How does Sylar take the powers of other heroes?

Answer 1

Sylar actor Zachary Quinto has said that he eats their BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAINS!!!

Didn't some ancient cannibals believe that by eating the brains of their enemies they would absorb their power? So Sylar's logic kind of makes sense then.

Here's what they say in Wikipedia:

"As Mohinder is interrogating Sylar, Sylar's facade of civility breaks and he yells "Give me that damn list! So I can...sink my teeth in..." In an interview with Heroes writer Bryan Fuller, Fuller says that "[Sylar] kills people and he eats their brains and he, like, digests their power." This remained unsaid in the series until "Parasite" because some of the writers worried about "the potential silliness."[3] Bennet confirms that Sylar has gained multiple powers by mixing other people's DNA with his own."

I have to admit, Sylar is kind of (unintentionally) funny, but that's what I love about him. Someone should tell NBC that brain-eating serial killers shouldn't be that adorable. (I'm sick, I know. :) )

Answer 2

Sylar takes their brains, but as we never see what he does with them all we can do is imagine that he eats them, most probably. I can't see what else he does with them as you never see a brain sitting around with the body when they find the body. Oh how lovely, not something I really wanted to think about to be honest.

Answer 3

That's not really known.
Other than the fact that he needs the brain (or at least part of it) to do so.

Eden kills herself by shooting herself in the brain, intending to prevent Sylar from gaining her power of suggestion. Indeed, in "Fathers & Daughters", Mr. Bennett confirms that Eden stopped Sylar from taking her "gift".

Answer 4

His power is seeing the defect. His natural talent is repairing it, like he repairs watches. After opening the skull and removing the brain, we haven't seen the next steps, and I'm not sure I want to.

Ironically, with his power, he could "cure" the mutants. Why Mohinder hasn't thought of this is beyond me, but Peter could probably do it.

Answer 5

Maybe like Peter he absorbs it. But he abosrbs brain cells, that's why he gives every body bad haircuts.

Answer 6

The only thing we know for sure is that he cuts off the skull and does something to the brains.

Whether he eats them, or something else, we do not know.