There is nothing more devastating than a superhero or villain losing their powers in the world of My Hero Academia. 80% of the global population is born with a Quirk, but there are instances where they could become forcibly Quirkless. A person may lose a body part needed to activate their abilities or their power gets stolen by the All For One Quirk. Regardless of the method, Quirkless heroes and villains have to completely adjust their careers.

Whether they fall into despair like Overhaul, or they fully accept the loss like Mirio Togata, the state of being Quirkless is sometimes a real test of character. It all depends on the circumstances of why they lost their powers in the first place. Only a lucky few, such as the aforementioned Mirio, could ever hope to regain their Quirks once they lose it. Although it might seem like the end of the world, Quirkless people sometimes do have a future elsewhere.

Updated on March 26th, 2025 by Louis Kemner: Now that the story of My Hero Academia is over, fans are looking forward to My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which will feature new Quirks and new Quirkless characters. After seeing the Quirkless vigilante Knuckleduster, fans will want to review all the other Quirkless characters and see how they compare to him in their arcs. So, with the topic of characters who lose their Quirks being fresh and relevant once again, fans should check out three more MHA characters who once had a Quirk… only to lose it all. The characters are also ranked according to how awesome, powerful, and compelling they are, Quirk or no Quirk.

13

The Luminescent Baby Symbolically Lost Their Quirk to All For One

History Was Mocked When The Luminescence Quirk Was Lost

The unnamed glowing baby born with a Luminescence Quirk ranks last among the characters who lost their Quirks in My Hero Academia simply because this character is more like a plot device. Aside from glowing in the Chinese hospital where they were born, the baby did not say or do anything at all, and that’s not terribly compelling to anime fans. Instead, the Luminescent Baby is a historic landmark in the world of Quirks and has thus entered the history books.

The Luminescent Baby is known as the first person ever born with a Quirk, but that is not quite correct. That infant was the first confirmed person to have a Quirk, while All For One’s mother had a Quirk before that. Perhaps for symbolic and spiteful reasons, All For one the supervillain stole the Luminescent Baby’s Quirk, mocking that historic child as someone who evidently didn’t deserve their fame.

12

Katsuma’s Father Lost His Medical Quirk to Nine on Nabu Island

Nine Needed a Quirk to Keep His Strained Body Together

Katsuma and Mahoro Shimano’s father wasn’t a very prominent character in My Hero Academia‘s anime lore, to the point not even the man’s name is known. He was mostly just a plot device, being a caring father who happened to have a medical Quirk capable of healing bodies. That was why the villain Nine cornered him and stole his Quirk, hoping to keep his own body intact while using All For One.

Katsuma’s father survived the incident, but the Shimanos weren’t out of danger yet. Nine was dissatisfied with the Quirk he had stolen, so he moved on to Katsuma himself, who had a similar Quirk of his own. By that point, Katsuma’s helpless father could only turn to the students of class 1-A to help protect his family and everyone on Nabu Island from the wrath of Nine and his villains squad.

11

Yoichi Shigaraki Gave Up His Quirk So One For All Could Fight On

Yoichi Started One For All, But Couldn’t Finish

Being a sickly fellow who could never stand up to his twin brother, Yoichi Shigaraki isn’t that impressive among My Hero Academia characters who lost their Quirks, but no one can blame him for that. Yoichi was a victim of circumstance, and it was all he could do to survive and create the ultimate weapon to take down his villainous twin. Yoichi was born with a subtle Quirk, the function of which was to be willingly passed to other people.

When combined with a power-storing Quirk bestowed upon Yoichi, that subtle Quirk formed One For All. Yoichi could then charge up energy to get stronger, but he was no match for All For One, so he ended up playing the long game. Yoichi passed One For All to the second wielder, in the process turning himself Quirkless in the hopes someone could defeat All For One someday. Future users also passed along One For All, but they also had their own natural Quirk factors, so their circumstances weren’t quite the same as Yoichi’s.

10

Ragdoll Has No Choice But to Retire

Tomoko Shiretoko Was Another Victim of All For One

Whenever a character ends up losing their special abilities in My Hero Academia, there’s a good possibility that All For One is responsible. He can steal useful powers via a Quirk bearing his namesake. Ragdoll just so happens to be an unfortunate victim after the events of the Forest Training Camp arc. She was kidnapped by the Vanguard Action Squad and taken to a warehouse, where she presumably had her powers stolen.

