My Hero Academia takes place in a near-future setting where nearly everyone is born with superpowered Quirks, and the best Quirks can make for a powerful superhero indeed. Talented boys and girls may enroll at schools such as U.A., Shiketsu, and Ketsubutsu to train as heroes, and already, some of these students rival the pros in strength. Some students are way ahead of the curve.
U.A., in particular, is home to many powerhouse students who could practically be pro heroes right now, aside from their relative lack of experience in the field. How do they compare to big-name heroes such as All Might or Endeavor? Despite his firepower, Endeavor would have to take some students rather seriously in a duel, while other students wouldn't be a proper challenge after all. Which trainee heroes could give Endeavor a good fight?
10 COULD CHALLENGE HIM: Katsuki Bakugo, The Explosive Student
Katsuki Bakuko has a hot temper to match his combat skills, but he's not a brute-force sort of character. Despite being so reckless and self-absorbed, Bakugo has a crafty and insightful mind, which only makes him even more effective in battle.
Bakugo's Explosion Quirk scales up as the fight goes on since Bakugo will keep sweating nitroglycerin fuel to augment his abilities. With that fact, and his special moves, Bakugo could push Endeavor pretty hard in a real fight before losing.
9 CAN'T CHALLENGE HIM: Tsuyu Asui, The Rainy Day Hero
Tsuyu Asui has a mutant-type Quirk that gives her many froglike attributes, from her strong legs to her affinity for swimming and most of all, her long and strong tongue. Tsuyu is ideal for infiltration and search and rescue, and she has some leadership qualities, too.
However, none of this will count for much against Endeavor, whose strength towers over Tsuyu's own. Worse yet, Endeavor's blistering flames will make the air dry, and Tsuyu is weakened by extreme cold or dryness. She stands zero chance.
8 COULD CHALLENGE HIM: Nejire Hado, The Shockwave Girl
Nejire Hado is a third-year student, and she is one of U.A.'s "big three" for a reason. Although Nejire acts like a goofy, curious child during everyday life, she takes her heroic studies and training very seriously, and it's paid off.
Nejire's Quirk allows her to emit her formidable life-force from her hands and feet in spiraling shockwave patterns, meaning she can fly and emit devastating shockwaves from her hands. With that power, she'd last an impressively long time against Endeavor.
7 CAN'T CHALLENGE HIM: Fumikage Tokoyami, The Shadow Master
Against most other pro heroes, Fumikage Tokoyami would actually put up a great fight, since he has such a remarkable Quirk. In combat, Fumikage can release Dark Shadow, which is a tough, agile, and hard-hitting shadow being that works well on offense and defense alike.
Endeavor's flames fill the battlefield with intense light, however, and that is a silver bullet against Dark Shadow, as Fumikage's U.A. sports festival match against Bakugo proved. Fire abilities spell doom for poor Fumikage.
6 CAN CHALLENGE HIM: Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's Prodigy Son
Endeavor married a woman with an ice Quirk for a reason. Their combined genes produced Shoto Todoroki, who can balance his ice and fire halves with each other, and Shoto effectively has two Quirks in one.
Shoto's sheer firepower and stamina are immense, and either half of his Quirk can quickly overwhelm any student and most pros. If he faced his father for real, Shoto could put up a great fight, and at the same time validate Endeavor's strategy of marrying an ice-wielding woman (Rei).
5 CAN'T CHALLENGE HIM: Tenya Iida, The Runner Hero
Tenya Iida is smart, tough, and responsible, which is why he was chosen as class 1-A's rep. He is a melee-oriented hero, using his Engine Quirk to run at great speed and dodge his enemies' attacks. Then he can get up close and deliver a mighty kick.
Although Tenya could keep Endeavor on his toes at first, he couldn't deliver a knockout blow, and Endeavor would have little trouble filling the battlefield with fire and overwhelming Tenya. It takes more than superhuman calves to challenge Endeavor.
4 CAN CHALLENGE HIM: Izuku Midoriya, The Dark Horse
Izuku Midoriya is a sort of rival to Shoto, just the way All Might and Endeavor were once rivals (it was mainly Endeavor who felt that way). Izuku surprised everyone with One For All's sheer power, and he's been honing his abilities ever since he started taking classes at U.A.
The combination of Full Cowling, 5% Smash, a sharp tactical mind, and sheer guts makes Izuku a devastating fighter, being able to take on A-rank villains and win. Endeavor would have to make a serious effort to defeat this trainee hero. This is no time to hold back.
3 CAN'T CHALLENGE HIM: Itsuka Kendo, The Big Fist Hero
Itsuka Kendo is fairly similar to Tenya Iida, being a class rep (class 1-B) and a melee-oriented hero. Itsuka can rapidly expand the size of her hands, either to break through barriers, grab villains to restrain them, or even fan away smoke or deadly gases.
Itsuka has a good head on her shoulders and a decent melee Quirk, but she couldn't get Endeavor to take her even half-seriously. Itsuka's big hands would be a meager defense against Endeavor's Hellflame Quirk, and Itsuka couldn't possibly land a blow in return.
2 CAN CHALLENGE HIM: Mirio Togata, The Intuitive Hero
Prior to losing his Quirk, Mirio Togata was on the fast track to becoming a top-ten hero. As a third-year U.A. student, he already outclasses most current pro heroes, according to Shota Aizawa, and for multiple reasons.
Mirio learned to use his Permeation Quirk to avoid enemy attacks, then sink into the ground and pop up next to them so he can throw powerhouse punches. Mirio also has strong intuition and experience on his side, and all this would allow him to push Endeavor pretty far in a serious fight. It's not inconceivable that Mirio might actually win, in fact.
1 CAN'T CHALLENGE HIM: Seiji Shishikura, The Meatball Student
This boy is a second-year student at the elite Shiketsu school, and he takes great pride in that fact. What about his abilities? Seiji relies entirely on his Meatball Quirk to mold his flesh into lumps that he can move through the air, and if those meatballs touch a person, then that person is squished up into a helpless meatball.
That's a fine Quirk, and Seiji can take people by surprise with it. However, his meatballs wouldn't even get close to Endeavor, since the latter's intense fire aura would scorch them. If Seiji can't touch Endeavor, then he's doomed, and Endeavor will finish him with one blow. That's hardly a challenge at all.