However, not everyone can be a Deku, Bakugou, or Todoroki, meaning that the balance is all over the place. So we’re going to look into the weaker end of this hero world as we count down the most useless Quirks in My Hero Academia. I’ll try to stick to named characters with named Quirks only, so don’t expect that one dude who pulled his eyes out in the first episode.
15. Hanta Sero – Tape
I initially quite liked this Quirk. It seemed very versatile, and basically allowed you to be Spiderman. However, as you’ll quickly see, a lot of the Quirks featured on this list can simply be replicated with technology. And such is the case with Tape, as Eraser Head’s scarf seems to function in the exact same way as tape – without giving you the weirdest elbows ever. Even Shisuo got the hang of these after some training, so Sero’s Quirk basically just cuts out some training and nothing more. Which is pretty mediocre when you think about it.
14. Kinoko Komori – Mushroom
This Quirk is a bit odd. When it was initially used, it just seemed like a nuisance rather than an actual threat. It’s extremely nerfed for any dry areas, and the user has to be hidden to have the slightest hope of doing something useful. But then we learn that the mushrooms can also just flat out kill you, which would have been extremely good if Kinoko was a villain. But considering she’s a hero, it seems rather useless. Maybe in the manga Kinoko has some better feats. But for now she just seems like a small hurdle that’s there to annoy you.
13. Yosetsu Awase – Weld
Weld is a handy Quirk, but an extremely weak one. Sure, Yosetsu was a major asset when he stuck the tracking device onto the Nomu. But that was only possible thanks to Momo. He needs a lot of prep work to effectively use his Quirk, as he both needs a certain item that was prepared beforehand, and the opportunity to touch his opponent while holding that item in a different hand. Considering what other characters do when they touch you, this is pretty mediocre. Sure, he could use his Quirk to create something neat outside of battle. But again, it’s more of a time-saver than a proper Quirk.
12. Shin Nemoto – Confession
So this Quirk would have been extremely powerful were it not for a sneaky little concept known as “semantics”. His entire purpose is to uncover information and prevent betrayal. And yet the only time we saw him interrogate someone, he utterly failed and got backstabbed. And that failure came about just because he didn’t word his question in the most optimal manner. On paper, the Quirk is endlessly versatile and strong. But in execution, it has too many holes. In fact, whenever the user does mess up a confession, he basically helps the enemy out. Because they’ll be under little-to-no suspicion since they “passed the test”.
11. Ryo Inui – Dog
Dog is another one that should be strong, but simply isn’t. It gives you the heightened senses of a dog, making you the ultimate scouting machine. However, the only time it was put to the test it just fell short. I’m pretty sure that even a normal human could have heard people screaming at each other as they jumped around and threw punches that could chop trees in half. The fact is that if Deku was not where he was, villains would have entered U.A. with little to no difficulty. Plus, the Quirk seemingly does a job on your communication skills and makes you lash out like an angry animal, making it infinitively less useful than most other sensory Quirks.
10. Shikkui Makabe – Stiffening
As a Quirk, Stiffening is just a bit dull. It gives the user the ability to make things they touch hard – but it only applies to non-living objects. Really try and think of a situation where this Quirk is at all game-changing, especially if you’re in a one on one situation. Sure, it would be hilarious to throw pieces of paper at someone like shuriken. But at the end of the day it does not guarantee that you’ll hit anyone with them, nor that you have enough strength to actually make the hit be all that important. And you can always just bring your own hard projectiles. No matter how I look at it, this Quirk is only useful in very specific team-comps, and in very specific situations.
9. Toya Setsuno – Larceny
Larceny has the same issue as Stiffening, as it’s simply way too niche. It just allows you to instantly take any small-to-medium object out of someone’s hand. However, the user has to see the item first. And as we’ve seen in the anime, this part can be exploited very easily. You can honestly just cover with your coat and then shoot that way and leave the user practically Quirkless. The only reason Larceny isn’t even further on the list is the fact that it’s pretty good for theft, but that’s about it.
