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Denki Kaminari, or Chargebolt, is one of the side characters in My Hero Academia. Portrayed as jovial and light-hearted, Denki loves to socialize with others. He is often coupled with Mineta, and they love to do various shenanigans involving girls and locker rooms.
Despite being a likable guy (much more likable than Mineta), he is a bit aloof. He is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, which is why he is sometimes ridiculed by others. He panics during the tests and in other stressful situations, which can even come at a detriment to his fellow students.
Key Info Up Front
Denki Kaminari, hero name Stun Gun Hero: Chargebolt, is a student who can control lightning. Although he might look incompetent and squeamish, he possesses a really powerful quirk that can electrify an enormous area. Denki is very social and enthusiastic, with a few character flaws.
Denki Kaminari’s Personal Info
In the manga, Kaminari is often shown hanging around other people. He hasn’t received a special narrative or storyline like some other side characters, so we know very little about his origins. He tends to overreact to things, and you can either see him super hyped or very afraid.
On the surface, Chargebolt looks like a person who doesn’t use his head. His academic prowess cannot compare to that of his friends, and he often chokes during tests and other stressful situations. Regardless, he can occasionally surprise viewers by showing excellent knowledge about art, music, and culture.
During the first few seasons, Minoru Mineta and Denki Kaminari are an inseparable couple. They would go and spy on girls while changing and doing other perverted things. Luckily, the show’s creators slowly split the couple, and now, Mineta is the only resident pervert in the series.
Kaminari likes to play it cool despite being a panicky character. He sometimes hits on girls and gets rejected. It seems as if Chargebolt doesn’t know how to behave in social situations and read the room. He would like to be the cool guy in the group but often cracks under pressure. This is especially noticeable when facing a threat.
Due to the fact that he cannot focus and tends to be anxious, Denki sometimes takes himself out of the action. He might activate Electrification randomly, posing a threat to everyone in the vicinity. This is why he often looks reluctant to discharge. So, his timid nature probably comes from the fact that he is worried about the nearby allies.
Denki Kaminari Appearance
Like many other elemental users in My Hero Academia, the show creators made sure to draw attention to Denki’s quirk through his appearance. He has scruffy, pointy yellow hair with black strands looking as if he was just electrocuted.
The thing that adds to this appearance is his short eyebrows. Chargebolt is not particularly muscular, and he looks much trimmer than his peers. During the battle with the League of Villains, he gained a scar on his forehead, which is covered by his hair.
I really don’t like his outfit as it looks somewhat generic. However, I have to admit that it goes well with his lightning quirk. He has a regular white shirt, a short black jacket, and long black pants and boots. There are several lightning patterns spread across his pants and jacket, indicating that he is a lightning user.
Denki Kaminari wears light blue glasses that are missing the upper frame. He also has a mechanical contraption around his left wrist that shoots discs. By using these discs, he can discharge lightning with more precision. Chargebolt has a black choker and a white belt with two pouches. All in all, his clothes make him look cool but, at the same time, they are very forgettable.
Denki Kaminari’s Appearances in Manga and Anime
Denki Kaminari has a lot of smaller appearance. Even when he is featured as a part of a group, his role is rather smaller, and his teammates are usually the ones that ensure victory. Sometimes, he can be seen interjecting in conversations of the others, or he might have a short line here and there, which he spews out just so we know he is present.
Quirk Apprehension Test Arc
Like most other side characters, Denki Kaminari is introduced when Midoriya first arrives at the academy during episode 5 of the manga. We learn more about his quirk during a short Quirk Apprehension Test Arc scene.
Battle Trial Arc
During Battle Trial Arc, teams and students are paired together. They perform 2v2 battles where one team plays the heroes while the other one plays the villains. The short arc revolves around team Bakugo and Ochaco battling team Tenya and Katsuki. This is the first time we see Bakugo and Midoriya clash, with the winner being young Midoriya.
As for Kaminari, he was paired up with Jiro. They were the hero team battling against a villain team of Momo Yaoyorozu and Minoru Mineta. We didn’t get any information as to who won this battle.
U.S.J. Arc
In U.S.J. Arc, our students are pinned against a real threat. They face the League of Villains, a faction that wants to overthrow the hero society as we know it. While the students are training at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint Facility, a portal opens in the middle of the field from which numerous villains come through.
