Mob Psycho 100 offers viewers plenty of supernatural beings and action-packed battles to occupy them, but its true strength is in its characters, and, specifically in its main character, Shigeo "Mob" Kageyama. Not only does Mob offer fans a powerful protagonist, but he gives them one who undergoes an impressive amount of character development as the anime unfolds.
But, given Mob's quiet, reserved nature, it's understandable that fans would have questions about the boy, even after watching the series or reading the manga. Here are 10 of your most burning Mob questions, answered.
10 What Are Mob's Abilities?
As an esper, Mob has plenty of impressive abilities—so many, in fact, that it can be hard to keep up. Telekinesis is perhaps Mob's most-used power, followed closely by Spiritual Awareness, or the ability to sense spirits and other espers. As we've seen numerous times, Mob can also exorcise spirits using his powers.
Those are the basic skills that most espers are able to put to use, but Mob also can transfer and absorb energy from other espers, as well as plants. We've also seen him take advantage of Astral Projection, which enables his spirit to leave his body and wander (though even Mob has struggled with rejoining the two).
9 What Sets Mob Apart From Other Espers?
Mob is undeniably more powerful than the other espers we meet during Mob Pyscho 100, and, in most cases, the difference is huge. There are few espers who can wield their powers as Mob does, and it's also worth noting that many of them just don't possess some of Mob's abilities.
For example, as far as fans know, Mob and the season two villain, Toichiro Suzuki, are the only two espers who can drain other espers of their energy and utilize that power for themselves. Likewise, they're the only ones we've met who are able to give their power to others. And these abilities alone make them truly formidable.
8 Why Does Mob's Power Shift In Percentage?
Those who have watched Mob Psycho 100 know that Mob has plenty of emotional baggage to work through, baggage that's supposedly the result of a childhood event involving his abilities. Due to whatever trauma he associates with that time, Mob has pushed his powers as far down as they can go, repressing them the majority of the time.
When Mob begins to experience certain emotions, however, the walls he's built up around his powers begin crumbling. That's when his psychic meter climbs—and being in his path when it reaches 100% isn't all that advisable.
7 What Does It Mean When Mob Reaches ???%?
More terrifying than Mob reaching 100% is when Mob hits ???%—something fans got to witness during the anime's second season. Though we've only seen Mob reach this level after Claw burned his house down, that's really all we need to know how dangerous Mob's psychic abilities are at this level.
When Mob hits 100% on his psychic meter, he's still in control of his abilities. Once he's at ???%, his body takes over, acting purely on instinct. Not only does this make him more powerful because he's not holding anything back, but it also renders him unconscious, meaning he has little control over his actions in this state.
6 Why Doesn't Mob Use His Powers Against Other Humans?
Mob is reluctant to use his powers against other humans—even other espers—and it's something fans might find themselves shaking their heads at. It's understandable that a nice kid like Mob wouldn't use his powers to hurt people for kicks, but even when he's being attacked, he frequently refuses to engage when he's facing another human being.
This may partially have to do with the mysterious reason he hides his power in the first place, but it has more to do with his mentorship with Arataka Reigen. Reigen taught Mob from an early age that it's never OK to use his abilities against other people. Clearly, it's something the kid took to heart.
5 Does Mob Know His Mentor Is A Fraud?
Speaking of Reigen, it's hard to tell why exactly Mob sticks around as his mentee. Mob Psycho 100 makes it fairly obvious to viewers that Reigen has no psychic powers to speak of, even if he's constantly advertising his abilities. It's less clear whether this fact is obvious to Mob or not.
Given that Mob can sense other espers—and that he witnessed Reigen's whole television debacle during season two—we'd have to guess that Mob realizes his mentor is a fraud. Still, out of respect for the man he clearly admires, he's never said it aloud.
4 What Is Mob's Family Life Like?
Mob's family dynamic is a bit strange. While the boy doesn't seem to have any major hardships on that front, he doesn't seem to be all that close with his parents either. In fact, Reigen appears to be the adult he relates most to; his parents support him, but never fully understand his powers.
His relationship with his brother, Ritsu, is another matter entirely. There's definitely tension between the two boys when fans first meet them, and it quickly becomes clear why: the two resent one another for completely opposite reasons. While Ritsu is initially jealous of Mob's psychic powers, Mob starts the series wishing he had Ritsu's social skills. Thankfully, the two of them begin to work through their issues slightly as the anime progresses.
3 How Does Mob Handle School?
Mob's quiet nature and limited social awareness make it difficult for him to adjust to middle school at first, though viewers have witnessed Mob grow tremendously over the past two seasons. This is because he joined the Telepathy Club and the Body Improvement Club—the latter of which seems a bit out of left field for our protagonist, but maybe that's the point.
By stepping out of his comfort zone, Mob has begun making friends at school and opening up to other people his age. It's had a notable effect on his personality and his abilities, and it's definitely the type of character development we love to see.
2 What's Mob's Love Life Like?
Just because Mob's become more social, it doesn't mean he has a handle on his love life. It's clear that Mob would like to have a girlfriend at some point though. Over the course of the series, we hear him talk about his crush on one girl at his school and witness him sort of date another one.
Unfortunately, when he dates Emi during season two, it's revealed that the other girl only pretended to like him on a dare. Mob handles this news pretty well, perhaps because of his huge crush on Tsubomi. Whether he'll ever work up the courage to talk to her is a different story.
1 How Does Mob Change Over The Course Of The Series?
In any anime, fans can expect the main character to grow as the series progresses. Still, Mob seems to have come a long way in a short amount of time. We're only two seasons in, but he's already managed to form a much healthier relationship with himself, his abilities, and the people around him.
He starts off as a quiet kid whose only close relationship seems to be with Reigen, but the second season makes it clear that Mob is forming genuine bonds with his classmates, as well as the other characters he runs into. He's even able to give advice to others who are in the same place he used to be. If ever there was a show of growth, it's that.
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