Kuyo is a former student at Wellston Private High School who was Rei's roommate. He is currently a student at the University of Wellston who moonlights as a masked vigilante informally known as Ponytail.
Appearance[]
Kuyo is a tall young adult. He has bright green eyes and long blue hair he keeps tied in a ponytail. His vigilante nickname was inspired by this hairstyle. Even when masked, the glow that his green eyes give off when he activates his ability is still visible.
He also wears a black long-sleeve shirt, grey pants, and black shoes. He also wears a brown belt with hip pouches on either side.
As a high school freshman he wore a blue hoodie and dark blue jeans while he wore the Wellston boy's uniform at school, choosing to eschew the vest.
Personality[]
Being from a family of high-tiers, in addition to being very powerful for his age, Kuyo was confident in his abilities and future growth. Unfortunately, he also displayed the more unsavory aspects of being a high-tier, such as looking down on low-tiers. His statement to Rei about how he will get stronger if he "sticks by [him]" also implies that he enjoyed asserting dominance over others.
Kuyo did seem to have a humble side, looking up to the Royals and quickly becoming embarrassed in their presence. However, over time, this positive trait turned into a negative one, as he became arrogant after the Royals recognized him. This resulted in him becoming a bully who believed the only way to gain respect is through intimidation. He would even turn on his "friends" should they defy him.
After a few life experiences, Kuyo became lot more calm and mature after enrolling in his university, offering to help Kayden catch up in his exam prep.
As a vigilante, Kuyo is a professional, who deals with murderous criminals as casually as most bullies at Wellston High deal with their victims. His expertise is such that he seems to actually hold back at the start of his fights before swiftly finishing off his targets. He seems to enjoy letting his opponents think they're winning before getting serious.
He seems to take his life as a vigilante quite seriously, despite his tendency to toy with criminals. He is driven to find EMBER despite their reputation to kill vigilantes without ever being caught by the Authorities. He can also be very blunt, but showed professional courtesy to Blyke. He chose to give Blyke a chance to win the fight on his own, only stepping in when it was absolutely necessary.
History[]
Kuyo grew up in a family of high-tiers. It is likely that his ideology and worldviews stem from this.
Side Story - Rei[]
Kuyo was accepted into Wellston Private High School. While he was moving into his dorm, his roommate offered to assist him. Kuyo was puzzled by this offer, as it looked like the guy still needed to finish moving in himself. He insisted he was fine, and introduced himself as Rei. After they finished, they went to hang out and explore Wellston Town together. They discussed their power levels, and Kuyo impressed Rei with the fact that he was already Lower-Elite Tier freshman with a level of 3.5. Rei hoped to at least grow as strong as his Elite-tier parents. Kuyo was encouraging in Rei's pursuit of strength, and offered to let him stick by his side in order to achieve that goal.
On his first day, Headmistress Sylvia called Kuyo to her office. She felt his current power level warranted a meeting with the school's Royals. He was in the midst of discussing it with Rei near the end of the day when a low-tier student bumped into the mid-tier. No sooner had Rei begun to ask if the girl was alright did Kuyo insist they leave her to clean up the mess she made. Kuyo griped about how troublesome low-tiers were always dragging their superiors down, and looked quite disturbed when Rei tried to defend their actions as accidents. Back to the topic of the day, Kuyo offered to bring Rei along to his meeting with the Royals. They headed off to the scheduled meeting place. Kuyo was introduced to Kassandra, the school's strongest student. Kuyo became slightly flushed with embarrassment when she told him of the praise he got from the headmistress. It was then that Kassandra noticed Rei keeping his distance. Kuyo identified them as his roommate, and silently (yet sternly) bid him to quit lurking and say something. Rei awkwardly introduced himself to the Royals, and the two roommates were told that they both had the potential to become high-rankers.[1]
Kuyo hung out with the Royals several more times after their first meeting. Their influence turned the elitist into an outright jerk. He gained like-minded followers, and the group began abusing weaker students. Rei was often present for these incidents, usually advocating a less severe responses for perceived slights. Kuyo eventually snapped at Rei for being soft all the time. He warned his roommate that nobody was going to respect someone who didn't assert himself.
