My Hero Academia is a treasure trove for superpowers — known here as "quirks" — that would give some Marvel and DC favorites a run for their money. The hit series bears an impressive roster of characters with abilities that correspond with their personalities. While everyone has their own special talent, it's only expected that some would be more powerful than others.
MHA's main cast is comprised of brave heroes, which means there are plenty of antagonists lurking in the shadows ready to challenge them at any given moment. Here are the top five heroes and the top five, villains ranked by their power.
10 Villain: Tomura Shigaraki
Shigaraki's Decay quirk lets him disintegrate anything he touches with his hands, which is one ability you never want a villain to have. The disintegration will disperse throughout the victim's body if they don't amputate the crumbling body part. It can also spread to targets he isn't touching, thus allowing him to destroy large groups of enemies at once.
Shigaraki's speed and control over his quirk have only improved, meaning he's becoming more powerful and formidable. His defense is remarkable, proven by the fact that he withstood one of Bakugo's blasts at point-blank range. Shigaraki is also incredibly analytical and intelligent, which makes him an even bigger threat.
9 Hero: Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head)
Aizawa's Erasure quirk is the most advantageous skill that a team of heroes could have in their arsenal. Erasure allows him to negate anyone's quirk simply by looking at them, which is glorious if he can secure an uninterrupted line of sight. Unfortunately, the skill is deactivated if he blinks or if something physically comes between him and his target.
While Erasure's limitations are frustrating, Aizawa is sharp, pragmatic, and can hold his own in hand-to-hand combat. His physical talents and keen mental state make him an intimidating foe for the series' villains. Like Shigaraki, Aizawa's intelligence only makes him more powerful.
8 Villain: Chizome Akaguro (Stain)
Akaguro is known as the "Hero Killer" for a reason — he's an ex-vigilante notorious for doing exactly what his nickname implies. Stain is a frightening villain who has assassinated 17 Pro Heroes and mangled over 20 others so badly that they couldn't make a full recovery.
His Bloodcurdle quirk is more villain-like than Shigaraki's, which is as impressive as it is daunting. With this quirk, Akaguro can paralyze his target by ingesting their blood, so naturally, he runs around with blades to cut up his foes. Even crazier is the fact that the effects of Bloodcurdle vary by blood type, but the longest a victim can be paralyzed for is eight minutes.
7 Hero: Katsuki Bakugo
Bakugo sweats a nitroglycerin-like substance from his hands that enables him to detonate explosions at will. Of course, the more sweat he accumulates, the stronger his blasts become. Though this is an obvious "powerful" quirk, what makes Bakugo worthy of top-five praise lies within his mastery of Explosion.
He has learned to control his blasts to go far beyond simply attacking his enemies. For example, he can use small explosions to propel himself through the air for both offensive and evasive purposes. Bakugo is strategic and resourceful despite being arrogant and aggressive. His personality is reminiscent of Endeavor's, a Pro Hero we'll get to in a bit.
6 Villain: Nine
Nine is set to be My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising's main antagonist, so fans will get to witness the extent of this villain's abilities on December 20. While the full degree of Nine's power remains unknown, he's All For One's heir, meaning he's going to be a massive adversary for Class 1-A.
Like his predecessor, Nine can steal quirks and he reportedly has eight of them in stock already. Rumors and fan theories are placing him as the series' ultimate villain, but we can't preemptively place him at the top of the list without further details. Nevertheless, Nine will probably be more powerful than All For One, which is unnerving enough.
5 Hero: Shoto Todoroki
Todoroki is a solidified fan favorite en route to becoming one of the best Pro Heroes. His versatile Half-Cold Half-Hot quirk is perfect for setting up a variety of attacks. Todoroki's rocky upbringing and disdain for his father weigh heavily on his mind, but he's an incredibly bright student and skilled combatant nonetheless.
Todoroki's predictability is a major weakness, but his agility and stamina are impeccable. His levelheadedness also helps keep him a step above Bakugo. His power level is undeniable and once he gains a little more control over Half-Cold Half-Hot, he will certainly be cemented as one of the greatest heroes ever.
4 Villain: Kai Chisaki (Overhaul)
Overhaul allows Chisaki to dismantle and rebuild anything he touches, which means he can fully manipulate matter. He's capable of disassembling a person's body to kill them, but his reconstructive abilities could be used to heal wounds. Chisaki can also use Overhaul on himself and fuse his body with others, which then grants him the power to use their quirks.
Aside from manipulating bodies, Overhaul can reshape the environment to his liking. This is extremely beneficial during combat where Chisaki can give himself a hefty advantage while minimizing his opponents' battle options. His alarming power is also heightened by his sociopathic tendencies and ruthless personality.
3 Hero: Enji Todoroki (Endeavor)
Endeavor's prowess solidified him as the number 2 Pro Hero, eventually shifting into the number 1 spot after All Might's retirement. Endeavor's Hellflame quirk lets him generate and manipulate fire as he wishes. Like Bakugo, he can use this fiery quirk for both offensive and defensive purposes.
Endeavor is astute and relentless, which only bolsters his already formidable strength and stamina. His power is immense due to the dominance he exerts over these flames. Sure, he might have an aggressive temper — which only reinforces the Bakugo comparisons — but he uses his Hellflame with good intention, which is a massive relief for heroes and civilians all over Japan.
2 Villain: All For One
All For One is My Hero Academia's response to Chrollo Lucilfer from Hunter x Hunter. While both are equipped with the ability to steal powers, Chrollo is restrained by the set of requirements needed to do so. All For One steals quirks, renders them his own, and can grant them to other people if he so wishes.
All For One is powerful in every sense, which includes his state of mind. He's intelligent to the point where he could be considered a certified genius. He's also ridiculously strong, quick on his feet, and terrifyingly cunning. All For One is the ultimate villain... for now. The depths of Nine's quirk(s) are yet to be unveiled, but they could potentially knock All For One off this mantle.
1 Hero: One For All Hosts
One For All is a transferable quirk that's passed from host to host, which is why All Might was able to hand it down to Izuku Midoriya. Nana Shimura was the user before Toshinori Yagi (All Might) and served as his mentor.
One For All combines the quirks of each previous user and increases their power. Therefore, current host Midoriya has a slew of unique powers slumbering within him that he will eventually manifest. This quirk has unlimited potential and, when mastered, could serve as the only way to counter All For One's abilities. It's the ultimate Pro Hero skill and we can't wait to see how far Deku pushes it.