Theory:Shattering

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The following fan theories are about Shattering.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Trevor's power is the ability to generate a blast of acoustic resonance at the precise frequency that can shatter glass.	None	+ In a BTE interview, it was stated that Trevor's ability was the ability to point your finger at glass and make it explode. This particular scientific explanation of his power would explain why it affects glass and nothing else. • Not all glasses shatter at the same frequency, other glass objects should have shattered. + Trevor's ability might be able to focus where the frequency goes. - That would be a form of sound manipulation. The 'firing' motion which Trevor had to make to activate his ability would not produce any noticeable sound, on any frequency. + It's a television show; the writers can make it have any sound they want it to make. Regardless, it's possible that the gun gesture was simply him adding his own "style" to the ability, it may not be required to make it work. + The 'firing' motion Trevor had to make to activate his ability shouldn't cause glass to explode either. • It can be a form of sound manipulation, there is no plausible explanation as to why it couldn't be. - All other abilities involving manipulation of sound worked through the user's voice (at least for offensive purposes). If all he is doing is making a 'gun hand' gesture, then that action produces almost no sound of any kind. Forget sound effects; Trevor probably wouldn't have been able to channel enough sonic energy from that to so much as move a glass, much less break it. + Enhanced synesthesia works by manipulating sound, and does not involve the users voice. • Originally all fire abilities required some physical body to work, such as the users hands or throat. However, spontaneous combustion discarded this. • To some degree, enhanced synesthesia is a form of sound manipulation as well. - We still know almost nothing about what enhanced synesthesia does. + It clearly involves sound however, and can be used for offensive purposes.
Trevor's ability worked by sculpting air into a solid form, and then firing it at a target.	None	+ It seems plausible. + This may explain why it only affects fragile objects. • Just because we only saw him blow up glasses doesn't mean he could only affect glass objects. See below for more details on that. • It was stated in a BTE interview that it only affects glass. • It was said that it affects glass, not that it only affects glass. - This would rather result in pushing glasses, not breaking them. • It depends on how fast the air was fired, and how dense the "sculpting" made it.
Trevor's ability was related to telekinesis.	None	+ Telekinesis allows the user to move objects at a distance; Trevor was able to destroy objects at a distance. + Neither ability has any visible sign other than its effects. - Trevor's ability seemed to exclusively affect glass, there is no reason why telekinesis would be limited to glass. • An ability which only affects glass would be utterly useless. It would not be advantageous for the organism which developed. + There are other pretty useless abilities like luminescence or chlorine gas exudation. - Spewing a toxic gas at an opponent would be useful. - One of the oldest methods of getting the upper hand in combat is to somehow screw up your opponent's ability to see (via a thrown handful of sand, facing so the sun is behind you, etc). + Both were seen used offensively. - BTE said Sylar didn't use Trevor's ability much, perhaps because it is useless. • An ability is only useless if the evolved human doesn't bother developing it. Sylar had telekinesis, a much more versatile ability, which can in theory have similar effects to this ability. • Evolution throws out random mutations regardless of whether it is useless or not. Its "usefulness factor" only determines whether it remains with the species. • We only ever saw him blow up glass. By that logic, levitation is useful only against large, round boulders and square, chiseled blocks of stone. • In a BTE interview, it was stated that Trevor's ability was pointing your finger and making glasses explode. • It didn't say making glass explode was the only thing it could do, there might be other things it does that Sylar doesn't know. Until Arthur told him, he didn't know he could acquire abilities without examining the brain. • Due to his intuitive aptitude Sylar knows all there is to a power. The only reason he didn't know that he could absorb abilities through empathy was because he never observed his own brain. • Electric manipulation can be used to levitate, Sylar doesn't seem to know about that. • Sylar didn't examine Elle's brain, he absorbed her ability through empathy. As shown with his initial experience with electric manipulation and shape shifting, he has less control over abilities absorbed through empathy then those he takes with his original method. Since he took Trevor's ability with his original method, he is aware of all of its functions. • Sylar took enhanced hearing with intuitive aptitude, yet it took him a while to control it as well. • There is a difference between learning how to control an ability and knowing all of the functions of an ability. • Sylar can fly, and can levitate with telekinesis, even if electric manipulation can be used to levitate, he has no use for it. This may be why he was never shown doing it, even if he was aware of it.
Trevor's ability only affected glass.	In a BTE interview, it was stated that Trevor's ability was pointing your finger and making glasses explode.	+ This may be why Sylar never used the ability, it's essentially worthless. • It doesn't say it works exclusively on glass, and since Sylar already an ability far more versatile, he may have chosen not to use this one. He has abilities which he was never shown to use after acquiring. • The wording implies that it can only be used on glass. If it could be used on other material types they probably would have said "pointing your finger and making objects explode". • Glass could be an example, as this was what Trevor was shown exploding. - Glass is not dangerous in any way. There would be no evolutionary pressure for humans to develop an ability which only affects glass. + As stated above, evolution does not create mutations that would be beneficial for the species, the mutations created are random. Usefulness only determines whether it remains in the species. After all, the ability to kill everyone around you, including potential mates, family members, more intelligent persons, etc. is hardly beneficial. - Glass objects would make good 'targets' for the demonstration of many abilities (alchemy, disintegration, telekinesis...). They're small, fairly ubiquitous, and cheap. • If Trevor's ability was simply blasting or exploding objects, it should have been demonstrated on a less hazardous material. Glass, while cheap, is more expensive then a plastic cup or something similar. Glass shattering would also leave behind fragments, which are difficult to see and are very sharp.