Xolani Khumalo

**Xolani Khumalo,**(ゾラニクマロ, *Khumalo Xolani*) more commonly known as **Balar**, is a young Professional Hero. He aspires to be one of the world's best heroes and to set an example for the rest, aiming to inspire more national and cultural diversity among the world's top heroes. As an ingenius inventor, who uses his quirk alongside his knowledge of mechanics and technology. Xolani is well-known for creating his signature mechanized armor known simply as "Balar" which also happens to be his hero name.  Xolani is mostly known for his acts of heroism that involve rescuing people from aquatic disasters, saving animals at sea or marine life, and donating money to companies that focus on preserving the sea and it's inhabitants. Nonetheless, his most notable trait is his wish for the world's top heroes to be more culturally diverse, representing every country as opposed to mostly being from and stationed in Japan.

## **Appearance**

   Xolani is a young dark-skinned male with white hair and amber eyes. He stands at 5'8" and weights approximately 150 pounds: Making him rather short and lean, although he is still muscular. He commonly wears casual modern day clothing when he isn't wearing his hero uniform: Which is comprised of a white button-up shirt, maroon tie, green jacket with a shield crest on it, and brown jeans. He also sports a unique blue high-tech watch that he invented himself and yellow headphones.

When he's out on duty as a hero, he wears a black high-tech suit that completely covers most of his body except for his head. On his head, he sports a black visor with blue lens that masks his eyes, for additional protection and so that his face cannot be completely seen.

## **Personality**

Xolani is a very calm, resourceful, and clever individual who displays a high level of intelligence and wisdom despite his age. He commonly gives advice to academy students and other newly-christened heroes in hopes of assisting them throughout their careers: As he cares deeply about the future of hero society and the mentality it's heroes represent. He is also quite caring and compassionate in general which is seen through his many acts of heroism since an extraordinarily young age.

Since he was a child, Xolani has displayed a natural tendency towards heroic acts, and has carried out many in his youth. However, due to it being illegal to do this, he has technically acted as a Vigilante. This was for a good reason, as if he hadn't acted, the lives of many people would've been lost over the years. So even though it was technically against the law, Xolani did what he knew he had to do in order to protect and save people: Showcasing a shrewd intellect since his early years.

Xolani's most notable trait however is his wish for more national and ethnic diversity among the world's top heroes. While Xolani deeply appreciates all of the world's heroes and has nothing against them, he understands that many young children around the world look up to heroes and wish to be like them. So when there are heroes out there that look like you, that is a big eye-opener for many kids and inspires them to become a hero even more: As they can see themselves in their admired hero. Knowing this, and having grown up without many top ranked Pro Heroes who look like him, Xolani aims to fulfill that role and to encourage more diversity among heroes in general.

## **Background**

Xolani Khumalo was born on May 3rd twenty-two years ago along the coasts of New York.. He grew up as a only child to Thulani and Zola Khumalo, two former Pro Heroes who were both the product of Quirk marriages. His dad was an engineer and his mom a marine biologist, as well as the caretakers of many aquatic animals. So by default, Xolani grew up learning a lot about engineering, the ocean and it's inhabitants. He also developed a close friendship and bond with the many animals that lived in the house he grew up in. This helped Xolani grow to develop a greater appreciation for marine life and biology. These experiences also imparted Xolani with greater intellect and wisdom than most his age: Which caused him to excel in every class that pertained to engineering, technology, or biology. So like everyone else, Xolani went to school with the goal of becoming a great Pro Hero like his mother and father before him. However, unlike everyone else, Xolani performed heroic acts illegally as a child.

Xolani lived near dangerous river rapids, which was a common tourist attraction, and every now and then people would kayak in the river and end up needing help. Due to this, Xolani would use his quirk to save people, and he would do this many times without getting caught because they never reported him. Xolani knew breaking the law was wrong, but he had no choice but to save people's lives, and due to this he became known as **"Waterboy"**since a young age to those who lived nearby and knew what he did ocassionally. He developed a pretty big reputation, but everyone kept it under wraps in fear that his illegal actions would be discovered and he would be arrested and charged as a juvenile.

