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Discover how My Hero Academia missed out on the perfect opportunity to create a truly powerful female anime character.
Shonen anime are beloved for their wide varieties of power systems and wielders of strong abilities. However, since the demographic mainly aims towards teenage boys, there is a general lack of powerful female representation. However, with My Hero Academia, many were hoping to break this stereotype. Featuring well-developed characters such as Uraraka and respected heroes like Midnight, there were high expectations for a singular female figure depicting unparalleled power.
Viewers had nearly gotten their wish fulfilled, as the No. 1 Hero of the USA, Star and Stripe, seemed to meet all the required stipulations. Unfortunately, My Hero Academia failed to live up to the hype in this element. Rather than letting this character be a trailblazer in the entire shonen anime scene, her potential was never reached. Let us take a closer look at this.
Why Is Star and Stripe a Fan-Favorite Character?
Right from her introduction, Star and Stripe was a fan-favorite character. Under the real name of Cathleen Bate, she had been motivated to become a hero by All Might and followed in his footsteps.
Despite deliberations between countries on how to handle Tomura, Star and Stripe recognized his threat and set off on her own, inspiring her allies to join her in fighter jets. This goes to show the importance she set on justice and peace, rebuking the events of the Paranormal Liberation War.
Dressed in the signature colors of the American flag, her strength stemmed from unwavering patriotism and pride in being a hero. Fans connected with her deeply during her battle with Tomura, where she prioritized the greater good over her own well-being.
Most importantly, Star and Stripe was a female character unlike anything we had seen in other shonen anime. She had a commanding presence and was introduced with enough strength to shake up the entire world. This feeling of uniqueness resonated with not just female viewers but all fans watching.
Star and Stripe’s Fascinating Quirk
It is not an overestimation to say that Star and Stripe held the most broken ability in My Hero Academia. Titled New Order, she could impose rules on reality itself by simply making contact and stipulating the conditions.
For instance, she could manipulate the very air and ensure Tomura suffocated within a specific radius. Additionally, she could also create a larger version of her own body through the air, significantly amplifying her powers.
With this near-invincible ability, Star and Stripe was dominating her battle against the villain. Her creativity and tactical brilliance shone, almost defeating the fearsome Tomura when all other heroes had failed in doing so. Unfortunately, apart from the need for physical contact, the other requirement of New Order is the need to have a proper understanding of the target’s nature.
Tomura’s character was heavily rooted in his damaged psyche and distorted identity. He kept questioning whether he was All For One, Tenko Shimura, or the current Shigaraki. Due to his own misunderstanding, Star and Stripe couldn’t assign a proper identity to him. Hence, New Order couldn’t directly damage Tomura.
Star and Stripe’s Controversial Fate in My Hero Academia
Star and Stripe’s battle with Tomura was one of the most exhilarating fights in all of My Hero Academia. Soon after the events of the Paranormal Liberation War, this hero fought against the fearsome antagonist. Barraging him with strong attacks, taking away his oxygen, and even hitting him with missiles, victory seemed guaranteed for this powerful female hero.
Unfortunately, Tomura’s body progressed rapidly with All For One’s help, enabling him to survive Star and Stripe’s attacks and catch her off guard with Decay. The American hero couldn’t directly place rules on Tomura, which allowed the villain to steal her Quirk.
Though she had died from Decay’s effects, the stolen New Order was manipulated by Star and Stripe to rebel against other Quirks. Due to this, Tomura’s body broke down, nearly killing him before he transferred Star and Stripe’s Quirk to another person.
Hence, her self-sacrifice had come extremely close to defeating the villain, preventing his body from reaching optimal condition before the final war. While some fans were happy with Star and Stripe’s short but impactful role in the arc, others were left devastated.
Critics argued she was used as a plot device rather than as a strong female character in her own right. As a temporary obstacle who came in Tomura’s way, she spotlighted how far the villain had come and his immense powers that the main characters would have to face. This betrayed the expectations of many fans who had been charmed by Star and Stripe’s personality. They were hoping for a groundbreaking female hero who would play a larger role in the narrative rather than a throwaway obstacle to the villain’s growth.
The Missed Potential of Star and Stripe
Star and Stripe’s character highlights a major issue seen in most action anime, the underutilization of female characters. This could be seen through My Hero Academia itself, where Momo, Tsuyu and others took the backseat to their male peers’ development. However, this is also mirrored in most mainstream anime, whether it be Sakura in Naruto or Orihime in Bleach. Instead of standing as powerful figures, they often accompany the main cast without playing important roles in key battles.
Star and Stripe had the potential to break this pattern as a new character aspiring to reach All Might’s heights. She was a figure of inspiration, exceptional strength, and was beloved by fans.
Despite this, her brief arc denied viewers a chance to explore her backstory, motivations, and relationships, reducing her role. If she had survived the battle, her dynamic with the main cast could have added depth as they prepared for the Final War Arc.
Additionally, as the first primary “foreign” hero, she could have introduced a global perspective of My Hero Academia and the impact of its events. Her Quirk itself was an unfair ability that showed complexity beyond most other superhero powers. Rather than expanding on the innumerable elements of her character, she was disposed of within a few chapters.
Due to this, fans can’t help but wonder whether positioning Star and Stripe as a torchbearer among truly powerful female anime characters would have allowed My Hero Academia to reach another level in storytelling.
Conclusion
Star and Stripe had all the qualities of a legendary character: compelling design, awe-inspiring Quirk, and connection to central themes. Her brief appearance and premature demise, however, highlight a recurring issue in anime storytelling. Due to this, most believe that My Hero Academia unnecessarily killed the golden goose right before it laid its eggs.
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