My Hero Academia: 7 Surprisingly Strong Characters

As anyone who has watched or read My Hero Academia will know very well, looks can be very deceiving. Thanks to the fun and vibrant aesthetic and art style of My Hero Academia, many individuals can initially look far from intimidating as far as appearances go, only to then end up being one of the strongest characters in the entire series. Strength in My Hero can go one of two ways though. On the one hand, it refers to a hero or villain’s raw power and grit, but it also relates to their Quirk, with some being much more powerful than others.

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It’s always a nice surprise to see a character showcase their true potential when it might have initially seemed that they would be pretty weak, or at least, nothing out of the ordinary. Within the immensely popular My Hero Academia, though, this has been the case for numerous individuals, specifically the heroes and villains listed below.

7

Eijiro Kirishima

The Plucky Class 1-A Student’s Quirk Turns Him Into A Hard-Hitting Powerhouse Once He Masters It

• First Appearance: Episode 5

Though most members of Class 1-A get a decent amount of screentime to showcase their abilities and Quirks, Kirishima is one specific student who grows to become surprisingly strong over the course of the series. During the U.S Sports Festival, Kirshimia proved he could hold his own, but still had a bit of trouble controlling his Hardening Quirk. However, by the time he partook in the mission to intercept Overhaul, he had honed his Quirk to make his entire body indestructible.

At the same time, Kirishima’s Quirk would also greatly bolster the strength of his punches, with each one feeling like a freight train; something Rappa came to learn first-hand. While all the students of Class 1-A have come a long way, Kirishima, to the surprise of many, became shockingly powerful, despite his limited screentime.

6

Re-Destro

The Head Of The Meta Liberation Army Isn’t Afraid To Get His Hands Dirty

• First Appearance: Episode 108

When Re-Destro first shows up at about the halfway point of the story, it seems as though he’s little more than a well-dressed businessman who prefers to let his loyal army of followers do his dirty work for him. Pair this with his Stress Quirk, which felt more like a curse than a blessing at first, and it seemed for a while that Re-Destro wasn’t someone trained in combat at all, that is, until Shigaraki shows up.

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In an attempt to hold off the super-powered villain, Re-Destro expands in size through the use of his Quirk, eventually becoming a terrifyingly large monster who possesses immense durability and overwhelming strength. Though Re-Destro would only unleash these forms a handful of times in the series, it certainly took a lot of people by surprise when he showed that he was more than capable of dishing out tons of damage when pushed over the edge.

5

Twice

Twice Is Able To Take On An Entire Army With His Infinite Clones

• First Appearance: Episode 43

Twice is often presented as being the goofiest member of the League of Villains, and though his Quirk, which can double anything he touches, is extremely powerful, it felt as though this guy would be kept as comic relief for much of the show. Once the My Villain Academia arc arrives, though, Twice begins to overcome his trauma, and begins running wild with his Quirk, which enables him to take on an entire army of Meta Liberation followers.

Twice is able to take over an entire city with his body doubles, and proves to be a much bigger thorn in the side for the heroes than anyone could have ever expected him to be. Twice always had the potential to be absurdly strong given the limitless possibilities of his Quirk, but it was only when he finally got the hang of it that he was able to put his full power on display.

4

Mirio Togata

Mirio May Look Like A Goofy All-Might Cosplay, But He’s Not Someone To Be Messed With

• First Appearance: Episode 62

It can be easy to mistake Mirio for little more than an All Might fanboy, considering the striking resemblance in appearance, and that’s what a lot of fans suspected he might be when he made his debut at the beginning of the Overhaul arc. This is why it was so surprising when it was revealed that Mirio is just as strong, if not stronger, than many of the Pro Heroes, thanks to his Quirk.

Permeation allows Mirio to become intangible, allowing him to walk through walls and fall through the floor. After a tremendous amount of training, Mirio was able to perfect his Quirk so that it could amplify his mobility in combat, and when mixed with his immense strength, it made him one of the strongest beings in all of My Hero Academia, despite his comedic first impression.

3

Himiko Toga

Toga Unleashes The True Potential of Her Quirk Once Her Obsession Starts Taking Her Over

• First Appearance: Episode 31

Considering she’s a member of the League of Villains when the story of My Hero Academia kicks off, it is clear that Toga is a dangerous individual who has committed plenty of crimes throughout her life. However, for much of the story, she is often seen as more of a spy and infiltrator thanks to her shapeshifting abilities, but as her obsession with having a ‘friend’ grows stronger, she begins to demonstrate how far her Quirk can really go.

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During her fight with Curious, Toga manages to use her Quirk to briefly turn into Ochaco, before then using Ochaco’s own Quirk to lift her opponent up, before sending her crashing down to her death. Needless to say, fans saw Toga as a much more formidable enemy for the heroes to take on after this impressive show of strength.

2

Mirko

Defeating An Entire Hallway Full Of Nemus Is No Small Feat

• First Appearance: Episode 82

While all the Pro-Heroes earned their positions because of their strength and reliability, it’s mainly All Might and Endeavor who take up most of the spotlight, considering they are the highest-ranked of the group. This resulted in Mirko being left on the sidelines for quite a while, so when she rocked up to take out multiple Nemus in one fell swoop, it immediately made fans realize why exactly she is so admired by her peers.

Nemus have always been tricky opponents for the Pro-Heroes to deal with, and while the Nemus Mirko took on were still prototypes, eliminating so many of them with her lightning speed and raw power is no easy feat. People knew Mirko would be strong, but nobody expected her to be the absolute powerhouse she would end up becoming.

1

Eri

An Innocent Young Girl Who Possesses One Of The Most Powerful Quirks In All Of My Hero Academia

• First Appearance: Episode 66

As mentioned previously, strength in the world of My Hero doesn’t always need to be physical power. In the case of Eri, it’s clear from a quick glance that she’s not going to be beating up villains with her own fists any time soon, considering she’s still only a young girl. Therefore, it can be easy to assume that she’s more or less harmless, but what makes Eri such a threat is her Quirk, Rewind.

During the epic battle between Deku and Overhaul, Eri demonstrates just how powerful her Quirk is when she allows Deku to go all-out by rewinding his body before it is able to destroy itself. The horn on Eri’s head dictates how strong the Quirk currently is if unleashed, so while she looks like a fairly ordinary and sweet young girl, she possesses one of the strongest Quirks in the entire series.