The sixth season of My Hero Academia is upon us, and based on the original manga, this next season will focus heavily on the Paranormal Liberation War arc. There will be a lot of mayhem, confusion, and revelation happening in that arc. Many fans even considered it to be a major turning point for the series. Things will not be the same after this all-out war. One of the revelations that have already been teased in the fifth season is regarding one particular name, Oboro Shirakumo.
Not many people know or even recognize this name among the pro heroes, but for those who do, this name means the whole world to them. Not only that, but Oboro Shirakumo also holds a highly crucial key regarding one of AFO's most important assets and will greatly affect the events in the sixth season. So who is Oboro Shirakumo? There's not much information regarding Oboro Shirakumo in the main series of My Hero Academia. However, there's a spin-off manga titled My Hero Academia: Vigilantes where he will make an extensive appearance during Eraser Head's flashback.
Who is Oboro Shirakumo?
Oboro Shirakumo was a former student of the U.A during the time when most current pro heroes, such as Eraser Head and Midnight, were also still students. He was a loud and energetic teenager who often took the role of the joker in the class and always kept a smile on his face and an optimistic outlook on his mind.
Shirakumo's quirk was called “Cloud”, and his hero name was Loud Cloud. As the name suggests, his quirk allowed Shirakumo to create a cloud-like substance. Shirakumo can put objects within and on top of his cloud. Furthermore, similar to the "Kintoun" from Dragon Ball, Shirakumo's cloud can also hover and fly. Though there's no information regarding how fast the cloud can fly or how many objects it can carry at the same time.
Since his quirk was more suited to be a method of transportation, Shirakumo used a quarterstaff as his main weapon instead. That being said, when he focused solely on attacking, his cloud quirk could be used to distract and confuse the opponent as he glided through the sky and launched an effective surprise attack. The full-extend of his quirk or his equipment, however, was never mentioned.
What is His Relationship to Eraser Head?
Oboro Shirakumo was the classmate and best friend of Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head) and Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic). They often hung out together on the U.A. rooftop to eat lunch or simply talk about their future plans. Aizawa was always reserved, so having easy-going friends like Shirakumo and Yamada brought a nice balance to their group.
At the time, the three of them planned to create an agency together following their graduation. After all, when they worked together, their quirks complimented each other very well to the point that they could easily deal with any situation, be it to save citizens or to defeat villains. As a matter of fact, Shirakumo was the one that gave Aizawa his signature goggles so that he could protect his eyes in the middle of a fight.
However, just like any other U.A. student, they had to train under other pro heroes' agencies first in order to gain real-world experience. Yamada joined the Buster Union, while Shirakumo and Aizawa joined Purple Revolution Agency, along with Nemuri Kayama (Midnight).
What Happened to Him?
During their time as trainees in the Purple Revolution Agency, Aizawa and Shirakumo faced a giant villain that wreaked havoc in the middle of the town. Several pro heroes had been dispatched, but since the villain had the ability to absorb their power and shoot it right back at them, the situation quickly ran out of control.
The huge scale of the attack meant lots of buildings were destroyed and debris flying everywhere. Shirakumo and Aizawa focused their attention on trying to save the citizens first. In the middle of that chaotic situation, big chunks of debris came rushing down a group of children. Shirakumo quickly created a cloud to protect the children, but unfortunately, he didn't have the time to create one for himself. With no means to protect himself, Shirakumo faced the full force of the falling big slabs of stones and lost his life.
Where is He Now?
One of the main antagonists in My Hero Academia is an intelligent villain by the name of Kurogiri. His quirk allows him to warp numerous people from one place to another. At some point during the main series, Kurogiri was captured and sent to Tartarus before finally being transferred to the Central Hospital.
After a thorough examination in the Central Hospital, it was found that Kurogiri is actually a Nomu that was created by Doctor Kyudai Garaki. However, in order to create a powerful Nomu like Kurogiri, he needed to use the corpse of a person with an equally powerful quirk. And that is when the heroes found out that Kurogiri was actually made out of the corpse of Oboro Shirakumo.
In one of the final scenes in season 5, both Eraser Head and Present Mic finally get the chance to confront Kurogiri in the hospital. After pleading and calling out the name of their dear friend, the haze on Kurogiri's face suddenly eases up to reveal Shirakumo's face as he let out a piece of crucial intel for them both. Unfortunately, Kurogiri has been unresponsive ever since.
It is unclear at this point whether Shirakumo is actually still alive or not within Kurogiri, nor what kind of role he will play in the story from now on. But one thing is for sure, his memory lives on in the hearts of his friends.