Who is Star and Stripe in My Hero Academia? Star and Stripes quirk and backstory, explained

Warning: the following article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia‘s Star and Stripe arc.

My Hero Academia‘s sixth season came to a conclusion on March 25, wrapping up the Tartarus Escapees arc and putting Deku’s vigilante era to rest. Now, the Pro-Heroes and U.A. students prepare themselves to face All for One again, with Shigaraki’s body dangerously close to reaching completion status. The confrontation will likely happen much sooner than the heroes expected it to, which means they will need all hands on deck for this. Luckily, someone came along to help.

Toward the end of the season six finale, “No Man Is an Island,” a new heroine is introduced simply as Star and Stripe, seen on her way to Japan at All Might’s request. Her confidence alone seems incredibly promising, but there’s no denying that her strength will likely be a great asset in the fight against Shigaraki. While viewers wait for season seven of the anime, though, a few questions plague their minds: who exactly is this new character, and what is her quirk?

Star and Stripe’s identity and quirk, revealed

As if one couldn’t guess just by taking a look at her costume, Star and Stripe is the number one hero in the U.S. and her whole heroine persona is inspired by the country’s national flag. Think Captain America but make it anime.

In her daily life, this character goes by the name Cathleen Bate, and she was born and raised in America. When she was a child, Cathleen met All Might while he was studying overseas and was saved by him after her family was attacked by robbers during a trip. From that moment on, the Japanese hero became Cathleen’s role model, inspiring her to train as a heroine and put her quirk to good use.

Speaking of quirks, those familiar with the My Hero Academia manga already know that Star and Stripe has one of the best quirks in the entire series, New Order. This power allows Cathleen to bend reality to her will by setting new rules for anything she touches. All it takes is for her to place a hand on the target and say its name, followed by the rule she intends to set in place, and that simple command will alter the object’s physical properties.

If there were no limitations, this type of power could make someone invincible, but fortunately for Cathleen’s enemies, she can only maintain two rules at once. Out of those two, one is already in place, granting Star and Stripe enhanced physical strength.

Overall, Cathleen not only has one of the best quirks in My Hero Academia but is also among the most powerful characters in its universe. With such an ally, the Japanese heroes have a much better fighting chance against Shigaraki and All for One, but viewers will have to wait quite a while to see how that plays out.

My Hero Academia is available for streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll.

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