Rei eventually did become more assertive; he forcibly put an end to the cruel actions of Kuyo's lackeys one day. When Kuyo heard of this, he and his goons cornered Rei in the cafeteria one day and knocked his lunch tray out of his hands in retaliation. Kuyo denounced Rei as a traitor, and that he would pay for siding with low-tiers. Rei was unfazed, and called Kuyo out on his nasty attitude. Rei swore never to follow in Kuyo's footsteps, and planned to make a name for himself as he saw fit.[2]
Rei's declaration caused Kuyo to fight him. The two were at it until Kassandra separated them and took them outside. She ripped into them for scuffling on the school ground (to the shame of Kuyo), and suggested them to talk their problems out. Later, Kuyo was approached by Rei at their dorm. The latter pointed out the so-called "buddies" of his took advantage of him, rather than being genuine friends. However, this only served to incense Kuyo, who slammed the door in Rei's face and further strain their friendship.
The next day, one of Kuyo's lackey informed him that Alvin, another subordinate of his, was attacked by Reggie, a third-year student. He realized Alvin sold him name out. Kuyo stood up to the senior, allowing his friends to escape. He struggled against Reggie, until Rei backed him up. Unfortunately, not even their combined power were enough, as Reggie defeated them both. Later, Kassandra checked up on them at infirmary. She apologized on behalf of the senior, and agreed to mentor them.[3]
Interim[]
Over the years, Kuyo and Rei clashed so often that the stern faces of Kassandra and the Headmistress were a regular sight.[4] But Rei persevered despite their shared setbacks, and eventually made good on his declaration. By the time Kassandra graduated, Rei had come out on top and became one of Wellston's strongest kings.[5] Meanwhile, Kuyo became his Jack, before stepping down on his final year. He appointed Arlo as his successor, though not without having his own harmless fun with it. He nicknamed the new hardcase of a Jack "Ass-lo" and pranked him with a small game of his: mastering the art of throwing forks for darts.[4][6]
Kuyo and Rei also introduced the latter's sister to Arlo. With the two seniors in a hurry, they forced the new Jack's hands into babysitting her. Some time later, they returned with a gift: the renowned Triple Chocolate Cake for the juniors. Kuyo whined about not getting their own slices.[7]
Kuyo graduated and enrolled at Wellston University. By this time he buried the hatchet with Rei, who introduced him to a book that was taking the world by storm: Unordinary. The book gave Kuyo a new perspective, which led to the duo becoming a vigilante team.[8]
Kuyo and Rei, who was professionally known as "X-Static", fought crime together for over a year. Their last case together had them investigating a rise in gang wars in low-tier districts. The violence was fueled by strange ability steroids that popped up out of nowhere. They got their biggest lead on night when they came upon a cadaver with a vial of the drug still on it. No sooner did they discover this than a masked man in a trench coat and hat approach them. His intentions were clear: death to the snooping superheroes. Kuyo barely managed to avoid the worst of the incendiary claws being used against him. He tried to launch a counterattack with his swordplay, but the enemy was too agile. X-Static managed to outmaneuver him and bring him to his knees with a powerful shock. But they were mistaken to believe that their fight was over.
X-Static was struck from behind by a second individual with Flame Claw. This woman then rushes and swipes at Kuyo. Her attack went through his guard like it wasn't even up. Knocked back, Kuyo is unable to stop her from driving her talons into X-Static. Spurred into action, Kuyo rushes in and attempts a rescue. But the swordsman only ends up getting slashed himself. His burning wounds were a telltale sign that they were outclassed. X told him to get going while the getting was good. Kuyo wasn't about to leave his partner for dead, but the matter was way out of his hands. Their recuperated enemies attacked him again, and would have certainly finished him off. But X grabbed ahold of them both. Kuyo couldn't even register what was going on when the unmasked Rei told him to take care of himself. He gave the order for Kuyo to run before he used the last of his strength to bring down lightning on the three of them. Unable to get close, Kuyo fell back.
