My Hero Academia's combat system is defined by Quirks -- supernatural abilities that nearly everyone is born with. While most people have an immediate fondness for their powers, that isn't always the case. Quirks come in a wide variety with some unsuitable for heroic work or villainy, like David Shield's bendy fingers, and others, such as Bakugo's Explosion Quirk or Momo's Creation ability, that are innately powerful.
Quirks are a genetic lottery, even when people attempt Quirk-based marriages, and the result can leave people feeling like their power is an outright curse. However, Quirk-power is very much in the eye of the beholder, and sometimes it takes time for a person to appreciate their strengths -- so, let's take a look at characters who grew to love their Quirks.
Shoto Todoroki, Endeavor's Quirk-Marriage Experiment
At first, Shoto Todoroki's Quirk seems like the ultimate fire and ice combination -- a power worthy of admiration and envy. While it's true that his half-hot, half-cold Quirk is a powerhouse, there is some serious baggage that comes along with it. Shoto is a prime example of what people who seek Quirk marriages are looking for as a perfect combination of his parents' respective elemental abilities.
Shoto initially can't stand his Quirk's fire half due to his tyrannical father Endeavor, who appears to discard all emotion -- aside from rage -- when training his son for the sole purpose of displacing All Might as the top hero. Shoto's mother, Rei, even burned his face with hot water to symbolically attack her despicable husband. Shoto resents that he was born for his Quirk rather than who he is as a person. To that end, he only uses the ice half of his Quirk, holding back his true abilities in the process. Fortunately, Izuku's heartfelt words in the U.A. sports festival helped Shoto begin the process of true self-acceptance.
Eijiro Kirishima, Born With A "Boring" Quirk
Eijiro Kirishima didn't appreciate his Quirk when he was younger since he thought it was boring, even cutting his brow on his hardened knuckles once. Distraught, Kirishima declared that he hated his Quirk, and he was confident that a skin-hardening ability was too simple and defensive for hero work. At this rate, Kirishima would never become a dazzling, "manly" hero like his idol Crimson Riot, but he changed his tune when he saw his classmate Mina Ashido in action.
Moved by Ashido, who bravely stood up to a monstrous villain and tricked him into turning himself in, Kirishima resolved to never think or act like a self-pitying coward again. He launched a friendly, one-sided rivalry with Ashido, determined to keep pace with her as they both trained to become heroes. Kirishima applied to U.A., like Ashido, and joined her in class 1-A and has proved to have an unbreakable spirit.
Yuga Aoyama's Uncomfortable Navel Laser
Yuga Aoyama's Navel Laser Quirk is undoubtedly flashier than Kirishima's Hardening Quirk, but the power is no picnic. Aoyama struggled to use this ranged Quirk to its full effect as a child since he suffered severe stomach cramps and weakness when using it too much. He has to hold back a great deal when using Navel Laser, and he feared that this would prevent him from becoming a true hero.
Aoyama's Quirk was self-harming and challenging to control, not unlike One For All, and for that reason, he saw a bit of himself in Izuku Midoriya. Aoyama has since dramatically improved the power of his Quirk. By wearing a specialized belt, he can fire his Navel Laser more accurately and for an extended period, and he exercised his Quirk a great deal during the forest training arc. Aoyama is on the path to becoming his shining best and appreciates the growth he's made.
Hitoshi Shinso's Villainous Voice
Hitoshi Shinso is in the general education department of U.A., failing to qualify for either class 1-A or 1-B, and he is not comfortable with this fact. Shinso aspires to become a hero, but it's an uphill battle with a Quirk like Brainwashing. His Quirk can control people when they verbally respond to him, and everyone always assumes his power is an insidious one -- garnering a great deal of mistrust his entire life.
Shinso greatly resents his situation, envying his peers who were born with more heroic Quirks. Despite this, Shinso aims to not only become a proper hero but prove all his skeptics and detractors wrong. Shinso appears in My Hero Academia's Season 5 trailer and promo images sporting a new costume design, which could signal a substantial step towards his heroic goal. Regardless of initial doubts about his Quirk, Shinso has come to see the merits of his abilities.
Twice, The Duplicating Villain
Jin Bubaigawara, known as Twice, didn't necessarily set out to become a villain. He has no plans of world domination or the like, but his Quirk took a heavy toll on him and made him desperate. Twice's power allows him to duplicate himself an unknown number of times, and he used his clones as substitutes for regular friends.
Over time, Twice developed identity disorders, unsure if he was the original Bubaigawara or not, and he ended up needing his costume's mask to keep his distress under control. Given a chance, he may trade his Quirk for a new one with far less mental strain. However, Twice knows that his power can be useful to his new friends, and he values them beyond himself.