The only two present pro heroes, Eraser Head and Thirteen, take quick steps to ensure the safety of the students. While Eraser Head takes the massive villain army head on, Thirteen retreats to the back with all the students, trying to isolate them from the conflict. Unfortunately, the group is attacked by a teleporting villain called Kurogiri, who randomly teleports students around the facility.
Barely knowing each other and allies’ respective quirks, the students are forced to group up together and tackle this threat. Chargebolt ends up at the Mountain Zone, together with Kyoka Jiro and Momo Yaoyorozu.
Momo, an aspiring student who can materialize objects from her body, creates an insulation sheet to protect the team. This gave Kaminari enough space to utilize Electrification to its maximum effect. He quickly disposes of nearby opponents with a surge of electricity.
However, things quickly go awry. Although defeating the majority of opponents, there is one guy who is resistant to lightning. He captures Kaminari forcing the other two students to forfeit. Luckily, the pro hero reinforcement comes in the nick of time, and one of them shoots down the villain holding Denki.
U.A. Sports Festival Arc
U.A. Sports Festival is a tournament held every year. During the event, the U.A. students are pinned against each other in battle, which allows them to showcase their abilities to the whole world. This is not only an opportunity to compete against others but also to showcase how good their quirk actually is.
Denki is initially featured during the second event called cavalry battle. During cavalry battle, each team consists of 4 students, where 3 students carry 1 on their backs. This one student has to wear a bandana around the neck or head. The aim of the battle is to get as many opponents’ bandanas as possible during the allocated time.
Although you can use quirks to beat opponents, you cannot use them maliciously. Denki is paired with Tenya Iida, Shoto Todoroki, and Momo Yaoyorozu. As a team leader, Shoto explains to all team members what is expected from them and how to execute the strategy.
By relying on Iida’s burst of speed, and Todoroki’s immense firepower, the team Shoto manages to grab the most points, thus finishing first in the cavalry battle.
Later on, Denki takes part in Mineta’s evil scheme. They manage to trick the girls into wearing cheerleader uniforms. Quickly realizing the ruse, they go and switch clothes leaving Mineta disappointed.
During the last event, the students are placed in tournament-style brackets and go against each another until just one person is remaining. Denki has to go against Ibara Shiozaki, a student who controls vines. Kaminari is taken by her beauty and quickly asks her if she wants to grab a bite after the tournament. Confident in his abilities, Chargebolt says that he has no problem consoling her afterward. Ibara doesn’t even respond, and instead, she quickly defeats Kaminari, proceeding to the next round.
Final Exams Arc
During Finals Exams Arc, the students need to pass a practical combat exam. The thing they don’t know is that they will go against U.A. teachers.
At the start of the arc, we get a better insight into Kaminari’s character. The final test is approaching, and Chargebolt is pretty anxious about this as he hasn’t prepared properly. He is even annoyed by Mineta, his close friend, who mentions there is also a practical test besides the written one.
In his usual manner, Midoriya bolsters Denki Kaminari’s confidence by saying that he needs to pass so they can all go to the forest lodge. Shoto tells Kaminari that if he attended all the classes, he wouldn’t have issues with the written test, to which Chargebolt tells him to shut up.
Later on, Midoriya tells his classmate what will be the focus of the exercise, thus relieving Mina Ashido’s and Denki Kaminari’s anxiety. Denki decides to study hard and joins a group of Mina, Hanta, Kyoka, and Mashirao, who are being tutored by Momo.
In the following scene, we can see Shota Aizawa standing in front of the class. He looks a bit suspicious and confronts students thinking that someone leaked the information regarding the upcoming practical test. Denki and Mina say that it’s going to be a battle against robots. Nezu, the school principal, says that this is incorrect and that they’ll have to fight their teachers at an undisclosed location.
Mina and Denki, the anxious couple, are paired together and have to go against none other than Nezu. To finish the test, the students have two options: they should either escape the compound or handcuff the opponent in front of them.
Unfortunately, our duo has a tough time going against the principal. He used a massive wrecking ball to prevent escape, demolishing half of the terrain. What’s even worse, he does this while relaxing and drinking tea. At one moment, Nezu realizes that inexperienced Mina and Denki haven’t even noticed how simple his strategy is, and they can easily overcome it.
