My Hero Academia is a shonen anime where the "good guys" can be split into two main groups: hero students, and the caped Pro Heroes who fight crime for a living. Protagonist Izuku Midoriya and his classmates are talented teenagers who will become great Pro Heroes someday, and they've proven it many times so far.
Izuku and the other students sometimes outshine or even defeat the Pro Heroes and their teachers, showing how capable these student heroes really are. But they still have much to learn, and in many memorable scenes, the Pro Heroes reminded the students who the real professionals are.
10 All Might Defeated The Sludge Villain
All Might, the symbol of peace, easily outshone the middle school students Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya in My Hero Academia's first episode. Despite his powerful Quirk, Bakugo found himself enveloped in a sludge villain's body, and Izuku bravely tried and failed to rescue him.
Only a Pro Hero could save the day, and sure enough, All Might arrived and defeated the villain with a Smash attack. This battle is what inspired Izuku to become a hero, and it also inspired All Might to pass One For All to Izuku instead of Mirio Togata.
9 Eraserhead Fought The League Of Villains At USJ
When the sinister League of Villains attacked the USJ complex on U.A.'s campus, the students weren't ready. Some of class 1-A's students used clever tactics to survive, such as the temporary Izuku/Tsuyu/Minoru trio, but they really needed a real pro to save the day.
The tsundere teacher Eraserhead leaped into action with his Erasure Quirk and defeated several low-ranked League members with ease. It was a brave and impressive feat on Eraserhead's part, and it took a high-end Nomu to finally take him down and turn the tide of battle once again.
8 All Might Concluded The USJ Battle
With Eraserhead down, class 1-A's students were vulnerable once again to the villains, Nomu, and Tomura Shigaraki himself. Not even class 1-A's combined Quirks could overcome those odds, but the day was saved when All Might arrived at the last moment.
All Might declared, "I am here!" and took on the high-end Nomu. It was a tough fight since that Nomu was designed to counter All Might, but All Might prevailed anyway. With that Nomu defeated, Tomura cut his losses and retreated with what few minions he still had, ending the USJ battle.
7 Principal Nezu Outwitted Denki & Mina
Most of class 1-A's students shone brightly when they fought mock battles with their teachers. The brilliant Momo Yaoyorozu, Koji Koda, and even Minoru Mineta outshone their teachers, but a few of those mock battles went the other way.
Mina and Denki were poor tacticians. They were totally helpless as principal Nezu outfoxed them with his construction crane, and Nezu even remarked that he left an entrance for them as an act of mercy. Nezu outshone those students without getting his paws dirty, making a strong impression of how his Quirk works.
6 The Pro Heroes Stormed The League's Secret Bar
After the League of Villains captured Katsuki Bakugo, they held him captive in their secret hideout, a dimly lit bar. Izuku, Shoto, Eijiro, Tenya, and Momo mounted a secret rescue mission to save him, but this mission called for actual Pro Heroes, which is exactly what happened.
Izuku and the other students could only watch in awe as heroes like All Might, the ninja-like Edgeshot, and the blonde Mt. Lady took charge of the situation and drove the League back. They freed Bakugo right away, but there was still one more battle to fight before the day was finally won.
5 All Might Defeated All For One
The students and even most Pro Heroes could only watch as All Might took on his terrifying nemesis, the helmeted All For One. All For One had easily taken down Best Jeanist and Mt. Lady, so it fell to the world's greatest Pro Hero to show the students, and indeed everyone, how it's done.
All Might struggled at first, but then he scraped together the remaining dregs of One For All for a final attack. He performed a devastating United States of Smash, defeating All For One and ending the Bakugo rescue mission. Izuku and the other students quickly retreated back to U.A. after that.
4 Endeavor Defeated The Hooded Nomu
When the flaming Endeavor became the new #1 Pro Hero, he needed a chance to prove it. One evening, Endeavor and his ally Hawks clashed with the ultra-powerful hooded Nomu, a creature that no other hero or student could possibly defeat.
Endeavor quickly lost only to pull himself together, go Plus Ultra, and defeat the hooded Nomu after all. Endeavor outshone all student heroes not just by vanquishing such a tough foe, but by proving that even a powerhouse hero like him can go beyond and win against impossible odds.
3 Fat Gum Defeated Rappa
During the Shie Hassaikai raid, the students and heroes take turns outshining one another in the fight against the masked Overhaul. Izuku and Mirio outshone the pros when they fought Overhaul directly, culminating in Izuku's final victory — but the opposite was true with Eijiro and Fat Gum.
Eijiro impressed Fat Gum with his stubborn resolve and durability, but it was Fat Gum who won the fight in true style. The BMI hero absorbed enough of Rappa's blows to change into his skinny form and defeat Rappa with a mighty punch, which amazed Eijiro.
2 Endeavor Outraced Bakugo, Shoto, & Izuku
Endeavor later took on his son Shoto, along with Izuku and Bakugo, as his interns. Endeavor proved himself a remarkable teacher with his insightful lessons, including the importance of parallel thinking. Endeavor also urged the three boys to race faster through the city via their Quirks.
Endeavor encouraged the boys to practice rapid response movements, all so they can arrive at a crime scene faster. Endeavor even challenged them to race him, and in the end, Endeavor easily outraced all three of them with his superior speed and powerful Quirk.
1 Mirko & Present Mic Destroyed Tomura's Tank
In recent My Hero Academia arcs, a coalition of heroes and students formed to fight the Paranormal Liberation Army head-on. Many pros and students alike shone in that battle, but so far, the pros are making the most significant progress.
While the winged Hawks finished off Twice, the rabbit hero and DJ hero Present Mic dealt a combined blow to Tomura Shigaraki. They fought their way through a crowd of Nomu to destroy Shigaraki's tank, forcing Tomura to be awakened before he was fully ready. It was only a partial victory for the heroes, but it was more than any student could manage.