Episode 16

In Their Own Quirky Ways (みんな個性的でいいね) is the sixteenth episode of the My Hero Academia anime and the third episode of the second season.

Summary
Shoto Todoroki has gotten out to an early lead in the Obstacle Race after freezing a giant Zero-Point Villain, and leaving it behind as a blockade for the other competitors. Eijiro and Tetsutetsu get trapped underneath the frozen robot, but break out using their similair defensive quirks. Eijiro is disheartened to learn Tetsutetsu's quirk is almost the same as his own. Katsuki uses his explosions to move around in the air and rocket over the remaining robots, and he is quickly followed by Hanta Sero and Fumikage Tokoyami.

Watching from the stands, Pro-Hero Snipe comments that all the race leaders are from Class 1-A. Shota Aizawa comments that the Class has grown from battling villains, and have learned not to hesitate. Many students from the Class fight their way through the Villain Bots, including Izuku. Izuku uses a plate from the debris created when Shoto first destroyed the Zero Point Villain to slash through a Villain Bot that was targeting him. All the remaining Zero Point Villains are taken down by Momo, who creates a cannon to shoot them apart.

The next obstacle is The Fall: a canyon that can only be navigated by walking along tightropes. A student from the support course decides to make herself known so she can show off all of the gear she developed. Her name is Mei Hatsume, and she explains students in the support course can use their equipment to level the playing field with students in the Hero Course. Mei uses her gadgets to cross the fall and leave Mina and Ochaco behind.

Shoto is the first to clear the fall, but Katsuki is gaining on him. 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 Endeavour.

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 mine field and is eventually caught by Katsuki, who is still using his explosions 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.

Using inspiration from Katsuki's explosions, 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 by protecting himself with the metal, he jumps on the mines and the explosion propels him ahead of Katsuki and Shoto.

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 detonate the mines in front of them using the metal shard.

This explosion allows Izuku to blast past his competition and run to cross the finish line to place first. Shoto and Katsuki follow close behind, placing second and third respectively. Soon after, the remaining thirty nine qualifiers cross 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 he's a fighter who's selflessness doesn't hold him back. Then he overhears students in the business course talking about how difficult Izuku would be to market because he hasn't 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 it's 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 which makes him a target for the other contestant as they realize all is needed is to take him down.