Theory:Empathic mimicry

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The following fan theories are about Empathic mimicry.

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Theories

Theory	Citations	Notes
Peter absorbs personalities as well as powers as a result of having to "feel" another person's presence in order for absorption.	None.	+ In his fight with Isaac, Peter displays an "evil", aggressive nature to him when he uses his telekinetic abilities, which likens to that of Sylar. Peter, being empathetic, needs to experience another person's "essence" in order to use their abilities. Being around Sylar invoked fear and chaos, so using Sylar's powers would inevitably cause Peter to have violent tendencies. + Peter was quite eager to telekinetically strangle Will in Kindred, suggesting that the use of Sylar's telekinesis makes him more violent like Sylar. - Peter, when stopping Claude's broomstick or dropping the taser gun's darts, did not have a violent outburst. • Peter was getting angry because of all the hits he got from Claude and he did had a angry look on his face when he finally blocked the staff. Plus, Future Peter was often angry/aggressive while using his telekinesis. + Peter nearly killed when he was using his telekinesis in Kindred. + In Kindred, after Peter pinned Will to the wall, he tells Caitlin that he wanted to kill him. This reflects Elle's personality.
Peter can mimic non-superhuman abilities of others.	None.	+ Peter initially seemed only able to draw stick figures, but is able to paint similarly to Isaac when close to him. - Peter may have only been able to draw stick figures because of the limited art supplies available. When given paint and canvas, he has been known to draw more accurate paintings (such as the Montreal painting). If he were able to mimic non-superhuman abilities, then he would have been able to paint or sketch a good picture regardless of his proximity to Isaac. - When Peter drew the stick figures, he was drawing from a dream he had using Angela’s power. His eyes were normal and he was not currently seeing into the future. Every time he has used Isaac’s power, his eyes have become completely white and he has painted just as well as Isaac could. - In How to Stop an Exploding Man, when Sylar uses Isaac's power he sees the event on the canvas in the form of a picture already - the painting takes no exceptional skill, it is just tracing the lines and filling in the colors. • If this is the case then Sylar must be able to absorb non-superhuman abilities as well, as he can paint as well as Isaac or Peter. • If this is the case though, then Sylar would have been able to control Dale's ability right away and would not have been so disoriented by the amplified sounds. • If this was the case surely Sylar would be killing good writers or watchmakers or other skilled people, to gain their abilities. • Peter is an empath, so it makes sense that he can copy talents as well as powers. Since Sylar isn't an empath, it is possible that he can't copy people's talents, only their abilities, and he was just an okay painter on his own. • Peter, Sylar and Issac's paintings are all very different in style, Tim Sale only produced Isaac's paintings, with the others being done by different artists. This would suggest that the ability taken from Isaac includes the artistic ability.
Claude was right about how Peter can call back his powers.	Claude said that in order for Peter to use his mimicked powers without the original owner present he had to block them out.	+ When he didn't remember anyone from his past, Peter had effectively "blocked them out". That being said, he could still use the powers that he has absorbed. • What Peter actually said is that he needed to remember how the people from whom he copied powers "made him feel". It's possible to recall the emotion without recalling the person. • In a Behind the Eclipse interview, Joe Pokaski and Aron Coleite stated that "Peter has learned and will continue to learn that's it's more about his heart than his memory."
Peter can only use some powers to do whatever the "source" of it can do and if he encounters them when they have refined control of it, the ability he has is refined as well.	None.	+ When Peter first met Matt Parkman in Fallout and absorbed his telepathy, he could only read minds as that's all Matt could do at that time while in Powerless, he may have gained the thought transmission / mind control aspect of that ability from meeting Matt near the vault. + Adam Monroe has refined control of his regenerative ability (due to approximately 350 years of experience), this stronger regenerative capability could've be absorbed by Peter when they meet in Four Months Later (once the "Haitian Pills" were out of his system). - It appears Peter's refinement may be independent as Peter was able to see (not hear) Angela's thoughts without running into Matt Parkman another time.
Absorbing too many abilities makes an empathic mimic stupid.	Noah suggested that Sylar might become mentally ill because of multiple changes in his DNA.	+ Future Peter's actions are illogical, if not stupid: he revealed himself to Claire (Resistance), he shot Nathan and later still revealed himself to him, he traveled to past, yet did nothing to change the future. • Maybe nothing he could have noticed, or didn't have the chance to see it changed, when he took present day Peter to the future, Future Peter was killed by Future Claire.