The story of My Hero Academia takes place in a world in which quirks, or superpowers, are possessed by around 80% of the global population. Due to this, global excess of powerful quirks, a superhero and supervillain society begins to emerge. In turn, this leads to professional superheroes appearing who have been trained in specialized superhero schools in order to stand against rising threats from the supervillains.
However, not all quirks are created equally; just because almost everyone has a quirk does not mean that most of the world's population is capable of becoming superheroes or supervillains. Even so, some characters who've worked their way up the ranks of heroism or villainy possess some questionable quirks that don't seem well suited for combat.
Updated on February 19th, 2022 by Tanner Fox: The My Hero Academia anime series has introduced hundreds of heroes over its many seasons, but few seem like they've truly got what it takes to become top heroes. Characters like Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakguo wield impossibly powerful quirks which make them definite fan-favorites, but not everyone is as lucky as they are.
From interesting quirks hindered by serious drawbacks to dull quirks which lack an obvious battlefield use, there are quite a few heroes and villains in the My Hero Academia canon that don't quite seem up to the task of either defending or wreaking havoc on the civilized world.
Hanta Sero: Tape
Tape is one of the strangest quirks in My Hero Academia. For those unaware, Hanta Sero's quirk allows him to shoot stretches of tape from his elbows, giving him the ability to swing in a similar manner to Spider-Man or to ensnare enemies.
There's no denying that, strange though it may be, Sero's quirk does come in handy and can be a powerful tool in a fight. However, there is something about the fact that the tape comes out of his elbows that makes Sero look slightly ungainly. Plus, given U.A.'s notoriously low acceptance rate, he doesn't seem like a student likely to excel through such academic rigor.
Denki Kaminari: Electrification
A member of UA's Class 1-A, Denki Kaminari undoubtedly wields an incredibly powerful quirk and has some serious potential, but it comes with a few drawbacks. If he overuses his abilities, he'll knock himself into a stupor. Should that happen, he'll be utterly useless to his allies for some time.
While this is a flaw that can be overcome through intense training, it stands as a pretty major setback. Deku was nearly expelled from UA on his first day due to an inability to control his quirk, but Kaminari suffers from the same problem, though perhaps to a less extreme extent.
Toru Hagakure: Invisibility
While this could be unfair as invisibility is an interesting power that undoubtedly has some applications—most notably in surveillance and reconnaissance—there is no denying that, in comparison to many other heroes in the UA High School, Hagakure is outmatched.
The character doesn't really do much in the series. Perhaps this is simply because she is unable to make an impact, but, while she is able to sneak up on enemies, once she has done so, she still has to subdue them. She's improved the usefulness of her quirk over time, but her total transparence on the battlefield seems more likely to hinder than to help at times.
Teruo Hazukashi: Shame
Terou Hazukashi is only seen very briefly during season 4's Pro Hero Arc, and, while he leaves quite an impression, it's not for the right reasons. Able to manifest some sort of ability that is strengthened by his own embarrassment, Hazukashi exposes his nude form to the world in order to power up.
He may, in fact, have a very useful quirk, but he's defeated before he can fully reveal it. He does, however, fully reveal himself, and possessing a quirk that necessitates something like that doesn't seem very practical.
Kyoka Jiro: Earphone Jack
The Earphone Jack quirk gives Jiro long extendable earlobes that look like earphone cables. She can use these cables to hear things that others would not be able to as well as use the vibrations from her heartbeat to damage objects using intense sound waves.
That being said, fans barely see Earphone Jack use her power, so her maximum potential is difficult to gauge. Additionally, Earphone Jack has complications if overused, with bleeding of the ears a common symptom. It's a great quirk for surveillance and reconnaissance, but it's mediocre-at-best in a fight.
Mustard: Gas
Mustard is able to secrete a gas that puts enemies to sleep, and it has a very wide radius. However, what makes it slightly less impressive is that the user is not immune to his own sleep gas, meaning that it's every bit as dangerous to Mustard as it is to his opponents.
This means that, in order to use his gas without putting himself to sleep, Mustard must wear a suit that will prevent the gas from reaching him. While it makes for an intimidating costume, he's extremely vulnerable if his equipment is rendered inoperable.
Yuga Aoyama: Navel Laser
The ability to shoot lasers from one's body seems like an invaluable battlefield too. The series even reveals that, in addition to using the laser as an offensive weapon, Aoyama is also able to use his quirk to launch himself through the air, making him a very agile individual.
