TV-Series
Description
Juzo Honenuki, also known by his hero name Mudman, is a student in Class 1-B of U.A. High School's hero course. He is originally from Kanagawa Prefecture and a graduate of Kintora Middle School, and he is one of the few first-year students who gained admission through official recommendations, placing him among elite peers like Shoto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu. His birthday is June 20, and he stands 174 centimeters tall with AB blood type.
Juzo has one of the most distinctive appearances in the series, characterized by a skull-like face where his teeth are perpetually exposed and he has no visible lips. This gives him an intimidating and somewhat macabre appearance at first glance. Despite this fearsome exterior, the author of the series has stated that Juzo is actually quite handsome. His hair is a short, spiky ash-blond or beige color, and he has angular eyes. His hero costume is a full-body suit designed for underground combat, consisting of a black base and helmet with layered orange armor plates that protect him as he maneuvers through softened terrain.
Contrary to what his frightening appearance might suggest, Juzo has a calm, gentle, and exceptionally polite personality. He is a deeply considerate person who is always mindful of those around him. While he dislikes losing, this competitive streak is not rooted in personal pride. Instead, he harbors a strong fear of being a burden, and what he truly hates is the idea of his own mistakes causing his hardworking friends and teammates to lose. This deep sense of empathy and responsibility makes him a reliable ally rather than a glory-seeker. He is an analytical and flexible thinker, able to read the flow of combat and adjust strategies on the fly. In high-pressure situations, he remains remarkably composed, such as when he calmly countered an initial ice assault from Shoto Todoroki. While not a loud or flashy leader like some of his classmates, he acts as a quiet backbone and a strategic anchor for Class 1-B, often supporting the team from the shadows with his foresight and tactical corrections. Outside of combat, he enjoys giving and receiving massages.
Juzo's Quirk, named Softening, allows him to touch any non-living object and make it pliable and soft, as if it were mud or a thick liquid. This effect is reversed either by him touching the object again or if he loses consciousness. The Quirk is highly effective on terrain, allowing him to liquefy large sections of the ground to create swamps or traps that hinder enemy movement. His signature technique utilizing this ability is called Subside, where he causes the ground to collapse and sink, immobilizing opponents. He can also use his power defensively, such as softening incoming projectiles or enemy structures. The range and scale of his Softening Quirk are vast, often compared favorably to the area control of Todoroki's Half-Cold Half-Hot. A key limitation, however, is that Softening has no effect on living things, so he cannot directly soften a person's body. Additionally, his straightforward tactic of destroying the enemy's footing can be ineffective against opponents who can fly, move at extreme speeds, or operate independently of the ground. Juzo is fully aware of this shortcoming and is not stubborn; when faced with a bad matchup, as he was against Tenya Ida's speed, he will strategically retreat rather than force a losing battle.
Within the story, Juzo first demonstrated his skills during the U.A. Sports Festival, where he secured fifth place in the obstacle course. In the following cavalry battle, he teamed up with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu but was ultimately eliminated. He later played a significant role in the Joint Training Battle between Class 1-A and Class 1-B, participating in the third match. In this exercise, he showcased his tactical genius by immediately neutralizing Todoroki's opening ice wave and coordinating with his team to counter the opposing side, leading the match to end in a draw. He shares a close and effective partnership with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, with Juzo's strategic softening complementing Tetsutetsu's head-on, steel-hard brawling style. Furthermore, Juzo is notably fluent in English, which allows him to communicate easily and build a friendly rapport with his American classmate, Pony Tsunotori.
As the series progresses into larger-scale conflicts, Juzo's abilities become invaluable assets on a professional battlefield. During the Paranormal Liberation War, he was deployed to the front lines to raid the Gunga Mountain Villa, where he used his Quirk to trap dozens of enemy soldiers in softened ground. Even after retreating to the rear, he played a crucial role in slowing the advance of the gigantic villain Gigantomachia, using his power to destabilize the behemoth's footing and buy time for the heroes. After graduating from U.A. High School, Juzo successfully becomes a professional hero. Eight years after the main events of the series, he achieves the rank of the No. 14 hero on the Hero Billboard Chart, solidifying his status as a top-tier pro.
