My Hero Academia: The Most Underrated Villains, Ranked

In the universe of My Hero Academia, there are just as many antagonists as protagonists. Key figures like Shigaraki and All-for-One play significant roles in the story, while characters such as Dabi, Himiko Toga, and Overhaul receive substantial attention and are major adversaries. However, a majority of these villains are mere henchmen or minor criminals whose identities tend to fade into obscurity once they’ve completed their part in the plot.

Despite having some unique abilities and talents that set them apart, a select band of villains in “My Hero Academia” are frequently underestimated due to being overshadowed by the main antagonists. However, their capabilities, powers, and achievements are worthy of recognition, so here’s a list of the 7 most undervalued villains in the series, ranked according to their strength.

Shin Nemoto

The Most Dangerous Spy in the Series

Affiliation: Shie Hassaikai
Rank: B-Rank
First Appearance: Episode 108

I, Shin Nemoto, proudly stand among the Eight Bullets, an elite team within the formidable Shie Hassaikai Yakuza organization. Unlike my comrades who excel in combat, my unique talent lies not in brute force but in unveiling truths. My extraordinary ability, aptly named Confession, compels anyone I target to answer honestly every question I pose.

Though this peculiar ability seems entirely pointless in battle situations, it proves invaluable for intelligence gathering. In truth, no secret, not even the most hidden plans of All-for-One, can withstand the power of Confession. Even someone as cunning as All-for-One would find himself revealing all his wicked schemes if confronted by Nemoto’s Confession. As a warrior, Shin Nemoto struggles to survive alone. However, when it comes to espionage or counterintelligence work, he becomes an exceptionally potent and dangerous figure.

Dictator

The Unhinged Puppet Master

Affiliation: Independent
Rank: Unknown
First Appearance: Episode 135

One version of rephrasing could be: A tyrant, formerly imprisoned in Tartarus, managed to break free during All-For-One’s rampage through that high-security super prison. This tyrant possesses a power known as Despot, enabling him to generate slender strands and manipulate anyone attached to these threads. With Despot, the tyrant can command multiple individuals simultaneously, affecting only their motor functions without altering their consciousness.

The skill of manipulating puppets, much like that of a Despot, is exceptionally versatile within fictional realms. It ranges from making an ordinary bystander carry out malevolent tasks to commanding entire crowds. A Dictator’s power is vast, yet he lacks the intelligence to fully grasp his quirk’s true capabilities. However, under the strategic leadership of a clever guide, the Dictator could prove to be a formidable force on the battlefield.

Trumpet

The Most Dangerous Politician

Affiliation: Meta Liberation Army
Rank: B-Rank
First Appearance: Episode 108

Trumpet holds dual roles – not just an executive within the Meta Liberation Army, but also the head of the Hearts and Minds Party. His involvement in two powerful organizations makes him a more formidable adversary than many villains on this list. Unlike other villains who mainly inflict physical or mental harm, Trumpet leverages his business and political power to instigate broad-scale damage across society as a whole.

Additionally, there’s a peculiarity about him called Incite. As its name implies, Incite empowers Trumpet to manipulate people who view him positively, such as his political allies, into carrying out his desires. Moreover, those influenced by Incite will also witness an enhancement in their physical prowess, making them more challenging to manage. Picture this scenario: if Trumpet dedicates himself entirely to his political path and ascends to a prominent government position, the potential destruction he could cause, both tangible and intangible, would be beyond comprehension.

Hari Kurono

The Master of Slow Motion

Affiliation: Shie Hassaikai
Rank: B-Rank
First Appearance: Episode 62

Among the Shie Hassaikai, there’s another notable figure who warrants mention – Hari Kurono. Similar to Shin Nemoto, he belongs to the Eight Bullets, but unlike him, Kurono is a competent fighter. While not the strongest in his circle, he can easily stand his ground against most heroes. This prowess is attributed to his ability, Chronostasis.

As an onlooker, I observe Kurono harness the power of Chronostasis, manipulating his clock-like hair to momentarily freeze his adversaries in time. By extending and maneuvering his hour and minute hair strands, he can inflict precise cuts and stabs that trigger a slow-down effect. The minute hand slows opponents down for a full minute, while the hour hand extends the immobilization for an entire hour. Regardless of how powerful a hero like All Might or Ingenium may be, if Kurono strikes them with his hour hand, even a typical person could potentially overpower these top-tier heroes due to Chronostasis’ time-freezing ability.

