Summary
While there are many Quirks inMy Hero Academiathat deserve the praise they get for being so efficient and powerful, there’s inevitably always going to be a few that end up being a little overrated as time goes on. Though they may seem reliable on the surface, it can sometimes be easy to forget about some of the drawbacks and limitations that can hold these personal abilities back from being as perfect as some might claim them to be.
That isn’t to suggest these Quirks are bad, far from it, just that the reception they receive can often present them as being much greater than they actually are in practice. With that in mind, it’s time to reflect on theMy Hero AcademiaQuirks, which, for one reason or another, can seem to be just a tad overrated in the grand scheme of things.
8Brainwash
Despite Its Potential, Brainwash Is Far From Easy To Use
On paper, Brainwash sounds like a Quirk that can be extremely strong to use in battle, considering it gives Shinso the ability to creep his influence into a person’s mind and control their body as he pleases. After he displayed this against Deku in one of the early exams, it made it easy to assume that this Quirk was going to be truly unstoppable, but it comes withso many drawbacksthat it diminishes the overall reliability of the Brainwash.
For example, Shinso first needs to ask his target a question, which they must then respond to, in order to activate his Quirk, and if they end up bumping into another person or object, Shinso’s control will be lost. It also takes Shinso a very long time before he’s actually able to make his target speak, meaning it was pretty useless for villain interrogations before the final war.
7Foresight
Foresight Isn’t Quite As Accurate As Some May Think
The ability to peek into the futureis always going to be strong, no matter what series it appears in, but in the case of Nighteye, his Quirk contains serious problems that hold it back from being too powerful. For example, during the raid on Overhaul’s base, Deku managed to prove Nighteye’s vision wrong by defeating Overhaul in a one-on-one fight.
While Nighteye’s visions are therefore usually spot on, this revealed that the Quirk might not be as reliable as a lot of people give credit for. It can also only be used once every 24 hours, unlike the majority of Quirks in the series, which can be thrown out on a much more regular basis. Simply put, despite being a Quirk that some have claimed is one of the best, when looking into its specific weaknesses, there are definitely a few glaring limitations that prevent it from reaching its full potential.
6Explosion
Bakugo’s Quirk Is A Rather Dangerous One For A Hero To Possess
In terms of raw offensive power, the Explosion Quirk owned by Bakugo is definitely high up in the list, but this can overshadow how unpredictable the ability is when used. Bakugo’s blasts can completely decimate his surrounding area if he ends up getting a little too carried away while using them, which could ultimately end up putting innocent civilians in danger rather than helping them.
Additionally, using this Quirk in cold temperatures will severely dampen its effectiveness, and the same can be said if Bakugo tries throwing out his explosions with both arms at once, since it will lower the overall power of each blast. Sure, Explosion may excel at hitting villains with big, flashy attacks, but it’s not quite as perfect as some might claim it is.
5Gearshift
Explosive Power, But At A Great Price
There’s a reason whythe Vestigeswarned Deku to only use Gearshift as a last resort, as while it can dish out some frankly absurd damage, it can’t just be thrown out anytime Deku feels like it. Using Gearshift will take a massive toll on Deku’s body, ridding him of oxygen during the time that he deploys it, making it extremely unsafe to use.
Not only that, but the user technically only gets one shot at throwing it out, since if they end up missing or getting interrupted somehow, using it a second time is pretty much a death wish. Again, Gearshift is one of the deadliest Quirks Deku has in his arsenal, but it can often be easy to rate its power level while forgetting about the severe limitations that come with using it.
4Dark Shadow
Relying On The Time Of Day So Heavily Makes Dark Shadow Unpredictable
Being able to control a giant shadow monster who can wreak as much havoc as possible is a fun ability to have, but Dark Shadow is nowhere near as reliable as some might think. Tokoyami’s Quirk highly depends on the time of day to determine its effectiveness, so when the sun is still in the sky, his shadow will be much smaller and docile, and while this does make it easy to control, it’s also far weaker.
On the other hand, the shadow can turn into aterrifyingly aggressive beastin the night, but being able to keep a lid on it is much easier said than done. It’s common to see Dark Shadow being hailed as one of the strongest Quirks in the hero’s arsenal, and while it’s definitely achieved a lot throughout the story, the severe drawbacks do end up dampening its overall reliability and effectiveness in battle.
3Permeation
Mirio’s Quirk Is Both A Blessing And A Curse
Because Mirio has been able to master his Permeation Quirk, he can make it seem like the ability is easy to use, and one that every hero would want to get their hands on. The truth is, though, the ability to phase through anything is extremely dangerous, which is whyit took Mirio several years to even be able to use the Quirkin combat, let alone master it.
It’s important to remember that when turning his Quirk on, it’s not just the surfaces that will phase through Mirio, but also air and light itself, meaning he literally turns into a ticking time bomb the moment it switches on. While Mirio was able to find a way to shoot himself up to the surface after using it, this isn’t something that comes naturally, so while it can be easy to assume the Quirk is immensely powerful, it’s risky and even a detriment at times.
2Erasure
Aizawa Needs Others Around Him For His Quirk To Be Effective
In theVigilantesspin-off series, it is revealed that Aizawa had a lot of trouble familiarizing himself with his own Quirk, Erasure. Considering the ability is able to completely disable a villain from using their Quirk, it certainly has a lot of potential, but there have been a lot of people who have mistaken this for meaning that Erasure on its own is immensely powerful, which isn’t really the case.
In order for Erasure to be truly effective, Aizawa needs to coordinate closely with the other heroes to take advantage of it. Not only that, but the Quirk can easily be intercepted. All it takes is for Aizawa to blink once, and the enemy will be back up to speed. The hairs on Aizawa’s body will also stand up end when he’s using Erasure, giving the villains an easy way to identify whether they are being targeted or not.
1Creation
Momo’s Creations Cannot Be Too Overly Complex
At a glance, Creation can seem like a straightforward Quirk, and this has ultimately resulted in many people asking why Momo doesn’t just end up building a bomb or an army’s worth of weapons to help out her and the heroes in a tough fight. Fans who have paid close attention to the series will understand this isn’t how the Quirk works, as there is still a cap to thecreative freedomMomo is given when creating an item.
For example, the bigger the object, the longer it takes for Momo to spawn it in, so anytime she’s trying to conjure up a cannon or shield, she will need to have her allies defending her in the meantime. Being able to create objects also requires Momo to use up her lipids, meaning she can become weak and frail by using it a few times in a single battle. Of course, being able to literally turn on God Mode in a fight makes this a strong Quirk for Momo to have, but it can also be easy to get swept up in the idea that its potential is truly limitless, when it really isn’t.