Juzo has one of the most distinctive appearances in the series, characterized by a skull-like face where his teeth are perpetually exposed and he has no visible lips. This gives him an intimidating and somewhat macabre appearance at first glance. Despite this fearsome exterior, the author of the series has stated that Juzo is actually quite handsome. His hair is a short, spiky ash-blond or beige color, and he has angular eyes. His hero costume is a full-body suit designed for underground combat, consisting of a black base and helmet with layered orange armor plates that protect him as he maneuvers through softened terrain.
Contrary to what his frightening appearance might suggest, Juzo has a calm, gentle, and exceptionally polite personality. He is a deeply considerate person who is always mindful of those around him. While he dislikes losing, this competitive streak is not rooted in personal pride. Instead, he harbors a strong fear of being a burden, and what he truly hates is the idea of his own mistakes causing his hardworking friends and teammates to lose. This deep sense of empathy and responsibility makes him a reliable ally rather than a glory-seeker. He is an analytical and flexible thinker, able to read the flow of combat and adjust strategies on the fly. In high-pressure situations, he remains remarkably composed, such as when he calmly countered an initial ice assault from Shoto Todoroki. While not a loud or flashy leader like some of his classmates, he acts as a quiet backbone and a strategic anchor for Class 1-B, often supporting the team from the shadows with his foresight and tactical corrections. Outside of combat, he enjoys giving and receiving massages.
Juzo's Quirk, named Softening, allows him to touch any non-living object and make it pliable and soft, as if it were mud or a thick liquid. This effect is reversed either by him touching the object again or if he loses consciousness. The Quirk is highly effective on terrain, allowing him to liquefy large sections of the ground to create swamps or traps that hinder enemy movement. His signature technique utilizing this ability is called Subside, where he causes the ground to collapse and sink, immobilizing opponents. He can also use his power defensively, such as softening incoming projectiles or enemy structures. The range and scale of his Softening Quirk are vast, often compared favorably to the area control of Todoroki's Half-Cold Half-Hot. A key limitation, however, is that Softening has no effect on living things, so he cannot directly soften a person's body. Additionally, his straightforward tactic of destroying the enemy's footing can be ineffective against opponents who can fly, move at extreme speeds, or operate independently of the ground. Juzo is fully aware of this shortcoming and is not stubborn; when faced with a bad matchup, as he was against Tenya Ida's speed, he will strategically retreat rather than force a losing battle.
Within the story, Juzo first demonstrated his skills during the U.A. Sports Festival, where he secured fifth place in the obstacle course. In the following cavalry battle, he teamed up with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu but was ultimately eliminated. He later played a significant role in the Joint Training Battle between Class 1-A and Class 1-B, participating in the third match. In this exercise, he showcased his tactical genius by immediately neutralizing Todoroki's opening ice wave and coordinating with his team to counter the opposing side, leading the match to end in a draw. He shares a close and effective partnership with Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, with Juzo's strategic softening complementing Tetsutetsu's head-on, steel-hard brawling style. Furthermore, Juzo is notably fluent in English, which allows him to communicate easily and build a friendly rapport with his American classmate, Pony Tsunotori.
As the series progresses into larger-scale conflicts, Juzo's abilities become invaluable assets on a professional battlefield. During the Paranormal Liberation War, he was deployed to the front lines to raid the Gunga Mountain Villa, where he used his Quirk to trap dozens of enemy soldiers in softened ground. Even after retreating to the rear, he played a crucial role in slowing the advance of the gigantic villain Gigantomachia, using his power to destabilize the behemoth's footing and buy time for the heroes. After graduating from U.A. High School, Juzo successfully becomes a professional hero. Eight years after the main events of the series, he achieves the rank of the No. 14 hero on the Hero Billboard Chart, solidifying his status as a top-tier pro.