8. Saiko Intelli – IQ
Not to sound like a broken record here, but this Quirk seems so powerful on paper – and yet has shown no real results. It allows you to quantify your IQ after drinking some tea and closing your eyes. However, the user still got outsmarted by your regular smart person. And keep in mind that Saiko had the perfect conditions to use her Quirk when this happened. In a real battle, no one is going to wait for you while you sip tea and try to concentrate. Plus, the Quirk means next to nothing if you don’t have a team to actually carry out your plans. So yeah, it’s just an r/iamverysmart submission and nothing more.
7. Backdraft – Water Pump
This Quirk just plays like a really fancy hose. It allows you to spray some water, as well as control it to some degree. The Quirk is a fine tool for a firefighter. But it just falls flat in the hero business. It probably took the user years to get any kind of real control over the water, and he sprays it out at a pretty mediocre rate, meaning that there’s no way to use it offensively. Compared to villains who can control entire waves and flood a city, Water Pump just feels like a waste.
6. Toru Hagakure – Invisibility
Even though being invisible is a staple power among comic book and anime fans alike (especially those who are on the pervy side), the Quirk is just useless. Its only purpose is to gather information. And yet it gets outclassed by almost every other sensory Quirk. The user has to be completely naked and unarmed to actually get up close. And something as simple as a cloud of smoke or squeaky floorboard can completely ruin your mission. Why go through all that trouble when there are people who can just listen in on the conversations from miles away and achieve the same effect with none of the risk?
5. La Brava – Love
I love La Brava, but her Quirk is simply way too niche. In fact, I think it’s the most requirement and restriction heavy Quirk in the entire My Hero Academia universe. It allows you to power up a person that you truly love for a short period of time. You can also only use it once a day. The fact that you have to be in love already limits this Quirk tremendously. But there’s also the fact that the powerup itself is not overpowered by any means, and that it’s only applicable if your lover knows how to fight in hand-to-hand combat. A buff Todoroki is equally as powerful as the base form – only now he also has to be in a relationship.
4. Shuichi Iguchi – Gecko
This Quirk flat-out worsens your life. Imagine having to look like a giant lizard just so that you get to live out your fantasy of climbing the side of a skyscraper. It’s just not worth it. In terms of mobility, almost every other Quirk of that nature outclasses it by a long shot. Hell, even Mineta call scale walls in the exact same manner. But he doesn’t have to look like a lizard, nor is he confined to only use his Quirk in that specific instance. And when diaper boy has a leg up on you, it probably means that you drew the short end of the stick.
3. Kaoruko Awata – Bubble
So, this power allows you to create bubbles that are packed with a scent that you have smelled before. Can anyone tell me how this is useful in any situation? Other than for pranking people or calming down a child. There’s little to no use case when it comes to this Quirk. If it’s a really nasty smell, your opponent can just pinch their nose. If it’s a really good smell, you just added steps to a perfume. Every aspect of this Quirk can be so easily replicated with things you can find in your everyday life that I simply see no purpose for its existence.
2. Mei Hatsume – Zoom
While researching this Quirk for the purpose of this list, I almost though that it was a sleeper OP. That’s because the wiki states that the user can zoom up to 5 km into the distance. But then I remembered a few things. First, that it only really works if there’s literally nothing between you and the person you’re spying on, which is kind of a stretch. Secondly, that you can literally mimic this exact effect with a pair of good binoculars. In fact, binoculars are probably even better because you can also lend them to your teammates and have everyone fully understand the situation.
1. Tatami Nakagame – Telescopic
I’ve already bashed this character once in a previous list, and I will do it again here. Telescopic is just a party trick and nothing more. Tatami literally only uses it once to dodge an attack, and then she can’t even repeat that same mediocre move until she gets unstuck. In case you didn’t see the episode and this just sounds like rambling, Telescopic just allows you to “fold” a part of your body into itself, like a scared turtle. How the hell did Tatami ever pass the entrance exam? How has she not been killed by a random thug with a knife? Everything about this character is confusing and I hate it.
