One of the most attractive aspects of shounen animes are usually the fantastical element of powers or skill development within them. While the exploration of those fantastical elements is usually reserved to the main cast of the show, My Hero Academia goes beyond just reserving powers to a special few with quirks being as common as 80% among the general population.
With the show's central setting being the famous UA High School most of the time, it comes as no surprise that the future heroes of the nation possess some of the strongest quirks around with some even rivaling their teachers'. In case you still had doubts in the future at the hands of these young heroes, here are 10 of the strongest student quirks at UA and their weaknesses (because almost no one is perfect).
10 Yuga Aoyama - Navel Laser
We start off this list with the seat number 1 occupant of class 1-A. While Aoyama's quirk is often used for comic relief due to his flashy execution, the strength of his quirk is often overlooked.
Aoyama's Navel Laser quirk, as the name suggests, allows him to shoot a laser beam from his navel. This laser beam is so powerful it can penetrate two meters of solid concrete. Unfortunately, due to birth defects, using his quirk for more than one second causes Aoyama extreme intestinal pain. It seems there is a price to pay for "twinkling" so brightly.
9 Neito Monoma - Copy
While Monoma's cunning nature is powerful on its own, the 1-B student's quirk is almost fearsome in its versatility as well as similarity to one particular villain's.
Neito's quirk allows him to duplicate or "copy" another individual's quirk for up to 10 minutes by coming into contact with them. Additionally, he can copy up to 4 quirks at a time, giving him the ability to combine different powers. The only drawbacks of this quirk are its time limit and his own bodily limitations such as strength or stamina. Despite those weaknesses, Monoma's quirk is powerful and versatile enough to land him the number nine spot.
8 Fumikage Tokoyami - Dark Shadow
Coming in at third place during UA's sports tournament, it's only natural that Tokoyami would have a spot on this list. Tokoyami's quirk allows him to manifest a dark entity from his shadow which he can command. The strength of his quirk is very dependent on how dark his surroundings are with Dark Shadow running rampant in complete darkness. What we see of this quirk in ideal settings and under control, though, makes Tokoyami more powerful against villains than the other 2 sport tournament winners.
However, as previously mentioned this quirk depends a lot on darkness; as such, if a strong light is directed towards his shadow, Tokoyami's quirk would be outmatched. Additionally, being so powerful, Tokoyami runs the risk of losing control of his quirk when in emotional distress as well.
7 Pony Tsunotori - Horn Cannon
One of the lesser-known students of class 1-B, Pony has an interesting quirk comparable to that of a current pro hero in some aspects. From what we see in the manga, Pony possesses a quirk that allows her to launch her horns. After their release, a new pair grows back almost immediately, providing the horse girl with plenty of ammo. Additionally, in a manner similar to Hawks, she is capable of remotely controlling her horns.
The only drawback of her quirk is that she can only directly control up to four horns at a time; though one can argue that's more than plenty.
6 Tamaki Amajiki - Manifest
Within the last season, fans finally got to see UA's Big 3 showcase their quirks. During Overhaul's arc, we got to see just how powerful Tamaki is despite his lack of self-confidence.
Capable of manifesting the physical characteristics of any animal he's eaten, Tamaki's quirk is rather unique but quite versatile. Provided that he's eaten the right meal, Tamaki can easily transform his fingers into tentacles or perhaps the head of a shark, and you'd think that Tamaki should be higher up on this list. However, he cannot manifest those physical features unless the food he's eaten is not fully digested yet. As such, the nature of his quirk would require a lot of foresight and would be rendered weaker in spontaneous circumstances.
5 Nejire Hado - Wave Motion
Another member of UA's Big 3, Nejire has climbed the ranks of both UA students and this list due to her powerful quirk. Nejire's quirk utilizes her own vitality by converting it into energy that comes out in the form of spiral shockwaves. While the shockwaves are very powerful, their spiraling nature limits their speed. \
Additionally, since Nejire uses her stamina to fuel her quirk, overuse would lead to her becoming exhausted. Despite those drawbacks, the strength of her quirk is comparable to that of a Pro Hero's.
4 Izuku Midoriya - One for All
It would be an insult to every One for All predecessor if this quirk did not make it onto the list. Despite being a strong quirk which enabled All Might to reach the number 1 hero status, there are many reasons why it only places at fourth.
The basic mechanism of the quirk allows Deku to stockpile raw energy and channel it into exponentially enhancing his physical abilities. The result is anywhere from a punch so strong it changes the weather to a kick capable of tearing through cement. However, as it is, Izuku does not have full mastery of the quirk which renders him only capable of using up to 15% safely. When he surpasses that limit, his body begins to break under the strain of his power. So, while the potential and application of the quirk so far are some of the strongest, it is still a bit far from putting Deku at the number 1 hero spot himself.
3 Katsuki Bakugo - Explosion
While Bakugo may not have started off in the series with the most heroic traits, his quirk's strength was undeniable ever since he was a child. All the praising he received wasn't for naught, however. Too bad it got into his head for a long time though.
The basic concept of Bakugo's quirk is self-explanatory, but the way it works is a bit more interesting. The fiery blond sweats nitroglycerin from his palms and is able to ignite it at will. The drawback to this explosive power is that overuse may make his arms sore, but more inconvenient is its ineffectiveness in cold weather if Bakugo is unable to sweat.
2 Togaru Kamakiri - Razor Sharp
Many anime fans have never heard of this character, but class 1-B's Togaru has both a personality and strength comparable with that of 1-A's Bakugo, if slightly more convenient.
The mantis hero possesses a quirk that allows him to produce large blades from any part of his body. While it may seem dull at the start, his blades are so sharp they can cut through steel pipes as well as withstand point-blank explosions; the latter coming to light after an attempt from Kamakiri's class 1-A counterpart.
1 Shoto Todoroki - Half-Cold Half-Hot
Coming in at number 1 is none other than the dual-quirked Shoto Todoroki. Endeavor should be pleased as he truly did create the perfect successor to claim the number 1 hero spot.
Shoto's quirk allows him to produce flames from his left side and ice from his right. Even without utilizing his left side, we've seen Shoto prove to be powerful enough to finish off an opponent within mere seconds. Both sides combined simply push the young hero beyond a certain threshold at which he is maybe a bit too powerful. The only drawback to this quirk is that its use can affect Todoroki's body temperature, leading to overheating or frostbite if either side is overused. However, this effect can be easily negated so long as he balances his use of either side of the quirk. All of this put together makes Shoto's spot as the wielder of the strongest quirk among students well-deserved.