My Hero Academia is one of the most popular animes in the world, and for good reason. Kohei Horikoshi helped break the narrative of women as damsels in distress by putting them on equal footing with their male counterparts. The series has featured a variety of female characters; while some are more iconic than most, they are all equally important to the story. Some of these characters would even give men a hard time. Here are some of the strongest female characters in My Hero Academia.

Cathleen Bate, better known by her alias Star and Stripe, was proudly America's number one hero. She had long been a fan of All Might, modeled after him, and considered him her master. However, Star proved that she was more than just a stand-in for her master. Her Quirk, New Order, helped cement her place as the strongest hero in America and the strongest female hero in the world. New Order allows her to set rules for anything she touches, provided she knows its name. While her fight with Shigaraki exposed its weaknesses, it still remains one of the strongest Quirks in the series. Star and Stripe proved herself in her fight against Shigaraki, even sacrificing herself to defeat him from the inside out.

Rumi Usagiyama, also known as Mirko, has become a fan favorite since My Hero Academia season 6. Her fight against the Nomus was breathtaking and one of the best fights in the series to date. Her quirk, rabbit, gives her incredible leg strength, allowing her to jump and kick like a rabbit. She also has rabbit-like ears, allowing her to hear sounds from far away. Mirko’s most powerful ability, however, is her pain tolerance and determination. She persevered despite losing an arm and a leg in her fight against the Nomus. Even with her disabilities, she was able to hold off Shigaraki long enough for Deku to arrive. Her title as the number 5 hero in Japan is well-deserved, but many fans felt she deserved a higher spot.

Lady Nagant is one of the most beloved yet complicated characters in My Hero Academia. Despite starting out as a pro hero, she decided to turn villain and assassinate her higher-ups due to the corruption in the PSC. She was later freed from Tartarus by All For One and was one of the assassins sent to capture Deku. Her quirks – a gun and air-walking – make her one of the best marksmen in the series. Her fight with Deku was extraordinary, as she pushed the hero to his limits and forced him to use a new quirk.