My Hero Academia features an ensemble cast of characters, including the students of class 1-A at the prestigious U.A. school for heroes. Izuku Midoriya is a smart and tough shonen protagonist, just like his greatest rival and childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugo.
Bakugo is well-known for his explosive Quirk and his bad attitude, but that's not all. He's also a sharp and insightful student who can think up creative battle plans on the fly, which has helped him find victory against great odds. He also gets good grades, scoring in class 1-A's top five. But despite his stellar academic performance, there are still characters who can outsmart him.
10 COULD OUTSMART BAKUGO: Izuku Midoriya Always Studies Quirks
The gap between Izuku and Bakugo is surprisingly narrow when it comes to book smarts and battlefield tactics, but in the end, Izuku is definitely the better strategist between them. Having been born Quirkless, Izuku is used to studying other people's Quirks and fighting styles, giving him an edge.
Izuku is also a more resourceful fighter than Bakugo is, and he can even turn other people's Quirks against them at times. Bakugo has had some solid strategies before, but ultimately, Izuku has better plans that have paid off enormously.
9 COULDN'T OUTSMART BAKUGO: Eijiro Kirishima Is A Straightforward Fighter
Eijiro Kirishima calls himself Red Riot in homage to his personal idol, Crimson Riot, the manly hero. Eijiro once thought that his Hardening Quirk is boring, but now he's determined to make the most of it and become an inspiring hero despite the odds.
While Eijiro is a tough and reliable fighter, he isn't known for his tricks and traps in battle. He rarely, if ever, outwits his enemies. Instead, he'd rather endure their blows and return fire with his hardened knuckles. While that's a fine strategy, it won't help him outwit Bakugo in a fight.
8 COULD OUTSMART BAKUGO: Momo Yaoyorozu Is A Genius
Momo Yaoyorozu is a support hero who can create any non-living thing with her Quirk and has a genius IQ to back it up. Only a brilliant girl like Momo could study the schematics of an item and then perfectly duplicate it with her Quirk. She knows exactly how to use those items in battle, too.
Momo is a skilled leader and an expert strategist, and she can think up backup plans for any battlefield situation. Even though she personally lost to Itsuka in the joint training exercise, she outwitted Itsuka in the end. She could definitely outsmart Bakugo, too.
7 COULDN'T OUTSMART BAKUGO: Mezo Shoji Has No Special Strategies
The six-arm hero Mezo Shoji is a support hero, just like Momo, but his greatest strength is his senses and not his tactical brilliance. Mezo supports his allies by using his extra eyes, ears, and mouths to read the battlefield and report back on the enemy's movements.
Mezo's Quirk can help any hero team leader come up with a solid plan, but Mezo probably won't be the one to think it up. Instead, he'll cooperate with his fellows and help them execute whatever plan the leader came up with. Mezo most likely couldn't outwit Izuku, Momo, or Bakugo.
6 COULD OUTSMART BAKUGO: Saiko Intelli Bets Everything On Her IQ
During the provisional hero license exam, the Seiai Academy student Saiko Intelli laid a trap for Momo's team inside a skyscraper, and she had everything planned out ahead of time. Saiko already knew the strengths and weaknesses of her enemies, so she planned accordingly.
Saiko's trap nearly worked, but at the last moment, Momo's team came together to turn the tables. Against most other student heroes, Saiko would have won, including against Bakugo himself. After all, Saiko's Quirk is based entirely on her IQ.
5 COULDN'T OUTSMART BAKUGO: Setsuna Tokage Already Failed To Outsmart Him
Setsuna Tokage led a team against Bakugo's own team during the joint training exercise, and she did her best to try and use Bakugo's bad attitude against him. That was a fine plan, but Setsuna underestimated Bakugo's resolve and failed to realize that Bakugo is capable of teamwork if he really needs it.
Setsuna's team's traps failed against Bakugo's team, and Bakugo quickly used his and Hanta Sero's Quirks to blast Setsuna into oblivion. Bakugo also made use of Kyoka Jiro's own Quirk and smartly took the initiative to gain an advantage.
4 COULD OUTSMART BAKUGO: Sir Nighteye Specializes In Future Planning
Sir Nighteye was once All Might's sidekick, and he supported the #1 hero with his remarkable future-sight Quirk and his razor-sharp mind. Sir Nighteye is only a token fighter in person, but if he's behind a desk, he can formulate the perfect plan to take down any villain or criminal organization with no trouble.
Sir Nighteye is exceptionally brilliant even when compared to other pro heroes. Between that and his ability to see the future, it's unthinkable that Bakugo or his classmates could outwit Sir Nighteye and make a fool of him. Bakugo can't escape Sir Nighteye's all-seeing Quirk.
3 COULDN'T OUTSMART BAKUGO: Jurota Shishida Is A Heroic Brute
Jurota Shishida is loosely similar to Hank McCoy, also known as Beast, of X-Men fame. A key difference is that Jurota isn't a brilliant scientist like Beast. He does, however, have a beastly Quirk that turns him into a giant, furry warrior with terrifying strength and relatively good speed and agility.
Beast did his best against class 1-A's team in the joint training battle, but he fell behind and couldn't outsmart Hitoshi Shinso's tricks. Jurota would likely also lose a battle of wits against Bakugo in a team battle, too.
2 COULD OUTSMART BAKUGO: All For One Is Ten Steps Ahead
The villainous All For One is probably My Hero Academia's smartest character. At the very least, he's had enough time to plan for absolutely everything. He also has many decades of experience on his side, meaning nothing can surprise him by now. He's seen and done it all.
In All For One's eyes, Bakugo is just some amusing kid who's fooling around. All For One could easily avoid capture and lure Bakugo into a deadly trap. Whatever Bakugo may do, All For One is already several steps ahead. No one can catch him unprepared.
1 COULDN'T OUTSMART BAKUGO: Minoru Mineta's Tricks Won't Work
Despite his obnoxious behavior and cowardly streak, Minoru Mineta is still a capable fighter. He gets decent grades in class, too. Minoru surprised everyone when he outfoxed Midnight the R-rated hero during their practice battle and escaped the battlefield to claim victory.
Minoru can use his Quirk in surprising ways, but ultimately, it's not enough to outsmart Bakugo, who has definitely proven himself the superior strategist. Whatever Minoru might do, Bakugo can neutralize it and regain the upper hand.
