Shikamaru Nara is a tactical genius in the Naruto universe. He became more skilled in commanding the shadows around him as the series progressed, eventually able to incapacitate dozens of opponents at once, whether through paralysis or asphyxiation.
This made him a respected member of Konoha and one of its finest shinobi. However, as considerable as his skills might be, there are limits behind his manipulation of darkness. By pairing him against the My Hero Academia universe characters, fans have a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses behind one of the brightest minds in the Leaf Village.
10 Could Beat - Suneater
One of Mirio's closest friends and a member of the Big Three, Suneater, was able to transform his body into anything he had recently consumed. Often, this manifested through squid-like appendages, claws, and sometimes even beaks.
While this made him one of U.A High's most proficient melee fighters, his arsenal is limited by the strength of the animal he eats. Since he doesn't have an excess of physical brawn and because his transformations increase his shadow's size, it would be easy for Shikamaru to bind him with his paralysis jutsu.
9 Would Lose To - Tokoyami
One of the most powerful students in Class 1-A, Tokoyami's "Dark Shadows" quirk balances range with utility. It can stretch from his body and cause devastating medium-ranged attacks to protect its user.
Since the darkness surrounding it only increases its potency, it follows that being caught in Shikamaru's jutsu may work to the hero's advantage, especially if the shinobi could not ensnare the creature protruding from Tokoyami's body. It would leave him defenseless for the impending strike, one which would exploit his low durability and defeat him.
8 Could Beat - Overhaul
Kai Chisaki's "Overhaul" quirk allowed him to manipulate the matter of anything he touched. In combat, he would use this to skewer his enemies on large spikes of earth, heal himself, and even kill targets in a single touch if given a chance.
However, he has low physical strength, durability, and agility by his own merits, as seen through his battle against Mirio. This entails that Shikamaru cast his shadow on him. He would not possess the fortitude to escape it. Without the usage of his hands, he would be at the shinobi's mercy.
7 Would Lose To - Muscular
As potent as Shikamaru's shadow jutsu might be, those it ensnares are not helpless. Enough physical strength is capable of overcoming it, as demonstrated through his encounter against Fujin and Raijin.
Since Muscular is defended by the bulging veins and pliable meat-laden across his entire body, it entails that Shikamaru's shadow stitching would not have the severe, lacerating effects it would inflict against most victims. This would purchase the time the villain needs to break the jutsu, charge its caster, and crack the shinobi's spine with a single decisive motion of his wrists.
6 Could Beat - Mr. Compress
Like Overhaul, Mr. Compress can defeat his opponents through a single touch. His quirk enables him to fit anything into a marble size, including gigantic boulders that he can unleash as unlikely projectiles.
However, the villain's reflexes are not particularly keen, as demonstrated through his instant defeat against Chisaki during his first confrontation with Shigaraki. Consequently, it's unlikely that he would be able to dodge the shadow paralysis, considering that Shikamaru's jutsu moves even faster than the Yakuza boss does.
5 Would Lose To - Bakugo
Bakugo's "Explosion" quirk and how he utilizes it is virtually a perfect counter to Shikamaru. Positioning his gauntlets behind his back, he compels himself forward in a torrent of fire at such alarming speeds that not even All For One could reach him in time to prevent his escape.
Not only would this entail that he should be able to avoid Shikamaru's shadows, but the flames themselves would also coax them away from him. Therefore, Shikamaru would be forced to rely on his taijutsu to overcome the hero, a skill that he has not honed well enough to pose a threat.
4 Could Beat - Neito
Neito's quirk allows him to mimic the powers of anyone he touches. He can store two at a time. He can use them with as just as much proficiency as their original owner (as proven through the Sports Festival), making him deceptively more powerful than his pompous demeanor might bely.
However, he has no means of closing the distance between himself and his enemy, granting Shikamaru an opportunity to paralyze him before he can copy his jutsu. Considering that Shikamaru is a much more skilled melee combatant (especially since he is familiar with ninja tools), Neito has no means of defeating him.
3 Would Lose To - Ectoplasm
Ectoplasm a professional hero that can multiply himself rapidly in a short span of time. This would provide dozens of targets for Shikamaru to choose from, and while he can paralyze more than one victim at a time, Ectoplasm's experience would entail that at least a few of his copies could manage to evade his reach.
Since Shikamaru cannot maintain his paralysis and defend himself simultaneously, this would force him to release the clones he managed to ensnare. Shortly thereafter, the shinobi would be overwhelmed.
2 Could Beat - Gentle Criminal
Gentle Criminal was able to bend and manipulate anything he touched, including the air itself. With this talent - and through La Brava's enhancement - he was able to contend with Izuku Midoriya, enduring several of the One For All enhanced punches that the hero landed on him.
Nonetheless, his physical strength is unimpressive by its own merits. Since he cannot bend Shikamaru's shadows (especially after being apprehended by them), he could not hope to obfuscate the shinobi's umbral grip. His only reprieve would be through bending the wind around him to mount a timely escape, but given Shikamaru's speed, even a retreat would be unlikely.
1 Would Lose To - Hawks
One truth about Shikamaru's shadow possession jutsu is that the further one is from it, the easier it is to dodge. Its limited range is one of the shinobi's worst weaknesses and a facet the avian hero is bound to exploit.
Since he doesn't need many feathers to sustain his own flight, he could send most of them toward Shikamaru, butchering his body as he futilely attempted to reach him. With each projectile as sharp as steel, a single well-placed quill would be enough to defeat his ninja adversary.