Becoming a great hero takes a lot more than being the most powerful person in the room. At the end, it all boils down to how well a person can effectively utilize their strengths. Izuku "Deku" Midoriya from My Hero Academia is a fitting example of a promising hero who relies on more than his inherited Quirk to succeed.
After years of studying pro heroes, teachers, villains, and his classmates, Izuku has devised plenty of strategies to get him out of the trickiest of situations. While they aren't all successful, there's no doubt that he has come up with some pretty smart ideas.
10 Deku Passes Mr. Aizawa's Quirk Apprehension Test By Focusing His Power Into A Single Finger
It's safe to say that Izuku has had some of the hardest first days of school ever. Mr. Aizawa forces his students to perform various exercises to prove their potential under threat of expulsion.
Deku is still getting the hang of his Quirk at this point, and Aizawa forbids him from going all out and recklessly breaking his arm. Instead, Izuku channels his newfound power into his finger at the last second, minimizing the damage and displaying his control. While not the most complex plan, it's still commendable considering his lack of practice.
9 He Uses Gentle Criminal's Barriers Against Him
Gentle Criminal may not be the most threatening or menacing foe that Deku has faced but he is far from being the weakest. Gentle wants to infiltrate U.A.'s School Festival, and, in the process, uses his Quirk, Elasticity — creating air barriers to impede Deku.
His mistake is underestimating Deku's ability to memorize the placements of all the air barriers. This allows him to flick bullets of pressured air, bouncing them off the barriers to strike Gentle. Quite remarkable considering this is Deku's first fight against the villain.
8 Deku Teams Up With Ochako And Hanta To Pass the First Phase Of The Provisional Hero License Exam
As part of the first phase of the Provisional Hero License Exam, participating students are required to eliminate each other via hitting the other combatants' weak points using colored balls. Thankfully, Izuku has his friends to assist him in his strategy.
Acting as bait, he and Hanta Sero lure their opponents into a trap where Ochako releases floating rubble tied with tape — immobilizing their opponents with the sticky tape after she releases the rubble. This lets their team eliminate the others' without much effort, making it to the next phase. Who says simple plans can't also be good ones?
7 His First Victory Against Bakugo Requires A Reckless, But Ultimately Effective, Plan
It's not every day that someone gets a chance to fight back against their bully — with the approval of a teacher, even. During Class 1-A's Battle Trial, students are divided into teams of two, with one serving as villains and the other heroes.
With Bakugo in the villain team and Midoriya playing hero, it is inevitable that the two of them would clash and go all out. Deku's plan requires some self-sacrifice, but it keeps Bakugo distracted, allowing the former to smash the ceilings above him. This then provides Ochako with enough debris to use as ammo to distract Tenya, thereby winning the match. A reckless plan but no one can argue that it isn't effective.
6 Deku's Win At The U.A. Sports Festival Obstacle Race Comes Out Of Nowhere
The U.A. Sports Festival starts with an Obstacle Race in which students have to make it to the stadium while dealing with robots, tight-rope walking, and a minefield – a harrowing challenge, considering Izuku has to go through it without exacerbating his Quirk. It isn't until he reaches the minefield that he displays his ingenuity.
Using a robot plate and the combined explosive force of multiple mines, Izuku blasts himself into the lead, overtaking Bakugo and Todoroki. Although winning makes everyone target him in the next challenge, it is a shrewd strategy since Deku wins without using his Quirk.
5 He Devises The Last Stand Against Nine
In My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising, Izuku and the students of Class 1-A work together on an island to stop the powerful Quirk-stealing villain Nine — who intends to harvest a Quirk from a child. With no way to contact the mainland, Izuku sets up a final stand on the neighboring island.
The class protects the islanders by hiding them in the caves while continuing to attack Nine in waves, gradually tiring him out until he reaches his limit. Even though Deku's plan technically works, Nine uses an empowering drug at the last minute, getting his second wind and nearly killing Izuku. If nothing else, his plan protects the locals, as risky as the decision is.
4 Deku Stops Moonfish With The Help Of Fumikage's Rogue Quirk
During the League of Villains' ambush of Class 1-A during their training camp, Izuku is forced to make a tough decision. He can either rescue Bakugo from the disturbingly sinister Moonfish or stop Fumikage's out of control Quirk, Dark Shadow. Naturally, Izuku refuses to choose just one, devising a plan to resolve both issues simultaneously.
Using Mezo Shoji to lure Dark Shadow toward Bakugo, Deku ensures that Moonfish is defeated by the Quirk. Dark Shadow is promptly quelled thanks to Todoroki and Bakugo's powerful attacks. The only real question is which threat was creepier.
3 He Strategizes A Brilliant Plan For Escaping the Shipwreck Zone
Class 1-A have always known they would have to fight actual villains someday, but none of them are prepared when the League of Villains attacks the U.S.J. Separated from the rest of their class, Deku, Tsuyu, and Mineta are trapped on a boat in the Shipwreck Zone, with low-level villains closing in on them.
In the spur of the moment, Deku manages to utilize all three of their Quirk to save themselves. Using a high-powered attack, he creates a vortex in the water, and has Mineta throw his sticky hair balls to trap the villains — following which Tsuyu carries her teammates to safety. While it isn't technically part of the test, the three of them hopefully end up with a good grade for such a great plan.
2 Deku's Daring Plan To Rescue Bakugo From All For One
As hard as it is for Deku to stand by and not help his mentor fight All For One, the mission to rescue Bakugo from the League of Villains is more important to him. While he and his friends are in no position to fight, he does devise a plan to rescue his classmate without fighting.
Combining multiple Quirks, Tenya, Kirishima and Deku launch themselves into the air, instructing Bakugo to blast himself up to them. The latter grabs hold of Kirishima and the four of them leave the battlefield, allowing All Might to focus on the task at hand. This plan of Deku's is one of the few that doesn't involve harming himself.
1 He Utilizes Eri's Quirk While Fighting Overhaul
Finding Eri held captive within the depths of the Shie Hassaikai HQ is bad enough, but escaping with her is worse considering Izuku has to face Overhaul in the process. Any other hero would be at a disadvantage while fighting with Eri clinging to them, not to mention her uncontrollable Rewind Quirk taking a toll on their bodies, but not Izuku.
If anything, he uses her Quirk to repair his body every time he pulls off a devastating attack against Overhaul, that would have normally overloaded and fractured his body. Deku can finally go all out against Eri's tormentor and make him pay for everything he's done.