In the end, the majority of the class passes the practical exam, with the exception of Eijiro, Denki, Mina, and Rikido. Later on, Aizawa reveals that everyone will go to the forest lodge despite the fact that some of them have the practical exam. He created a ruse so that each one of them would give their all during the practical test. However, given the fact that everyone has passed the written test, Aizawa believes that all of them deserve to go on a field trip.
Forest Training Camp Arc
In Forest Training Camp Arc, our students go on a field trip to a nearby forest. They get attacked by the League of Villains, who would eventually capture Bakugo.
Once again, Denki Kaminari is scarcely featured during this arc. We can see him during one scene while strengthening his quirk alongside Eijiro, Mina, Rikido, and Hanta, all under the watchful eye of Shota Aizawa.
During the arc, the majority of the class plays a game of courage where half of them have the role of scarees, while the other half of them are scarers. All of this should happen inside the deep woods without the presence of the teacher. The previously mentioned students, among others Kaminari, are excluded from the test and instead remain with Aizawa so they can review quirks at the base camp.
Basically, throughout this arc, Denki is held up with Vlad King and other students within the forest facility while Aizawa battles villains outside of it. Later on, we can briefly see Chargebolt as he calms down Eijiro after Bakugo’s capture.
Provisional Hero License Exam Arc
Finally, during this arc, we can see much more Kaminari. Provisional Hero License Exam allows students to legally apprehend villains. It is a temporary document, and you can only attain it by going through a grueling massive exam.
A lot of things change for the students during this arc. First off, they are moved into a joint accommodation and would even vote on who has the best room. Students also get costume enhancements. Midoriya really likes Chargebolt’s new enhanced suit.
During the test, Kaminari forms a team with Eijiro Kirishima and Katsuki Bakugo. They are held up in a city-like arena and have to go against a team from Shikestu High School. The trio is confronted by Seiji Shishikura, who can turn enemies into meatballs.
Seiji quickly attacks them, launching meat fingers at Bakugo, who quickly destroys the projectiles with his new move. While all of this is happening, Kaminari starts ejecting discs from a tool in his left hand. They help the hero manipulate electricity with more precision.
Seeing him as the main threat, Seiji decides to charge Denki. This annoys Katsuki, who is eventually touched by a piece of meat and turned into a meatball. Now, both Kirishima and Bakugo are meatballs, and the team depends on Kirishima to bring them victory.
Seiji warns Katsuki to be careful with his discharges because his teammates, albeit meatballs, can still feel pain. Chargebolt throws a strange object at his opponent, which explodes close to his vicinity. Kaminari admits that Bakugo previously gave him the grenade. While distraught, Seiji gets electrocuted by Denki, who presses the attack.
Suddenly, Kirishima and Bakugo attack Seiji. Denki reveals that he figured out the meatball effect can be reverted if Seiji takes enough damage. Standing victorious over the enemy, Kirishima praises Denki’s resourcefulness while Bakugo yells at him for being too slow.
The trio passes the exam and goes to the next round. Later on, the same three students have a situation where they need to save civilians. While Bakugo refuses, saying that they can still walk, Kirishima and Denki decide to assist them.
Shie Hassaikai Arc
This is another really cool arc where the heroes face an enormous threat in villain Overhaul. Kaminari is briefly featured in a few minor scenes. For example, he is one of the students that is quickly beaten by talented Mirio and has a short back-and-forth with Kirishima, where Denki comments on his great hero debut and bad grades.
U.A. School Festival Arc
U.A. School Festival Arc is a short filler arc that doesn’t do much for the main story. As the name implies, the students are a part of the school festival. That is, they need to use their talents to put on a performance for the whole school.
Denki is seen in a few scenes. He talks about Kyoka’s love for music, which irritates the female student. Later on, Kaminari comes up with an idea for a maid café as a service they can provide during the school festival. Ultimately, Denki would join the school band together with Fumikage, Katsuki, Momo, and Kyoka. They would put up an amazing performance, impressing all the attendees.
Joint Training Arc
In Joint Training Arc episodes, our students have to battle students from other classes. They are paired in teams of 5, and a team wins a battle when they apprehend all the opponents and put them in jail.
