On May 4, 2024, anime fans welcomed the much-anticipated seventh season of My Hero Academia, following the Star and Stripe Arc. So, let’s take a look at where the characters currently stand, and who’s the strongest of them all.
As the arc kicks off, Japan is in a dire situation, with criminals running around freely and terrorizing the country. As the situation escalates, a hero from America, Star and Stripe, flies to Japan to aid the country. Will they be able to save Japan from peril?
Check out the top ten strongest heroes the series has to offer!
10. Bakugo Tatsuki
Bakugo has a Quirk that perfectly matches his fiery and competitive nature. His Quirk is called Explosion, which turns his sweat into a nitroglycerin-based liquid, which he uses to create sparks from his hand. The strength and range of his explosions depends on how much sweat he uses.
His Quirk does major damage, with his explosions enough to cause fires on multi-level buildings. However, he does have some drawbacks. He often loses control of his emotions, which makes his power hard to control. His Quirk also requires him to sweat and over-exert himself, which leaves him in pain and unable to move for extended periods of time.
9. Shoto Todoroki
With half of his body featuring fiery red hair and the other being cool white, it’s not that hard to guess what Todoroki’s Quirk is! His Quirk is called Half-Cold Half-Hot. The right side of his body is able to generate ice, while his left side can produce fire and flames. He is able to use both powers simultaneously, but this slows him down.
At the start of the series, Todoroki exclusively used his ice powers due to the rejection and abuse he sustained from his father. This led to his fire powers being underdeveloped, making them more difficult to control. However, with the help of Izuku Midoriya, Shoto Todoriko is able to move past his trauma and accept his Quirk as his own. Now unafraid to use his fire powers, he has become twice as strong as if he were only stuck with his ice abilities!
8. Kai Chisaki
Not everyone uses their Quirk for good, and Kai Chisaki is a good representation of that. He is the former leader of the Yakuza gang Shie Hassaikai who has no problem with killing, as he only sees humans as a means to an end.
His Quirk is called Overhaul, which he also nicknamed himself. This power allows him to disassemble anything he touches. He can also reassemble any object in any way he desires, fully able to control it with his Quirk. However, his power goes further than just objects; Kai can also disassemble people to kill or reassemble them to heal. He is also able to do this to his own body and has merged his body with others to use their Quirks. However, his power is heavily reliant on his arms, meaning if he were to lose his arms, he would be Quirkless.
7. Tomura Shigaraki
As the leader of the League of Villains, Tomura Shigaraki is obviously extremely powerful. He is the main antagonist of the series and is the self-proclaimed arch-enemy of Izuku Midoriya. While he later gains a second Quirk, I will focus on his original powers for this ranking.
Tomura’s Quirk is called Decay. He has the ability to disintegrate whatever he touches, as long as he uses all five fingers. Yes, this does include people and their body parts. Once he gets his hands on someone, the decay begins to rapidly spread through the victim’s body unless they amputate that part of them. His Decay can also spread beyond what he’s touching; this means if his victim touches someone, they too can start decaying. The one con of this Quirk is that it can be countered by the use of fluids and other particles. He also needs to fight close-range for it to be used effectively.
6. Star and Stripe
Considered “America’s Number One Pro Hero,” it’s no overstatement to say Star and Stripe is one of the best. Even All For One acknowledges her, stating she is the strongest woman around. As she flew from the United States to Japan to help the country during dire times, it’s obvious that she is a major addition to the Heroes’ side.
Her Quirk is New Order, which allows Star and Stripe to manipulate the area around her and provide her with new properties by setting rules for her surroundings. She can also use her Quirk to enhance her abilities and manipulate the body of her opponents. However, she needs to make physical contact with whom or what she wants to use her Quirk on. Also, there are some limits to her Quirk; for example, she cannot enhance her strength beyond its natural limit.
5. Eri
Though only six years old at the start of the series, Eri boasts an immense amount of power. While under the control of Kai Chisaki, Eri lived a dark and secluded life, only using her powers to help Kai Chisaki’s goals. However, once she is saved and rehabilitated in the U.A. Dormitories, she becomes a bright and cheerful girl.
Eri’s Quirk is Rewind. Her power allows her to reverse a living body back to its previous state. This means she can make her opponent younger, and can even undo bodily damage and modifications. In dire cases, Eri can even rewind someone’s body to before they were born, erasing them completely. However, she cannot recover someone’s Quirk once they have lost it. Eri’s Quirk is connected to the horn on her head, with the size of the horn indicating how strong her power is. This means that power has to build up over time before it can be used.Â
4. Izuku Midoriya
Originally born without a Quirk, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya is able to obtain one after catching the eye of All Might. After showing off his sense of justice, he is able to inherit All Might’s transferrable Quirk, One For All, which allows him immense raw strength. With that includes all the Quirks of the previous owners of One For All.
Initially, Deku struggles with his powers. As he has never had a Quirk, he has no prior knowledge of how to handle how overwhelming One For All is. However, with perseverance and hard work, Deku is able to master his Quirk and is almost considered equal to All Might.Â
3. Endeavor
Endeavor, whose real name is Enji Todoroki, is the father of Shoto Todoroki. For most of the series, he is considered the Number 2 Hero, trailing behind All Might. He has the highest number of resolved cases among Pro Heroes.
Endeavor’s Quirk is Hellflame, which allows him to produce a disastrous amount of fire at will. He can manipulate the fire, controlling its shape and how hot it is. He can even manipulate his fire and shape them into weapons. While he is immune to both his fire and other flames, using too much of his Quirk causes his body to overheat. This causes his stamina to run out quickly and even impairs him physically. Besides that, Endeavor’s biggest flaw is his poor cooperation and temper
2. All Might
All Might, whose real name is Toshinori Yagi, was considered the Number 1 Pro Hero for the longest time. Dubbed the “Symbol of Peace,” All Might is considered a hero and legend and serves as inspiration for people who hope to become Pro Heroes. He is one of the people who inherited the One For All Quirk.
While All Might and Izuku Midoriya both inherited the same Quirk, All Might was exceptionally proficient in utilizing his powers. He was even considered the world’s most powerful person, using One For All to save even the most dire of situations in mere seconds, without breaking a sweat. All Might mastered One For All almost instantly, proving how adept he was as a hero.
1. All For One
The strongest character in My Hero Academia is also the most powerful villain in the series. Considered Japan’s most powerful villain, All For One is sadistic and evil, and has no problem getting rid of people once they’ve served their purpose with him. All For One’s Quirk is also what he goes by: All For One.
His Quirk allows him to steal other people’s Quirks, leaving them Quirkless. He can then use their Quirks as his own. Additionally, he can also give the Quirks he stole to other people. This means he has multiple Quirks he can use against those who oppose him and can even stack Quirks together, leaving those who stand up against him defenseless.Â
(featured image: Bones)
