One of My Hero Academia's more mysterious characters is the League of Villains' Dabi. The human flamethrower certainly keeps his cards close to his chest, refusing to reveal even his real name to his fellow League members. However, one thing's for sure -- he's got a very real vendetta against the Pro Heroes, especially the current Number 1, Endeavor. Dabi has never explained how his Cremation Quirk works in detail but its power can't be overstated; his trademark blue flames have scorched many a foe since his first on-screen appearance. Here are a few secrets we've learned about it so far.
1. Cremation Is Unsuited For His Body
Dabi's most defining features are the very prominent purple burn scars all over his body. The little that's left of his skin clings to his body with the help of surgical staples. For a flame user to get burned by overuse of their own Quirk isn't unheard of -- after all, that's why Endeavor sought to raise a child with the perfect ice and fire balance -- but Dabi's flames seem to affect him even with minimal use of his Quirk.
During Dabi's match against Geten, he was forced to use his Quirk more than he'd ever been shown doing. After letting out a few larger-than-normal blasts, his Quirk's incompatibility became apparent. His skin started to give off smoke and Geten noticed he began to smell like he was burning.
It's not a stretch to assume his burn scars were self-inflicted, perhaps from an even more intense battle he was involved in before joining the League of Villains. The story behind his scars might even explain his hatred for Pro Heroes.
2. His Flames Are Much Stronger Than Endeavor's
My Hero Academia boasts some pretty insane fire users, and Dabi ranks at the top of this list. While the Pro Hero Endeavor outshines him in terms of skill and practical application of his similar Quirk, Dabi's raw power is off the charts.
Dabi's Quirk does exactly what its name suggests: complete cremation. Apart from Gigantomachia, everyone who's ever come into contact with his flames has been completely reduced to ashes. Dabi is also capable of wide-range flame attacks that are almost impossible to dodge; if he wants to burn someone, they're most likely going to be unable to do anything about it. Dabi's "instant kill" attacks contrast with Endeavor and Shoto's base-level flames, which are more likely to stun their opponents than leave them with severe or life-threatening injuries.
While both Todorokis can pull off similar feats of incineration, they need to use super moves such as Flashfire Fist so their flames are charged up enough to deal greater damage. Dabi doesn't seem to have any moves of a similar nature just yet, so it's possible his Quirk could get even more powerful once he learns to condense his flames as Shoto and Bakugo can -- although for now, that doesn't even seem necessary based on how effective his Quirk is.
3. He Doesn't Rely Solely On His Quirk To Fight
No one is more aware of Cremation's limits than Dabi himself. As a result, he usually fights in a carefully restrained manner rather than employing the kind of flashy, explosive strategy one might expect from the wielder of such a powerful Quirk.
In order to give himself time to recover from the effects of his own flames, Dabi tends to try and unsettle his opponents. Whether it's the revelation of a particularly devastating truth or drawing their attention to a fact they'd previously ignored, there's nothing off-limits for Dabi when he's trying to destabilize his opponent. He alternates between overwhelming fire blasts and short breaks to verbally torture his opponents, banking on them being wary of his flames or too shaken by his words to attack while he speaks. This strategy gives Dabi some much-needed rest mid-battle and a potential mental advantage over his opponents.
On the rare occasion his psychological fake-outs don't work, he's never completely defenseless. For the very possibility that his bluff ever gets called, Dabi never releases 100% of his firepower. If he's ever attacked mid-monologue, Dabi can tap into his reserves for a surprise attack, going Plus Ultra much like any UA student.
4. He Has Unprecedented Control Over His Flames
Dabi's powerful Quirk can't help but look like it's in constant danger of overwhelming him, although he's proven on multiple occasions that he's always in complete control. He can create perfect rings of fire in order to trap his foes, as displayed when he cornered Endeavor at Kyushu and during his attack at the UA students' training camp.
While his hands are his preferred medium with which to use his Quirk, Dabi can ignite flames from every single part of his body. This makes attempting to capture him nigh impossible, as he could easily burn off whatever restraints used to trap him.
Dabi can also control his flames' temperature. While Cremation is usually hot enough to completely obliterate anything in its path, some opponents and materials aren't as readily flammable. When he's around teammates, he's careful not to let his flames reach temperatures that could burn those around him, but he's capable of taking it up several notches.
While repelling Geten's unrelenting ice attacks, Dabi's flames became hot enough to affect bystanders. Mr. Compress was quite some distance away from their smackdown, yet even he could feel the heat from Dabi's unleashed power.
5. His Flames' Heat Never Reduces
The blue color of Dabi's flames is an indicator of just how hot the fire he produces is. Additionally, even after being detached from his body, the flames never lose their heat; they maintain their color and temperature even as they spread. Their high heat also allows them to spread much faster than normal fire does, leading to an almost unstoppable chain reaction.
When the League’s Vanguard Action Squad attacked the Wild Wild Pussycats' training camp, Dabi set most of the forest ablaze simply by touching a couple of trees. The flame his touches ignited was strong enough to sustain itself, becoming a forest fire worthy of attention from emergency services.