Her Search Quirk formerly allowed her to act as mission control by monitoring up to a hundred people at any given time. All For One couldn’t pass up the opportunity to keep tabs on all his enemies. Now reduced to civilian status, Tomoko Shiretoko took a long while to overcome her traumatic experience, before he eventually regained her uplifting demeanor. Her former Quirk was a significant factor in Deku’s later decision to leave the U.A. due to All For One and Tomura Shigaraki potentially tracking him and his friends down.

9

Overhaul Suffered a Fate Worse Than Death

Kai Chisaki Will Have to Live With The Consequences of His Actions

When he was still a very active villain in My Hero Academia, Overhaul was a ruthless criminal who devoted his entire life to eradicating Quirks. He even performed unethical experiments on a little girl just to use her rewinding powers to create Quirk destroying bullets. In a cruel twist of irony, after his defeat at the hands of Deku, his transport route was interrupted by the League of Villains, who made sure that he ended up Quirkless as well.

The Overhaul Quirk gives the user a power to assemble, disassemble, and reassemble whatever he touches with his own hands. Tomura Shigaraki and Mr. Compress enact their revenge on Overhaul as they dismember both his arms, which renders him unable to activate his Quirk any longer. With no path towards redemption, Overhaul is now a Quirkless prisoner with a probable life sentence, his life’s work all for nothing.

8

Knuckleduster is Now a Quirkless Vigilante

Iwao Oguro Was Formerly The High Speed Hero, O’Clock

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spin-off that’s set in the same universe, only five years before the main story took place. Iwao Oguro seems like a brutish oaf with a violent streak, but deep within his soul, he’s a kind-hearted individual. During his costumed days as the superhero O’Clock, he could slow down his perception of the surrounding environment via the Overclock Quirk. All For One stole his Quirk and gave it to the spin-off’s main antagonist Number 6.

Now a vigilante by the name of Knuckleduster, he mainly relies on his large stature and physical combat prowess. He doesn’t think highly of his time as O’Clock, since he believes a ”hit-and-run” approach to solving crimes didn’t really change society for the better. His former Quirk was undeniably powerful, although it had significant drawbacks, particularly with a cold down period. If used too much, it will cause a massive brain overload.

7

Stain Gets His Quirk Stolen Right as He Dies

Chizome Akaguro Saves All Might’s Life in The Process

Stain is a former serial killer with a dangerous ability to paralyze targets by licking their blood. The Bloodcurdle Quirk gives him a very sharp edge in fights. However, despite his controversial beliefs and his large body count, Stain’s final moments in My Hero Academia will certainly be remembered in a good light. He dies a hero when he saves All Might during the final war, paralyzing All For One right before he faces his death with some dignity.

All For One already knew that Stain would betray him at some point, so he used his Antigen Swap to counteract the effects of Bloodcurdle. Stain’s upper body is smashed into red giblets, but not before All For One quickly steals his powerful Quirk at the same time. The Hero Killer is Quirkless for only a fraction of a second in the final moments of his life. Nonetheless, he died protecting All Might, a hero that he actually respected, so Stain ranks in the middle among the best My Hero Academia characters who lost their Quirks.

6

Mirio Togata Only Temporarily Lost His Quirk

With a Little Help From Eri, He Finally Got it Back

With an eternal smile on his face, Mirio brightens up anybody’s day with his cheerful attitude. He is truly a lionheart warrior in My Hero Academia. Mirio was formerly a potential candidate to replace All Might himself before Deku stepped into the scene. However, they both share a sacrificial nature, as they will put their own bodies on the line to protect others. Mirio famously took a Quirk-destroying bullet meant for Eri in the Shie Hassaikai arc.

He willingly gave up the special ability to become intangible with his Permeation Quirk, simply because he didn’t want Overhaul and his criminal organization to hurt the little Eri anymore. With a little bit of karmic return, Mirio is among the only Quirkless characters to ever regain the very same Quirk they lost. Right before the Paranormal Liberation War broke out, Eri repairs him back to his original state with her own Rewind Quirk.

