Shota is a slender and tall, pale-skinned man with messy, shoulder-length black hair that partially hangs in front of his face and half-opened black eyes. He is usually recognized for his worn-out appearance, often looking fatigued. His facial hair is almost always in a stubbly, unkempt state (unless he needs to look good for the press), and his eyes tired and flat unless he's in combat. He sports a baggy black outfit that consists of a long-sleeved shirt and matching pants that tuck into his boots. He also wears a utility belt and his signature wrap scarf at all times. Eraser Head hides a pair of bright yellow goggles underneath his scarf for use in battle. Before starting his teaching career, Shota's goggles were of a silver-like color, and he had a smaller utility belt. During his second and third years of high school at U.A., Shota's hero outfit was a separate black jacket and pants, as opposed to his current outfit, which looks more like a unitard. He also sported a pair of finger-less gloves. In his second year, Shota added goggles to his costume. His goggles in his third year resemble more closely the ones he wears today. After being heavily injured by the U.S.J. Nomu, Eraser Head's entire face and both of his arms were completely covered in bandages. Once these bandages were removed, he reveals a deep scar underneath his right eye. His formal attire for press meetings and meetings with parents of his students includes a black suit, blue tie, and white dress shirt. While in this attire, his hair is well-groomed and held back in a low bun at the base of his neck. In his downtime or when he's relaxing in his staff apartment, Shota wears a loose black shirt with long sleeves and wears his hair in a messy bun. Shota is a very stern and reserved man who has lofty expectations of his students. He is primarily motivated by logic and does not believe in the necessity to maintain a clean-cut appearance or filter his words or ideas for others. He often comes off as cold, apathetic, and impatient, exerting very little energy in most situations, preferring to take naps in his sleeping bag instead.As a teacher with notoriously high expectations, Shota is known to expel students who he feels are not suited for U.A. High School. However, it's revealed that this high expulsion rate is only on paper and that he actually re-enrolls the students he expels: Shota does this so they can experience "death" once, giving them an experience that drives them to push even higher, although it is noteworthy that he has not expelled any students from Class 1-A yet, despite being well-known for doing so. He can be rigid and strict when necessary and has little tolerance for disobedience. Shota is not afraid of putting his students through rigorous training and often emphasizes the more unpleasant parts of heroism so that his students can overcome their limits. Shota has proven to be very vocal and unafraid when expressing his ideas. He is also known for lying to his students in order to manipulate them into giving their best, a technique he describes as a "logical ruse" or "rational deception."Despite his apathetic traits, Shota genuinely cares about his students and will go to great lengths to protect them. He judges situations and people strictly through a rational lens, often bypassing social niceties, superficial fame, or media attention. He is perpetually sleep-deprived, frequently seen shuffling around in a yellow sleeping bag or consuming instant food packets. He uses harsh-sounding "logical ruses" and fake expulsion threats to shock his students out of complacency and force them to grow. Despite his cold delivery, he places his students' safety above his own, regularly risking his life in combat to shield them. He prefers working out of the spotlight as an underground pro hero, believing real heroes do not need flashiness or mainstream popularity. Shaped by the tragic loss of his high school best friend, Oboro Shirakumo, Aizawa's extreme rigor as an educator comes from a place of intense trauma; he pushes his students hard so they are equipped to survive a brutal hero society. Despite his personality, Shota has shown on several occasions that he is not completely devoid of joy or humor: he often grins whenever he is impressed by one of his students or after he tricks them with one of his "rational deceptions." Eraser Head's Quirk allows him to nullify another person's Quirk by looking at them. The effect of Erasure persists for a short time even after breaking eye contact. While powerful, Erasure comes with several limitations: Erasure is disabled when Shota blinks. Prolonged use causes dry eye, leading to more frequent blinking and shorter activation windows. Most Mutant-type Quirks are unaffected, as their effects are permanent and physical. Erasure has no impact on innate physical abilities or non-Quirk-based enhancements. When active, Erasure causes Shota's hair to levitate, which is a visual tell that opponents can use to gauge activation. The Quirk has no inherent offensive capability.