My Hero Academia is set in an intriguing world where 80% of the population manifests a unique ability known as a Quirk. Quirks can alter one’s DNA in many ways, from mutating appearances and providing buffs to enabling them to manipulate various substances and matter, or even their physical build. Of course, in My Hero Academia, some Quirks are undeniably more powerful than others. We’ve rounded up and listed some of the most fantastic abilities known in the franchise, so without further ado, here are the 15 most powerful Quirks in My Hero Academia, ranked.
15. Erasure
Erasure is the Quirk held by Shota Aizawa, aka Eraserhead. Erasure allows Aizawa to cancel out the Quirk of any individual he is looking at, as long as he keeps his eyes open. This effectively lets Aizawa shut down any opponent, as he only needs one part of the target’s body in his sights to enable the ability of Erasure. Aizawa can even restrain the Quirks of multiple opponents at once.
However, the drawbacks of his Quirk mean that as soon as Aizawa closes his eyes or looks away from the targets in his field of vision, the effects of Erasure will be broken. This means that Aizawa can be countered by catching him off-guard with a surprise attack, forcing him to look away, or forcing him to blink. For this reason, he ranks at the bottom of the list, as his Quirk is much more easily broken than the likes of Shinso’s Brainwashing.
14. Creation
Creation is the Quirk held by Momo Yaoyorozu, allowing her to be recognized as a promising young hero and receive early acceptance into U.A High’s Hero Course through a recommendation. Creaton, as its name suggests, lets Momo create physical objects from her body as long as she knows the molecular structure of whatever she is attempting to create.
While this may seem like a drawback at first, in the hands of an intelligent and dedicated individual such as Momo, this Quirk has extremely high potential. She’s shown the versatility of Creation and the range of objects she can produce, from simple weapons to aid her in battle to a full-sized cannon. While Momo’s Quirk doesn’t make her the biggest brawler on screen, Creation makes her one hell of a deadly support Hero and allows her to thrive in team scenarios.
Creation can produce objects to aid herself, her classmates, and civilians. Examples of items she’s thought up and created on a whim include goggles and fungal spray for her team during the Joint Training Ark against Class 1-B, as well as safety equipment for search and rescue training missions. Once Momo reaches her true potential, there’s no doubt she’ll be one of the biggest names in the next-generation Hero industry.
13. Fiber Master
Fiber Master is the Quirk of Number 3 Pro Hero, Best Jeanist. Fiber Master allows its user to manipulate the threads of any piece of fabric in a nearby range. Considering nobody strolls around naked, Best Jeanist could use his Quirk to help overpower anybody he wishes, with few exceptions, such as Mirio, whose Hero costume is made from his DNA.
Best Jeanist uses Fiber Master to get the upper hand on opponents by using their clothing against them, turning them into restraints, or manipulating the threads of his Hero outfit to produce deadly strings, webs and safety nets. He can even use industrial-strength fiber cables to secure more powerful enemies, as showcased when he went up against Gigantomachia.
Best Jeanist’s Quirk is more useful than it seems on paper, as while it may lack in brute force, it more than makes up for that in technical use. After all, once you consider the fact that most individuals need to be able to move freely to activate and use their Quirk to full effect, this master of restraining criminals can shut down opponents with ease. For this reason, the denim-wearing Pro Hero makes his way into our rankings without a doubt.
12. Manifest
Tamaki Amajiki is a third-year student at U.A High and a member of ‘The Big Three,’ known to operate under the Hero name of Suneater with the use of his Quirk, Manifest. Manifest is a food-based Quirk that allows Amajiki to take on the physical qualities of anything he has eaten. Examples of these physical qualities include armor-like shells from eating clams, octopus tentacles from takoyaki, and wings from eating chicken or other birds.
Though Amajiki can only produce characteristics of food that are yet to be fully digested and needs to maintain a versatile diet for maximum effectiveness, his Quirk is among the most powerful in U.A High. Amajiki can control several manifestations at once, allowing him to adapt to various situations and opposing Quirks or combat styles.
Unfortunately for Amajiki, his biggest obstacle is his self-confidence, which he’s still working hard on. His Quirk itself is rather extraordinary and one of the most adaptable abilities to have in battle. For example, Amajiki can manifest an assortment of characteristics to best counter each opponent, allowing him to fight in a variety of combat styles. He was even able to take down several high-ranking criminals all by himself, which more than proves the devastating capabilities of his Quirk.
