Should the Quirkless Be Considered Weak?

Key Takeaways

• Quirkless individuals face discrimination but can still be innovative and determined to become heroes.
• Quirks manifest at age 4, and 80% of the world has them, leaving 20% as Quirkless targets.
• Training and support items can help Quirkless individuals participate in battle against weaker villains.

Quirkless individuals, much like Heteromorphs, are on the chopping block for discrimination and ridicule due to that which has never been in their power to change. However, what the individual takes out of it determines their future.

In My Hero Academia, the Quirkless are constantly picked on and bullied by the stronger, but would they be considered weak just because they could not fight back at the time? Quirkless individuals can be innovative and determined to become heroes in their own right, although it may be harder.

What are the Quirkless?

Even without a superpower, Quirkless individuals can also contribute to the Hero Society

My Hero Academia is a world abundant with individuals who can use superhuman powers known as Quirks. Since the beginning of Quirks, which took place around 100 years prior, multiple generations have passed on their Quirk to new inheritors, thus evolving and enhancing the Quirks that have been passed down; this is also what Dr. Kyudai Garaki calls the Quirk Singularity theory.

As a result of this superhuman phenomenon, at the start of the series, around 80% of the world’s population can use Quirks, regardless of how insignificant they may be. As such, 20% of the remaining population is Quirkless. As these superhuman individuals outnumber the Quirkless, they are often targets of discrimination and ridicule.

• Quirkless individuals are born with two joints in their pinky toe, and an x-ray can confirm whether an individual is without a Quirk.
• Quirks would manifest when a child reaches the age of 4 years.
• Children of Mutants can generally use their Quirks at birth, as the extra appendage is part of their body.

As mentioned above, Quirkless individuals are often the recipients of discrimination, as seen with Midoriya Izuku in Season 1 of My Hero Academia. While Midoriya received the short end of the stick and faced countless bullying incidents, this type of discrimination was not faced by other Quirkless individuals. Although being Quirkless can be seen as a hindrance for those living in the Hero Society, it does not impact their daily lives.

Another noteworthy point is that others are not aware of who is Quirkless or not; revealing an individual’s potential Quirk is entirely up to the individual. In this case, an example would be Aoyama Yuga, who lived as Quirkless for some time before he received his Quirk: Navel Laser from All For One. Yuga inherently felt that he was different from others as he did not have a Quirk, and as his parents adored him, they found a way to give him a Quirk as they did not want Yuga to receive discrimination. With this, it’s probable that Yuga did not inform any of his peers about his Quirkless status, thus saving himself from discrimination.

I’ve always wanted to be equal with everybody else.

In the series, there is a high demand for individuals with powerful Quirks, which make up the Hero Society. Due to this, it is evident that Quirkless individuals are on the lowest tier of the hierarchy, as they no longer fit into society and don’t have a basic Quirk to distinguish themselves. However, this does not mean Quirkless individuals are weak when facing a powerful villain; the fight will be lost. However, Quirkless individuals are innovative and have other means of battle.

Can the Quirkless be considered weak?

All heroes put in the extra work that defines their abilities, and so do they Quirkless

Quirkless individuals can be considered weak when it comes to becoming a pro hero; however, this does not mean they don’t have their own fighting methods. In My Hero Academia: Vigilante, we encounter Oguro Iwao, also known as the High-Speed Hero: O’Clock, who was known for his Quirk: Overclock.

Oguro accomplished several feats as a Pro Hero until All For One stole his Quirk and gave it to Number 6, Rokuro Nomura. After having his Quirk stolen, Oguro worked and trained tirelessly to continue working as a vigilante, unraveling All For One’s plan and using his connections to save his daughter from the Villain Factory’s clutches.

Throughout this time, Oguro successfully defeated several Instant Villains with his bare fists, which led him to become admired by Koichi and Kazuho. Although Oguro was a Pro Hero, Quirks are used to give you an advantage in battle. However, some forms of martial arts are still required if the individual intends to take on a villain in close combat.

This is why Uraraka Ochaco interned at Gunhead’s agency to learn martial arts. While Quirks certainly give you an advantage in battle, it’s imperative that the User is aware of their Quirk limitations, as it may not assist them in every battle, which is why certain Pro Heroes or Sidekicks are better suited at Agencies in which their Quirks are needed.

If a Quirkless person were to train adequately, they too would be able to participate somewhat in battle, most likely against weaker villains. However, Melissa Shield, also known for being Quirkless, constructed Support Items to assist heroes on the field. While this is not a traditional means of fighting, supporting those in battle with innovative technology that boosts their Quirk and enhances their capabilities is impressive in its own right.

Most of the time, Quirkless individuals do not stand a chance in battle against powerful villains. However, provided the individual has the capabilities, knowledge, and experience to participate in battle, they would not be considered weak. After All Might passed on the Quirk: One For All to Midoriya Izuku, he again became Quirkless. However, after amassing a fortune during his time as the Symbol of Peace, All Might and Melissa Shield developed the Armored All Might supersuit.

It’s because I wanted to become a hero no matter what.

The students of Class A inspired this suit and gave All Might the boost needed to battle with All For One. Although All Might lost the battle, if All Might had fought against a different villain, the battle would certainly have been won. While Quirkless individuals could be seen as weak in a traditional sense, numerous individuals have proven this wrong to a certain extent. Quirklessness does not define a person but rather how they intend to live their lives.

My Hero Academia is now available to stream on Crunchyroll.