Of all the teenage superheroes in training at U.A. High School in the popular manga/anime franchise My Hero Academia, the biggest misfit of them all is Minoru Mineta. Even though he's a bit of a social outcast, Mineta has quickly become a fan-favorite character, with his unusual Quirk -- the anime series' term for individual superpowers.

While the rest of the series has several very intense elements, his offbeat, comedic nature can always help lighten the proceedings. Now, we're taking a closer look at this  aspiring Pro Hero, from his humble origins and his unique powers and abilities to what he's doing now in the overall story.

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WHO IS MINORU MINETA?

Mineta is introduced as a timid student starting out at U.A. High School, studying to become a Pro Hero. The boy has a noticeably perverted sense of humor and outlook on the world, which instantly makes him a social pariah with his female classmates and ostracized by several male classmates as well; Mineta's ill-attempted efforts to impress girls is one of his primary motivations to become a Pro Hero.

While he initially comes off as a slacker and is nearly expelled for his low test scores, Mineta quickly reveals himself to be a very observant student. Idolizing the Pro Hero All Might, Mineta believes him to be invincible, even in the face of overwhelming danger. Vowing to follow in his footsteps, Mineta's powers of observation make him formidable as he is often well-versed on his opponents in training bouts, having watched and studied them from a distance.

WHAT ARE MINORU MINETA'S POWERS?

Mineta has one of the more offbeat Quirks of any of his classmates, with the ability to grow strange, purple balls from his scalp. The balls themselves are incredibly sticky to anyone except Mineta himself, and the strength and duration of their adhesion is relative to Mineta's strength when he produces the growths. While the balls grow rapidly, Mineta will begin to bleed from his scalp from overuse if he draws them too often within a short amount of time.

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Mineta has since developed several super moves fueled by his Quirk, including Grape Rush, which sees him bombard a target with the sticky growths, sticking them forcibly in place and leaving them vulnerable for attack or evasion. Minoru has also combined several of the growths to form an impromptu shield he refers to as the Grape Buckler, which absorbs blows and makes projectiles stick to it. As Mineta can naturally repel off of his own cushioned growths, he has flung them to walls, ceilings and floors and bounced off of them like a human pinball, with a little help from one of his stronger allies.

HOW MINETA HE WAS A HERO

When the facility is invaded by villains, Mineta proved invaluable in saving the day. His unusual Quirk caused the bad guys to become stuck together when they target the students. Mineta is visibly shocked as he witnesses Shota's defeat the hands of Nomu. However, he cheered his hero All Might on as the Pro drives back the villains, turning the tide of battle.

As the students begin to develop superhero personas for themselves, Mineta dubs himself Freshly Picked Grape Juice due to his purple hair and the nature of his Quirk. While taking his final exam, Minoru is pitted against Midnight, using his newly unveiled super move Grape Rush to ace the competition before helping drive back a League of Villains' attack on the students while they were on a training retreat in the woods. With his confidence having grown considerably since his introduction, Mineta passes the Provisional Hero License exam to obtain his Pro Hero license.

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