Zuko

At First Glance

Although this emo boy goes through a few hairstyle phases throughout his adolescent life, Zuko is permanently scarred by a burn mark across the left side of his face. He appears to be in constant rage, which is evident by his outbursts at those around him, when he endures let down after let down. His outbursts are his call of desperation, and in his desperation he is cruel towards anything that stands between him and his chance at redemption.

Digging Deeper

Zuko is the crowned prince of the fire nation, but later becomes the banished prince. He was banished by his father, Firelord Ozai, who gave him the burn mark on his face to bear as a reminder. Zuko then holds humility as a burden which creates a void within him. In shock of the drastic life change and a little bewildered at his actions that led him there, he is convinced his father is the only one who can restore his honor by welcoming him back home. In order for Zuko to come back home, he must capture the Avatar which is a seemingly impossible task.

On Zuko’s journey he is accompanied by his Uncle Iroh who is trying to help Zuko find his way. Zuko believes he will only be whole again if his father gives back his honor while Iroh wishes for Zuko to find his own path in restoring his own honor for himself. There are many times where Zuko rebukes Iroh because his reasoning is clouded by his painful past. Eventually though, Zuko hits his rock bottom where he least expects to, and then he starts to find his own honorable path by himself.

PSArc Qualification

Young Zuko had a very kind heart, but it was tarnished by the cruelty of his family dynamic. Later on, despite the fear and confusion, Zuko chooses to rebuke his father and the cruelty of the fire nation. He then joins Team Avatar and their mission to restore peace and balance to the world. Finding his way despite the backflash from his homeland, is why Zuko qualifies as a PSArc member.

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Katsuki Bakugou (Kacchan)

At First Glance

Kacchan has sharp spiky hair that matches his sharp combat skills and intellect. He has an explosive personality. When he interacts with his peers and superiors he does not show much sympathy or consideration, instead, he reveals his thoughts and feelings by lashing out.

Digging Deeper

Kacchan can easily be considered a hot mess (to put it nicely) at first glance, yet his actions are not without reason. Kacchan’s dark path started when he was very young. As a small child he was flooded with praise and was constantly told how he was destined for great things. In addition, he was born with a powerful quirk, and therefore, Kacchan as a small child and up until high school, has never experienced failure or has been challenged. The constant appraisal and easy success convinced young Kacchan that he is superior to his peers, and therefore he must become the next number one hero.

Following his goal to be the next number one hero, Kacchan is accepted into UA which is the top hero school. For the first time in his life he is challenged by the abilities of his peers. The unexpected realization that his goal, to be the next number one hero, will not be as easy as he assumed, does not settle well within him since he has never dealt with uncertainty or possible failure before.

Also, a fellow classmate from his childhood, Deku, who was previously quirkless has suddenly revealed to have a powerful quirk as well. Kacchan is flooded with feelings of doubts and betrayal which he does not know how to deal with. To make matters worse Kacchan also feels responsible for the downfall of All Might, his personal childhood hero, who is the symbol of peace for the population. His first instinct is to conceal his feelings within himself because he cannot afford to suddenly appear to be weak (especially with Deku around). Trying to conceal an overwhelming amount of internal panic, Kacchan’s once overconfident self is now replaced with explosive anger. He is unable to let his failures be his teacher, so he pushes desperately on in his stubborn old ways which leads him to having a break down in a fight against Deku at the end of season 3.

PSArc Qualification

Although Kacchan is still extremely rough around the edges, his willingness to start reevaluating his old ways and include new self discoveries towards his goal of becoming the number one hero is the reason why Kacchan is a PSArc member. Keep in mind his journey is only begining.

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Levi Ackerman

At First Glance

Levi seems to be your typical cold, reserved, and intimidating BA character (while being a 5’2” man). He never smiles and resorts to violence when he needs to intimidate. His pale skin, dark hair, and sunken dull eyes makes him seem like he is barely hanging on to this life, yet he has survived while many of his comrades have passed on.

Digging Deeper

Levi’s background is nothing glamorous. As a small child on the brink of starvation, he witnessed his mother dying alone. His uncle, Kenny, took him in and taught him how to survive the harsh streets of the underground. Once Levi became proficient enough to fend for himself, Kenny abandoned Levi which forced him to grow an even thicker skin and survive by himself. By force, he leaves the underground and he joins the Survey Corps. There he learns how survival is different above ground. Then he comes to a point where he must choose between his own selfish pursuit for revenge or to work towards reducing the suffering that traps humanity.

What keeps Levi going is seeing comrade after comrade die in a seemingly misdirected line of duty. Most would conclude their lives are spent in a meaningless way, and therefore give up the will to continue. This is not an option for Levi since he has witnessed so many deaths and cruelties of humanity. All the suffering in the world hits Levi hard, so as each one of his comrades passes right before his eyes, he promises them they have not died in vain. He pushes onward to reach the unknown end, the truth, which is the source of their world’s suffering.

PSArc Qualification

With Levi’s harsh background and the devastating world around him, the easiest option would be to lavish in the physical worldly distractions in order to avoid the horrors of their world. When Levi makes the transition from the underground to above ground, he is faced with discrimination and his instinctive survival habits urges him to fight opposers to prove his superiority (the angst). Levi learns that he needs to push beyond his underground survival habits in order to see the bigger picture which allows him to learn from his mistakes, and then adjust going forwards. This is why Levi qualifies as a PSArc member.

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