Kaminari joins tea Asui together with Hitoshi, Kirishima, and Koji Koda. They devise a plan to surprise the enemy. The team agrees that the best way to win is through reconnaissance and decisive strikes. Denki is especially worried about Ibara Shiozaki, who has previously beaten him in one-on-one combat.
As they’re strategizing, the team is attacked by Kosei and Jurota. They quickly take down Tsuyu and Eijiro. At this point, Kaminari is unable to use his power, fearing that he will harm his teammates. As soon as he sees an opening, Chargebolt electrifies Jurota, giving Tsuyu enough time to apprehend Kosei.
Tsuyu and Kaminari manage to help the rest of their team. They use Denki’s pointers to mark the area, which would warn them of Jurota’s advance. Soon after, Ibara manages to capture Denki. Surrounded by three opponents, Kaminari decides to electrocute all of them at once but is stifled in that attempt. As the battle progresses, team Tsuyu would eventually take the victory.
Denki is very satisfied with his performance but would nevertheless get scolded by Aizawa for his recklessness.
Paranormal Liberation War Arc
Unfortunately, Kaminari was barely shown during one of the best arcs in the manga. During these episodes, the heroes find out the whereabouts of the Meta Liberation Army and decide to strike first. Kaminari is a part of the villa raid team, together with Fumikage and a few students from other classes. Chargebolt is a bit uneasy with this composition as he would like to join other classmates.
Kyouka Jirou is also worried as to how Kaminari would handle the situation. Seeing reluctance in his friend, Fumikage reminds him of the school festival and how great Denki was on the guitar and as a band member. At this point, it is revealed that Denki has a strong feeling for Kyoka and would much rather be with her in the back lines.
During engagement against villains, Denki and Cementos do a great job of stifling their progress. He had performed valorously during the fight, and he would later join the team that faced Gigantomachia.
Quirk and abilities
Quirk – Electrification
As its name implies, Electrification is an ability that can electrify anyone in Denki’s vicinity. It is primarily used at a melee range, but with high discharge, it can affect people in a wider radius even if there is no physical contact.
Chargebolt can interact with various electronics and can absorb electricity emitted by other heroes and villains. His power is very volatile, and he is often worried about hurting his teammates. Later on in the story, Denki receives discs, which help him discharge lightning at a distance.
Equipment
Kaminari has a few cool pieces of equipment that allows him to maximize quirk’s potential and reduce its downsides.
Sharpshooting gear
This is the crucial part of Denki’s equipment that allows him to manipulate electricity. The tool is placed on his right wrist and allows him to throw pointers at the enemies. It also has a dial that helps him send pointers in a specific direction.
These small objects can even be connected with the opponent’s body, which we can see during Joint Training Arc when he attaches one to Jurota. What’s even better, he can choose which pointer will be affected by the Electricity quirk. The only issue with this tool is that it works at a medium distance of 10 meters, which can cause issues when facing long-range opponents.
Optical visor
The optical visor is the second piece of equipment that pairs with shooting gear. It gives the student information about pointers and where they’re located.
Earpiece
As an electricity emitter, Denki can reroute electricity into the earpiece allowing him to communicate with other team members but also other remote channels.
Denki Kaminari’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Denki’s weaknesses often have to do with his reluctance and inability to read the situation. As the story progresses, he becomes more apt, which is especially noticeable during Joint Training Arc and Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
Strengths
- A very powerful electric attack that can knock out even the strongest of foes. He can further supercharge them into Indiscriminate Shock 1.3 Million Volts and Indiscriminate Shock 2 Million Volts attacks.
- With the help of equipment, he can shoot electricity in a line allowing some tactical advantages.
- Besides managing lightning, his pointers can be utilized to track people and set up a perimeter control.
- He is constantly mindful of his surroundings and allies, which sometimes comes to his own detriment.
- Can utilize electricity to communicate with others through earplugs.
- Denki can also absorb electricity emitted by other heroes and villains, serving as a positional lightning rod.
- Willingness to sacrifice for the team and serve as a decoy.
Image from Fandom
Weaknesses
- Not the most intelligent fighter. Although he shows flashes of brilliance, he can easily be outmaneuvered by smarter opponents.
