Who Is Koichi Haimawari?
If you’re a fan of My Hero Academia, you’re probably used to watching powerhouse characters like Deku or Bakugo level buildings with every punch. But My Hero Academia: Vigilantes flips the script and introduces us to someone very different: Koichi Haimawari, a 19-year-old college student with a humble Quirk and an even humbler heart.
By day, Koichi is just a nice guy who picks up litter and helps people cross the street. But by night, he becomes The Crawler, a self-made vigilante doing what he can to keep the peace, even without a license or explosive power. His Quirk? A little something called Slide and Glide.
What Is Slide and Glide?
On paper, Koichi’s Quirk doesn’t sound all that impressive. Slide and Glide lets him generate ring-shaped repulsion fields from his hands and feet. When he places at least three limbs on a surface, he can “glide” across it like he’s skating on ice.
That’s it. At first.
He can’t fly. He’s not especially fast. And he doesn’t have a built-in attack move. It’s no surprise Koichi didn’t get into U.A. or any elite hero academy. But here’s where things get interesting.
Slide and Glide: A Quirk That Grows With Him
As Koichi gets deeper into the vigilante world, we see him train, experiment, and evolve. Bit by bit, Slide and Glide starts to do way more than just scoot him around the streets.
- He learns to “brake” after training with Ingenium, allowing him to go faster without losing control.
- He figures out how to glide up walls, and eventually, he can even hover and move in midair.
- He develops limited ranged attacks by focusing the repulsion energy into one hand, creating small but effective blasts.
- Eventually, he masters full-body propulsion, giving him the ability to fly short distances and defend himself with repulsion shields.
So yeah, Slide and Glide might start off small, but by the end of the manga, Koichi is flying through the air, dodging villain attacks, and even matching the speed of the Overclock Quirk.
Why Slide and Glide Is Perfect for Koichi
Here’s the thing: Koichi didn’t need a Quirk that could level cities. He needed one that fit his personality-kind, cautious, clever. Slide and Glide is exactly that.
Koichi isn’t looking for glory. He’s not trying to be the next All Might. He just wants to help his neighborhood and protect people where and when he can. In many ways, he’s a throwback to a more personal kind of heroism which is less “saving the world,” more “saving the moment.”
Slide and Glide gives him the mobility to get to crime scenes quickly, and the agility to escape when things get dangerous. It’s a Quirk that doesn’t force confrontation, which is perfect for a guy who’d rather help someone stand up than knock someone down.
A Quirk Built on Heart, Not Power
What makes Koichi so compelling isn’t raw strength. It’s how much effort he puts into growing physically, emotionally, and with his Quirk. He trains hard, learns from every encounter, and adapts.
In a world where some characters are just born strong, Koichi reminds us that progress is earned. Watching him get better with Slide and Glide is like watching someone finally learn to dance in their own shoes: it’s clumsy at first, but by the end, it’s magic.
Like Deku with One For All, Koichi has to figure things out the hard way. But unlike Deku, he does it without world-ending stakes. Or bone-shattering, life-threatening injuries. That’s part of what makes Vigilantes so refreshing. Koichi’s stakes are personal. His journey is quiet but powerful.
Conclusion: More Than a Crawler
Slide and Glide might seem like a background-tier Quirk at first glance but when paired with Koichi’s grit and heart, it becomes a symbol of something bigger: that you don’t need overwhelming strength to make a difference.
Koichi Haimawari isn’t the strongest. He’s not the fastest. But he’s kind, clever, and determined. In the end, that makes him one of the most relatable and inspiring characters in the entire My Hero Academia universe.
About My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Set five years before Deku’s story begins, Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, a timid college student with a forgotten dream of heroism finds new purpose when a mysterious vigilante recruits him and a young performer to fight crime in a world where superpowers are common but real heroes are rare.
In a world where 80% of people have Quirks, but only a few are licensed heroes, Vigilantes explores the lives of those who protect society from the shadows.
No Comments on Koichi Haimawari’s Quirk in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Explained