All Might decided to make Deku his successor by transferring the One For All Quirk to him. Deku may have been a scrawny, Quirkless teenager when he became All Might's successor, but he eventually mastered One For All and became one of the strongest Heroes in My Hero Academia. For most MHA fans, Deku was the best choice to succeed All Might, but several other Heroes would arguably have been better successors than Deku.
Most of the Heroes that would have been better successors to All Might were Deku's classmates, but a few established Heroes would have also been good choices. Each of these potential successors had useful Quirks that would have been empowered by One For All. For the most part, these selfless Heroes had bodies that could withstand One For All's superhuman physical abilities.
My Hero Academia: 9 Overpowered Quirks That Can Destroy Cities
While My Hero Academia features countless dangerous quirks, some of the most OP abilities can level entire cities with their destructive power.
7
Mezo Shoji
-
Pro Hero Name: Tentacle Hero: Tentacole
Mezo may have not received a lot of screen time, but he played an integral role in the defense of Central Hospital during the Final War, where he defeated an empowered Spinner. After graduation, Mezo becomes Japan's No. 9 Pro Hero, making him one of Class 1-A's highest ranking Heroes. Mezo is an entirely selfless Hero, much like Deku, which is incredible since he was persecuted for being a heteromorph. Since becoming a Pro Hero, Mezo has essentially become the symbol of peace for all heteromorphs.
His actions have earned him global recognition, including My Hero Academia's version of the Nobel Peace Prize. These traits make Mezo a prime candidate for All Might's successor, and his Quirk would have helped make One For All more formidable. Mezo can create several duplicate arms at once during battle. One For All's superhuman strength is immense with just one fist, so a multi-armed barrage would have been devastating to any Villain. Unlike Deku, Mezo already possessed enhanced durability, so his body would have been able to handle the strain of One For All's power a lot better.
6
Eijiro Kirishima
-
Pro Hero Name: Sturdy Hero: Red Riot
When he was younger, Eijiro did not think much of his Hardening Quirk, but he became more confident after being accepted to UA High School. Thanks to his training, Eijiro became one of Class 1-A's strongest students, and he became a selfless Hero who would charge into danger to protect others. This was shown when he tanked an attack from a rampaging Gigantomachia to save Mina's life. If All Might had seen this before meeting Deku, there is a high chance he would have named Eijiro his successor on the spot.
Aside from his heroic mindset, Eijiro would have been a better successor since there is a chance his Quirk, combined with One For All's superhuman durability, could have potentially made him immune to most forms of physical damage. Eijiro's naturally enhanced body would have allowed him to better withstand One For All's power, and the superhuman stamina that it offers would have allowed him to keep Hardening active for longer periods of time. Even someone as powerful as All For One would have a hard time injuring Eijiro under these conditions.
My Hero Academia: 7 Strongest Body Manipulation Quirks, Ranked
These body manipulation quirks aren't just for show. Here's a look at how they rank.
5
Shota Aizawa
-
Pro Hero Name: Erasure Hero: Eraser Head
Shota was Class 1-A's homeroom teacher, and he is known for being a solitary, cold, and very stern Pro Hero who is highly motivated by logic. These are not the personality traits that All Might would typically look for in a successor, but even he cannot deny how skilled and effective Shota is in the field. Like Deku, Shota would need to train to make One For All compatible with his body, but his tactical skills are superior to Deku's, so he would have used One For All a lot smarter during fights. This means he likely would not have injured himself as much as Deku did.
Deku mastered One For All because he was Quirkless and determined, but Shota would still have been a better choice simply because of his Quirk. Erasure is one of MHA's strongest reality altering Quirks because it has the power to nullify other Quirks. Shota could have easily ended All For One and the League of Villains himself if he had One For All in earlier arcs. Powerless Villains could barely fight against Shota when all he had were binding clothes, so superhuman punches and kicks would have been definite takedowns.