He returned later to see if there was anything to salvage. But to his horror, Rei was dead, whereas their assailants appeared to be no worse for wear despite the electricity. They stood over the dead hero, preventing any attempts to remove evidence of what happened there. Too battered to put up any more of a fight, Kuyo had to leave with nothing to show for Rei's sacrifice.[9]
The events of that night drove Kuyo to put an even greater focus on the amplifier case. The two trenchcoated killers were linked to a criminal organization known as EMBER.[8] The media had, of course, reported on them and their assassinations, Rei's included. But the coverage was only used to foster anti-superhero propaganda, so public remained ignorant of the drug angle.[10] So Kuyo worked hard over the course of several months, and managed to gather intel regarding the operation. The drug had yet to be perfected, since users suffered from terrible withdrawal at minimum. Moreover, the amplifiers were being sold exclusively to mid-tiers. This would ensure that both the criminal activity would be more easily overlooked and that the enhancer could be properly tested and refined. Kuyo once tried turning in some of his findings to the Authorities, but their delayed response and public disparaging of vigilantes discouraged him from trusting them any further.[8]
Season 2[]
Responsibility[]
In Kuyo's first present-day appearance, he was standing on a rooftop in Newside watching Blyke getting ready to leave after a night of fighting Lance and his goons. After changing his clothes, Blyke left town completely unaware of Kuyo's presence.[11]
Evolution[]
The two would cross paths again a few nights later in Grasshill. Both were pursuing the criminal Lennon, who Kuyo knew was in possession of ability-enhancers. The older vigilante stood by while Blyke came to the rescue of the Grasshill Protectors when Lennon had them beat. It wasn't until Blyke was overwhelmed by the combined forces of Lennon and his sniper ally Raddix that Kuyo intervened. While Blyke only managed to crack the disks Lennon summoned with his ability, Kuyo was able to easily shatter them with a blade he summoned with his own ability.[12] The older vigilante's grand entrance stunned both Blyke and Lennon. He made sure that the former was okay while the latter was demanding to know who he was. Kuyo simply introduced himself as the backup for the younger vigilante he gestured towards. Now that his plans were suffering terrible delays due to two meddlers, Lennon was going out of his mind. Conjuring more disks, he swore to kill both vigilantes. Kuyo would have been glad to take him on, but there was still the matter of dealing with Raddix's potshots from afar. He turned to Blyke and asked if he could find the source of the shots and cover him. Blyke obliged, and headed off to deal with Raddix. Lennon tried to prevent Blyke from getting away, though he failed thanks to Kuyo's reminder of who he was dealing with.
Lennon's new disks held up against Kuyo's blade. Lennon snidely remarked that he expected the flashy vigilante to be much stronger. As if to keep Lennon from being disappointed, Kuyo summoned a second blade of energy. The now dual-wielding swordsman was able to easily slice through Lennon's defensive disk. With wounded pride, Lennon launched two of his disks to strike down his opponent. Kuyo easily shattered one and vaulted off the other to initiate an attack from above. After Lennon was down another asset, he used his last free disk for a diversionary attack while using his hover disk to rise high into the air. He felt content to boast about how out of reach he was. Kuyo then manifested four shorter energy blades and rained throwing knives on Lennon's parade. As the attack caused his disk to deteriorate even further, Lennon sensed imminent defeat. He decided to beat a hasty retreat, with Kuyo looking on from below.