Once Xolani reached high school age, he enrolled at the school known as the "Academy of Power" which was one of the top ranked American Hero Academies. It was located in Washington D.C. so he had to leave behind his friends and family and make some new ones after the transition. During his years in the academy, Xolani made many new friends and came up with the Pro Hero name **"Balar"**in reference to the Fomorian from Irish mythology. As Balar, Xolani would wear a mecha that he had created himself with the assistance from the school's Department of Support: However, he did most of the work himself over the course of a few months. On top of this, he created a high-tech suit for himself to wear underneath the mecha armor.

Eventually, Xolani graduated from the academy as one of it's best students and quickly became a well-known hero. As Balar, Xolani had spent every year since he graduated saving lives (mostly at sea), taking down villains, and donating the money he earned to charities and foundations: Specifically ones that cleaned up aquatic areas and did their best to save and preserve marine life. He also saves the lives of many undersea animals on a frequent basis. So he is now known best for his seafaring actions and is held in high regard by others. Most recently, after hearing about what went down with the Omoikane Cartel in Japan, Xolani decided to head there to assist with the problem and others in the future.

## **Abilities**

As a well-known Professional Hero, Xolani is well-rounded and skilled in a variety of things in order to maximize his performance as a hero and spread his message worldwide. He has defeated many villains over the years, saved the lives of many, and has invented unique mechas for a a multitude of purposes.

### **Physical & Martial Arts Prowess**

Xolani was trained in the martial art of **Capoeira**since the age of three, and has become a specialist in the art due to his mastery over it. Capoeria is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that incporates a variety of hand, feet, leg, arm, elbow, knees, and head movements. Some techniques are used to move along the ground whilst others are used for evading, though a combination of two is quite common in the art.

It includes hard attacks such as headbutts, slaps, punches, elbows, kicks and knees as well as softer attacks such as takedowns or sweeps. However, the main emphasis is always placed on the synergy between kicks and evasions. Primarily, the art focuses on constant movement in order to make it harder for the practinioner to be hit and in order to execute techniques together in an uninterrupted flow. This all requires a great degree of physical exertion and skill, meaning one's body must be well-trained and honed in order to perform it effectviely.

Overall, despite his size, Xolani is very physically fit and is a skilled combatant. He usually incorporates his skill in capoeira alongside his quirk, Oceanmaster, in order to enhance his effectiveness in battle.

### **Engineering Skills**

Xolani was trained in engineering since an extremely young age, and knows how to create, fix, and deconstruct many types of devices and machinery. He is knowledgeable in many engineering disiciplines, sciences, and technological fields. As well as mechanics, fluds, energy transfer, thermodynamics, circuit theory, biology and chemistry. He is also proficient in CAD, eletronics usage, data manipulation, automation software, and computer programming. His mastery over this field can be most exemplfieid through his creation of the Balar mecha armor.

### **Marine Biology Knowledge**

Xolani was also taught in the field of marine biology since he was a child, making him well-informed on a variety of marine life. He knows all about the lifespan, reproduction cycle, habitat, and other characteristics of many types of animals and organisms that live in the sea. This means he knows all about biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography to better understand marine life.

### **Quirk**

Xolani's quirk is known as **Oceanmaster**, and it grants him characteristics associated with the water and aquatic life. Oceanmaster enables Xolani to manipulate and breathe water, as well as adapt to it's high or low temperatures and pressure. Oceanmaster is a fusion of his father's quirk, Archerfish, and his mother's quirk, Lungfish, both of which are complex quirks created from Quirk Marriages: Making hims even more powerful and complex overall. Basically, Xolani can manipulate water within the surrounding vicinity, and use it for multiple things such as offense, defense, and supplementary usage. He can also breathe underwater indefinitely and survive it's more very high or low pressures and temperatures. However, Xolani's abilities are below that of his parents.

Thulani, Xolani's father, can manipulate water to such an extent that he can alter it's temperature and thus it's state of matter making it into ice or steam. Whilst Zola, his mother, can survive extremely high or low pressures and temperatures, making her survivability much higher. However, Xolani's ability to use both of their quirks hybridized together as one ultimately makes him more powerful than both despite not being able to use either to their full capacity.

