In Their Own Quirky Ways

**In Their Own Quirky Ways** (みんな個性的でいいね *Min'na Kosei-teki de Īne*?) is the sixteenth episode of the My Hero Academia anime and the third episode of the second season.

## Summary

Shoto Todoroki has gained an early lead in the Obstacle Race after freezing a giant Zero-Point Villain and leaving it to collapse in on itself, creating a blockade for the other competitors. Eijiro and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu get trapped underneath the frozen robot but break out using their similar defensive Quirks. Eijiro is disheartened to learn Tetsutetsu's Quirk is almost the same as his own. Katsuki Bakugo uses his explosions to move around in the air and rocket over the remaining robots, and is quickly followed by Hanta Sero and Fumikage Tokoyami, each using their own Quirks: Tape and Dark Shadow, respectively.

Watching from the stands, Pro-Hero, Snipe observes that most of the race leaders are from Class 1-A. Eraser Head comments that the class had grown since the attack on U.S.J., and have learned not to hesitate. Many students from the class fight their way through the villain robots, including Izuku Midoriya, who uses a plate from the debris created when Shoto first destroyed the Zero-Point villain to slash through one that was targeting him. All the remaining Zero-Point villains are taken down by Momo Yaoyorozu, who creates a cannon to shoot them down.

The next obstacle is The Fall: a canyon that can only be navigated by walking along tightropes. A student from the support course, Mei Hatsume, decides to make herself known by showing off all of the gear she had developed previous to the Sports Festival. Mei explains that students in the support course can use their equipment to level the playing field with students in the Hero Course, proceeding to utilize her gadgets and cross the fall, leaving Mina Ashido and Ochaco Uraraka behind.

Shoto is the first to clear the fall, but Katsuki is quickly closing the distance between them. Fans in the crowd comment on how Shoto's Quirk, as well as his physical abilities, make him stand out. One person attributes this to the fact that Shoto is the son of the Flame Hero: Endeavor.

Despite his lead, Shoto is put at a disadvantage when he reaches the final obstacle: The Mine Field. Shoto has to trek carefully through the field and is eventually caught up to by Katsuki, who is still using his Quirk to fly through the air. He catches Shoto and tries to blast him with an explosion. Katsuki remains irritated that Shoto bothered to challenge Izuku and not him, and the two start to battle for first place.

Having received inspiration from Katsuki wielding his Quirk to fly, Izuku develops a plan to take first place after reaching the Mine Field. He digs up the mines using the shard of metal he picked up earlier and piles them up. Then, protecting himself with the metal, he jumps on the mines and the explosion propels him ahead of Katsuki and Shoto, which surprises both.

Izuku gains the lead for a moment, but Katsuki and Shoto quickly catch up as Izuku starts to lose momentum. However, before he lands, Izuku places himself on both of their backs and detonates the mines in front of by striking the metal shard on the ground.

This explosion allows Izuku to launch past his competition and run to cross the finish line, placing first. Shoto and Katsuki follow close behind, placing second and third respectively. Soon after, the remaining thirty nine qualifiers arrive back in the arena.

Izuku tears up after looking into the stands and seeing All Might with a proud grin on his face. The latter comments on how he had nothing to worry about because Izuku just showed that he is a fighter whose selflessness doesn't hold him back. He overhears students in the business course talking about how difficult Izuku would be to market because he had not shown off his Quirk.

After announcing the standings, Midnight moves the Festival on to the second event: The Cavalry Battle. The top forty-two qualifiers form teams from two to four people in order to earn points by stealing headbands from other teams. A team's point value is based on the value of its individual members. The members of the team receive point value based on their placement in the obstacle race.

Izuku, who is first place, is worth ten million points; as the other students figure out that all they need to do to win is take him down, Izuku realizes that he has become a massive target for the other contestants.