Lennon went to collect Raddix, who was already dispatched by Blyke. Lennon started to attack him once more, and seized the upper hand against the weaker student. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Kuyo appeared and slashed the very surprised Lennon from behind and knocked him unconscious. The victorious Kuyo apologized to Blyke for letting Lennon slip away before conducting a search on Lennon's body, finding two vials. Upon seeing them, Blyke asked what they were. Kuyo answered that they were ability amplifiers.[13]
He then went on to search Raddix. He found nothing and, without asking Blyke if he'd searched Raddix beforehand, assumed Lennon was the one carrying their whole stash. He took the vials Lennon had and flung them into the ground, preventing the enhancers from being used by anyone else. The shocked Blyke asked whether they could have at least turned in the drugs to someone. Kuyo remarked that if he was talking about The Authorities, he should recall that they weren't exactly making things easy on vigilantes. When Blyke asked if he at least tried, Kuyo said yes, but got no response. Thanks to his experience, he knew the score. He explained how he had been trying to trace the enhancers to their source. Blyke asked if he realized just how dangerous it was to meddle in EMBER'S business. Kuyo caught on that the youth had encountered the organization in the past, and revealed some more details about the drugs, including who they were being sold to. He mentioned that it's a surprise that an Elite-tier like Lennon managed to acquire some. Blyke understood that it was easier to keep crimes discreet if only weak people were involved, but Kuyo added that they also made ideal test subjects. While the amps succeeded in boosting someone's level by 50%, they still caused severe after effects on anybody who used them. Kuyo ominously remarked that if the drug were perfected, there would be no limit as to what people would be capable of.
Kuyo decided that they change the subject from business to small-talk. He asked Blyke why he became a vigilante, but Blyke insisted that he go first. Kuyo obliged, and shared the story of his late friend and Unordinary. The story made Blyke ashamed to admit that he only set out to fight criminals in order to become strong enough to protect his friends. Kuyo couldn't help but point out there were easier ways to accomplish that, but that Blyke's intentions were noble all the same. He extended an offer to take Blyke under his wing so they could accomplish their goals as a team. While grateful, Blyke turned him down. The near-fatal ordeal they had undergone had opened his eyes to the fact that he just wasn't cut out to be a vigilante. Blyke thanked Kuyo for coming to his rescue, and wished him luck on nailing EMBER. With that, Kuyo watched as Blyke left Grasshill.[8]
Escalation[]
At the Wellston University, Kuyo discussed the recent exam with Kayden. The latter asked him if they could study for the upcoming one together, before being interrupted by a sudden appearance of a high schooler. Curious at the uninvited guest and the uniform she wore, Kuyo questioned Kayden regarding her identity. Kayden eased his suspicions by claiming her as his "cousin", before dragging her away.[14]
Few days later, Kuyo and Kayden hung out at the new boba joint. Kayden gushed about the "chem wiz" who made chemistry sounds like a piece of cake for him. Kuyo took notice of Kayden's "cousin" and her friend at the queue and asked why his roommate didn't greet her. Seeing their Wellston uniform brought back memories of his school days.[15] But he had no time to reminisce about the past as Kayden alerted him to the strange man tailing the teens. They arrived just in time to prevent said man from landing his finishing blow.[16] Kuyo blocked his attack, then ordered Kayden to bring the injured duo to the safety, which he complied. Angry his target escaped, the assassin switched his focus to the ponytailed swordsman. After some brief struggle, the icy man decided it was not worth his time and made a hasty exit.[17]
Division[]
A recent disappearance of a high-tier caused Kuyo to look up on his former alma mater's database. There, he spotted Kayden's "cousins", wondering why they were so powerless despite being the strongest duo of the school. Scrolling down, he found out the little vigilante he encountered was no other than Blyke. Satisfied, he's about to turn off his laptop before Kayden walked in. His roommate scolded Kuyo for "creeping" on high schoolers. Fortunately, Kuyo managed to bluff his way out, then set out for Wellston.
Kuyo showed up in front of the school, waiting for Blyke. Coincidentally, the King and his buddies were about to leave the school when they spot the vigilante. [18] Blyke was surprised to see Kuyo, even more so when he saw Remi being familiar with the man. She later introduced him to her best friends, with Isen being indifferent about him. Kuyo gave Blyke a scare by calling him by his vigilante's name. This earned a suspicious look from Remi, who was curious on how the two got acquainted. Kuyo told her the two met "by chance", and proceeded to usher Blyke to Hilford Park.
