabling him to create traps, hinder enemy movements, destroy incoming projectile attacks, and even reshape the environment to his team's advantage. Although the Quirk is ineffective against living beings, Juzo can use it defensively by instantly neutralizing solid-based attacks. He can also swim through the softened ground, using the snorkel on his helmet to breathe, which allows for stealthy movement and surprise attacks from below. His signature technique is named Subside, a large-scale application of his Quirk to collapse the terrain under his opponents. The effect of Softening is automatically undone if Juzo loses consciousness.
Throughout the story, Juzo demonstrates his value as a strategic and reliable hero-in-training. During the U.A. Sports Festival, he secured fifth place in the obstacle course. His most prominent showcase was during the Joint Training Battle between Class 1-A and Class 1-B. In the third match, his team faced Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Ida, and others. Juzo displayed his tactical genius by predicting Todoroki's opening ice attack and perfectly countering it with his Softening Quirk. He then proceeded to trap the speedster Tenya Ida, and when Ida broke free using an unexpected new technique, Juzo immediately assessed the threat and chose to retreat rather than fight a losing battle, demonstrating his excellent judgment. Later, he coordinated with his teammate Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu to topple a large building, a move that resulted in a draw for both teams.
In the later stages of the series, Juzo's abilities are deemed highly valuable on a large scale. During the Paranormal Liberation War arc, he is deployed to the front lines, where he uses his Quirk to trap dozens of enemy soldiers, earning him praise from the pro hero Gang Orca. He also plays a crucial role in the operation to stop the rampaging giant, Gigantomachia, by softening the ground to slow its advance and extinguish its fiery attacks. After graduating from U.A. High School, Juzo fulfills his goal of becoming a professional hero. In the epilogue, which takes place eight years after the final battle, he has risen to become the fourteenth-ranked pro hero in the nation, a testament to his strategic ingenuity and consistent, dependable performance in the field.
Juzo's personality is defined by a combination of calm analytical thinking and a strong sense of responsibility toward his teammates. He is consistently depicted as level-headed, patient, and observant, often serving as a stabilizing force for his more boisterous classmates. While he dislikes losing, he does not let defeat consume him unless he believes his own actions caused his team to fail, a scenario he is deeply determined to avoid. His thinking is frequently described as flexible, allowing him to devise creative strategies and adapt to changing circumstances on the fly without stubbornly clinging to a failing plan. He is not one to seek the spotlight, preferring instead to operate as an invisible support for his class, often coordinating efforts and setting up opportunities for others to shine. Outside of combat, his interests include giving and receiving massages and speaking fluent English, a skill he often uses to communicate with his American classmate, Pony Tsunotori.
Juzo's Quirk, named Softening, allows him to liquefy any non-living material he touches, transforming solid substances like concrete or ice into a malleable, quicksand-like state. A second touch on the affected area reverses the effect and returns the material to its original solidity. This power gives him tremendous control over the battlefield, enabling him to create traps, hinder enemy movements, destroy incoming projectile attacks, and even reshape the environment to his team's advantage. Although the Quirk is ineffective against living beings, Juzo can use it defensively by instantly neutralizing solid-based attacks. He can also swim through the softened ground, using the snorkel on his helmet to breathe, which allows for stealthy movement and surprise attacks from below. His signature technique is named Subside, a large-scale application of his Quirk to collapse the terrain under his opponents. The effect of Softening is automatically undone if Juzo loses consciousness.
Throughout the story, Juzo demonstrates his value as a strategic and reliable hero-in-training. During the U.A. Sports Festival, he secured fifth place in the obstacle course. His most prominent showcase was during the Joint Training Battle between Class 1-A and Class 1-B. In the third match, his team faced Shoto Todoroki, Tenya Ida, and others. Juzo displayed his tactical genius by predicting Todoroki's opening ice attack and perfectly countering it with his Softening Quirk. He then proceeded to trap the speedster Tenya Ida, and when Ida broke free using an unexpected new technique, Juzo immediately assessed the threat and chose to retreat rather than fight a losing battle, demonstrating his excellent judgment. Later, he coordinated with his teammate Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu to topple a large building, a move that resulted in a draw for both teams.
In the later stages of the series, Juzo's abilities are deemed highly valuable on a large scale. During the Paranormal Liberation War arc, he is deployed to the front lines, where he uses his Quirk to trap dozens of enemy soldiers, earning him praise from the pro hero Gang Orca. He also plays a crucial role in the operation to stop the rampaging giant, Gigantomachia, by softening the ground to slow its advance and extinguish its fiery attacks. After graduating from U.A. High School, Juzo fulfills his goal of becoming a professional hero. In the epilogue, which takes place eight years after the final battle, he has risen to become the fourteenth-ranked pro hero in the nation, a testament to his strategic ingenuity and consistent, dependable performance in the field.