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The ability to heal rapidly from any physical injury.

Also Called

  • Accelerated Healing/Regeneration
  • Cellular Healing/Healing Factor/Regeneration
  • Enhanced Healing/Healing Factor/Regeneration
  • Epithelial Cell Regeneration
  • Healing Factor
  • High Speed Regeneration/Healing/Healing Factor
  • Instant Regeneration
  • Molecular Regeneration
  • Rapid Cell Mitosis/Regeneration
  • Rapid Cellular Regeneration
  • Regeneration
  • Regenerative Healing
  • Rejuvenation
  • Self-Healing
  • Spontaneous Regeneration/Healing/Healing Factor
  • Tissue Regeneration

Capabilities

The user can rapidly regenerate. In other words, they recreate lost or damaged tissues, organs and limbs, sometimes slowing, or even stopping, aging. The rate and amount of healing varies widely (see Levels of Regeneration), some can regrow missing limbs, others must put the limb back in place for rapid regeneration. They are generally in very good physical shape as their bodies are constantly reverting to healthy state, granting them nigh-inexhaustible stamina and vitality.

At higher levels, users can regenerate not just their cellular tissues, but also their DNA, undoing genetic mutations and breakdown, as well as maintaining one's youth by extending telomeres. This also gives them immunity to diseases and infections, undoing any unwanted symptoms, as well as provide a form of self-sustenance, forgoing the needs for oxygen and food intake. If advanced enough, the ability will cause the body to cease aging as the cells are regenerating and dying in equilibrium, granting immortality.

Regeneration differs from wound healing, which involves closing up the injury site with a scar.

Applications

Methods

Variations

  • Absorbing Regeneration: regenerate by absorbing matter/energy to empower regeneration process or transform matter/energy directly into their own mass.
  • Accelerating Regeneration: increases the speed of regenerative power each time they are wounded.
  • Ample Regeneration: (Surplus Regeneration, Hydra Effect) user grows back extra of whatever body parts are lost or lethally injured. One with this ability may lose an arm, and grow back two, or the like.
    • user's body will only grow back two limbs or organs at a time; and the body can subliminally intuit when not to grow back extra parts (so the user doesn’t end up with eight heads or the like, which will actually impair function instead of helping it).
  • Anatomical Liberation: user "re-collects" body parts after said parts have been dismembered or removed from the body. This ability makes being dismembered and vaporization impossible, as the body will simply pull itself back together.
  • Core-Reliant Regeneration: regenerate from any injuries so long as the core of the body remains intact.
  • Haemopotent Regeneration : regenerate using blood.
  • Healing Trance: undergo a trance, allowing the user’s body to heal without danger. One with this ability may generate an aura of healing energy, a psychic aura which accelerates the healing process, or a defensive aura to prevent further damage. In the first case, the life energy required may be absorbed from outside areas. In the second case, the energy comes from the mind. In the third case, the aura levitates the user and matches any outside force so as to be impenetrable by potentially-harmful outside forces.
  • Mechanical Regeneration: regenerate through the aid of any type of of machinery.
  • Mental Regeneration: regenerate from any damage done to mind, including brain damage, brain disease, etc.
  • Nerve Regeneration: (Neural Regeneration, Nervous System Regeneration) regenerate one’s nerves (which usually are incapable of regeneration) and to return them back to their original state after harm. The user could use this ability to resist being stunned, going unconscious, going into shock from intense pain or permanently losing sensation in any part of the body.
    • This ability may grant immunity to paralysis, stroke, mental disability or the like, if the entire nervous system can regenerate.
  • Reforming: (Reconstitution) pull oneself back together after being blown up.
  • Replication Regeneration: regenerate using clones.

Levels of Regeneration

Unstable Level (example: Motoharu Tsuchimikado)

  • Healing may be unreliable, either failing or have a limit on how many times it can be used.
  • May come at a cost, such as accelerating cellular division and aging to close up the wound.
  • May require a certain condition to activate regeneration, such as the consumption of blood.
  • Regeneration may be limited to a certain part of the body, instead of the whole.

