This My Hero Academia character may not be as strong as fans think (& it's not Iron Deku)

When discussing the power scaling in My Hero Academia, fans often place Armored All Might near the top of their tier lists. This mechanized version of the Symbol of Peace certainly looks impressive— combining All Might's already formidable power with cutting-edge support technology.

The suit allowed a weakened All Might to continue fighting at high levels, even tanking a full-power blast from teenage All For One. However, a closer examination of his matchups against the series' most formidable villains reveals that Armored All Might might not be as invincible as many believe.

While the character certainly commands respect in the My Hero Academia universe, his limitations become apparent when faced with the uniquely devastating abilities of certain antagonists.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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Armored All Might’s combat matchups in My Hero Academia: Tactical wins and unyielding challenges

Against Redestro, Armored All Might stands a good chance of victory. Redestro's Stress quirk is certainly powerful, allowing him to transform stress into raw power. However, All Might's experience and tactical mind, combined with the armor's defensive capabilities, would likely give him the edge.

We saw Shigaraki before his quirk awakening pushed Redestro to the limit, and Armored All Might should be at least comparable to pre-awakened Shigaraki in terms of combat prowess. The matchup with 75% Shigaraki, however, presents a different story. Shigaraki at this level was explicitly stated to have speed and strength comparable to Prime All Might, even without using a quirk.

Add in his devastating Decay ability, which could potentially affect even the armor, and Armored All Might would likely find himself outmatched. The armor might provide temporary protection, but Shigaraki's relentless offense would eventually break through. When facing Wolfram with the Quirk Amplifier, Armored All Might has better odds.

In the movie, All Might struggled primarily because his One For All power was fading. With the armor compensating for this weakness and potentially matching or exceeding the Quirk Amplifier's technology, Armored All Might could reasonably overpower Wolfram, given enough time.

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Challenging matchups for Armored All Might in My Hero Academia: Regeneration, electricity, and unknown power

The battle against Fused Overhaul presents a strategic challenge. While Armored All Might possesses superior striking power and defense, Overhaul's continuous regeneration and restructuring abilities make him exceptionally difficult to defeat permanently.

Unless Armored All Might could specifically target Overhaul's arms or deliver an overwhelming barrage that prevents recovery, this matchup could go either way. Nine poses a particularly troublesome matchup due to his electrical abilities.

Support equipment historically fares poorly against electrical attacks in the My Hero Academia universe, and Nine's lightning would likely cause significant system failures in the armor. Add in Nine's impressive reaction speed— able to counter a combined assault from 100% One For All Deku and Bakugo— and Armored All Might would struggle to land decisive blows.

Against Base Dark Might, the odds are questionable. While some argue Dark Might simply knocked out a 5% Deku, others point out he handled 45% Deku with relative ease. Dark Might retains formidable abilities, which makes predicting Armored All Might's victory challenging due to incomplete information about Dark Might's full potential.

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Conclusion

The success of My Hero Academia stems from its complex power system, which shows that combat effectiveness can depend on factors other than sheer strength. Although Armored All Might possesses exceptional defense and enhanced abilities, his performance encounters substantial obstacles when facing adversaries whose quirks target physical powerhouses.

His effectiveness diminishes considerably against foes with molecular manipulation abilities like Shigaraki and Overhaul, or against technical counters like Nine's electricity.

This reality check serves as a reminder of the series' thoughtful approach to superhero combat— even the mightiest heroes have weaknesses, and victory often depends on strategy and quirk compatibility more than sheer power. For fans debating power rankings, Armored All Might deserves respect, but perhaps not the top-tier placement many have assigned him.

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