11. Brainwashing
Hitoshi Shinso is the holder of the power known as Brainwashing, allowing Shinso to take control of the mind of anyone who answers something he says while his Quirk is active. He can then give commands to brainwashed individuals, which they are bound to follow. There has only been one known occurrence of someone breaking out of Shinso’s Brainwashing without him stopping his Quirk, and this was when One For All snapped Deku out of the trance.
This was a special circumstance, meaning that ninety-nine percent of the time, Shinso would be in complete control of his Brainwashed victims. How devastating is that? It’s good that this guy longs to be a Hero, despite the stigma of his Quirk being more Villain-like. It’s a shock that he wasn’t in Class 1-A or the Hero Course from the start.
The drawback of this Quirk is that the target must verbally respond to him for Brainwashing to take effect. However, thanks to the help of a high-tech vocal manipulator, Shinso is able to mimic the voices and sounds of others to trick targets into responding, thus activating his Quirk.
There is endless potential for Shinso in the future, and there’s no doubt he has the chance to become one of the most successful low-combat Pro Heroes of all time. Besides, there’s no telling how much Brainwashing will develop throughout Shinso’s training. Brainwashing may even be able to be used on groups of people simultaneously or take effect in particular circumstances without the need for a reply from the target. It’s hard to say for sure, but the possibilities for this devastatingly powerful Quirk are infinite.
10. Hellflame
Hellflame is the name of the Quirk held by Endeavor, All-Might’s rival, and the individual to step into the role of the Number One Pro Hero after the Symbol of Peace’s retirement. As the Quirk name indicates, Hellflame lets Endeavor produce burning hot flames from his body and manipulate them to his will.
Hellflame provides Endeavor with complete control of the temperature, size, and shape of the flames he produces and immunity to the effects of ordinary fire. Endeavor can utilize the effects of Hellflame to the extent that he can alter the capabilities of his powers, such as igniting heat in his feet that allows him to hover in the sky and fight off-ground.
Endeavor has such control over the flames that Hellflame produces that he can even shape the fire into concentrated bursts or long-range weapons. Furthermore, Endeavor has been shown to use Hellflame to manifest scorching flames even from within his eye sockets. Endeavor has truly worked with his Quirk to form it into one of the strongest of all time, creating new uses and perks with the likes of being able to fight from multiple ranges, including the sky.
Hellflame is undeniably strong and could have become a Quirk of mass destruction if Endeavor was a villain or All For One had been successful in stealing it. Thankfully, this burning Hero stands firm at the Number One stop instead. It’s no wonder he’s been All-Might’s direct rival for so many years with power like that.
9. Explosion
Explosion is the infamous ability owned by the hot-headed U.A. student and rival of Deku, Katsuki Bakugo. The Quirk itself is very straightforward, allowing Bakugo to ignite nitroglycerin-like sweat from the palms of his hands to create explosive blasts.
This is a strong base Quirk on its own, but what’s more impressive is that the more Bakugo sweats, the stronger his blasts will become. This means that, well, you guessed it; the longer he lasts in battle, the more devastating his attacks will become, as long as he’s still up to a fighting standard.
Bakugo can create continuous explosions and detonate them with such force that he can blow right through solid buildings and even Kirishima’s Hardening. Bakugo has also learned to use Explosion for maneuvering abilities, propelling himself through the air in short, frequent blasts as if he’s flying.
The power of his Quirk alone has let Bakugo take down notorious villains and remain one of the most promising U.A. students for a role as a future Pro Hero. He can use his Explosions not only for destructive attacks but also to blind opponents temporarily and gain the upper hand. He’s also effortlessly able to destroy incoming threats such as rubble and some physical attacks created by other Quirks. There’s no doubt that this combustible Quirk is among the most powerful in the franchise and will only continue to develop while paired with Bakugo.
8. Half-Cold, Half-Hot
Shoto Todoroki is the wielder of the Quirk known as Half-Cold, Half-Hot, allowing him to produce ice from the right side of his body and fire from the left side. He can choose to use each of these abilities at will, switching between them with ease, as well as using them at the same time.
As the son of Endeavor, and the result of a Quirk-based marriage, there’s no surprise that Todorki is among the strongest of his peers, even keeping up with the likes of some Pro Heroes. Until Todoroki reaches the limit of his Quirk, his body is unaffected by the effect of his ice and flames.