Basic Level (example: Taisuke Kano)

  • Minor wounds such as cuts, bruises and light burns heal faster than normal.
  • Recovering from minor to moderate blood loss.
  • Critical wounds such as lost of limbs, damaged nerves, and internal organs cannot be regenerated, as wounds would simply close up faster and lost organs remain lost.
  • Cells that are fatally damaged, such as by burning, cannot be regenerated, resulting in permanent scarring.

Expert Level (example: Ulquiorra Cifer)

  • External wounds, including fractured bones and deeper burns, may heal at a much more accelerated rate, disregarding of severity.
  • Cellular and genetic damage is reduced, greatly extending the user's lifespan.
  • Lost limbs may be regenerated quickly or can be reattached.
  • Can survive severe blood loss.
  • Minor damaged internal organs may heal, but more severity may be beyond repair and may take more time to heal.
  • Nerves may remain damaged.
  • Tumorous cells may actually be multiplied via regeneration as they are considered living cells.

Advanced Level (example: Creed Diskenth)

  • Minor to moderate wounds heal near-instantaneously, to the point of as though they never happened.
  • Lost limbs and internal organs may be completely regenerated.
  • Damaged nerves can be healed to a certain extent.
  • Cellular senescence is drastically reduced, if not completely halted, granting decelerated aging/eternal youth.
  • Critically and fatally damaged cells can regenerate, preventing scars.
  • User can regenerate as long as the head/brain is damaged to no more than a certain level.
  • Disease Immunity
  • User is near-completely unaffected by toxin or drugs.
  • Destruction of the head is one of the few sure methods to ensure the user of this level's death.
  • Healing strength may be so powerful, the blood is enriched with healing powers that can be used to heal others.
  • Tumorous cells may actually be multiplied via regeneration as they are considered living cells.

Master Level (example: Madara Uchiha)

  • Cellular regeneration and rejuvenation would be so powerful, the user would be close to true immortality.
  • Brain cells and nerves can be completely repaired, to the point of keeping the mind intact.
  • Decapitation can be reduced in effectiveness as the user can reattach their heads an seal the cut.
  • Contaminant Immunity
  • User is forever in their optimal health and physical prime.
  • Tumorous cells will be healed to the point of returning to their optimal, healthy form.
  • The only way to inflict long term exhaustion and injury on the user is to use attacks faster than the speed of regeneration at a repeated rate.

Ultimate Level (example: Magatsuhi)

  • User may regenerate completely as long as one cell or even molecule remains intact.
  • Decapitation would be pointless as user can regenerate a head, or the head can regenerate a whole new body.
  • Impossible to exhaust or permanently injure, regardless of attack speed.
  • Removal of soul or temporal erasure are the only methods of killing the user.

Absolute Level (example: Kaguya Hōraisan)

  • User may regenerate even if their body and soul are completely destroyed.
  • Complete destruction results in complete restoration.
  • Physical, mental, spiritual and temporal states will restore to full without fail.
  • Only possible method to truly kill the immortal is to first find a method to negate regeneration.

Associations

Limitations

  • Instantly lethal attacks are likely un-recoverable.
    • Constant, overwhelming attacks may damage user faster than they can regenerate.
    • One Hit Kill is the prime example.
    • Destabilization, Disintegration or Incineration may kill the user permanently.
    • Decapitation, or destruction of the brain, may kill the user. Users at or above Master Level may be able to reattach/regrow their head, or regenerate a new body from their severed head. Users of Cephalophore can bypass this problem entirely.
    • Destruction as a whole will negate any chance of regeneration.
  • If the cerebral cortex (where information, memories, awareness and consciousness are processed) is damaged, complex issues may arise:
    • If the body needs signals from the brain to regenerate, brain damage may slow or stop regeneration, possibly killing the user.
    • Even if the brain does repair, damaged memories may not regenerate.
    • If other parts of the brain are permanently damaged, users may lose skills or senses as well.
    • As long as the cerebral cortex remains unharmed, high-level users are practically immortal, being able to regenerate from that one portion alone.
  • Misaligned body parts, or foreign objects in the wound, may need to be corrected/removed.
    • If not, user may heal incorrectly.
  • Healing Factor Nullification slows/stops this ability.
  • Pain Suppression may not be included.
    • Pain may be aggravated, as wound-healing often involves inflammation.
  • If the ability is biological, the following complications may arise:
    • Faster cell division wears out the mitochondria and shortens the telomeres, increasing the risk of DNA damage. Without a restorative mechanism, this can cause premature aging, mutations, or even cancer.
    • Infected or tumorous cells may proliferate instead of undergoing apoptosis, though there are cellular mechanisms that counter this.
    • Rapid healing may drive up the user's nutrition requirements.
    • Anything that interferes with the cell cycle (e.g. anti-cancer drugs) may affect regeneration.
    • Biological Manipulation can hinder regeneration.
  • If user loses control over healing factor process, they might find their body overloading from accelerated regenerating, causing cellular self-destruction.
  • May still be vulnerable to disease.
  • Alternatively, may counter disease too well:
    • If this ability boosts the immune system into overdrive, allergies and/or auto-immunity may result.
    • If this ability replaces the immune system, the user may never develop resistance to common pathogens, and be more vulnerable than normal if this ability is negated.
  • Removal of ability may reverse any healing done, including the suspension of aging.
  • User may still be vulnerable to suffocation or asphyxiation, if dependent on oxygen.

