My Hero Academia: 6 Characters Who Fought Deku And Should Have Won

by

Many action heroes, like Deku from My Hero Academia, consistently win even when facing overwhelming challenges. The story needs a hero who survives to save the day, so it’s disappointing when the main character always loses. This often leads to uneven fight scenes where heroes like Deku battle much stronger opponents. Sometimes, My Hero Academia handles these fights well, making Deku’s wins believable, like when he calmed down Gentle Criminal or defeated Wolfram and Nine in the movies.

Honestly, watching Deku fight, it’s become hilariously clear his true Quirk is just being unbelievably lucky! It’s not a shock, though – he’s always been the underdog, constantly needing to level up, and thrown into battles against people who should crush him. On paper, some of those opponents had everything to win – better Quirks, smarter strategies, even just being physically stronger. But every single time, Deku pulls through with some crazy, unexpected save. Seriously, anyone else in his shoes would have been finished, but he always manages to escape! It’s wild.

Hitoshi Shinso Only Lost Because One For All is a Living Quirk

Deku Couldn’t Have Escaped Brainwashing’s Effect on His Own

Image via studio Bones.

The sports festival in My Hero Academia was a fantastic tournament with some amazing fights for the students of UA High. Generally, the student with the more powerful Quirk – like Bakugo easily defeating Dark Shadow with his explosions – came out on top. While there weren’t many surprises, one match almost turned the tables: when Hitoshi Shinso, a student not aiming to become a pro hero, battled Deku.

Okay, so watching Deku go up against Hitoshi was intense! Hitoshi’s Brainwashing Quirk is seriously powerful – it’s tough for anyone to break free from. Honestly, Deku should have lost that match; One For All’s strength doesn’t help against a mental attack like that. But then something amazing happened! It turns out One For All isn’t just about physical power – it holds the memories and willpower of all the previous users, like Nana Shimura and Banjo. They were able to reach out and help Deku fight off the brainwashing, which was incredible! No other Quirk could have done that, and it really showed just how special Deku and One For All truly are.

Muscular Could Only Be Overcome By a Nonsensical Power-Up

1,000,000% Smash is Just Wishful Thinking on Deku’s Part

Image via studio Bones.

Even when Deku has a clear advantage in a fight, like when facing a physically strong opponent, the story often needs to give him a little help to win. A good example is his battle with Muscular, a villain with a strength-enhancing Quirk, where Deku protected Kota Izumi. At that point, Deku was still learning to control One For All and avoid injuring himself, while Muscular was fully skilled in using his own abilities.

It’s understandable how Deku managed to fight Muscular when he wasn’t at full power, but things became unbelievable once Muscular went all out. Deku was already exhausted and injured, yet he somehow had endless energy – a common trait for main characters. The way he defeated Muscular with the 1,000,000% Smash attack felt like a cheat, especially since an attack with that much power shouldn’t be possible. It was strange to see Deku increase the attack’s power so dramatically, driven solely by his determination to protect Kota.

All Might Lost the Training Battle When His Injury Caught Up to Him

Deku and Bakugo Nearly Lost to Their Shared Idol

The latest season of My Hero Academia shows Deku finally living up to All Might’s legacy as the true inheritor of One For All. He’s unlocked and mastered all of the previous Quirks within One For All, making him even more powerful than All Might was at his peak. However, earlier in the series, All Might was far stronger than Deku, suggesting Deku benefited from convenient plot devices. Both Deku and his classmate, Katsuki Bakugo, should have lost their difficult training match, considering their power levels and skills at the time.

Deku and Bakugo were barely managing to get through their intense fight, and they needed each other to have any hope. They would have definitely lost if All Might hadn’t been secretly helping them. Even though it was ‘just’ a test, Deku should have failed, but he didn’t. He got a stroke of luck when All Might’s power suddenly weakened, and his old injury flared up, making it hard to stay in his powerful form. If that had happened just a little later, Deku would have been defeated for sure.

Flect Turn Had a Foolproof Defense Against One For All

Deku’s Endurance Strains the Suspension of Disbelief

Image via studio Bones.

Deku’s wins in the My Hero Academia movies generally felt well-deserved, particularly because he always had support from his classmates in Class 1-A. He and All Might convincingly defeated Wolfram, and the entire class worked together to overcome villains like Nine and the impostor All Might. However, the third movie really pushed Deku to his limits when he fought Flect Turn, whose Quirk was a strong defense against One For All. As his name suggests, Flect Turn could reflect any attack back at the person who used it, and he repeatedly did this against Deku’s Smash attacks.

Deku won by simply withstanding all of Flect Turn’s attacks and eventually overpowering his abilities with a single hit. While it was satisfying to see Deku’s determination win out, the fight felt a bit drawn out. Deku usually focuses on attacking, and doesn’t have a huge amount of stamina, so it was surprising he lasted longer than the defensively-focused villain, Flect Turn. Honestly, Deku should have been defeated by his own power much earlier – just hitting harder seemed like too basic a strategy to win.

Overhaul Would Have Won if It Weren’t For Eri’s Risky Gambit

Deku Owes His Life to the Rewind Quirk

Image via studio Bones.

It’s common for both professional and student heroes to rely on support, like sidekicks, to distract villains. However, Deku’s victory over the incredibly strong villain Overhaul was remarkable, considering Overhaul had defeated both Mirio Togata and Sir Nighteye. Overhaul had the ability to alter anything, even his own body, and ultimately transformed into a massive, virtually indestructible being. Even with a greatly enhanced One For All, Deku couldn’t have won without help from Eri.

Deku understood that using Eri’s Rewind Quirk was dangerous, but he did it anyway. The story made it clear those dangers weren’t actually going to happen – he wasn’t going to be erased from existence mid-battle. The risks were there to emphasize how important the fight was. Alternatively, if Eri’s power truly was that risky, Deku should have faced Overhaul alone, and likely lost.

Deku’s Victory Over Stain Was a Minor Miracle

Class 1-A’s Students Weren’t Strong Enough to Fight Real Villains Yet

Image via studio Bones.

Immediately following the UA Sports Festival, several students from Class 1-A encountered the villain known as Stain. The conflict began when Tenya Iida attempted to get revenge for his brother Tensei, who had been defeated by Stain, and Iida nearly lost his life. Deku and Shoto Todoroki were able to rescue him, though it felt somewhat coincidental. Ultimately, the students managed to escape the dangerous situation, and their survival was incredibly fortunate.

Considering Stain’s abilities and Quirk, he really should have won that fight and defeated both Tenya and Shoto. He might have even beaten Deku, but possibly spared him to allow Deku to become All Might’s true successor. However, the way the fight actually played out felt forced. The explanation that his Quirk affected different blood types differently, giving the students an unexpected advantage, felt like a convenient plot device.

Read More

2026-01-25 21:42