Izuku Midoriya is the main protagonist of the My Hero Academia universe and the successor of All Might to become the future Symbol of Peace. Like any well-written character, he has dozens of strengths and weaknesses that nuance him as an individual and render him a believable personality.
However, it is debatable whether or not his flaws overshadow his greatest assets. The best qualities of Midoriya and his most limiting ones can reveal whether or not he was a worthy successor to the power of One For All.
10 Weakness: His Gullibility Was Exploited At The Sports Festival
Though Deku's idealism makes him a naturally charismatic character, his gullibility has been a frequent issue. This was most prominently demonstrated in his match against Shinso during the Sports Festival.
By using his voice-activated mind control Quirk, he almost forced Midoriya out of the arena. Moreover, the hero continued to fall for his ploy after his Quirk had been explained, demonstrating how swift he is to place unwarranted trust in others.
9 Strength: He Has Courage Whether Or Not He Is Powerful
Izuku Midoriya wields an unprecedented amount of courage even in the absence of his Quirk. This was most vividly demonstrated at the beginning of the series, where he charged headlong for the sludge villain in order to liberate Bakugo from his viscous clutches.
His heroics were what garnered the attention of All Might and compelled his choice to select him as One For All's successor. It would be reliably demonstrated in Izuku's future endeavors, such as when he saved Uraraka from a training drone in spite of the massive hazard it posed to himself.
8 Weakness: His Guilt Complex Compromised One For All
After Midoriya succeeded against Bakugo during a practice mission, the latter felt as if he had been lied to throughout their childhood. Crushed by guilt and inclined to reason with his bully, Deku told him about the nature of One For All and how he acquired it.
This was in spite of the fact that All Might specifically instructed him not to repeat the secret to anyone. By telling Kacchan, he betrayed his mentor's trust and put the greatest asset to hero society at risk — especially after Bakugo was captured by Shigaraki.
7 Strength: His Work Ethic Is Astounding
After inheriting the power of One For All, Deku had a limited amount of time in order to acclimate his body and use it properly. This prompted Toshinori to lead him in a vigorous series of training exercises, ones that would involve his student waking up before dawn.
Midoriya followed All Might's requests and surpassed them, adding his own ideas to his workout routine. He trained so brutally that he passed out from exhaustion in the middle of the road — much to his tutor's surprise and alarm. Regardless, he abundantly illustrated that he was willing to work for the gift he received.
6 Weakness: His Limited Mastery Of One For All Almost Got Him Killed
During the entrance exam, Deku used One For All to save Uraraka from a massive robot. However, his sloppy control over his own Quirk nearly destroyed his entire body, shattering all of his limbs in a single blow. Were it not for her intervention, he would have plummeted to his death.
It wasn't the only time that his limited control over his Quirk cost him. During his fight against Muscular, he was forced to push his body beyond its limit and received a permanent scar on his hand for his improper usage of his power.
5 Strength: His Shoot Style Allows For Clever Ranged Projectiles
One For All is often defined as a melee-oriented Quirk. However, Deku was able to use it for ranged purposes, concentrating his fingers into powerful flicks so that he could emit considerable blasts of air.
Not only was he able to summon ranged projectiles through this method, but he also aimed them efficiently. During his battle against Gentle Criminal, he used the villain's own rubberized air against him by bouncing his projectiles from its surfaces.
4 Weakness: He Is Naturally Quirkless
Perhaps Deku's most debilitating flaw at the beginning of the series was that he is naturally Quirkless. This causes a number of problems that most aspiring heroes should not be forced to reconcile with and makes him an unideal candidate for All Might's power.
Since One For All is supposed to stockpile Quirks, he only has his raw strength to offer and cannot amplify the abilities he previously wielded. Moreover, it forced him to rely on Toshinori's gift in the early arcs since he had no other tangible means by which to compete with the other students.
3 Strength: He Has Superb Tactical Insights To Assist Him In Battle
Midoriya's greatest advantage was not something he was born with. In his youth, he carefully studied heroes and villains alike in order to learn their attack patterns and how to feasibly counter them.
This was a tactic he frequently employed against Bakugo both in their practice mission against each other and in their more grievous fight to settle their rivalry. However, Kacchan was privy to Deku's methods in the instance of the latter and was more prepared to create contingencies.
2 Weakness: His Situational Adaptability Needs Work
Deku may be able to acclimate to a fight, but he has abysmal situational adaptability when forced to make split-second decisions. The most obvious example is through how he was paralyzed in fear upon Overhaul's introduction, unable to muster the nerve to stop him from taking Eri.
It was also seen through Shigaraki's sudden appearance in public and their unlikely conversation with one another. The latter situation could have portended fatal results, as Tomura was in an ideal position to kill him. Instead of attempting to escape from his clutches, Deku remained perfectly still and at his mercy.
1 Strength: He Has Unusually High Durability
Deku has unusually high durability for a young man with no inherent defensive Quirk. During his test exam fight against All Might, he withstood being slammed into the ground so hard that it created a small crater.
Additionally, he outlasted the direct abuse of Muscular, a professional villain who killed many powerful adversaries with his bare hands and withstood direct explosive blasts from Bakugo at point-blank range. Even his flaming rival wasn't sure he could survive against the caliber of firepower he unleashed.