Highlights

  • My Hero Academia's villains often have underrated quirks that offer significant impact on the battlefield.
  • Lady Nagant's quirk 'Rifle' may seem weak, but her embedded gun body and unlimited ammo make her a formidable villain.
  • The most underrated villain quirk is Warp Gate, possessed by Kurogiri, as it offers strategic positioning and slicing abilities.

The world of My Hero Academia is populated by hundreds of novel quirks, with each one bringing something unique to the table. Despite coming in hordes, hero quirks still tend to get their share of the spotlight while fighting evil, yet the same cannot be said for the series’ villains. While flashier and more powerful quirks such as Dabi’s Blue Flame and Shigaraki’s Decay often take center stage, others are left neglected despite offering a comparable impact on the battlefield.

My Hero Academia’s expansive villain gallery further reduces the screen time of villain quirks, with the primary antagonists hoarding all the attention. This has led to a few underrated villain quirks sprouting, ones that are just as crucial for the antagonist factions yet are relegated to the sidelines. While many powers and abilities fit this narrative, one quirk in particular stands out as the most underrated villain quirk.

Honorable Mentions

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Similar to other long-running shonen anime, My Hero Academia boasts an impressive villain gallery, yet this very aspect of the series amounts to limited spotlight for each individual antagonist. Several villains have receded to the shadows in the series’ narrative, and their powers have been forgotten alongside them. This renders several quirks to be possible contenders for being the most underrated villain quirk.

While not the most underrated quirk, one honorable mention is Lady Nagant’s quirk 'Rifle.' Some may deem the quirk weak due to it being an organic copy of a regular sniper rifle, yet the overall configuration of her power makes her an impressive powerhouse. Her rifle trumps over regular weaponry as every single aspect of the gun is embedded within her body, and her hair serves as unlimited ammo.

Mr. Compress also possesses a highly underrated quirk, although fans are beginning to notice his potential in the Paranormal Liberation Front. Despite his rank in the organization, his quirk ‘Compress’ still remains underrated as it is simply viewed as a quirk capable of compressing objects. However, Compress has many applications, and it has even been witnessed tearing apart limbs by simply compressing a specific body part.

The Most Underrated Villain Quirk

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Out of all the villain quirks out there, Warp Gate is arguably the most underrated one considering the value and strategic positioning it offers on the battlefield. Possessed by Kurogiri of the League of Villains, Warp Gate is an artificial quirk formed by the fusion of many other powers, though the base quirk used in this artificial amalgamation is Cloud. The quirk activates through a black fog, with its remnants acting as portals.

While the quirk isn’t meant to be offensively used and possesses no direct combat ability, Warp Gate still has a few methods of being effective on the battlefield. For starters, if the portal closes before an object or a person is halfway through, they will get sliced in half. Moreover, opponents can be forcibly transported to a hazardous location, with no way to return without Kurogiri’s portals.

Warp Gate is a coordinate-based ability, meaning for a user to form a portal, they must be aware of the exact location and its coordinates. This can be viewed as a drawback of the ability, since it renders Warp Gate’s portals useless if the exact location is unknown. Moreover, Kurogiri must be present at the location to be able to form a portal, meaning he cannot conceive a warping gate at a location where he isn’t present.

Why Is Warp Gate So Underrated?

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Despite boasting a quirk that the entire League of Villains relies on, Warp Gate never received the attention it deserved. This can largely be attributed to two factors – Kurogiri’s position as Shigaraki’s personal aide and the utility-based nature of his quirk. With Shigaraki at the helm of My Hero Academia’s villainy, the rest of his side-kicks became secondary characters that never received the same attention. Kurogiri was also shadowed by Shigaraki’s presence, with his quirk consequently being overshadowed as well.

It’s no secret that flashier quirks with offensive abilities are more popular, both within the My Hero Academia universe and among the community. Since Warp Gate is purely a utility-based quirk that can only aid allies in battle, it’s often seen as nothing more than a supporting power. The final war against the Paranormal Liberation Front showcased the quirk’s immense usefulness, yet its status remained that of an ancillary power throughout most of the series.

Warp Gate’s own weaknesses may have also added to the quirk flying under the radar. The quirk isn’t perfect warping, as it has many limitations that force the user to adapt and improvise in risky situations. Since the user has to be present at the location of the portal, it leaves the wielder vulnerable to any direct assaults. This drawback further makes the quirk seem weaker than it actually is, forcing many to overlook its true potential.

My Hero Academia is available to stream on Prime Video.