Known Users

See Also: Healing Factor

Comics

  • Deathstroke (DC Comics)
  • Vandal Savage (DC Comics)
  • Flash (DC Comics)
  • Kryptonians (DC Comics)
  • Lobo (DC Comics)
  • Swamp Thing (DC Comics)
  • Martian Manhunter (DC Comics)
  • Miss Martian (DC Comics)
  • Solomon Grundy (DC Comics)
  • Doomsday (DC Comics)
  • Nightblade (DC Comics)
  • Ciem (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Emeraldon (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Gray Champion (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Mukade (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Mapacha (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Verdecent (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Ciem II (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Extirpon (Dozerfleet Comics)
  • Mako (Image Comics/Highbrow)
  • Al Simmons/Spawn (Image Comics/Spawn)
  • Wolverine (Marvel Comics)
  • Shatterstar (Marvel Comics)
  • Groot (Marvel Comics)
  • Abomination (Marvel Comics)
  • Absorbing Man (Marvel Comics)
  • Blade (Marvel Comics)
  • Daken (Marvel Comics)
  • Deadpool (Marvel Comics)
  • Herr Kleiser (Marvel Comics)
  • Hulk (Marvel Comics)
  • Carnage (Marvel Comics)
  • Extremis users (Marvel Comics)
  • Iron Man (Marvel Comics)
  • Lady Deathstrike (Marvel Comics)
  • Mallen (Marvel Comics)
  • Drax The Destroyer (Marvel Comics)
  • Sabertooth (Marvel Comics)
  • Spider-Man (Marvel Comics)
  • X-23 (Marvel Comics)
  • Red She Hulk (Marvel Comics)
  • She Hulk (Marvel Comics)
  • Sunspot (Marvel Comics)
  • Venom (Marvel Comics)
  • Carnage (Marvel Comics)
  • Anti-Venom (Marvel Comics)
  • Scream (Marvel Comics)
  • Agony (Marvel Comics)
  • Riot (Marvel Comics)
  • Phage (Marvel Comics)
  • Lasher (Marvel Comics)
  • Skaar (Marvel Comics)
  • Jonas Quantum (Legendary Comics)

Video Games

  • Most deities (Asura's Wrath)
  • Tyranids (Warhammer 40k)
  • Little Sisters (Bioshock)
  • Hunter (Dead Space)
  • Ubermorph (Dead Space 2)
  • Regenerators (Dead Space 3)
  • Infectious beings: including Necromorphs and Flood (Dead Space, Halo, Paradox Saga)
  • Vamp (Metal Gear)
  • Dante (Devil May Cry Series)
  • Vergil (Devil May Cry)
  • Nero (Devil May Cry)
  • Jack Carver (Far Cry Instincts)
  • Jenova (Final Fantasy VII)
  • Cole MacGrath (Infamous)
  • John White/The Beast (Infamous 2)
  • Delsin Rowe (InFamous: Second Son)
  • All Conduits (InFamous Series)
  • Hades (Kid Icarus Uprising)
  • Snow Pirates (Lost Planet)
  • Queen (Lost Planet 2)
  • Akrid X (Lost Planet 2)
  • The Doctor (Paradox Saga)
  • Puppetmaster (Paradox Saga)
  • Pokemon with Regenerator (Pokemon)
  • Alex Mercer (Prototype Series)
  • James Heller (Prototype 2)
  • Albert Wesker (Resident Evil Series)
  • Sherry Birkin (Resident Evil Series)
  • Nemesis (Resident Evil 3: Nemesis)
  • Sonic the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog Series)
  • Rick Taylor (SplatterHouse)
  • Inklings (Splatoon)
    • Agent 3
  • The Ravenous Octomaw (Splatoon)
  • Mario (Super Mario)
  • Luigi (Super Mario)
  • The Imprisoned (The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword)
  • SCP-682 (SCP Containment Breach)
  • Biolizard (Sonic the Hedgehog)
  • Ugh-Zan III (Serious Sam: The First Encounter)

