With season 3 of Mob Psycho 100 ongoing, the hype around Mob and his powers has suddenly seen a hike.
Shigeo Kageyama aka Mob, is an esper with hyper-developed telekinetic and psychic powers. He might not seem very strong physically, but trust me when I say Mob is one seriously overpowered 14-year-old: kid has the power to terminate entire galaxies.
The series hinges on Mob’s Progress Towards Explosion, a scale ranging from 0-100% measuring how long until Mob literally explodes with his overwhelming psychic powers. Mob keeps his emotions restrained deep inside him until 100% – the limit after which the emotion he’s feeling turns him psycho.
If you’re new to Mob Psycho or are just wondering about the extent of his powers, and Mob’s striking similarities to a certain one-punching man, read on!
Does Mob ever go over 100%?
Mob goes over 100% when he is under extreme emotional distress. This causes him to hit ???%, a subconscious state in which Shigeo Kageyama’s infinite psychic power manifests. This unidentified percentage exists beyond Mob’s conscience, and is capable of total annihilation.
Now 100% doesn’t seem all that bad, eh?
Mob’s bottled-up emotions peak at 100% after which he unleashes the psychic energy he’s been holding back in the form of the emotion that triggered it.
So, when Mob touches 100% he uses psychic power that is emotion dependent, but when he reaches ???% or ###%, Mob enters a trance-like state where his mind can use the boundless psychic energy within him.
He first awakened this state in his childhood, when he and his brother Ritsu were confronted by 3 bullies. Shigeo’s desire to protect his younger brother put him in unprecedented emotional stress, and he fell unconscious, touching ???% on his Explosion scale.
Next, during the Teruki Hanazawa arc in the manga, Mob awakens his ultimate state when he’s knocked unconscious by Hanazawa. This is something anime fans got to witness in season 2 and it was spectacular.
In the Keiji Mogami arc, Mob is separated from his body and is forced into Mogami’s mental world. Since his ???% form is a subconscious state, it is able to manifest in Mogami’s mental world.
Later on in the manga, ??? falls apart from Mob himself, resulting in a stand-off between Mob’s conscious and subconscious sides of himself.
What is Mob’s power called? What is his power level?
Mob’s power is simply called psychic energy. All his other abilities like telekinesis and chlorokinesis are due to his manipulating his innate psychic power. Mob’s power level varies depending on the stability of his inner world.
When Mob is at 0-99%, Mob is governed by his senses. He still has access to basic psychic powers like flying, lifting heavy objects, create protective barriers, sensing the presence of people and spirits, exorcising spirits, and astral projection.
At 100%, an emotion that has been bubbling inside him due to an outside trigger bursts to the surface. This sets all hell loose, and in this state, he can level entire cities with the amount of psychic power he releases. During this state, Mob is governed by his emotions.
Not all of his 100% outbursts are negative; Mob has shown 100% trust, kindness, compassion, ecstacy, courage, gratitude, and friendship. Sometimes, these positive emotions are so strong that instead of 100% Mob reaches 1000%, his heart literally brimming with the emotion.
His negative 100% emotional states include 100% rage, sadness, animosity, rejection, murderous intent, shame, obsession, and resignation.
But at all these stages, it’s important to remember that Mob is still in control of his power.
When Mob reaches ???%, Mob is no more in control. Instead, it is his subconscious that takes over, and Mob becomes ungovernable. This is pure instinct and psychic power, without the restraints of sense or even emotion. All his passive abilities are awakened and Mob is akin to a god.
In season 2, in his fight against Mogami, Mob performs absorbs several powerful spirits, including an entire dimension – yes, you read that right – the entire dimension in which the battle was taking place.
What are all of Mob’s powers?
Shigeo Kageyama or Mob is definitely the strongest character and esper in the series. Here is a list of all his powers, from most badass to least.
