My Hero Academia is one of the most popular contemporary anime series with a huge and dedicated following from all over the world. They have some of the most powerful and intelligent characters on all sides, and the smartest Class-A students' capabilities have been tested during epic battles with devious villains.
These horrifying but highly intelligent villains were responsible for the saddest deaths in the series that turned this show into one of the most emotional ones. My Hero Academia has one of the widest range and most interesting villains who all have not only their own unique capabilities but world views as well. That's why it's especially difficult to pin them down and defeat them.
Updated February 19, 2023, by Via Erhard: Over the years, My Hero Academia fans have been introduced to some truly powerful and intelligent MHA villains who could easily overpower pro-heroes as well as outsmart them. While villains in My Hero Academia are often portrayed as impulsive monsters who can't control their dark emotions and the hatred that drives them, there are also a few MHA villains who are surprisingly level-headed and analytical. Fans can also meet new My Hero Academia villains who used their creativity and impressive critical thinking skills while planning their next horrifying move as well as during intense battles against heroes.
11 Mr. Compress
Mr. Compress aka Atsuhiro Sako is one of the best anime tacticians as well as a smart and resourceful MHA villain who was also a member of the infamous League of Villains. Even many pro-heroes feared him since he was famous for his impressive abilities and high intelligence, which helped him to win many fights against powerful Pro-Heroes.
Mr. Compress was also one of the most eccentric My Hero Academia villains who loved to joke around and show off his unique Quirk and abilities during fights. Since he was able to easily trap and compress any of his opponents into a small marble, both his allies and opponents feared him.
10 Kurogiri
Kurogiri is the most polite member of the League of Villains and is the second-in-command as well as Tomura's most loyal supporter and guardian. He is a powerful and dangerous MHA villain who knows how to use his special and deadly Quirk with great precision and can easily kill even Pro-Heroes.
Even though he's a B-rank villain, he's still terrifying thanks to his high intelligence and ruthless nature. He is one of My Hero Academia's most merciless killers who wants nothing more than to get rid of All Might and all heroes until Tomura can finally have control over the world.
9 Re-Destro
Re-Destro aka Rikiya Yotsubashi is one of the most reprehensible corporate villains in anime who is also an arrogant yet powerful My Hero Academia villain. He is a cunning villain who fooled most people and even heroes with his seemingly bubbly and warm personality.
However, Re-Destro is a cruel and calculating villain who used his Quirk and influence to fulfill his father's wish. While his original plan was good, he eventually became so obsessed with his goal that he would commit brutal murders and other heinous acts just to finally achieve it.
8 Skeptic
Tomoyasu Chikazoku aka Skeptic showed that he is one of the smartest villains in My Hero Academia on multiple occasions. He's one of the MHA villains who didn't even have to engage in a fight to defeat his opponents, thanks to his impressive hacking skills.
However, Skeptic is also a trained and skilled fighter who used his analytical mind during battles and was also a member of the Meta Liberation Army and would still support the ideologies of his former group. He is Re-Destro's most loyal supporter and used his special and deadly abilities to get rid of anyone who stood in their way.
7 Stain
Stain is My Hero Academia's merciless Hero Killer. He's not only one of the smartest but most dangerous villains and wants to get rid of all unworthy and false heroes. Because of his twisted ideologies, he became a cold murderer who took many Heroes' lives.
He murdered seventeen Pro Heroes and crippled twenty-four of them including Tenya's older brother, Tensei. He showed that he's able to plan, stay patient, and keep his calm during battles. The fact that he was able to defeat so many Pro Heroes shows that he didn't only master his Quirk and fighting skills, but he's quick on his feet and was able to find these powerful Pro Heroes' weak spots.
6 Kagero Okuta
Even though Kagero Okuta, AKA Giran, is only a C-rank villain, it's not because of his low intelligence. While his Quirk comes in handy to Giran in his line of work, it's pretty useless during battles. He can cause amnesia and erase the previous and the next five minutes of his victims' memories.
He uses his intellect and Quirk to work as a shady broker to the League of Villains. Giran is not only a good businessman who's great with numbers but is a skilled negotiator and manipulator who recruited many dangerous villains for this infamous organization.
5 Dabi
One of the most debated topics among My Hero Academia fans is if Endeavor's character is redeemable or not, and Dabi's backstory seems to tip the scale toward a no. Dabi is one of the most powerful members of the League of Villains who used his intelligence and great observation skills to defeat his enemies. He's also got one of the most intriguing character arcs in the series.
Dabi is excellent at reading others' intentions and finding their weaknesses and creating complex plans during battles. Unfortunately, as it later turned out, it's mainly thanks to Endeavor since Dabi is his firstborn son Toya Todoroki, who has been assumed dead for many years. Endeavor trained Dabi even more ruthlessly than he trained Shoto, and he helped Dabi learn how to master his high-temperature fire Quirk.
4 Kai Chisaki
Kai Chisaki, AKA Overhaul, is one of the most powerful and terrifying MHA villains with little screentime. Overhaul was a ruthless Yakuza leader with a deadly top-tier Quirk that allowed him to disassemble and reassemble anything he desired. This way, he could not only easily kill his enemies but heal himself and his comrades' wounds.
He was one of the most depraved and irredeemable villains who used his unique physical and mental capabilities to increase his own powers and would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. One of his worst acts was physically and mentally abusing Eri.
3 Tomura Shigaraki
Tomura Shigaraki is not only MHA's strongest villain but also one that could be the most intelligent one if he wouldn't also be equally damaged. Tomura's strongest powers helped him defeat many Pro Heroes, and he is the proud leader of the League of Villains.
Tomura is viewed as a dark version of Deku who matches the young hero's capabilities and is the protege of All For One, who was All Might's greatest opponent. Even though Tomura's keen intellect, impressive analytical skills, and deadly Quirk are unmatched, his mental instability and impatience make him weaker, and he can even be overpowered by weaker opponents because of it. Tomura's behavior improved a lot over the past seasons, though he still has some work to do when it comes to self-discipline.
2 Kyudai Garaki
Dr. Kyudai Garaki AKA Kyudai Garaki is My Hero Academia's evil genius with expert knowledge of Quirks and was able to create copies and implant them into his horrifying Nomu. However, he's only a follower and not a leader whose Life Force Quirk is useless during battles.
What makes him one of the darkest anime characters is his capability to feel sadness and the fact that he's able to show empathy towards others which makes his actions even worse. Even though he's a certified genius, he's also a big coward who loses his cool easily and gets panicky under pressure.
1 All For One
All For One is still My Hero Academia's greatest and smartest villain. In fact, he's one of the most intelligent shonen anime villains of all time. He was a highly intelligent and sadistic villain who murdered Pro Heroes without remorse.
Even though he was practically blind without his infrared Quirk and needed a life support system in the form of his creepy mask, he was still the most dangerous villain out there. He managed to collect six powerful Quirks and learned to use them with skill and even in combination during his epic fights.