Now away from possible interlopers (who unbeknownst to them were tailing behind), Kuyo asked Blyke whether he knew about John and Seraphina. The inquiry annoyed him, but Kuyo insisted he was being serious. After being told one's a friend and the other's his roommate, Kuyo surprised him by revealing the two nearly got killed by an assassin. He also said they shouldn't be outclassed considering they are the strongest student in Wellston. Blyke questioned how did Kuyo know all of that information. Kuyo dropped another bomb on Blyke: he was the one who saved the teens. He added that the waves of recent disappearances might be related.
As Blyke silently mulled over the infodump, Kuyo asked him for his thoughts. He urged the redhead to do so in order for them to uncover the whole plot and put a stop to it. Blyke persisted with his earlier stance, stating that his superhero days were behind him. Kuyo insisted and even tried to persuade him into coming out of his retirement. The negotiation were cut short by Remi who suddenly barged in. She asked him if he was there when Rei died.[19]
Remi gave Kuyo no chance to deflect, especially when she mentioned Volcan as Rei's killer. He was surprised by her knowledge of that name, as well as Blyke and Isen (who secretly joined them) indifference to it. Remi's persistence caused Kuyo to admit that Rei was his partner. Remi was appalled at the gall of him still alive while her brother died. Kuyo retorted, saying if he stayed put, he wouldn't be able to stand here. He continued, supplying Remi with the fact that Volcan wasn't alone that night. When she prompted him to elaborate, Kuyo told her the full story.
Kuyo wrapped the retelling, expecting a response from the teens. Blyke and Isen were silenced, and Kuyo took the opportunity to apologize to Remi for failing Rei. She thanked him for finally giving the closure she needed about her brother's death, and offered her help to settle the score with the people responsible for Rei's demise.[9]
The discussion continued, as Kuyo and Remi spectated Blyke and Isen's "friendly" soccer match. She expressed her distrust at Authorities for their response (or lack of) regarding Rei and explained her encounter with Volcan, as well as meeting Valerie. Kuyo wondered if Arlo knew his aunt had tried to kill them all. Remi responded by acknowledging she was yet to find the right time to bring it up ith him.[20]
Hardline[]
[21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]
Rebellion[]
Uprising[]
Relationships[]
Kayden[]
Kayden is Kuyo's roommate at Wellston University, with both of them sharing a dorm. They would often study and hang out together whenever time allows them to do so. Despite that, neither of them knew of the others' true identity; Kayden as a member of Spectre, and Kuyo as a vigilante. They nearly blew their cover around each other several times. It wasn't until a mission with Wellston trio, where the teens were injured, forced Kuyo to contact Kayden for help.[26] He promised to tell the latter the truth,[27] which he eventually did some times later.[28]
Rei[]
During his first year at Wellston Private High School, Rei shared a dorm with Kuyo. Unfortunately, after Kuyo began hanging out with the Royals, Rei would see his friend become more of a bully, and the relationship between Rei and Kuyo would sour over time. While initially unsure about what to think, after some advice form his mother, Rei had made up his mind. No longer able to stand by Kuyo's side, Rei had chosen to do things his way and would eventually become the King of Wellston. Evidently, however, after recommending the book Unordinary to Kuyo, their relationship changed, as in Chapter 279 it was stated that they were very good friends. In Chapter 199 Kuyo told Blyke that his friend recommended the book to him. The two were partners in their vigilante work, and Kuyo was there when Rei was killed.