Mr. Compress

The Least Famous Member of the League of Villains

Affiliation: League of Villains
Rank: B-Rank
First Appearance: Episode 44

In spite of being relatively modest in size, the League of Villains rose to prominence primarily due to their ruthless leader, Shigaraki. Subsequently, every member of this league garnered a significant amount of notoriety. Dabi, Twice, Himeko Toga, and even Spinner all earned a reputation as dangerous villains. However, it’s Mr. Compress who tends to keep a low profile. Although he doesn’t engage in frontline battles like Dabi or Twice, he is just as formidable in his own right as a menacing villain.

Mr. Compress might not share the reckless bravery of characters like Dabi or Twice, but he’s undeniably a powerful villain in his own right. His unique ability, Compress, stands out as the most adaptable among them all. With this quirk, Mr. Compress can quickly reduce anything within a specific spherical area into tiny marbles. Regardless of how many items are enclosed within the sphere or their total weight, they will all transform into identical, miniature marbles. This versatility allows him to apprehend targets, transport valuables, and even harm enemies by selectively compressing parts of their body. In essence, Mr. Compress possesses a wide range of capabilities.

Skeptic

The Second-Best Hacker in the World

Affiliation: Meta Liberation Army
Rank: B-Rank
First Appearance: Episode 108

In the realm of hacking, Skeptic is frequently undervalued due to La Brave outperforming him in their respective contest. However, it’s essential to remember that Skeptic was the mastermind behind the construction and management of the Paranormal Liberation Front’s security and intelligence system. Furthermore, he was the one who swiftly edited and disseminated Dabi’s propaganda video across Japan, which significantly influenced public sentiment against Endeavor. This remarkable feat was accomplished amidst a tumultuous battlefield in mere minutes. Consequently, while La Brave may excel as a hacker, Skeptic is no less capable.

One key difference between Skeptic and La Brava lies in Skeptic’s unique trait, Anthropomorph. This peculiar ability allows him to transform everyday objects like refrigerators, desks, and cupboards into mindless minions. He can instruct these minions to perform tasks such as manual labor or overwhelming the opposition with their sheer numbers. In contrast, La Brava’s quirk seems less effective. Skeptic’s Anthropomorph is incredibly versatile, making him a formidable one-man force, equipped with both intelligence and physical might. With his hacking skills and this ability, Skeptic could potentially pull off bank robberies or other serious crimes without ever setting foot outside his room.

Gentle Criminal

A Gentle Villain with a Powerful Quirk

Affiliation: Independent
Rank: Unknown
First Appearance: Episode 81

Known by the nickname Gentle, this individual is frequently misjudged because of his extravagant demeanor and lack of involvement in major crimes. Consequently, the public, heroes, and even other villains view him as a small-time crook and a laughing stock among villains. What they fail to grasp, though, is that Gentle possesses an exceptionally potent superpower.

From my perspective as an onlooker, it’s fascinating to note that Gentle possesses a peculiar trait known as Elasticity. This peculiarity enables him to momentarily make anything he touches elastic. In simpler terms, he could convert a car into a gigantic rubber plaything or transform massive steel beams into bendable rubber rods. However, his abilities don’t end there. Remarkably, Gentle can also turn the ground beneath his feet into a mammoth trampoline. Moreover, he has the unique ability to imbue the air around him with elasticity, which is instrumental in his solo effort to prevent the U.A.’s flying fortress from plummeting downwards. In essence, Gentle manipulates the air within hundreds of yards into a colossal trampoline, strong enough to hold the enormous flying fortress aloft.

As you delve deeper into the various applications of Gentle’s Elasticity, it only grows more awe-inspiring. He can leap from one building to another, cushion his falls when he stumbles, simultaneously ward off and retaliate against physical attacks from foes, and there are countless other remarkable uses. What keeps Gentle from being a potential danger to society and a formidable adversary for the heroes is his benevolent disposition. Despite having the skills that could have placed him among the most dangerous and notorious villains, he chose to refrain from such actions because he did not wish to harm innocents. This is why Gentle Criminal stands as an underestimated antagonist in the world of My Hero Academia.

2025-08-05 18:29