Shota is a slender and tall pale-skinned man with messy, shoulder-length black hair that partially hangs in front of his face and often half-opened black eyes. He is usually recognized for his worn-out appearance, often appearing as if he just rolled out of bed. His facial hair remains unkempt and his eyes almost always looked tired and flat.
After being heavily injured by Nomu, Shota's entire face and both of his arms were completely covered in bandages. Once these bandages were removed, Shota reveals a deep scar underneath his right eye
Shota is a very stern and mostly reserved man who has lofty expectations of his students. He is primarily moved 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, exhorting very little energy in most situations, preferring to take naps in his sleeping bag instead.
As a teacher of high expectations, Shota is known to expel students who he feels are not suited for U.A. High, although it is noteworthy that he has not expelled any students from Class 1-A yet despite being well-known for doing so.[6] He can be rigid and strict when necessary, and also has little tolerance for disobedient behavior. Shota is not afraid of putting his students through rigorous training and often pushes 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 has mentioned on several occasions that some of U.A.'s choices when it comes to examinations are not practical or challenging enough for real Hero hopefuls and is adamant about having certain systems used by the institution changed. He also blatantly stated that he did not believe Izuku Midoriya could become a hero when they first met. 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'/'rational deception'.
Despite his apathetic traits, Shota genuinely cares about his students and will go to great lengths to protect them as he saved Tsuyu Asui from Tomura Shigaraki, in spite of his grievous injuries. He has also expressed belief in his students on multiple occasions and is confident that even the likes of Katsuki Bakugo would not be swayed by Villains. Recovery Girl even implied that he allowed himself to be captured by Momo Yaoyorozuduring her End of Term Test in order to boost her confidence.
Shota has shown on several occasions that he is not completely devoid of joy or humor. Despite his personality, he often grins whenever he is impressed by one of his students or after he tricks them with one of his 'rational deceptions'.