By combining both elements of his family heritage, Todorki can also produce a ‘cold fire’ that gives him immunity to heat-based Quirks while also boosting the capabilities of his Quirk. This cold fire is particularly effective against heat Quirk users and can be maintained with precise concentration and focus of Half-Cold, Half-Hot’s abilities.
Todoroki can use his ice to create walls to block attacks, paths to skate on, and protective barriers, as well as freeze opponents in place and hurl sharp shards in their direction. On the other hand, his fire is a more recent addition that he begrudgingly embraced. However, with Endeavor as his father, likely, Todoroki will eventually be able to match the output of Hellflame, which, when paired with his ice, will create an absolute powerhouse of a hero.
7. Fierce Wings
Fierce Wings grants is a Quirk that grants Pro Hero Hawks a pair of bright red-colored wings. He can use these wings to fly through the sky and telekinetically control every feather at once. He can also harden individual feathers to create blade-like weapons and control the speed and trajectory in which they are projected.
The feathers that make up Fierce Wings are extremely strong and durable, carrying significantly sized objects such as humans with ease. An example is when Hawks successfully evacuated many civilians from a damaged building without setting foot inside himself, which is an incredible trump card to have as a Pro Hero. The sheer versatility of Fierce Wings enables a unique style, with Hawks controlling things from afar, much like an experienced puppeteer.
Fierce Wings also provides the user with an enhanced sense of sight and speed, which pairs exceptionally well with the ability of flight to create a very mobile and agile Quirk. While there are drawbacks to Fierce Wings, such as the weakness to fire, or the limit of feathers paired with the time needed for his wings to grow back after overuse, Fierce Wings remains one of the most powerful and mass-effective Quirks for Hero work.
6. Overhaul
Overhaul is the Quirk owned by Kai Chisaki, the villain who operates under the same name. Overhaul allows the user to disassemble and reassemble anything he touches, from solid objects to living creatures. Once something is dismantled, Overhaul also grants the user the ability to manipulate the structure and mass of the contents at will. Kai can disassemble someone to kill them outright or use Overhaul’s reassembling function to heal an individual’s wounds.
The true threat of the Overhaul Quirk was showcased at full force during the Eri Rescue Mision, in which Kai disassembled allied members of the Shie Hissaikai and reassembled them to enhance his own body, resulting in the creation of extra limbs and armor-like protection. By reassembling other people’s bodies with his own, he can fuse with their Quirks and gain control of them, similar to All For One’s ability to manipulate and house multiple Quirks at once, though to a much less significant effect.
Overhaul also allows the user to regenerate limbs without needing contact with his own body and can completely reshape structures, such as battlefields, in his favor to gain an advantage over his opponents. It’s horrifying to think of the drastic destruction Overhaul could have caused had Kai not been defeated at the time. After all, the Quirk can blow an individual’s body apart with a single touch. This Quirk is terrifying and comes second in the threat level only to the devastating power of Shigaraki’s Decay.
5. Decay
Speaking of which, Decay is the Quirk of series antagonist Tomura Shigaraki, granting him the ability to disintegrate anything he contacts with all five fingers. This includes other human beings, meaning he can kill anyone in seconds with one mere touch.
Shigaraki’s Quirk spreads throughout the body or structure of an object from the point it was touched, meaning that if an individual isn’t quick to react and amputate the affected body part, they’ll wither away in seconds. On top of this, Shigaraki can use Decay to spread beyond the matter that it is touching, meaning he can effectively wipe out an entire group instantaneously.
After undergoing surgery, Shigaraki’s Quirk was boosted in power significantly, so much so that being hit with a piece of rubble or object that is decaying would be enough to destroy an entire individual. Additionally, Shigaraki no longer needs to use all five fingers. He can select specific targets to eliminate or avoid while using Decay, meaning he could destroy an entire squad except for one particular person if he so wished. There’s no doubt that Decay is one terrifying Quirk, and knowing All For One is influencing Shigaraki makes the power so much more threatening.
4. Permeation
Permeation is the Quirk held by Mirio Togata, aka Lemillion. Permeation allows Mirio to become intangible, meaning he can shift through any physical matter, such as walls, floors, and other people. When Permeation is enabled, Mirio can completely pass through both physical attacks and Quirk-based abilities of others, making him immune to taking damage from such things.