5

Hawks Gives it His All in The Final War

Keigo Takami Retires Having Done His Job

Hawks is a realistic person who accepts situations for what they are in My Hero Academia. In the final war against the monstrous All For One, Japan’s former number two hero does everything within his power to stop the villain. His Fierce Wings Quirk gives him a pair of red wings that he can use to soar through the skies, but he can also use feathers blade and sense vibrations in the air. Despite his versatile fighting style, he’s still no match for All For One.

The villain launches a destructive blast to burn away Hawks’ wings, and once he grabs him by the neck, All For One then steals the Fierce Wings Quirk for himself. He is eventually destroyed for good after subsequent encounters with Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya, but as the vestige world disappears, Hawks’ own spirit admits that it would’ve been nice to regain his powers, but he knew it wouldn’t happen. After his retirement, he became the official president for the Hero Public Safety Commission.

4

Star and Stripe Makes The Ultimate Sacrifice

Cathleen Bate Wasn’t Going to Let Shigaraki Rule The World

Japanese society has nearly fallen into ruin after the widespread devastation of the Paranormal Liberation War. Tomura Shigaraki had become too powerful with his endless reserve of Quirks. The United States of America sent their number one Pro Hero to help even the odds. In a very short arc named after her, Star and Stripe gave it everything she got against Shigaraki, but he eventually prevailed once he decayed her body and stole her Quirk.

New Order is a ridiculously powerful ability that lets the user set rules and manipulate properties. Naturally, she couldn’t allow Shigaraki to use it. Right before he became Quirkless, she had set one final rule, in which her Quirk would violently revolt against Shigaraki’s. This sacrificial act led to Shigaraki nearly destroying his own body in the process. New Order self-destructed shortly afterward, securing a pyrrhic victory.

3

Tomura Shigaraki Was Born With a Different Quirk

All For One Completely Ruined His Life For a Selfish Cause

For many years, My Hero Academia readers suspected that Shigaraki wasn’t born with a Decay Quirk. It was heavily speculated that All For One pulled a few strings like a puppet master, as he made sure that Shigaraki would end up killing his family by accident to start his descent into darkness. It was perfectly within his manipulative character to pull off such a hideous act. The climax of the final war reveals that was exactly the case.

As soon as All For One’s last remaining vestiges take over Shigaraki’s body during his fight with Deku, the villain reveals that he stole his original Quirk, and later gave him Decay to set his plans into motion. It remains unclear what that original Quirk was supposed to be, yet for a very short while, Shigaraki was Quirkless until he was five years old. The series would be a lot different had they never met.

2

All Might Transferred One For All To His New Protege

Toshinori Yagi Believed Deku Would Be a Worthy Successor

Toshinori Yagi wasn’t always the famous superhero All Might. He used to be a Quirkless little boy until he met Nana Shimura, a formidable superhero and seventh user of the One For All Quirk. He would later inherit her powers, master the full extent of his newfound raw strength, and eventually defeat All For One before the start of the current timeline in My Hero Academia. However, due to a few devastating injuries, he was on borrowed time.

All Might only had a few embers remaining for the One For All Quirk. Once he used it all up after transferring it to another user, he would end up Quirkless again. He eventually found what he was looking for when he saw Deku risk his life to save Bakugo when they were young. After he successfully transferred One For All to his successor, he would finally use up the last of his ember after a second battle with his arch nemesis All For One.

1

Deku Starts And Ends The Series Quirkless

Izuku Midoriya Truly Lived Up to All Might’s Legacy

By the end of My Hero Academia, Deku upheld his promise all the way from the start of the series. He can now pave a way towards a brighter future, especially now that All For One is finally gone for good. However, in order to defeat Tomura Shigaraki, who by this point was taken over yet again by All For One, Deku has to transfer his One For All Quirk and destroy Shigaraki’s weak spirit from within the vestige world.

The result is that both villains are dead, but Deku no longer has access to his former powers, which leaves him a Quirkless boy with only a few embers left. It’s a fitting end for his character, given that Deku has never been afraid to sacrifice his body for the sake of humanity. The world no longer has to worry about All For One’s reign of terror ever again. From this point forward, Deku can help rebuild the world into a better place than he found it. That is why Deku ranks first among all My Hero Academia characters who ended up losing their Quirks.