But just like the characters in the show, we kind of only pay attention to the really flashy Quirks, while virtually forgetting about the more subtle heroes and what they can offer. To correct that, we’re gonna be looking over some of the most underrated (yet powerful) Quirks in My Hero Academia. And despite many of these being under-appreciated, I’d say there’s a lot to appreciate here.
20. IQ – Saiko Intelli
Saiko only managed to show this Quirk off once, and even then it was a terrible matchup. Her Quirk allows her to significantly increase her IQ after she drinks some tea. In the battle, she uses her Quirk to create a master plan and corner some of the U.A. students. Then she gets bested by Momo and is quickly forgotten. But this was just a bad matchup, as Momo’s Quirk is so unpredictable. Plus, Saiko’s Quirk is a multiplier, meaning that as she grows older, her power will increase tenfold. Imagine if she were to lead an army! A solid plan is worth much more on the battlefield than a thousand foot soldiers, so I definitely think Saiko deserves a bit more respect (and screen time).
19. Invisibility – Toru Hagakure
So far the show has sucked at properly utilizing Toru and her Invisibility Quirk. Just think about it: she could have easily snuck into Overhaul’s base and discovered their plan, or even destroyed the Quirk-destroying bullets. She could have also just assassinated a major figure without any real issues. I mean come on, just sneak into someone’s house, wait for them to fall asleep, and then poison them or something. Every villain has more than enough weapons/chemicals lying around anyway. Now I’m not saying that she should have done it, since she is a hero and all. But I want to showcase how busted this Quirk could be.
18. Vines – Ibara Shiozaki
It’s still a mystery to me how this chick didn’t make it into 1-A. She’s basically Kamui Woods, only with a slightly smaller range. Her vines are extremely durable and can protect her from most attacks, while also being strong and fast enough to quickly go through concrete. And even though the show hasn’t really paid any notice to this detail, her vines are covered in thorns! First they take away the app, and now they disregard the Vine Queen. I just can’t catch a break.
17. Electrification – Denki Kaminari
How is my boy Denki still not a major player in the game? It made sense at first, as he couldn’t really control the stream of electricity. But he’s fixed that! Be it through a support item, but still… And even when he has no control, that’s only an issue when it’s a team battle. If you just throw this human zapper into a horde of enemies, he can fry their brains out with little difficulty. And yet he keeps being reduced to a phone charger.
16. Outburst – Emi Fukukado
This Quirk honestly seems like the perfect Symbol of Peace. It literally just makes you laugh hysterically. Have you ever tried to rob a bank while also gripping your stomach and wondering if you’re about to pee yourself? Exactly! And even though we’ve yet to see it in use, we can assume that it could affect more than one person at a time, making it an extremely powerful AoE CC ability that also makes a fool out of the enemy.
15. Telescopic – Tatami Nakagame
I want to include this one because I could honestly never handle it. Similar to Outburst, I would be so busy laughing that Tatami could easily just knock me out. I feel like nothing can prepare you for seeing a human retract into themselves like a startled turtle. That’s literally my entire reasoning, and I stand by it.
14. Object Gigantification – That one Seijin Student in red
I can’t lie, this Quirk is honestly borderline OP. It allows you to significantly magnify the size of any object you touch. The ninja boy uses it to throw giant screws at Todoroki, and its power seems pretty ridiculous. Just think about it: it’s like throwing cars at someone. The fact that it can turn even a measly pebble into a boulder that you can throw at your enemies is pretty terrifying. But he’s an unnamed character, so he never shows up again. What a loss.
13. Cement – Cementoss
This Quirk is a powerhouse in a city. It allows the user to freely manipulate cement-like materials, as long as they’re touching the surface. So it basically makes you a nerfed Overhaul in an urban area. And I shouldn’t have to tell you why even a nerfed Overhaul is still more than impressive. So unless you possess the power to continuously blast through entire walls, Cementoss probably has your number.
12. Love – La Brava
La Brava has one of the best supporting Quirks we’ve seen so far in the series. And I don’t think enough people realize that. Sure, the Quirk is extremely situational and limited, being that it can only be used once a day, and that you actually have to love the person you’re using it on… But still, the fact that a middle-aged man managed to compete in strength to a full-cowling Deku is more than just impressive. It’s kind of busted. Just imagine what would happen if she fell in love with someone like Kirishima or Deku himself.
11. Blade-tooth – Moonfish
Let’s be honest: If someone else had Blade-tooth, the gang would have been in a lot more trouble. It seems a bit stupid at first, as it allows you to extend and control your teeth of all things. But it has shown to be really powerful. Moonfish had both Bakugo and Todoroki sweating, and he was just attacking mindlessly. Just imagine the horror of someone using their tooth to assassinate you on the street. How does one even react to that?
