There are lots of desirable powers in My Hero Academia, and many that aren’t, but these are the most powerful quirks in the franchise.
Now that the My Hero Academia ending is here, we can look at Kohei Horikoshi’s iconic manga in totality. Deku and Class 1-A have been through the wringer across the superhero anime and manga, facing some incredible baddies in the process.
That’s meant encountering all sorts of strange powers and abilities. Some heroes and villains have simple Quirks that let them control elements or morph their bodies. Others, though – well, it all gets very weird.
So we’ve listed the most powerful, going through the Quirks that can cause a lot of problems very quickly if the holder so chooses.
10. Black Hole
User: Anan Kurose/Space Hero: ThirteenFirst appearance: Chapter 13Black holes are disquieting in nature, since they literally destroy matter, so anything that allows someone to manifest them at will is inherently terrifying. This Quirk allows the users to create small holes that suck in everything within a certain distance. The same rules apply should something get too close, so it’s a good thing Anan uses it purely to draw in enemies and clean up messes.
9. Brainwashing
User: Hitoshi ShinsoFirst appearance: Chapter 33This Quirk needed some serious restriction, otherwise it would’ve really broken the power dynamics of My Hero Academia. Once someone verbally replies to something Shinso says, he can turn them into his personal slave. The only thing is, their brain function is limited, so his commands have to be relatively simple. Still, some creativity and this gets messy fast.
8. Explosion
User: Katsuki BakugoFirst appearance: Chapter 1What seems like a regular pyrotechnic power gradually goes nuclear over the course of the story. The fact Explosion gets more powerful the more Bakugo sweats means his quirk burns hotter the longer he fights, to the point he can generate small nuclear explosions made of lava. Phew.
7. Decay
User: Tomura ShigarakiFirst appearance: Chapter 16As if Shigaraki wasn’t unnerving enough, giving him the ability to make anything he touches crumble to dust is the cherry on the rotten villain cake. A domino effect makes Decay extremely threatening to anyone who stands against the user. Class 1-A are just kids, threatening them with the oblivion of becoming dust in the wind is real trauma-fodder for younger fans.
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6. Fierce Wings
User: Keigo TakamiFirst appearance: Chapter 185Not as creative or scary on paper as some of the other entries, Fierce Wings overtakes Quirks like Decay and Brainwashing due to its sheer strength and versatility. Generating two enormously strong wings, Takami can soar at incredible speeds, controlling each individual feather if he wants, for full control and articulation. Truly like an eagle.
5. New Order
User: Star and StripeFirst appearance: Chapter 330New Order sounds esoteric on paper – the holder can create reality-shaping ‘rules’ for their target once the person’s been touched. But in practice, it’s essentially the ability to change an opponent’s environment and circumstance at will. Star and Stripe finds all sorts of ways to do this, including involving herself in the commands, and the amount of potential makes it a bit ridiculous.
4. Hellflame
User: Enji TodorokiFirst appearance: Chapter 28The most strange-sounding Quirk, Hellflame is Explosion but with far more control. The flames are less explosive, making them more precise, and Enji can decide how hot they are and their temperature. The exact kind of weapon you’d imagine from the number two Pro Hero.
3. Rewind
User: EriFirst appearance: Chapter 156Outright time travel would be too messy for My Hero Academia – X-Men gives us enough superheroic knotted timeline nonsense – so Kohei takes a more icky approach by making a Quirk that targets people’s cells. Rewind turns back your body clock, reopening old wounds, reducing muscle or, potentially, reverting you to pre-conception so you never existed. Heavy. Eri can barely handle it, and the in-universe trigger isn’t fully understood, so it lays dormant.
2. One For All
User: Izuku MidoriyaFirst appearance: Chapter 1A transferable skill that turns the user into Superman, Deku receiving the mantle from All Might is the thrust of My Hero Academia. Not unlike a Super Saiyan, One For All’s holder can charge up and tap into more-or-less unending levels of energy to enhance their strength and speed. It turns Deku into Shonen’s Man of Steel, even if it still isn’t the most powerful Quirk available.
1. All For One
User: Tomura Shigaraki/All For OneFirst appearance: Chapter 59The mirror image of One For All, All For One absorbs others’ Quirks and lets the user tap into everything they’ve stolen at will. Anyone using it is an immediate threat, hence Shigaraki becoming almost unstoppable by the end. It’s the perfect ability for a villain, built on piggybacking over others and mistaking power for inner strength. Still, even though it’s definitely the most powerful, it doesn’t guarantee victory against any other Quirk for that reason.
Those are the most powerful Quirks. For what’s happening in other major franchises, check out our guides on Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3.