Manga/Anime

  • Tsuchimikado Motoharu (A Certain Magical Index)
  • Tempesta (Fairy Tail)
  • Biological Teigus (Akame Ga Kill)
  • Leone (Akame Ga Kill)
  • Comrades (Alive: The Final Evolution)
  • Korosensei (Assassination Classroom)
  • All Titans (Attack on Titan)
  • Eren Jaeger (Attack on Titan)
  • Several Characters (Bastard!!)
  • USBM (Bio-Meat: Nectar)
  • Creed Diskenth (Black Cat)
  • Zero Numbers (Black Cat)
  • Hollows (Bleach)
  • Hollow Ichigo (Bleach)
  • Kaname Tōsen (Bleach)
  • Muramasa (Bleach)
  • Nnoitra Gilga (Bleach)
  • Sōsuke Aizen (Bleach)
  • Ulquorria Cifer (Bleach)
  • Wonderweiss Margela (Bleach)
  • Akihito Kanbara (Boundary of Emptiness)
  • Genji Ikusambe (Buso Renkin)
  • All Homunculi (Buso Renkin)
  • The One Being Sought (Code:Breaker)
  • Ibara Naruse (Coppelion)
  • Haruto Kurosawa (Coppelion)
  • Shido Itsuka (Date A Live)
  • Kotori Itsuka (Date A Live)
  • All Namekians (Dragon Ball series)
  • Garlic Jr. (Dragon Ball Z)
  • Cell (Dragon Ball Z)
  • Majin Buu in all forms (Dragon Ball Z)
  • Roxanne Elipton (Freezing)
  • Envy (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • Father (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • Gluttony (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • Greed/Ling Yao (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • Lust (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • King Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 anime)
  • Pride (Fullmetal Alchemist manga/2009 anime)
  • Sloth (Fullmetal Alchemist)
  • Wrath (Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 anime)
  • Alexander Anderson (Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate)
  • Alucard (Hellsing/Hellsing Ultimate)
  • Inuyasha (InuYasha)
  • Zeiram (Iria: Zeiram the Animation)
  • Nagate Tanikaze (Knights of Sidonia)
  • Immortal Ship Committee (Knights of Sidonia)
  • Tsumugi Shiraui (Knights of Sidonia)
  • Kanata (Knights of Sidonia)
  • Daisy (Katekyo Hitman Reborn!)
  • Mana (Mermaid's Saga)
  • Masato (Mermaid's Saga)
  • Yuta (Mermaid's Saga)
  • Naruto Uzumaki (Naruto)
  • Obito Uchiha (Naruto)
  • Madara Uchiha (Naruto)
  • Hashirama Senju (Naruto)
  • Tsunade (Naruto)
  • Sakura Haruno (Naruto)
  • Kabuto (Naruto)
  • Ban (Nanatsu no Taizai)
  • Demons (Nanatsu no Taizai)
  • Sachiel (Neon Genesis Evangelion)
  • Himuro Genma (Ninja Scroll)
  • Marco (One Piece)
  • Chuck (Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt)
  • Utsutsu Hasegawa (Pupa)
  • Kazuma (S-cry-ed)
  • Titans (Saint Seiya)
  • Kazehaya Kamito (Spirit Elementalist's Blade Dance)
  • Kojō Akatsuki (Strike the Blood)
  • Yuki Nagato (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya)
  • Elg (Toriko)
  • Waspinator (Transformers: Beast Wars)
  • Kuromaru Tokisaka (UQ Holder!)
  • Danny and Mr. Goldo (Zatch Bell)
  • Younger Toguro (Yu Yu Hakusho)
  • Elder Toguro (Yu Yu Hakusho)

