Based on recent events in My Hero Academia, it's very clear that Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, is far above his contemporaries.
Class 1-A has long been carried by three young prospects — Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki. These individuals are considered the best first-year students in My Hero Academia. Only someone like Mirio Togata could realistically compete with them at a high level.
However, based on their performances in the final arc, it seems that Bakugo and Shoto can no longer keep up with Midoriya. The main protagonist of My Hero Academia has gotten some really powerful upgrades in recent manga chapters. He is the only hero that can save the entire world.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views. It also contains manga spoilers that haven't been adapted to the anime yet.
Why is Deku stronger than Bakugo and Shoto in My Hero Academia? Recent chapters explain why
The AFO/Shigaraki comparison
For context, AFO/Shigaraki is quite possibly the strongest villain in the My Hero Academia franchise. Over the course of the final war, he severely injured several Pro Heroes and students. To understand just how powerful Midoriya has become, he needs to be compared to his arch-nemesis.
Despite being stripped of his Quirks, AFO/Shigaraki can still make himself stronger with body mutations. He tanked several powerful attacks from characters like Mirko, the Big Three, and Bakugo himself. These attacks ranged from plasma cannons to gigantic explosions.
All the aforementioned heroes were also critically injured by AFO/Shigaraki. Bakugo is barely on life support, Mirko lost most of her limbs, and two of the Big Three were completely unconscious. Edgeshot had to sacrifice himself just to save Bakugo in My Hero Academia.
Deku is the only hero strong enough to fight AFO/Shigaraki
In the events of My Hero Academia Chapter 368, it's clear that Midoriya is far above the current Pro Heroes. This is because he mastered multiple Quirks recently. With the power of the second OFA user, he can alter the speed of any target he attacks.
During the chapter, Midoriya catches AFO/Shigaraki off-guard with his newfound speed and strength. The villain can't even see where the attacks are coming from.
Midoriya moves so fast that he can throw AFO/Shigaraki around like a ragdoll. He is also using 120% of his OFA Quirk.
In comparison, the rest of the Pro Heroes never gave AFO/Shigaraki this much trouble. While they slowed him down a bit, he also entered his "apex form" via body mutations.
Bakugo was completely destroyed in his fight
During his brief skirmish with AFO/Shigaraki, Bakugo surprised the villain with a few speed blitz attacks via the Cluster technique. He even awakened his Quirk so that he could produce explosive sweat across his entire body rather than just his palms.
Nonetheless, AFO/Shigaraki was able to dodge most of his attacks. Bakugo was quickly left for dead after the villain tore a hole in his chest. Right before his "death" scene, the student outright asks if he will ever catch up to Midoriya.
Bakugo is definitely one step behind Midoriya in My Hero Academia.
Shoto wouldn't fare any better, either
Shoto has some of the best long-range attacks, thanks to his elemental Quirk. With the power of fire and ice, he can alter the entire climate of the battlefield.
Unfortunately, while Shoto is among the fastest characters in My Hero Academia, he has never demonstrated feats against AFO/Shigaraki like Bakugo and Midoriya have.
On the contrary, if Midoriya goes beyond 100% of his OFA Quirk, there is no way that Shoto would catch up to him. In the end, the young protagonist would likely outspeed his fellow Class 1-A student, especially if he used the second OFA user's Quirk in My Hero Academia.
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