!!SPOILERS ALERT!!
In the world of anime and manga series, Shonen is one of the most popular genres. This unique and versatile genre is so popular among people because it gives them just what they want; a dignified hero defeating the despicable villains.
Over the past years, many changes have been made in this genre as well. However, the essence of this genre is still well maintained to this day. Many animes and manga series were released under this genre and became a massive hit.
One of the most popular shonen manga was My Hero Academia. Original manga released in 2014, the series soon became a massive hit.
This shonen manga not only had that shonen element, but equally had that comedy, action, and superhero parts that set it apart from other series.
Furthermore, because the series was more based on western settings, it provided a different outlook and something unique for the audience.
Just like other shonen series, My Hero Academia did focus on the protagonist defeating the villains. However, the protagonist, Izuku Midoriya better known as Deku, didn’t have any powers at the beginning. This fact alone was enough to make it different and attract attention.
Nevertheless, later on in the series, he did gain powers; Quirks to be exact. This not only made fans excited for the character’s development but also get curious about these special powers called Quirks.
Over time, Deku gets many quirks and that is what we are going to discuss. So, make sure you stick to the end of this article to find out more about it.
But first, let us know a little about what these so-called quirks are.
What were the Quirks?
Just like other series had Haki, Chakra, and Ki as the main power source, in the world of My Hero Academia, they had Quirk.
A Quirk (個性 Kosei lit. “Individuality”), was the main power source and almost everyone in the world possessed it. It was formerly known as Meta Ability (異能 Inō lit. “Extraordinary Ability”).
According to the series, the quirks were not always present. It was believed to be manifested by a newborn baby in Qing Qing City, China with the ability to emit light from its body.
This was the starting phase of quirks as many people started to manifest different kinds of superpowers, which were called Meta Abilities.
The Quirks were unique to each user and were sorted into different categories. Many users were limited to developing just one ability, which made it difficult for them to achieve any other ability by natural means.
Said to be the next stage in human evolution, quirks were something that was normally manifested anytime before the individual reached the age of four and sometimes even right after birth.
Many users were also susceptible to developing their quirks in their late teens or later in their life, such were the late bloomers and it was also very much possible that one wouldn’t develop quirks at all.
Some quirks were common and general such as fire or water manipulation whereas quirks such as Regenerative healing and Spatial warping were very rare.
The presence of quirks was also able to be diagnosed by the number of joints the person had. If the individual had one joint in their pinky toe, it meant that they would develop a quirk but having two joints declared them as Quirkless.
Surprisingly, in a world dominated by Quirk possessing individuals, our protagonist, Deku was born without any quirk and even after the age of four was unable to develop any quirk whatsoever.
But later on, he did get quirks and also the most powerful of them all.
How did Deku get the quirks?
Despite being quirkless, Deku always wanted to be a Hero and planned to go to the prestigious U.A. Hero Academy. Just ten months before the entrance exam of the academy, he came face to face with the legendary hero, All Might, who saved him from a villain.
Seeing Izuku’s selfless nature when he tried to save his classmate, All Might decided to pass his Quirk, One For All, to him. To pass down the quirk, the owner just had to pass it down from his DNA.
So, by having a piece of All Might’s hair, Deku was able to get his quirks and with intense training under the legendary hero himself, he was able to enroll in U.A and took on the name “Deku” as his hero name.
Being a timid, reserved, and polite boy, Deku didn’t have any quirks. Not being able to develop quirks at an early age, Deku was always bullied for it, which made him portrayed as insecure, tearful, and a vulnerable character.
Although he was born a Quirkless individual, he was able to catch the attention of one of the mightiest heroes, All Might. A big fan of the legendary hero himself, Deku had natural heroism and a strong sense of justice in him, which was the main reason why he became a close pupil of All Might.
Does Bakugo Die in My Hero Academia? (Anime and Manga)
How many Quirks did Deku have?
Even after being quirkless, Deku managed to get quirks from the mightiest hero of all time, All Might. So, originally starting with just one quirk, One for All, Deku developed more and more quirks later.