4
Katsuki Bakugou
-
Pro Hero Name: Bombshell Hero: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight
Bakugo idolized All Might just like Deku, and his dream is to one day surpass All Might as Japan's No. 1 Hero. He currently sits in the No. 5 spot. It is true that Bakugo is very hot-headed, vulgar, and short-tempered, but his work ethic speaks for itself. He also saved All Might and defeated the real All For One during the Final War, which many people thought would be impossible. If that does not prove that Bakugo was a worthy successor, nothing else would.
Bakugo's body was enhanced enough to handle One For All's power, and thanks to his overpowered Quirk Awakening, he can produce multiple powerful explosions at once. In My Hero Academia: Heroes: RisingBakugo briefly wielded One For All when Deku transferred it to him, and not only could his body keep up with it, it empowered his Quirk to the point it could melt stone and create massive craters. Based on this short usage, it is clear that Bakugo could have potentially vaporized All For One much earlier if All Might had chosen him instead.
3
Shoto Todoroki
-
Pro Hero Name: AC Hero: Shoto
From the time he was a child, Shoto underwent grueling training every day because his father wanted him to surpass All Might in every way. When Shoto finally decided to forge his own path, he quickly became one of Japan's strongest and most popular Pro Heroes. Eight years after graduation, he has risen to the No. 2 rank. Shoto has the selflessness to become All Might's successor. This was seen during the Final War when he was willing to sacrifice himself to stop Dabi's nuclear explosion.
Shoto had the work ethic to master One For All faster than Deku, and his own Quirk would have been significantly enhanced by it as well. Half-Cold Half-Hot is one of MHA's strongest fire Quirks, as Shoto can incinerate Villains with the fire generated by his left side, while the ice from his right side can freeze them. He can combine both elements to make empowered cold fire. With One For All up his sleeve, he likely could have beaten any Villain. Based on his resolve, strength, and his ability to fight on par with Deku, Shoto would have made a great successor.
2
Cathleen Bate
-
Pro Hero Name: Star and Stripe
Cathleen Bate idolized All Might from the moment he saved her life in the United States and decided to become a Pro Hero just like him. She went on to become the No. 1 Hero in the US, and she was one of the only people All For One feared because her New Order Quirk could have stopped him. She had the power to place new properties onto other living or non-living things, to the point she could have weakened All For One to the point of death by simply touching him and saying his name. Cathleen did not have a lot of screen time, but she quickly became one of My Hero Academia's best female characters.
When Japan asked for international aid, she did not hesitate to help, and she was willing to die to protect her teammates. Death could not stop her heroism either, as she sabotaged her own Quirk when Tomura stole it. This destroyed many of Tomura's accumulated Quirks, which made the final fight easier. Deku may have been All Might's top choice, but Cathleen was a far better candidate. She had the right body to contain One For All's power, she was an experienced Hero, and All Might respected her. More importantly, Cathleen could have used New Order to set a safeguard that would have destroyed the body of anyone who tried stealing One For All from her.
My Hero Academia: The Strongest Pro Heroes Killed By Villains
As strong as these Pro Heroes were, they couldn't survive their encounters with some of My Hero Academia's strongest villains.
1
Mirio Togata
-
Pro Hero Name: Comedy Hero: Lemillion
Mirio was the strongest student at UA High School when Deku began his Pro Hero studies. As a student, Mirio received high praise for his extraordinary technique, excellent fighting ability, and charismatic personality, which is why he was touted as a future No. 1 Pro hero. Before All Might met Deku, Mirio was also regarded as the top contender to succeed All Might as the next One For All user. One For All may be gone forever, but Mirio did succeed in becoming Japan's top ranked Hero.
Based on his rank, Mirio is now one of the strongest characters in My Hero Academiaand One For All would have made him so strong that even All For One and Tomura would likely be unable to stop him. With his Permeation Quirk, Mirio can become intangible, but he can also move through solid matter at incredible speeds and deliver devastating strikes. One For All would have made him even faster and stronger, to the point he could potentially take out any Villain with a single hit.
- Release Date
-
2016 – 2026-00-00
- Network
-
TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
-
Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
-
Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
-
Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)