1. Telekinesis
This is Shigeo’s most basic power as an esper, but when he hits the 100 on his Explosion scale, shit gets real. His telekinesis gives him the power of flight, of lifting entire buildings, pinning a huge crowd to the ceiling, creating multi-layered impenetrable psychic barriers, and disintegrating and reconstructing matter on a molecular level.
He can manipulate just about anything with his mind, including his own body. This means his physical abilities – which are none – increase manifold, he becomes faster, stronger, and more durable in the matter of seconds.
2. Energy Absorption
Mob can absorb all kinds of energy, including the natural energy from the atmosphere and the psychic energy of other espers. He can also drain out attacks aimed towards him. He can demonstrate this ability only when he is at 100% or at ???%.
Sometimes, Shigeo unintentionally also ends up absorbing emotions along with energy. This simply shows how interconnected the two are to each other. The emotion that he absorbs also fuels his power, whatever state he’s in.
The best part about this ability is he can do it absolutely effortlessly when he is in ???%.
3. Wide-scale Disaster
When Mob is in ???%, his power becomes so massive, that it leaves rampant destruction in his wake. Mob can cause natural disasters like earthquakes and cyclones as well as man-made disasters like obliterating and totally wasting cities and forests.
4. Mass Exorcism
In the world of Mob Psycho 100, there are spirits, good and evil. As you’d expect, the evil ones are capable of massive trouble, and the only way to get rid of them is to exorcise them.
Mob, being an esper, can exorcise pretty easily, but when he hits ???%, he can exorcise hundreds of spirits at once, which is a huge feat.
5. Technokinesis
??? has the ability to influence the workings of various electronic and mechanical devises. His power is so mighty, that even cars and helicopters are made to stop in their tracks.
6. Chlorokinesis
Mob can manipulate the growth of plants using his mind. He can transfer his power into them and make them grow or wilt at will.
7. Psychic Energy Transference
Mob uses his psychic energy to heal and invigorate others. He can also transfer his energy to other espers and non-espers so they can use his power.
This happens during 100% Gratitude when he temporarily transfers his powers to Reigan, and again when he relays his emotions and intentions to Serizawa.
8. Astral Projection
Mob can voluntarily leave his body behind and will his spirit to float in the astral realm. In this state, he can enter the minds of others, but has not yet been shown to completely possess them.
Mob’s powers are epic. This, and other similarities, cause many fans to wonder whether Mob is related to Saitama and whether he can beat him.
Nobody can beat Saitama. By the nature and intent of the character, Saitama from One Punch Man cannot be defeated, no matter who it is – a powerful hero from another series or any monster or villain. This means that not even Shigeo Kageyama aka Mob can beat Saitama.
Mob has some seriously powerful abilities and a unique skill set that sets him apart from most other manga protagonists. Mob’s psychic energy is the secret to all his power, but Saitama has shown that he is resistant to even that (in his fight with Tatsumaki).
Saitama is meant to be invincible; that’s the whole point of One Punch Man. Whatever comes his way, be it a planet-blowing beast, or ???% Mob, Saitama wins without even trying.
Mob and Saitama are strikingly similar in terms of looks and personality, but they belong to two different worlds. They are not related, although they are created by the same mangaka, ONE.
Mob and Saitama are unassuming, quiet, and atypical, both having deadpan eyes and unconventional looks – at least for heroes who go on to save the world multiple times. Both are insanely powerful, but the similarities end there.
Saitama is a foil for Shonen heroes; he’s godlike in both nature and power; Shigeo is more of a flawed human being, still figuring out his way.
That being said, if you have anything negative to say about either of my boys, I will definitely come at you.
About Mob Psycho 100
Mob Psycho 100 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by ONE. It was serialized on Shogakukan’s Ura Sunday website from April 2012 to December 2017.
Mob Psycho 100 is a story about a young middle-school boy, Shigeo Kageyama, a.k.a Mob, a powerful esper. Mob is determined to live a normal life and keeps his ESP suppressed.
But when his emotions surge to a level of 100%, all his powers are let loose. As he is surrounded by false espers, evil spirits, and mysterious organizations, what will Mob think? What choices will he make?
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