So, exactly how many quirks he had, you ask? Well, turned out that the number of quirks he had differed in the Anime and the manga series. The manga series was released in 2014 but the anime was released much later in 2016, which surely made the anime far behind the manga.
The anime till now has not showcased all of Deku’s abilities. It was revealed in the storyline that One For All was a stockpiled power that was useless, as it took time for it to accumulate enough energy to be deemed as a powerful quirk.
The quirk was passed down from one generation to another. The inheritors were able to use the quirks of the previous owners along with their quirks.
Passed from one to another, when it came down to All Might, the accumulated energy had been so strong that All Might was considered to be a threat to All for One’s underworld empire. Finally, as the recent heir of the power, Deku had this quirk in its perfect form.
The manga series entering its final stage, it was confirmed in Chapter #344 that Izuku Midoriya, had access to seven different quirks.
Along with three abilities that Deku awakened in the anime, he had four more abilities that gave him a total of seven different quirks.
What were his Quirks?
So, combining both the Manga and the anime series, we have gathered all the information about his seven different quirks.
1. One For All
Starting with the main and the most important quirk of them all, One For All was the first quirk that Deku got from All Might.
The One For All (ワン・フォー・オール Wan Fō Ōru), was transferred to Deku by the Symbol of peace, Toshinori Yagi better known as All Might.
This transferred power was already in perfect form when it was handed to Deku. It allowed him to assimilate an enormous amount of raw power, which allowed him to enhance all his physical abilities to a superhuman level.
With such mighty power, he gained superhuman levels of strength, speed, agility, and durability and even his stamina reached a higher level.
Deku was able to awaken this power for the first time at the entrance exams of U. A academy when he saved a fellow examinee from a huge robot.
Rather than being possessed by one person, it was passed down from one individual to another. One For All was supposed to be a force of nature, which was far more powerful than anyone could have even imagined.
From All Might to Deku to their predecessors, nobody was able to understand and utilize the full potential of this quirk.
2. Danger Sense
Considered to be one of his most powerful quirks, the Danger Sense(危機感知 Kiki kanchi) was the quirk of the fourth user of the One For All, Hikage Shinomori.
This quirk allowed Deku to detect threats and attacks in the surrounding area, which immediately put him at a great advantage in the battle
Deku awakened this quirk during the War Arc when he fought with Tomura Shigaraki, leader of the League of Villains.
Since it was an addition to his already present quirk, One For All, it did take a toll on his body. Every time he used it to detect any threats near him, it caused a stabbing sensation in his head.
With the help of probably the most practical ability in the series, Danger Sense, Deku was able to pick up on opponents’ evil thoughts. This ability warned the users of any threats near them making them prepare to avoid or counteract the attack.
However, even using this ability Deku was not able to evade Lady Nagant’s bullet but he did come to realize the true potential of this quirk.
3. Fa Jin
Another one on his list of powerful quirks, Fa Jin(発勁 Hakkei) was one of the tops. Bestowed upon him by the third user, whose name was never revealed in the series, Fa Jin allowed Deku to build up and store Kinetic energy as he moved.
This quirk allowed its users to release the stored energy as an explosive burst of speed and power. In the manga, Deku used this ability as soon as left the UA.
Even in his epic fight with Lady Nagant, Deku used it to convert his kinetic energy and use it to increase his physical strength and agility.
Using such powerful ability, he was able to divert the bullet that Lady Nagant fired. To remind you, Lady Nagant was a former pro hero. So, to easily go up against such force, Fa Jin did help Deku.
Many believe that the quirk, Fa Jin, bore a striking resemblance to the Springlike Limbs and Absorption and release quirks, which were prominent quirks displayed by All For One and one of his Nomu.
It derived a significant amount of potential energy from the user’s body movements and muscles but when combined with other quirks such as One For All and Black Whip, it became more effective.
4. Blackwhip
The Blackwhip (黒鞭 Kuro Muchi) was the quirk of the fifth user of the One For All, Daigoro Banjo. This quirk allowed the user to create tendrils of black energy from their bodies.
The tendrils had a similar appearance as that of the webs of a spider, which were very useful in grabbing things and even increased mobility.