Others have already noticed the potential of Permeation within the Hero Industry, such as Sir Nighteye, whom Mirio trained with, thus earning him the title of one of U.A High’s ‘Big Three.’ Mirio’s displays of might while using Permeation have been demonstrated to a high level on several occasions. He effortlessly defeated every member of Class 1-A within seconds during a training exercise, and he held his own against the full force of Kai Chisaki’s Overhaul for an extended time during the Eri Rescue Mission.
Though Mirio’s Quirk isn’t exactly a display of raw, eye-catching power, the level to which he has honed his skills makes him unique and flashy in combat. He can avoid the incoming attacks of his opponents by temporarily turning himself intangible, only to pop back up from the walls or ground to hit his enemy from another direction, completely catching them off-guard. Mirio is extremely hard to pin down in combat and overpower in a one-on-one situation, and the immunity his Quirk provides is invaluable.
3. Rewind
Rewind is the Quirk manifested within Eri, the child who was rescued from the hands of the villain known as Overhaul. Rewind allows Eri to restore the body of a living being to a previous state to heal any wounds received, make them physically younger, or undo modifications to the body. At max capability, Eri has even been able to use Rewind to restore someone’s body to a point before their existence.
As Eri’s horn on her head grows, so does the strength of Rewind, meaning the appendage can be considered an indicator of her current state of power. This power builds up over time, allowing her to achieve more drastic rewinds, such as when she successfully uses Rewind’s abilities to restore Mirio’s Quirk after he lost it fighting for her freedom.
Rewind can not be underestimated and could have become a massive threat if Eri had remained in the care of Overhaul, as he was using her DNA to form a Quirk-erasing drug. Rewind is arguably more versatile than the likes of Shigaraki’s Decay and Kai Chisaki’s Overhaul, as not only can she destroy an individual through her Quirk as these Villains can, but she can also use Reward to instantaneously heal any injuries that she or the people around her receive in battle, such as when she teamed up with Deku to let him utilize One For All to full capacity.
2. One For All
One For All is the Quirk currently owned by Deku and previously held by All-Might, as well as seven other users. One For All is a transferrable Quirk that gains power over time; with each new wielder it acquires and merges the strength of the Quirk from a previous user within its core. As the 9th and most recent representative of One For All, Deku has even gained access to the Quirk of the previous holder, meaning One For All is essentially an arsenal of different abilities.
Thanks to these tools, Deku can release a potent burst of energy through One For All’s base Quirk, as well as manifest and manipulate Black Whips, sense nearby danger, produce smokescreens, alter the speed of anything he touches, create enhanced bursts of momentum and power, and float. These abilities give the user of One For All a highly versatile array of options to use in combat scenarios, giving the likes of Deku an advantage that very few other Heroes will have access to in their skill sets.
One For All is the direct rival Quirk to All For One and is perhaps the only ability with a solid chance of finally taking the latter down for good. Not only has it transformed Deku into one of the most promising young Heroes on the rise, but it also has the potential to give a phenomenal power boost to those who already have a pre-existing Quirk, as seen when Bakugo was given a chance to use One For All as a temporary holder. For these reasons, there’s no denying One For All’s place at the top end of the list.
1. All For One
Coming in at the top of the ranks is the notoriously devastating Quirk known as All For One, held by the big evil villain of the same name. While One For All may be deserving of the number one spot, All For One remains the victor simply for the undeniable power and versatility this Quirk brings the holder.
Not only can one stockpile multiple Quirks to use as their own, but All For One also enables an individual to steal someone’s Quirk for themselves or redistribute a Quirk to a new user. In the world of My Hero Academia, there is nothing quite like this phenomenal power that even comes close to comparing. To be precise, Deku’s One For All has a total of seven different abilities for the user to take control of as they please, whereas All For One has collected numerous Quirks to keep and use at his disposal.
All For One’s long list of Quirks allows him to adapt to any situation or obstacles that get in his way, which is the sole reason he has become such an influential villain. He’s evaded a complete shut-down of his long-term villain plans over the years, despite losing a battle to All-Might and being locked up for some time. All For One holds power so fearsome that Japan opted to call for help from the rest of the world. That’s how you know you’ve got a life-threatening Quirk on your hands, and All For One is the biggest threat of all time.
That’s it for the 15 most powerful My Hero Academia Quirks, ranked. Which one do you think is the strongest? Feel free to let us know in the comments section.
Remember to check out the related links below for more My Hero Academia topics, including guides, lists, and news to keep you up to date on your favorite Pro Heroes and Villains, so scroll down and browse for yourself.
