In My Hero Academia, Pro Heroes are more than just caped icons plastered across billboards; they are society’s strongest defenders, tasked with holding the line against chaos and fear in a world where superpowers, or Quirks, are the norm.
But not all Pro Heroes are created equal.
Some stand out for their raw power, while others inspire with their ideology, tactical minds, or sacrifices. These heroes carry the weight of a fragile society on their shoulders. And as the stakes rise across the anime, from Shigaraki’s awakening to the fall of hero society itself, these individuals show us exactly what it means to be a “Pro.”
This ranking doesn’t simply measure strength. It honors the legacy, impact, and unforgettable moments that made these eight heroes the most iconic names in the My Hero Academia universe.
8
Midnight
Nemuri Kayama
As one of the most recognizable faces at U.A. High, Midnight wasn’t just a pro hero, she was a symbol of the strange balance between glamor, confidence, and deadly efficiency. Her Quirk, Somnambulist, allowed her to put targets to sleep by emitting a sleep-inducing aroma from her skin. Though its effectiveness depended on skin exposure and worked better on men, it was more than enough to handle large crowds in riot scenarios.
She played a crucial role during the U.A. Sports Festival and hero training sessions, often putting rowdy students to sleep with just a crack of her whip. But Midnight wasn’t just there for flair, she was a deeply intelligent instructor, part of the team that laid the foundation for the next generation of heroes.
Her death came during the Paranormal Liberation War arc, off-screen but devastating. She was attacked by a group of villainous Nomu followers while trying to protect students. All that remained was her broken goggles and lifeless body found by Class 1-A. The moment was quiet, and that silence hit harder than any scream.
Midnight’s absence marked the first time many students were faced with the cruel cost of war.
7
Mirko
Rumi Usagiyama
Mirko, isn’t built for standing still. The Rabbit Hero is all brawn, all heart, and all fight. Her Quirk, Rabbit, grants her enhanced leg strength, agility, and hearing, but it’s her close-combat prowess that makes her a walking weapon.
In the Paranormal Liberation War arc, Mirko single-handedly tore through a lab full of Nomu to reach Dr. Garaki and stop Shigaraki’s revival. Despite losing her left arm, taking a hole through her side, and getting pummeled by High-End Nomu, she didn’t stop. She crushed skulls with spinning kicks, evaded blade attacks mid-air, and tore through concrete like paper.
What’s chilling is that even while bleeding out, she was smiling. Her spirit never faltered, and her faith in other heroes, like Endeavor and Crust, kept her charging forward. While many pro heroes faltered in that battle, Mirko’s raw tenacity was a highlight.
She’s currently still active, albeit with prosthetics, and remains a living embodiment of what it means to fight until the last breath.
6
Best Jeanist
Tsunagu Hakamada
To some, a man who manipulates denim might seem like a fashion-forward gimmick. But to those who’ve watched him in action, Best Jeanist is terrifyingly effective. His Quirk, Fiber Master, allows him to control any clothing fiber, even steel threads woven into denim, making restraint his specialty.
What truly sets Jeanist apart is his calm, tactical mind. During the Hideout Raid Arc, he was one of the few heroes to face All For One directly and survive, albeit barely. He was hospitalized with critical injuries but returned in the most jaw-dropping way in Season 6.
As Gigantomachia rampaged across cities under the League of Villains’ command, Jeanist descended from a cargo plane, threads already wrapping around the titan’s limbs mid-air. Even while bleeding from the mouth and struggling to keep Gigantomachia subdued, he refused to let go.
And let’s not forget, he faked his own death just to help Hawks infiltrate the League. That kind of sacrifice requires more than skill, it needs absolute loyalty to the mission.
Best Jeanist might not throw punches, but his battles are always silent wars of strategy, timing, and steel nerves.
5
Edgeshot
Shinya Kamihara
Edgeshot’s Quirk, Foldabody, allows him to stretch and flatten his body into razor-thin strings, moving at speeds faster than the eye can follow. He’s a ninja in every sense, quick, precise, and deadly.
For years, he worked behind the scenes, eliminating villains before they even became threats. But it’s his final act that rewrote his legacy.
