Considering Izuku Midoriya is still technically a first-year student, and relatively inexperienced at wielding his Quirk, he has amassed a pretty good track record in the Villain defeating department of My Hero Academia. Will One For All and a healthy support network by his side, Deku has become a force to be reckoned with, at just sixteen years old!
While there are a handful of unnamed assailants that Deku has taken down in his brief time of being a Hero, the following content will be prioritizing the more significant Villains who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with Izuku Midoriya's relentless determination.
The following content contains spoilers from My Hero Academia, Season 6.
11 Hero Killer: Stain Vs Deku, Tenya and Shoto
The first Villain that Deku faces after receiving his Provisional Hero License is the terrifyingly successful serial killer who has evaded authorities for several years. Desperate to save Tenya from a vengeful demise, Deku races to a potentially early grave and is quickly incapacitated by Stain's immobilizing Bloodcurdle. Fortunately, Izuku's blood type saves him from prolonged suffering, while Shoto has also joined in the fray, and they each take turns bombarding their foe with attacks.
With the perfectly timed Recipro Extend and One For All: Full Cowling combo move, followed by Shoto's daunting ice waves, Stain finds himself bested by a bunch of kids. After a Nomu suddenly attacks, The Hero Killer succumbs to internal injuries moments before he can make his escape, landing him a one-way ticket to Tartarus (well, for the time being.)
10 Nine Vs Deku and Bakugo
While putting their hero skills to the test on Nabu Island, Nine and his band of merry men cause havoc as they hunt little Katsuma Shimano down for his Quirk. Deku and Nine's first encounter nearly ends in disaster (as One For All is allegedly nearly stolen), so the young Hero arranges a Class A team up to counter their overpowered foes.
Things don't exactly go according to plan, as Nine's numerous Quirks become exceedingly difficult to defeat. As a last-ditch effort, Deku shares his powers with Bakugo, allowing for their simultaneous One For All: Full Cowl: 100% and Detroit Smash attacks to dominate the battlefield. However, in the end, Shigaraki is the one to deal the final, fatal blow, dismantling the experimental ally with one foul touch.
9 Swordkil Vs Deku
Following a successful excursion at the renowned I-Expo (celebrating support items), Izuku gets to test out his new gauntlets much sooner than anticipated, when his father-son-type outing with All Might go horribly awry. Wolfram and his goons are on a mission to take ownership of the Quirk-enhancing equipment, and their inventor, David Shield, and subsequently take All Might hostage in the process.
When the "brainwashed" bots prove to be ineffective, Swordkil is sent to deal with the students, with his double-bladed appendages in tow. The Quirkless Melissa manages to capture Swordkil's attention long enough for Deku to deliver a Full Gauntlet Smash, clearing their path of ominous obstacles.
8 Wolfram Vs Deku and All Might
Attempting to incapacitate Magneto... no wait, Wolfram is no easy feat for anyone, as his metal-bending finesse, particularly in their current setting, leaves him with a plethora of offensive and defensive options; whereas Izuku didn't even bring a knife to this gunfight!
To make matters worse, Wolfram has activated the Quirk Amplification Device and reveals his secret secondary power, Muscular (compliments of All For One, naturally.) Nearly at his limit, All Might struggles to gain the upper hand, but fortunately, he and Deku have their own secret weapon tucked away and finally showcase their impeccable synchronization skills by defeating the metallic monstrosity with an iconic Double Detroit Smash.
7 Muscular Vs Deku (and Jailbreaker Vs Dark Deku)
Deku has clashed with Muscular on two separate occasions, emerging victorious in both Seasons 3 and 6, much to the battle-hungry assailant's dismay. Their rivalry begins when young Kota's life is threatened and Izuku seems vastly overpowered by Goji's Muscle Augmentation Quirk. However, thanks to some courageous distraction techniques from Kota, Deku manages to produce an epic 1,000,000% Delaware Detroit Smash, and its lights out for Goto!
Following the mass break-out after the Paranormal Liberation War, Muscular is back with a new name and the same bloodlust; however, Dark Deku quickly knocks him down a peg. Using physics to his advantage (And taking Yo's Shindo's vibrations into account), Izuku barely needs any flashy moves to incapacitate Jailbreaker, One For All Full Cowling: 45% Impact Detroit Smash gets the job done just fine.