#### **Super Moves**

Every Pro Hero needs their own super moves, and Xolani has several of them. He has been developing his own moves since he was a child, long before he ever entered a Hero Academy, and as a result he already had a head start on the other kids. The moves Xolani has developed can be used for a wide range of purposes, from offense, to defense, and supplementary uses.

* **Water-Make -**Xolani uses this move to create any shapes he desires out of water and then uses it for a large variety of things. He can shape water into objects, animals, and even people. Although the more complex the shape is the more concentration and focus is required to pull it off. When without Balar, this is Xolani's most commonly used and signature move that he learned from his dad.
* **Dimension of Steam! -**When inside of Balar, Xolani manipulates the water around the armor and forces it into it's pores. Next, the armor superheats the water and transforms it into superheated steam. Then, the steam is emitted through the secondary pores of the armor and the entire area is engulfed by superheated steam. The steam is several hundred degrees Fahrenheit, and thus, it can easily burn the skin off of most people in the vicinity. Due to this, it is rarely used in an environment in which there are others who can be harmed. Xolani usually only uses this when alone and facing off against a villain.
	+ **Balar's Eye!!! -**When inside of Balar, after Xolani has successfully performed **Dimension of Steam,**he then builds up an astronomical amount of pressure inside of the suit by containing the steam by closing the secondary pores of Balar. Next, he transfers all of the pressurized steam through Balar into The Eye (the weapon), and releases it all at once through the center of The Eye as it opens. This is basically what can be described as a BLEVE, and it possesses an extraordinary amount of destructive power behind it. It is capable of destroying many structures and materials with the force behind it, and if used in conjunction with The Eye, it can even propel Xolani at phenomenal speeds through the air or water despite how much he weights when inside of Balar.

## **Equipment**

Renown as a "little genius" since a young age, Xolani has built several things from scratch using the materials available to him from his father's laboratory. However, above all else, his greatest invention is the mecha armor referred to as "Balar" that he created once he got his Provisional License.

### **Balar Mecha Armor**

The Balar costume is a mechanized full-body steam-powered armor that Xolani wears exclusively during his duties as a Pro Hero. The armor is thirteen feet tall and weights seven tons. It is comprised mostly of alloyed steels and other metals to grant it incredible weight, hardness, and impact strength as well as resistance to the hottest temperatures and greatest pressures. The armor is equipped with a hydrological system that allows it too absorb moisture around the armor through small pores in it's frame and converts it to superheated steam to further power the armor. The armor also has a secondary set of pores that is used for emitting the steam, that way the machine can both absorb water and emit steam simultaneously. The armor's primary weapon is what is known as "The Eye" which, based on it's name, somewhat resembles an elongated an eye, although only in the center of the bell-like structure. The eye possesses the same technology that the armor does and works the same way, however, since it's smaller it only weights two tons and is nine feet tall instead.

The armor is also equipped with communication devices to enable Xolani to quickly contact other local Pro Heroes and ask for assistance if need be. It also possesses the ability to see all forms of radiation on the EM spectrum, meaning it can see visible light, x-rays, infrared waves, gamma waves, radio waves, microwaves, and ultraviolet light for a large variety of purposes. Usually for tracking someone or something, and for locating things or people. The armor also possesses one large red eye in the center of it's head, that can emit an intense amount of blinding light to temporarily incapcitate Xolani's foes. The current version of the armor is known as **"Balar 1.0"** and it is the main version Xolani has used for years.

## **Trivia**

* Xolani means "peace" in Zulu, whilst Khumalo means "descendant of the fish tribe" in Zulu.
* Xolani's name is a fusion of his mother and father's which are also Zulu in origin, their names being Zola which means "peace, tranquil" and Thulani which means "be quiet, be peaceful".
* Xolani's appearance is based on fanart of Ekko from the League of Legends MOBA.
* Xolani's hero costume is based on art of Charles Babbage from the Fate Grand Order mobile game.