My Hero Academia recently showed some love to Class 1-B of U.A’s Hero Course during Season 5's Joint Training arc. Members of Class 1-B got to show off their Quirks and growth in a clash against Class 1-A that was always fated to happen. Now that they’ve all properly appeared in the story, let's rank the best Class 1-B members, as well as their Quirks.
6. Fukidashi Manga – Quirk: Comic
Manga’s Quirk is a pretty powerful one. He can make onomatopoeic sounds that he can manifest into real things, as well as change environmental conditions to match what he says. It’s perfect for creating nigh-indestructible blockades or surprise attacking enemies head-on.
He can also recreate the effects of the words he speaks, making him the perfect backup partner. This power allows him to increase the effectiveness of emitter Quirks his teammates may possess or be the perfect distraction. Overuse of his Quirk gives him a pretty bad sore throat, though, so he’s always careful to stay within his limit.
Manga is a pretty enthusiastic guy. He’s great for raising team morale or if you just need a friend to cheer you up. It’s almost impossible for him to hide a secret since his thoughts randomly pop up on his speech bubblehead sometimes. While this might not be something he always enjoys, his friends always know his actions are truly sincere.
5. Kinoko Komori – Quirk: Mushroom
Komori is one of Class 1-B’s hidden powerhouses. She’s quite small and dainty with a friendly bubbly personality, which doesn’t hide any special physical strength -- she's just as vulnerable as she appears.
She makes up for her physical weaknesses with an almost sinister Quirk: Mushroom. Kinoko can release spores from her body that grow into full mushrooms as she wills it. These mushrooms can grow on any surface, even skin, but they thrive best in moist conditions.
The mushrooms themselves aren’t too dangerous unless a poisonous one is ingested but that’s the least of her Quirk’s danger. If her spores are inhaled, Kinoko can activate them within her opponent’s body. Depending on where the spores are located, full-grown mushrooms could sprout in their lungs or windpipe making breathing incredibly difficult. Given the opportunity, she could incapacitate almost any opponent she’s in range of, no matter their power level.
4. Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu – Quirk: Steel
Since Tetsutetsu made it quite far during the Sports Festival, he’s already quite popular among fans. His honest, straightforward personality is endearing and perfectly complements his Quirk, Steel. It’s remarkably similar to Kirishima’s Hardening but there are a few subtle differences.
Tetsutetsu can turn his whole body to steel, which means his defense is almost unmatched. It seems a simple enough Quirk but Steel hides a few interesting secrets. While activated, Tetsutetsu can withstand temperatures that would incapacitate any other person. As part of his Quirk strengthening process, he trained hard enough to withstand flames that Endeavor would be proud to create, albeit for a limited time. There’s no doubt he’ll continue to go even more Plus Ultra and raise his limits higher.
Tetsutetsu’s Quirk also boosts his strength enough that he is able to level almost any obstacles in his way. While physical endurance is a given, Tetsutetsu also has surprising mental resilience that allows him to push past his limits when it counts and withstand nerve-wracking situations. He is very driven to protect his friends and in battle is determined to never fall before his opponent does. Tetsutetsu never gives up no matter who (or what) he’s faced with. This is the trait that makes him Class 1-B’s endurance champ.
3. Shiozaki Ibara - Quirk: Vines
Shiozaki's Vine Quirk seems pretty harmless... at first. The vines hang from her head to her waist and behave just like anyone’s hair would. Her pious personality, meanwhile, infantilizes her in some people’s eyes but any notions of her being frail would disappear as soon as her vines are seen in action.
Shiozaki can control each of her vines independently and they’re a lot tougher than they may appear. They may not be able to extend indefinitely but Shiozaki hasn’t yet revealed a limit on how far she can extend them or how many she can grow. By extending them several meters in every direction, she can use the vines as motion detectors, making a covert approach on foot impossible. They also snatch up anything that happens to touch them instantly, and no one has escaped her capture before.
She’s incredibly quick with them to boot, able to create complex structures in the blink of an eye. Once she detaches any of her vines, they grow back immediately, so as long as she keeps them hydrated and they get enough sunlight.
Shiozaki’s personality might give her some trouble as a hero in the future. Ever since her introduction, she’s consistently refused to engage in any deceit even if it might give her an advantage. Many heroes use ploys or tricks in their attempts to defeat villains but it doesn’t seem like she ever plans on adopting similar strategies. Hopefully, her vines remain an overwhelming enough threat to make subterfuge unnecessary.
2. Juzo Honenuki - Quirk: Softening
Honenuki was one of the few first years admitted to U.A based on recommendations, so his abilities were never in question. His Quirk, Softening, allows him to soften any non-living thing he touches and restore it to its original state with a second touch. He can apply his Quirk to the ground and trap enemies within it as well as move freely within whatever he’s softened as if he was swimming.
Honenuki’s Quirk is impressive but it’s his mental acuity that allows it to truly shine. Softening might not seem to have many applications but his ability to anticipate enemy moves and adapt on the fly leads to some truly ingenious uses of his Quirk. It also means he’s never not without a plan or in the process of formulating one.
Honenuki has never been surprised by an enemy’s strategy or if he has been, he’s never shown it. He always seems to come up with the perfect countermeasure for any attack, if he hasn’t already taken steps to neutralize it.
His flexibility isn’t only limited to attack strategies, either. Honenuki can easily get along with anyone, making him a great friend and an even better teammate. He shines in whatever role he’s assigned, whether as a leader or follower.
1. Jurota Shishida – Quirk: Beast
Jurota Shishida’s Beast Quirk is definitely Class 1-B’s most menacing in appearance -- and it’s not just for show. When it’s not activated, his size could pass for a regular teenager’s (albeit one a little larger than average). He’s also covered from head to toe in fur, which might have alarmed strangers if it wasn’t for his calm intellectual personality.
It’s an entirely different story when Shishida’s Quirk is activated though. He grows exponentially in size, enough to tower over most adults, and manifests even more beast-like traits. His fur grows even shaggier and his fangs -- which are normally mostly hidden -- are put on full display. When transformed, his personality becomes a bit wilder and he’s much rowdier than usual.
Even at the height of his transformations, Shishida’s intellect is left mostly untouched. His beastlike appearance and mannerisms mask a master strategist and quick thinker, giving him the best of both worlds. His strength and endurance also get a huge boost and he’s once even shaken off an electrical attack from Kaminari with ease. When transformed, he also gains heightened senses, while his nose, in particular, is so sharp that he’s able to sense an opponent’s movement by scent alone as soon as they step within range.
Shishida is also able to transform to and from his Beast mode in the blink of an eye, rendering any attempts to use his size against him ineffective. His combination of brute force, unparalleled senses and cool intellect make him a force to truly be reckoned with.
