My Hero Academia owes much of its worldwide success to a charming cast full of colorful designs and Quirks. The series is centered on Izuku Midoriya/Deku as he attends the best hero school in the country -- and many of his fellow students in Class 1-A are promising future heroes. Not all his classmates have the same amount of hero potential.
While characters like Tsuyu and Kirishima frequently prove their worth, others like Sato and Mineta tend to take up space without contributing anything positive to the story. Whether it's cowardice or middling Quirks that hold these students back, in the end, their presence makes it hard to believe U.A. is the top hero school in Japan. This is where Class 1-B comes in. Now that Season 5 of the anime is airing, we're getting a chance to see all the students of Class 1-B show off as heroes. There are five Class 1-B students, in particular, who have compelling cases for why they always deserved to share in the Class 1-A limelight.
Hiryu Rin
Hiryu Rin, also known as Dragon Shroud, is a diligent student with a great handle on his Quirk. His Scales Quirk affords him both lightweight armor and the ability to fire sharp projectiles at opponents, making him a master at both close quarters and ranged combat. But his Quirk isn't what would make him stand out as a Class 1-A student -- instead, it's the fact that he's one of the few students at U.A. who wasn't born in Japan. Hailing from China, the birthplace of Quirks, Rin could provide valuable insight into the lore of My Hero Academia.
Itsuka Kendo
A longtime fan favorite, Itsuka Kendo is an intelligent and charismatic student with natural leadership skills. Her popularity is reason enough to include her in Class 1-A -- many fans would be happy to see her get additional screen time -- but let's not forget her rivalry with Yaoyorozu either. Kendo's presence in Class 1-A would allow her dynamic with Yaoyorozu to be further developed and push both of them to greater heights.
Yui Kodai
Yui Kodai shares an interesting similarity with the pro-hero Mt. Lady -- both were created from Ochaco's prototype designs. Yet despite her origins, Kodai is clearly distinct from Ochaco with her dispassionate and taciturn personality. Her addition to Class 1-A would add more of an emotional range to the class, considering its overall tendency towards exuberance, and provide another foil character for Ochaco besides the villain Himiko Toga. Her Size Quirk, which allows her to alter the size of any object she touches, would also add an interesting technical element to battles.
Ibara Shiozaki
Known for her religious passion, Ibara Shiozaki ranked fourth in the entrance exam, granting her the title of one of U.A.'s most powerful students. Her presence would give Class 1-A a girl with serious firepower, which is something it currently lacks. Not only are 2/3rds of Class 1-A male, but most of its female students also specialize in rescue, leadership or support instead of combat. Shiozaki would help even the scales.
Neito Monoma
At first glance, Neito Monoma is a questionable addition to Class 1-A, considering his legendary hatred of them. Still, Monoma's ability to copy the Quirks of others -- and even multiple at once -- has too much potential to pass up. He's one of the rare students who could give Deku, Todoroki or Bakugo a real challenge in a fight. Best of all, his antagonistic attitude would lead to exciting rivalries and foster a competitive spirit in the class.