6 Mimic Vs Deku, Eraser Head, and Sir Nighteye
The raid of Shie Hassaikai's headquarters gets off to a rough start, as Mimic's manipulative Quirk distorts the very nature of reality, making the Heroes' progress rather harrowing, especially when the team gets separated. Determined to rescue Eri, Izuku simply starts crashing through the warping walls with One For All: Full Cowling Smash, repeatedly, until finally locating their target.
The usually-attentive Irinaka is caught unprepared, after losing his temper with the helpful Himiko and Twice, distracting the yakuza from the task at hand. Eraser Head subsequently deactivates Mimicry with ease, leaving the perfect opening for Sir Nighteye to swoop in with his high-velocity Hyper-Density Seals.
5 Overhaul Vs Deku and Eri
Kai Chisaki and his Shie Hassaikai cohort arguably challenge the League of Villains and Paranormal Liberation Front in terms of potency, particularly with the near-invincible Overhaul Quirk (and its combinative components) at their disposal. Chisaki wishes to irradicate all Quirks from existence, with innocent Eri as his secret weapon, but oh how the tables turn when the little girl inadvertently unlocks One For All's potential.
Although Deku would virtually disintegrate with One For All: Full Cowl - 100%, Rewind, fortunately, has an astonishing side-effect, that essentially circumnavigates the damage caused to Izuku's untrained body. However, their success is stolen by Shigaraki and Mr. Compress, who proceed to amputate Overhaul's arms, essentially leaving Chisaki Quirkless.
4 Gentle Criminal and La Brava Vs Deku
Gentle Criminal and La Brava are just trying to "innocently" gate-crash the UA School Festival (to gather some clickbait-worthy content); however, their timing is rather inconvenient, as Eri desperately needs some joy in her life, and the Villains' presence will get the Festival shut down for sure!
Thankfully, Izuku stumbles across the pair, although he is alone, and caught off guard by the versatility of Danjuro's Quirk. Their game of cat-and-mouse gets serious once La Brava activates her Lover Mode, and it looks like its tickets for the Hero, but he finds the strength for a final Shoot Style: St. Louis Smash, just as Hound Dog and Ectoplasm's clones arrive and arrest the tear-stricken duo.
3 Ending Vs Deku, Bakugo and Shoto
The boys' first taste of the Pro-Hero life isn't as thrilling as they initially expected, as Deku, Shoto, and Bakugo seem to spend all of their time simply trying to keep up with Endeavor and his crew. Their chance to shine eventually arrives after Ending kidnaps Natsuo Todoroki and any nearby road users, with his Trigger-enhanced Whiteline Quirk.
Shoto focuses his fiery attacks on the foe while Bakugo uses a condensed Explosion to propel himself forward and drag Natsuo to safety, while Deku uses Blackwhip to catch the numerous cars busy falling to their doom. The Hot-and-Cold Master makes his father proud with a double-fisted attack, illustrating his command over the elements.
2 Humarise: Rogone and Flect Turn Vs Deku (and Rody)
The Quirk Singularity Doomsday terrorists have made their presence known and begun harassing the innocent masses, planning to (selectively) remove the diseased Quirk users from the general populous. Several battles ensue between the Heroes and Humanrise, however, Izuku is inadvertently clumped with the criminals after he saves Rody's life. The pair eventually come face-to-face with the Oni-inspired Rogone, who Deku quickly beats into submission with his glorious St. Louis Smash.
Facing Flect Turn is not as simple, considering his Reflective Quirk redirects Deku's attacks straight back at him. Fortunately, as with any potent Quirk, Reflect has its limits, and Deku's newest Ultimate Move: United States of World Smash finally finds its target, taking the tyrant out of commission for good!
1 Lady Nagant Vs Deku (Technically)
Lady Nagant is such a formidable force that even the #2 Pro-Hero is wary and urges Izuku to run for his life if he ever encounters her. Unsurprisingly, Deku does the exact opposite and is subsequently pummeled with Lady Nagant's hair-fueled bullets, which can be accurately discharged from up to three kilometers away. Furthermore, Kaina Tsutsumi has also been secretly empowered with Air Walk, increasing her unpredictability factor even further.
Deku's success in overpowering Lady Nagant was far from guaranteed, as it's debatable what might've happened between the two if All For One hadn't gotten cold feet and activated his minion's self-destruct sequence. Nevertheless, by the time The Symbol of Evil intervened, Deku arguably already had the upper hand, following his well-delivered, innovative Ultimate Move:Faux 100 Percent: Manchester Smash.