That being said, there is a huge drawback to Aoyama's Navel Laser ability; if Aoyama overuses his quirk, he gets a stomach ache that renders him useless. In fact, if he goes too far overboard, then it could lead to Aoyama's stomach collapsing. While he's used this fault as a means to develop his friendship with Deku, it doesn't make his quirk any less faulty.
Kinoko Kimori: Mushroom
A member of UA's Class 1-B, Kinoko Kimori is able to release spores from her body which quickly grow into mushrooms. She's also able to generate a smokescreen that can be used to hinder the vision of her opponents. Most crucially, she has the ability to choke enemies by manifesting mushrooms in their throats, temporarily incapacitating them.
Though by no means useless in battle, her allies must be treated with an antifungal spray before engaging in combat beside her, and she lacks the ability to spring into action at a moment's notice as Izuki Midoriya or Katsuki Bakugo might.
Mashirau Ojiro: Tail
Ojiro has a fairly useful quirk, as his tail grants him an extreme level of agility, and it essentially gives him an extra limb to use to his advantage in combat situations. That being said, despite the fact that it is a kind of useful quirk, there is no denying that is one of the most boring quirks in the show.
Perhaps it is due to his dull quirk that Ojiro hasn't really had a huge part to play in the show as of yet, with Ojiro largely being relegated to background appearances. Plus, while other heroes and villains featured in My Hero Academia are saddled with much scarier visages, Ojiro's tale is a bit of an eyesore, and the quirk must get in the way in his everyday life.
Shuichi Iguchi: Gecko
Shuichi Iguchi, a member of the League of Villains, has a quirk that grants him the appearance and abilities of a gecko. This not only makes Iguchi resemble a giant lizard, but it also gives him the ability to stick to walls. Despite the fact that he has a cool, almost Ninja Turtle style to his character, he's not all that useful in combat situations.
This is a huge disappointment, as the character design is fantastic—it's just a crying shame that the character wasn't given an equally cool quirk to match it. He's fleshed out more in later seasons of the anime, but he never becomes more powerful.
Tatame Nakagame: Telescopic
Ketsubutsu Academy student Tatami Nakagame seems like a sterling hero in training, but her quirk leaves something to be desired. Able to contract her head, appendages, and torso into her body, she essentially has all the power of a turtle contracting into its shell.
The quirk makes for innovative defensive maneuvers, but it's not all that useful in a fight. She's able to dodge oncoming attacks from foes with impressive finesse, but it's not the sort of ultra-powerful ability that'll allow her to brush shoulders with Japan's top heroes.
Rikido Sato: Sugar Rush
For those unaware, the quirk Sugar Rush gives Rikido Sato more strength the more sugar he eats. It's similar to Fat Gum's quirk, and it's certainly useful in combat. However, his ability is entirely dependent on his dietary intake, meaning that, should a fight break out while he's empty-handed, he won't be of much use.
If Sato doesn't have any sugar, he is very weak and lethargic. That being said, while the sugar fuel concept is memorable, the fact that it only gives him a strength boost is kind of dull, and, as previously mentioned, he's not the only hero in the series with a quirk such as this.
Hokuto Hario: Pointer
Though he's only seen briefly in the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes spin-off manga, Hokuto Hario is worthy of a mention, as he possesses one of the silliest pro-hero quirks in the series canon. Once he activates his ability, he's able to point toward an object or person he's trying to find, though he can only track three objects at once, as locating a fourth would cause him to fall over.
It may sound interesting, but pointing in the vague direction of a target isn't particularly helpful, and his powers are of no use in a fight.
Minoru Mineta: Pop Off
Minoru Mineta may be My Hero Academia's primary source of comedic relief, but he is also one of the most useless in terms of ability. Mineta's quirk allows him to pull sticky purple balls off his head and throw them at enemies. If used well, the balls can incapacitate the enemy by rendering them unable to move.
However, Mineta's quirk is only useful in extremely specific circumstances and is not as well suited for hero work as quirks such as One for All, Half Hot Half Cold, or Permeation. Plus, his small stature makes him unimposing in one-on-one encounters.
Kenji Tsuragamae: Dog Face
Kenjo Tsuragamae's quirk gives him the form of a dog. However, unlike Splinter's gecko ability or Tsuyu Asui's Froglike powers, it is unclear as to what abilities the quirk grants him. All that's known about this minor character is that his quirk makes him look like a dog, which is neutral at best and a hindrance at worst.
While it could still be possible for this quirk to be very powerful, it would be strange if it turned out to be so, especially due to the fact that Kenji is a police officer and not a superhero.