The battles in My Hero Academia have had varying destructive capacities, ranging from creating whirlpools (in the first attack on U.A High) to razing entire buildings with ease (proven through All Might’s fight against All For One). Ordinary people could not have hoped to survive the carnage.
To withstand it, it is imperative for the warring factions with formidable durability. By analyzing the most resilient defenders of both the heroes and villains, we can better appreciate how their durable bodies have saved themselves and their comrades from mortal harm and helped to facilitate their victories.
10 HERO: Tetsutetsu Can Become As Hard As Steel
Tetsutetsu has many similarities to Kirishima, including his brazen personality and robust outlook on life. Perhaps their most notable resemblance is their shared ability to harden, with the Class 1-B student capable of turning his skin into steel.
He has also displayed incredible strength to match, as proven through his victory over Mustard in the Forest Camp attack. Additionally, Tetsutetsu was powerful enough to contend with Kirishima in an arm wrestle, who could crush stone walls with a single punch.
9 VILLAIN: Muscular Resisted Deku’s One For All
Muscular’s fibrous body allowed him to soak an unprecedented amount of abuse, including the full power of Deku’s One For All quirk. Additionally, his strands served as makeshift appendages, locking down his opponents’ limbs and facilitating brutally immediate retaliation.
Midoriya was only able to defeat him by overcharging his quirk past its known physical limits. This put such an enormous strain on his body that he was unable to fight effectively for the rest of the League’s siege on the forest.
8 HERO: Crimson Riot Was A Legend & Inspiration
Crimson Riot may not have had an abundant amount of exposure, but he was stated to have a hardening quirk that bolstered his defenses. Considering he was one of the most legendary heroes in Japan, he was likely able to access it with a greater affinity than many of his successors.
The man was defined through his stoic personality and encouragement to push aside fear for the sake of heroism. It inspired Eijiro Kirishima to take courses at U.A High since he did not want his life to be defined through his anxiety and trepidation.
7 VILLAIN: The Prime Nomu Withstood Blows From All Might
The prime nomu was a genetic monstrosity created by the League of Villains and the first of its kind to debut in the series. It was responsible for much of the threat Shigaraki posed to U.A. High, with its shock absorption and strength quirks deliberately tailored to defeat All Might.
Though Tomura’s forces were ultimately unable to assassinate Toshinori or any of his students, their efforts were not entirely in vain. Since the prime nomu’s fight forced All Might to push past his limits, the time he was able to maintain his muscle form was reduced from three hours to one.
6 HERO: Fat Gum Could Convert Enemy Attacks Into His Own Power
Fat Gum’s corpulent frame belies his impressive power. After enduring intense physical attacks, the man was able to use his body’s excess mass to convert that power into his own force and concentrate it into his fist.
Using this technique, he obliterated Hekiji’s shield and the two Yakuza henchmen cowering behind it. However, his impressive durability is not without its limitations; he cannot resist sharp attacks nearly as well and requires time to convert his adversaries’ power into his own.
5 VILLAIN: Gigantomachia Was A Towering Giant With Seemingly Endless Endurance
Gigantomachia has many assets that contribute to his deadliness in battle, the foremost being of his endless stamina. He was capable of fighting the League of Villains for over an entire consecutive month, illustrating an inexhaustible fortitude that few can match.
Additionally, he could harden his muscles and make them fearsomely durable. Gigantomachia’s strength is equally as impressive – with a single punch, the giant shook mountains and nearly killed Gran Torino in his debut.
4 HERO: Kirishima Has Withstood Attacks From Opponents Far Stronger Than He Is
Kirishima’s “Hardening” quirk is the most iconic and straightforward defensive quirk of the series. It allows him to make his body nearly unbreakable, with his defenses only limited by the stamina necessary to uphold them.
Recently, he has unlocked an ultimate hardening that guaranteed his survival against impossibly powerful adversaries. With it, he was able to defeat a drug-enhanced blade villain and withstand the unmitigated might of Rappa while Fat Gum readied his counterattack.
3 VILLAIN: Hekiji’s Barriers Can Protect Himself & Others
Hekiji was able to summon golden barriers that protected his allies. They were nearly indestructible, only broken when Rappa’s force was added to Fat Gum’s for an ultimate attack.
The Yakuza thug’s ability is particularly useful since it can directly shield his comrades, protecting them from harm while their foes exhaust themselves. It only has one limitation: those behind the barrier are equally incapable of attacking their opponents. Though Hekiji’s quirk is formidable in a team fight, it is nearly impossible for him to win on his own.
2 HERO: All Might Has Withstood Dozens Of Brutal Attacks
All Might’s durability is proven through most of the fights he has participated in. This was most evidently seen during the attack on U.A. High, where Kurogiri was unable to decapitate his torso on account of its hardiness.
Additionally, he was strong enough to survive being thrown into the foundations of buildings by All For One and even having his own strength turned against him by the “Shock Inversion” quirk. Though Toshinori’s strength has faded since, he lived up to his reputation as the Symbol of Peace until the end of his hero career.
1 VILLAIN: High-End Could Only Be Destroyed On A Molecular Level
High-End was the result of the League’s continued experiments on the nomu, capable of regenerating his body from virtually any injury. The only way to destroy him was by obliterating his body on a molecular level – a fact that Endeavor belatedly realized after suffering grievous wounds.
The villain’s other abilities also made him a particularly treacherous target to defeat. Not only could he fly as fast as Endeavor even with Hawks’ augmentation, but he was also able to shape his limbs into barbed appendages that skewered heroes just as well as a steel blade.
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