Unofficial Heroes NBC Forum and Message Boards

slippy · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:40 pm Post subject:

Sorry Jorm, I'm not ignoring your post, I just want to say my two penn'orth on the whole Hiro/Kaito sword training thing. I too was disappointed by the apparent speed at which Hiro learned swordplay, and I've thought long and hard about it since then. Now, I believe that the time spent with his Father in training at the sword shop is MUCH shorter than has been assumed here. I think it was probably less than a couple hours. If I were Ando, that's how long it'd take me to get bored and decide to try fixing things on my own.

I think there are several ways of looking at the training session.

1 - the most obvious - We've already seen that Hiro has the ability to move others through time, and we've already seen that he can slow time to a crawl, as well as stop it and move through it. So what's to say he hasn't slowed down time for everything except the room he and Kaito were in? He could easily have squeezed a couple days' training into the couple of hours it'd take Ando to get bored and wander off.

2 - unlikely - Kaito has the ability to impart years of physical training to somebody in the course of a couple of hours, either by time dilation or some specific form of telepathy. No further reasoning behind this thought - it is as it stands.

3 - my favourite - METAPHOR, PEOPLE! I've said all along that the sword itself is meaningless - it's focus, confidence and the ability to make sacrifice that Hiro has been missing all along, not to mention understanding. By providing a specific threat for Hiro to respond to (as well as by reminding him of the stories of Kensei and the Dragon), Kaito provided a "safe focus" for Hiro which, accompanied by a few choice phrases at the right time, helped Hiro to understand his place, his ability and, most importantly, his limitations. In short, sometimes one must cut out one's own heart to save what one loves, but one should be wary of making the ultimate sacrifice too soon.

Before you all point out that number 3 doesn't actually answer the question, I'd first like to ask you this question:
Exactly how much swordplay do you think Hiro learned in that session? I don't think he learned very much. I don't think he needed to. For a start, we don't know that he hasn't had some sword or kendo training in the past. We don't know how much he's already learned from watching videos or swinging a stick around with friends or in the privacy of his room. For that matter, we don't know how much he knows NOW. Kaito may have just taught him what he could in a couple of hours - a few basic attacks, defences and counters. I think Hiro's real sword training begins with his current sojourn to the past.

There's some food for thought, I hope. Wink

Hercules67 · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:11 pm Post subject:

I tend to agree with you Slippy with one caveat... It is a possibility, that he slowed down time.

...But I like your explanation better.

Jormengrund · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 10:25 pm Post subject:

You know Slippy, I think that you've hit the nail on the head.

One of the basic training techniques that the military uses is to make sure that key ideas are constantly ingrained into a person. That way, when the time comes, they will react to that situation automatically, without consious thought.

I think, with your explanation Slippy, that Kaito knew that Hiro knew enough to get him where he needed to be, he just needed the key phrases and words in order to steel his mental state enough to face the challenge. Once Hiro was mentally prepared, he went to face his destiny.

Great work Slip!

f_chowd0696 · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:57 am Post subject:

if Peter could fly, why couldn't he just fly up himself instead of sacrificing his brother(ya, i know Nathan survived)? Does peter have limitations with his ablilties?

Tati Nakamura · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:02 am Post subject:

slippy · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:12 pm Post subject:

Yeah, and also he was panicking. Oh and of course, because the writers "just decided" they wanted Nathan to save his brother.

Squeaker · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:00 pm Post subject:

Peter was completely overloaded and unable to control his power. Remember how bad he got before taking Teds Nuclear abilities? You must remember Claude having to punch him out.

Well, at the end of #23, he'd not only taken on Ted's volatile ability, but had also soaked up Nicki's power and everything that Sylar had as well. The poor guy had no chance. He even said himself; "I can't do anything." That's why he needed Claire to shoot him, and that's why his brother took him into the sky - to stop Claire having to kill someone she loved, and to give Peter the slightest hope of survival.

It was all rather beautiful. In the end, Peter really did need his big brother.

Happy Hunting!
~*~ Squeaker ~*~

murphster06 · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:49 pm Post subject:

slippy · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:14 pm Post subject:

I think it's fair to assume (after much discussion on just this subject) he doesn't have to see a power being used, but he does have to be within the "magic" 20ft radius of an active power to pick it up.

Squeaker · Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:35 pm Post subject:

It's possible he needs to be in the presence of the power being used...

I personally believe he stil absorbes all that power regardless, but just doesn't realise he has and can use it without witnessing it in some way - so it can still pop out on instinct... Smile

Either way, the poor guy was overloaded and powerless, and in dire need of a lift!

Happy Hunting!

Jormengrund · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 2:45 pm Post subject:

Honestly, this topic was discussed at length, and with the help of some writers, it had been confirmed that Peter only needed to be in the presence of someone with an ability in order to gain that ability. He doesn't need to see it being used, he doesn't even have to know that he has the ability. He just has to be around someone with an ability, and he gains that power.

Grated, that kind of sucks, because there's no guarantee that he's going to know what powers he actually does have! But when you think about it, that makes him a little more like us than you first realize.

How do super-athletes know that they've got a skill that is better than someone else?

How do scientists know what it is that they're searching for?

Peter's eventually going to learn how to call up each and every power he's ever gained. But until that time, he's just going to be bumbling around, and trying to find out how his power 'ticks'.

I loved last night's show. It proved to me that Peter can find himself, even when sent somewhere unfamiliar and without a memory.

Speaking of which.. Do you think Peter has gained The Haitian's ability? Or did he also contract the "meta plague" that The Haitian also had?

slippy · Posted: Tue Oct 02, 2007 6:02 pm Post subject:

I'm gonna argue that you missed out the word "active" there.

WowSylar · Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject:

I love Heroes too, but I was disappointed in the last episode's shady "battle" between Sylar and Peter. It would have been cool if they fought using the powers and if some of the others were able to help Peter using their powers. I think it's great people like Noah Bennett who don't have any powers try to help in the final scene. It takes real heroics to fight without any special powers.