Yomiko Readman - Skills and Powers

Skills and Powers

Yomiko's ability to manipulate paper into bulletproof shields, swords, working giant paper airplanes, models of Big Ben, etc. surpasses the abilities of most other paper masters in the R.O.D universe. The effects she can create are limited only by her imagination. She is able to slow the burning rate of paper dramatically, and can work with paper that is slightly wet (complete and utter saturation will still disrupt her paper mastery, but only in that moment). She can command very large volumes of paper and change their shape, speed, and direction easily. Yomiko can also manipulate paper with her mouth, as evidenced in the OVA when she manages to free her hands from a pair of metal cuffs with only a thin piece of paper braided into her hair.

Yomiko can store impossibly large amounts of paper inside her jacket and even within her hair, making her difficult to "disarm."

In the novels, British Library's Q-equivalent Jiggy Stardust gives Yomiko special paper which is durable, waterproof, and can perform special functions; for example, the paper can be coated with explosive chemicals which can be triggered by her powers at will.

Although Yomiko's paper mastery is her most impressive ability, she also displays great agility (with the exception of the first novel, in which she is clumsy; she explains that this is because she hasn't read any action novels recently). She is a capable enough sword fighter to fend off a trained samurai. Her extensive book-learning makes her a fountain of knowledge from the grand to the trivial. She can also read extremely fast; the novels note she is able to memorize every word in a book with only ten minutes' reading. She also has the ability to decipher languages she did not learn before to a certain level, enabling her to read books in exotic languages.

Yomiko's greatest weaknesses are in the social and psychological realms—being unassertive, sentimental, and overly trusting, she is easily manipulated and distracted. On the other hand, her kindness has also earned her the loyalty of a few but powerful (or at least stubborn) allies.