Kassandra[]
They first met during Kuyo and Rei's first days at Wellston. Kassandra acknowledged their level[1], although she personally preferred Kuyo to Rei. Their constant skirmishes forced her to mentor the two and drag them to the Headmistress' office.[3][4] They would later saw her off after her graduation.[5]
Kuyo would get in contact with Kassandra again after Remi shows her business card to the vigilantes' group. They send her evidences of EMBER's true identity as Authorities' own Anti-Terrorism division.[31]
Arlo[]
Though they didn't interact much, Kuyo was implied to be fond of his junior. To the point where he often playfully roughhoused the blonde, as well as coining the much-maligned nickname.[4]
It is later revealed Kuyo left his position as the Jack, before bestowing it to Arlo. However, he pranked the blonde into mastering the dark arts of fork-throwing, by telling the freshman it was a tradition for a new Royal to inherit the skills of their predecessor.[6]
Remi[]
The two knew each other due to Kuyo's association with Rei. They didn't talk much in the past, but it is implied they were close.[7]
Kuyo sees Remi for the first time in ages when he goes to Wellston to discuss with Blyke about their vigilantism. The redhead is surprised to find out she's being familiar with the ponytailed man. She tails the two to a secluded place at Hilford Park, before confronting Kuyo about Rei's death.[19] His full story brings a closure to her, who vows to avenge Rei.[9]
Several days later, Remi, alongside Blyke and Isen, reconvenes with Kuyo to discuss about their next step in their war against EMBER.[21] The trio agree to help him scout for EMBER's next possible business spot, but lost herself to rage after seeing one of Rei's killer harnesses his ability.[24] Kuyo assists her in taking down Brims, and combating his intruding partner. He attempts to negotiate with Fury, but Remi destroys the tape.[25] He manages to convince Fury to let go of the teens, by threatening her partner.[26]
Blyke[]
Kuyo was seen observing Blyke when the redhead was in the middle of his vigilante run in Newside.[11] The two first real encounter happened few days later in Grasshill. Blyke was being overwhelmed by Lennon and his hidden sidekick, before Kuyo intervened.[12] He introduced himself as Nobody's "backup". Together, they managed to take care of their foes, and dispose of amplifiers they found. (Blyke secretly secured a couple of them). The experience Blyke went through forced him to retire from doing superhero stuff.[13][8] Some time later, Kuyo discovered the vigilante from back then enrolled in Wellston, and visited him the next day.[18][19] Since then, alongside Remi and Isen, they became a team.
Isen[]
Kuyo got to know Isen from Remi & Blyke.[19] Apparently, Isen is not a big fan of him, attributed to the fact that the man brought his best friends back into the vigilantes' business (and nearly got the teens killed for it).[26]
Powers & Abilities[]
Blademaster: Kuyo is able to conjure multiple energy blades of varying lengths. He uses longer ones as melee weapons and shorter ones as throwing knives. Kuyo has also shown that he can fuse two katanas into one large greatsword in order to do more damage, being able to completely dismember a high-tier Officer’s arm from his body and slice another high-tier almost in half .
Intelligence[]
Kuyo displays keen powers of observation when he works. He has managed to determine EMBER's method of operation and identities of the agents, over the course of several months by studying their movements.
Kuyo is quite the trickster, having chosen to operate in a manner to lull his enemies into thinking he's weaker than he actually is. He was forced to abandon this method when he was cornered by powerful officers who aimed to take his life.
He is also an honors student as shown by how Kayden seeks his help in chemistry.
Quotes[]
- (To Lennon, about Blyke) "I'm his backup"
Notes & Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Side Story - Rei (1)
- ↑ Side Story - Rei (2)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Side Story - Rei (3)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Chapter 308
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Chapter 332
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Side Story - Fork Over the Title
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Tour of Wellston
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Chapter 199
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chapter 280
- ↑ Chapter 6
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Chapter 170
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Chapter 197
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Chapter 198
- ↑ Chapter 266
- ↑ Chapter 272
- ↑ Chapter 273
- ↑ Chapter 274
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Chapter 278
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 Chapter 279
- ↑ Chapter 281
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Chapter 292
- ↑ Chapter 294
- ↑ Chapter 300
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 Chapter 301
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Chapter 302
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Chapter 303
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 Chapter 304
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 Chapter 309
- ↑ Chapter 318
- ↑ Chapter 333
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 Chapter 334