Superheroes and villains are the norm in My Hero Academia, and these warriors fight primarily with superpowered Quirks of all sorts. But a good Quirk alone isn't enough to win the day, and a pro hero must also use their wits and best strategic thinking to take down villains and catch criminals in the act. Izuku Midoriya, the shonen star, certainly understands that.
Since he was born Quirkless, Izuku has spent years studying and analyzing the Quirks of everyone around him, keeping a hero notebook to that effect. Now he has a Quirk of his own, One For All, but he's not yet done flexing that strong brain of his. Izuku can outwit and outthink many heroes and villains, but some characters are too crafty and experienced for him to outmaneuver like that. How does he stack up?
10 CAN OUTSMART IZUKU: Momo Yaoyorozu's IQ Is Certainly Higher Than Izuku's
Izuku is a smart boy, and he gets good grades at U.A., placing in the top 5 in Class 1-A. But he won't ever surpass Momo Yaoyorozu, the girl with a genius IQ. Instead of studying everyone else's Quirks, Momo has been hitting the books since she was a little girl, and it's paying off enormously.
Momo can comprehend just about any item from a book or blueprint and replicate it with her Quirk. And not only that, Momo can quickly devise highly resourceful and flexible battle plans with her created items, whether or not she has any teammates to back her up.
9 CAN'T OUTSMART IZUKU: Eijiro Kirishima Relies More On Straightforward Tactics
Eijiro Kirishima has the heart of a true hero, and to him, courage, honor, and conviction mean everything. He takes after his personal idol, the hero Crimson Riot, and has a Hardening Quirk to back up his tough words. He's a fine hero, but hardly a master strategist.
In battle, Eijiro favors straightforward tactics, using his tough skin to push his way through enemy fire and deal damage with his natural brass knuckles. He's also a team player who will follow the orders of a more tactically inclined ally if one is available.
8 CAN OUTSMART IZUKU: Overhaul Knows Everything About The Criminal Underworld
The mighty villain Overhaul has an incredibly powerful Quirk of the same name, and he is clever and resourceful with it. With a touch, Overhaul can reshape any living or non-living matter around him for offense and defense, and that's not even the full extent of his brainpower.
Overhaul was born into the crime life, and he knows exactly how to run a powerful and sneaky Yakuza-style crime family and keep its operations running smoothly. Overhaul could easily outwit Izuku in a battle for the streets.
7 CAN'T OUTSMART IZUKU: Froppy Is Smart, But She's Not Quite As Insightful As Izuku
Tsuyu Asui, who goes by the hero name Froppy, is a smart and cool-headed girl who has some leadership qualities. She and Izuku formed an effective team with Minoru Mineta during the USJ villain attack, and she also helped the pro hero Selkie take down some squid-headed villains later on.
Froppy is a good student and is wise beyond her years, but she's not quite on Izuku's level just yet. Izuku is much more used to analyzing other people's Quirks, giving him a serious advantage in figuring out how to deconstruct the enemy's plans. Tsuyu is more concerned about her own Quirk.
6 CAN OUTSMART IZUKU: Shota Aizawa Is Used To Detective Work & Tricky Traps
Izuku's own homeroom teacher, the wily Shota Aizawa/Eraser Head, has spent years favoring brains over brawn, and it shows. Eraser Head's Quirk allows him to nullify most other Quirks on sight, and he can also use his many weapons and traps to outmaneuver and corner villains for capture.
Thus, Eraser Head is also used to thinking tactically about the Quirks of many diverse enemies, and he has more experience in the field than Izuku has. In addition to that, Eraser Head is a skilled detective, something Izuku can't say about himself.
5 CAN'T OUTSMART IZUKU: Katsuki Bakugo Is Clever, But Not Like Izuku
Katsuki Bakugo has an explosive Quirk to match his fierce temper, and he is rather self-absorbed and prideful as a result. He tends to make everything about himself and his own growth, and he sometimes gets in over his head. But not often.
Bakugo is smarter than he looks, and he demonstrated some slick leadership skills during his fight against Class 1-B's team during the joint training exercise. Ultimately, though, he can't match Izuku's capacity to think ahead, analyze every detail, and execute a complex plan.
4 CAN OUTSMART IZUKU: Mr. Compress Is All About Misdirection & Tricks
One of the craftiest members of the League of Villains is the colorful Mr. Compress, whose Quirk allows him to shrink down people or objects into marble-like spheres and then resize them later. He deftly outmaneuvered all of Class 1-A this way and kidnapped Katsuki Bakugo despite being outnumbered and outgunned.
Mr. Compress is quite experienced with this tricky Quirk and fighting style, and there is no doubt that he could use misdirection, tricks, and traps on a grand scale to escape Izuku in a battle or capture someone from under Izuku's nose. No one can catch him.
3 CAN'T OUTSMART IZUKU: Fumikage Tokoyami Relies On Darkness & Sheer Firepower To Win
Like Bakugo, the raven-headed Fumikage Tokoyami knows better than to rely entirely on his powerful Quirk (Dark Shadow) to win the day. Fumikage is humble, and he is always willing to learn new moves or use some basic but resourceful tactics to fight his enemies. Hitting power alone isn't enough.
While Fumikage is a smart fighter, he's not ready to play superhero chess with Izuku, who can account for the strengths and weaknesses of any Quirk. Izuku can easily avoid Dark Shadow where it's strong and punish it where it's weak, and Fumikage can't think his way out of this trap. It's brute force or nothing.
2 CAN OUTSMART IZUKU: Sir Nighteye Was A Paperwork Hero With Foresight
The former pro hero Sir Nighteye was supposed to be like a Japanese salaryman with a cape, so to speak, and he definitely favors brains over brawn. For years, Sir Nighteye was the brains of All Might's hero agency, and even after the two men parted ways, Sir Nighteye kept fighting the good fight from behind a desk.
Sir Nighteye can fight, but he's best off planning and formulating strategies to uncover criminal activity and track the flow of illicit goods across Japan. It also helps that he has the Foresight Quirk to see the future. No way could Izuku beat this hero in a battle of wits.
1 CAN'T OUTSMART IZUKU: Present Mic Is Loud, But Not A Master Strategist
The flamboyant hero Present Mic is smarter than his goofy personality would suggest since it was he who theorized that a traitor was working within U.A. He also figured out the perfect costume to suit his sonic Quirk, though he's not exactly a master of mind games.
During his few fight scenes, Present Mic has relied entirely on the sheer volume of his Voice Quirk to overwhelm his enemies from any distance. If Izuku applied himself, he could outwit Present Mic in a fight and take him down with a well-timed Smash.