10. Vitality Stealing – Rikiya Katsukame
Here’s a Quirk with some major potential. When the user makes physical contact with an enemy, they can basically breathe in the enemy’s stamina, making the foe weaker while adding to their own strength. Just imagine throwing this guy into a warzone with a few support villains on his side! The only problem is that the user has to be quite bulky, considering that he’ll need to exchange a lot of blows to gain use out of his ability.
9. Pop-off – Minoru Mineta
Although I don’t like Mineta all that much, I have to admit that his Quirk can be rather powerful. This is because in most battles, a single well-placed ball can mean GG. If the opponent doesn’t have any type of strength enhancement, all Mineta has to do is get their foot stuck to the ground. He can then just walk away and wait for reinforcements. Also, imagine what he could do if we threw morals out the window? Just soak the balls in some deadly chemicals and aim near their face. Or cover them in gasoline and chase them around with a match. The possibilities are endless!
8. Food – Soramitsu Tabe
Like Moonfish, this Quirk would be terrifying if literally anyone else had it. I mean, have you seen him go? He can bite through anything in an instant! He can literally bite your head off even if you’re wearing a full suit of armor. And he could also probably make tunnels by eating the ground, then come out for a surprise attack. Plus the fear factor is just huge. I don’t think there’s anything more terrifying than seeing a literal Pacman-iac running towards you while chomping his teeth.
7. Navel Laser – Yuga Aoyama
It’s kind of funny to think that a character as flamboyant and optimistic as Aoyama has a one-hit kill Quirk. I’m mostly basing thing on the second movie, but his laser can cut straight through giant boulders. So he might not be able to keep it up for long. But if he just aimed properly, he could tear a hole in your stomach before you ever realized what was going on.
6. Voice – Present Mic
Besides a pretty good talent show, Voice is quite the amazing Quirk. Even though Present Mic usually just goofs around, he has shown off the power that his Quirk possesses. He can basically CC an entire group of people just by yelling at them! And if he really wants to up the ante, he can just blow out your eardrums. Characters with voice-based Quirks like Jiro, Shinso, or even Naruto, would basically be powerless against him.
5. Lock Down – Rock Lock
Lock’s Quirk honestly sounded quite underwhelming at first. But he has shown that it can be quite powerful if used correctly. It gives you a lot of mobility, as you can just carry around a board and use it as a jumpoff point mid-air. He could also stop giant hurdling objects, or even smaller buildings from collapsing. Plus, he could probably perform a few sneak attacks by throwing something in the air, locking it, and then dragging the enemy underneath before letting it fall down.
4. Glamour – Camie Utsushimi
Glamour is a very skill-based Quirk, as it allows the user to create visual and auditory illusions in their near vicinity. When used correctly, it could lead to villains falling into traps, giving out secret information, uncovering their intentions (or their Quirk), and so on. However, it’s only as good as the user. Since you really have to know what your enemy wants to see (or hear) to gain any benefit from it.
3. Chronostasis – Hari Kurono
I’d say Chronostasis is the definition of high risk/high reward. You have to be completely motionless to use it, and you’ll probably only get one shot to hit the enemy. However, if you manage to hit them with the Hour Hand, it’s game over. They’d be so slowed down that they could no longer put up a fight. And you can easily tie them up or just take ‘em out at your leisure. There’s also the minute hand, but it’s far less useful, and should only be used in a split second decision.
2. Foldabody – Edgeshot
Even though Edgeshot is one of the top heroes, I feel like a lot of people are sleeping on his power. It sounds a bit whacky, given that it just allows him to control the length and width of his body. But he has been shown to use it quite efficiently. By making his body super thin, he can sneak into any room without being detected, just as easily as he can shoot out and quickly stab you before you ever realize what’s happening. It’s not the flashiest Quirk ever. Which is probably why it’s commonly overlooked. But there’s a reason why he’s one of the best.
1. Copy – Neito Monoma
I’m still fascinated that Monoma hasn’t gotten more battle screen time. I think he has one of the most powerful Quirks in the series, and yet he’s reduced to just a gag character. After making physical contact with someone, Monoma can use their Quirk freely for about five minutes. He can store multiple Quirks, but he cannot use them at the same time. And even with that being the case, just imagine the potential he has. He could copy the Quirk of his strongest teammate and effectively double their damage output, or even steal the enemy’s Quirk to counter it. Not to mention that he could steal one Quirk, pretend that it’s his original and only one, and then quickly defeat the enemy with a different Quirk in the form of a surprise attack.