Deku first awakened this ability during Class 1A Vs. Class 1B event when he tapped into his anger. By awakening, this quirk he was able to create black vein-like extensions from his body.
The Blackwhip required the Pinpoint Focus technique, which was a technique that targeted a certain area or a target and Deku extended a tendril from his mouth, which was similar to that of his fellow classmate, Tsuyu Asui, who was able to extend her tongue up to 20 meters.
5. Float
Not really considered a great quirk in itself, The Float or (浮遊 Fuyū) was the quirk of the seventh user, Nana Shimura. The quirk, just like its name suggested, allowed Izuku to hover in the mid-air.
Nana Shimura was the legendary hero, All Might’s personal mentor. Neither the manga nor the anime series made it clear how Nana used it with the One For All.
However, Deku unconsciously awakened it during his fight with Tomura Shigaraki and was using it for quite some time. He used it to save his friends from Shigaraki’s deadly attack- the Decay.
While used with other quirks such as Blackwhip, not only it increased his mobility but it also helped him to dodge attacks very easily.
Using this quirk in combination, he was able to grab his friend and levitate out of Tomura’s reach saving them. Furthermore, in his battle with Muscular, Deku was able to easily dodge his punches.
6. Smokescreen
The Smokescreen (煙幕 Enmaku) was also one of the abilities that Deku possessed. Passed down from the sixth user of the One for All, En, the quirk allowed the user to generate a thick cloud of smoke.
This quirk sure was advantageous on the battlefield, as it covered a large area and concealed people’s vision.
However, this quirk was considered a double sword, as not only did it obscure the opponents’ vision, but it also made it difficult for the user to fight as their vision was also covered.
Believed to be awakened off screen, Deku was first seen using this quirk in his fight with Muscular. Even in his fight with Lady Nagant, he used it to create dense smog that he used to camouflage and hide from her scrutiny.
However, against opponents who did not depend on their visions like All For One, this quirk was not deemed as effective as he was able to use his Infrared Quirk to easily fight.
7. Unknown Quirk
Believed to be the quirk of the second user, there is one quirk that has not been revealed yet but many consider that this quirk is some unique power that cannot to easily wielded.
Supposed to be designated as a Last resort, neither the name nor the abilities of this unknown quirk are revealed.
However, fans think that this unknown quirk could be Transference, which gives the users to transfer the quirks from one individual to another.
After inheriting the One for All from All Might, Deku learned that the Quirk was passed down from generation to generation.
So, just like like it was passed down to him, he also might possess the same ability to pass down the quirk to his successor.
What was his strongest quirk?
Among the seven quirks that he possessed, there has always been a discussion as to which one is his strongest one.
Well, if you think about the power, it was for sure the One For All as almost all of his other abilities came from it. Furthermore, as mentioned in the series itself, nobody truly was able to tap into the real potential of the power.
So, just in its present state, it was so much power and we could only imagine how strong quirk it was in its true form.
Hence, taking all these into account it won’t be wrong to say that the One For All was the strongest quirk that Deku had. Well until the unknown quirk is deemed as the strongest.
Top 50 Best Action Anime To Watch in 2022
Why did Deku not have a quirk?
In a world full of people with quirks, Deku not having a quirk was simply believed to him being born Quirkless. As he had extra joints in his pinky toe, this further proved their beliefs.
Furthermore, just because both parents had special abilities didn’t mean the children would be born with quirks as many individuals didn’t develop them throughout their lifetime.
However, many believe that Deku’s quirk was actually stolen or transferred at birth, which is very much believable considering the fact that the whole series is based on the theme of quirks being transferred and stolen.
Moreover, as stated by the fourth user of One For All (OFA), Shinomori, in chapter 304, the OFA couldn’t be contained in a body with an existing quirk, so it was not possible for him to have a quirk.
This was the same reason for all the previous users of the OFA to have a shortened lifespan and weakened bodies as they all had pre-existing quirks.
Well, whatever the reason, Deku got all the powerful quirks that made him one of the strongest characters of the series. Now, that the manga series is finally coming to an end, hopefully, the unknown quirk will be revealed and we will get to know more about it. So make sure you keep yourself updated!