During the battle against Shigaraki in Season 7, Bakugo was fatally wounded. Without hesitation, Edgeshot used his own body, compressing himself into threads finer than needles, to stitch and repair Bakugo’s destroyed organs from the inside. He transformed himself into a living surgical thread, sacrificing his own lifespan to give Bakugo a second chance.
It was a move no one saw coming. A silent, selfless choice that barely got a scream, but echoed through the entire battlefield.
We don’t know if he’s dead. But we do know that even in the face of total annihilation, Edgeshot chose to be a needle threading life into a dying flame.
4
Hawks
Keigo Takami
Keigo Takami was a prodigy born into hell. Raised by an abusive, villain-wanted father and a terrified mother, Hawks was sold into the hero system young, literally trained from childhood by the Public Safety Commission to become a top hero and government weapon.
His Quirk, Fierce Wings, lets him manipulate each feather of his wings with precision. He uses them for everything, from rescuing civilians to cutting through steel. He can fly, attack, defend, and save, simultaneously.
But Hawks didn’t become iconic for just his flash. It was his undercover infiltration of the League of Villains, particularly the Paranormal Liberation Front, that cemented his place among the best.
In a devastating moment, he was forced to kill Twice, one of the most emotionally complex villains in the show. Hawks didn’t hesitate, but his hands trembled. He knew it was necessary. That kind of burden is not light.
Later, he lost most of his feathers in a brutal fight against Dabi, getting burned alive while trying to save Best Jeanist. And even after all that, he returned, rebuilding his wings and reputation, but never quite losing that haunted look in his eyes.
3
Star And Stripe
Cathaleen Bate
America’s No. 1 Hero, Star and Stripe, arrived like a thunderclap. With her towering frame, steel resolve, and one of the most broken Quirks in the series, she almost rewrote the final war before it even began.
Her Quirk, New Order, allowed her to impose rules on reality. “The air becomes solid.” “My lasers will not be ignored.” “If my target moves, it will explode.” The only limit was the number of simultaneous rules, and her own imagination.
She didn’t hesitate when she faced Shigaraki alone in the skies above Japan. Firing lasers from fighter jets, creating air clones of herself, and even halting Shigaraki’s decay mid-attack, she fought with everything. In one final gamble, she rewrote her own Quirk’s rules: New Order will revolt against other Quirks. It tore into Shigaraki’s stolen abilities from within.
Though she died, Star and Stripe left her mark, crippling Shigaraki’s arsenal and delaying his evolution.
2
All Might
Toshinori Yagi
There was a time when crime dropped by 75% just because this man smiled. Toshinori Yagi, aka All Might, wasn’t just the No. 1 Hero, he was the peace of an entire era.
His Quirk, One For All, gave him superhuman strength, speed, and durability, passed down through generations to defeat All For One. In his prime, he took down entire villain syndicates solo, battled Nomu in seconds, and held a collapsing society on his shoulders.
But All Might’s defining moment came when he fought All For One in Kamino. Already weakened from previous battles, he burned through the last embers of his power to protect Bakugo and the public. The moment he raised his fist in victory, shaking, emaciated, and near-death, was when the world knew: the Symbol of Peace is gone.
Still, All Might refused to quit. In Season 7, he returns, not with powers, but with a tech-laden battle suit, confronting All For One again. He knows he’s no match. But he fights anyway.
Because heroes don’t need Quirks to inspire. They just need heart.
1
Endeavor
Enji Todoroki
For years, Enji Todoroki was a bitter shadow under All Might’s light. The No. 2 Hero obsessed with surpassing the unbeatable. But when All Might fell, Endeavor was forced into the role he never thought he’d get, and didn’t believe he deserved.
His Quirk, Hellflame, lets him manipulate fire with terrifying intensity. But his battle with the High-End Nomu in Kyushu showed the world something new: fire can burn with resolve, not just rage. Scarred, broken, and on the brink of death, Endeavor stood tall and won.
What makes Endeavor’s arc remarkable isn’t just his power, it’s his path. He abused his family in pursuit of strength. And now, he’s trying to fix that. Apologizing. Listening. Learning. That’s rare in anime. He’s not forgiven yet. But he’s trying.
As the war against the League escalates, Endeavor’s role becomes even more central. His connection to Dabi, revealed as his lost son Toya, is one of the show’s most explosive twists. Watching a father fight the monster he inadvertently created is both tragic and powerful.