TV Series

  • Stanton Parish (Alphas)
  • Mohra Demons (Angel)
  • Jasmine (Angel)
  • Valeria (Ángel o Demonio)
  • Damian (Ángel o Demonio)
  • Graziel (Ángel o Demonio)
  • Iris (Ángel o Demonio)
  • Severin (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
  • Slayers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
  • Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
  • Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
  • Willow Rosenberg (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
  • Vampires (Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel)
  • Scabbar Demons (Charmed)
  • Chameleon Demons (Charmed)
  • Whitelighters and Elders (Charmed)
  • Vaklav (Charmed)
  • Christene (Christene)
  • Melody Pond/River Song (Doctor Who)
  • Romana (Doctor Who)
  • The Doctor (Doctor Who)
  • The Master (Doctor Who)
  • The Time Lords (Doctor Who)
  • Koschie (Grimm)
    • Grigori Rasputin (Grimm)
    • Boris Myshkin (Grimm)
  • Adam Monroe/Takezo Kensei (Heroes)
  • Arthur Petrelli (Heroes)
  • Claire Bennet (Heroes)
  • Peter Petrelli (Heroes)
  • Sylar (Heroes)
  • Francesca Hagi (Los Unicos)
  • Skylar Storm (Mighty Med)
  • Tecton (Mighty Med)
  • Charles Marlowe (Mutant X)
  • Kit and Holly (Reaper)
  • Leviathans (Supernatural)
  • Archangels (Supernatural)
  • Isabelle Tyler (The 4400)
  • Kevin Burkhoff (The 4400)
  • Albert Tanner (The X-Files)
  • Cecil L'Ively (The X-Files)
  • Wolfbloods (Wolfblood)

Western Animation

  • Snare-Oh (Ben 10)
  • Diamondhead (Ben 10)
  • Gluto (Ben 10)
  • Swampfire (Ben 10)
  • Diagon (Ben 10)
  • Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
  • Retep (Family Guy)
  • Ernie the Giant Chicken (Family Guy)
  • Danny Phantom (Danny Phantom)
  • Fairies (Fairly Odd Parents)
  • Cathulhu (Ghostbusters)
  • Summerween Trickster (Gravity Falls)
  • Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls)
  • Prometheus (Hercules: the Animated Series)
  • Tendril (Inhumanoids)
  • Tech E. Coyote (Loonatics Unleashed)

Novels and Literature

  • Prometheus (Greek Mythology)
  • Corwin (Chronicles of Amber)
  • Possible all royal family members of Amber (Chronicles of Amber)
  • SCP-682 (SCP Foundation)
  • Shapeshifters (Shadow Falls)
  • Vampires (Shadow Falls)
  • Chameleons (Shadow Falls)
  • Werewolves (Shadow Falls)
  • Armagi (Terminal)
  • Fanoxean (The Young Guardians)
  • Mitch Baxter (The Young Guardians)
  • Parker (The Young Guardians)
  • Mason (The Young Guardians)
  • Carnifex (Wild Cards)
  • Crawler (Worm)
  • Lung (Worm)

Films

  • Fu-Lum (Dragon Ball Evolution)
  • E.T. (E.T.: The Extraterrestrial)
  • Biollante (Godzilla)
  • Destoroyah (Godzilla)
  • Godzilla (Godzilla)
  • Hedorah (Godzilla)
  • Orga (Godzilla)
  • Space Godzilla (Godzilla)
  • Sammael (Hellboy)
  • John Hancock (Hancock)
  • Mary Embrey (Hancock)
  • Aldrich Killian (Iron Man 3)
  • Immortals (Highlander)
  • The Thing (John Carpenter's The Thing)
  • Raizo (Ninja Assassin)
  • The Meta (Red vs. Blue)
  • Alice (Resident Evil)
  • Changelings (Star Trek)
  • The Crow (The Crow)
  • Quint Lane (Underworld: Awakening)
  • Universal Soldiers (Universal Soldiers)

Gallery

Comic

Manga/Anime

Western Series/Movies

Video Games

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