- Even with pointers, his abilities are sometimes hard to control, which is why he is so reluctant to use them around allies. When that happens, he creates opportunities for the enemies.
- Although devastating attacks, Indiscriminate Shock 1.3 Million Volts and Indiscriminate Shock 2 Million Volts short-circuit Kaminari’s brain for an hour.
- He is heavily reliant on his equipment.
Denki Kaminari Trivia
Like many other characters, Denki was gradually built into a strong, relatable hero. Although he is given some run time and isn’t completely trivial, we don’t know much about his backstory.
Denki Kaminari, ladies, and Jiro
Initially meant to be Mineta’s sidekick, Denki is often seen in situations where he tries to peek at naked ladies. The duo makes various pranks, even tricking the girls into wearing cheerleader outfits. However, as the story progresses, he becomes more mellow.
After a few seasons, we can notice that Denki is developing a crush on Jiro. For example, during the School Festival Arc, Denki would hurt his finger playing guitar, but he was adamant about continuing as he wanted to help Jiro’s band succeed. During Paranormal Liberation War Arc, Kaminari would several times say that he wanted to be with his friends, but he actually wanted to stay with Jiro.
Inflated Ego
Chargebolt is one of the most confident characters in the show. Despite being rejected several times by the girls, he simply doesn’t notice it and continues with his advances. Sometimes, he isn’t even aware of his social ineptitude. Even when he messes up, Kaminari thinks that he was great, which can be noticed during Joint Training Arc.
Different Base Design
Initially, Denki was meant to look much more villainous. The creators wanted to make an electricity user with an extremely slim body and ghoulish fingers. He would have a longer spiked hair and accentuated smile with rows of scary teeth. Eventually, they decided to make him more P.G. friendly.
Origin of his Name
“Denki” can be interpreted in two ways: either as an electric spirit or electricity. As for his last name, “kami” is roughly translated “above” while “nari” means something like “sound.” Alternatively, it might refer to “thunder.”
Can Utilize the Terrain
Although the show creators didn’t put emphasis on this, Denki can utilize terrain to his advantage. As an electric user, he can simply destroy people caught close to a body of water. Similarly, he can utilize different metals as conduits for his electric attacks. This makes him a much bigger threat within urban environments and less potent in the open.
Kaminari and One-Punch Man
Kaminari pays homage to Saitama and One-Punch Man show. Like the former, he is born in the same prefecture as the bold superhero. On more than one occasion, Denki will make a goofy face, something that is characteristic of Saitama.
Not Necessarily Scaredy-Cat
At first, you might think that Kaminari is a really cowardly character. He often acts boisterous in social situations, and when on the battlefield, he shows reluctance. Most people would perceive this as cowardice, but this isn’t necessarily the truth. Instead, he might be reluctant because he is afraid to use his powers. Only after receiving new equipment does he become a much more potent fighter.
FAQs
Question: Who is Denki Kaminari’s Crush?
Answer: Although Denki flirted with numerous girls and is a peeping Tom, he is mainly attached to one person. As the show progresses, there are a few situations where you can notice that Denki harbors deep emotions towards Kyoka Jiro. The two of them are often paired together, and it seems that Denki will do just about anything to help her out.
Question: Is Kaminari a Traitor?
Answer: Denki’s first model was a lot different compared to what we have today. This has spawned a few online fan theories. Among others, people think that he was supposed to be a traitor. However, the model change probably has to do with creators wanting to make a mellow shounen.
Question: Does Kaminari Struggle to Use his Quirk?
Answer: Although we don’t know this at first, Kaminari’s quirk is enormously powerful. So much so that it can electrocute everyone in the vicinity if he releases a strong discharge. This is why he is often reluctant to use it when surrounded by the allies. Later on, he receives special gear that helps him control this power.
Denki Kaminari Guide: Conclusion
Although not the most important character within My Hero Academia universe, Denki Kaminari received a lot of run time. As the story progresses, he becomes more and more likable, and despite all of his flaws, he is one of the guys you want to cheer for.
Chargebolt’s quirk, Electrification, is quite powerful, and it can disable numerous opponents around him. He is often afraid to use its full potential as he is scared of harming his allies. However, as he gets proper equipment, he starts using the power more frequently.