My Hero Academia came to an end last Summer, and ever since the creator behind it all has been steadily revealing more of his process behind how he brought it all to an end. With the My Hero Academia TV anime coming to its own end later this Fall, the franchise has been going all out to celebrate how far the franchise has come since it launched in the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine ten long years ago. This has given the creator lots of new opportunities to open up about his process in bringing it all to life.

One of the ways My Hero Academia has been celebrating the franchise is with a new art exhibition now running in Japan showing fans a much closer look at all of the art from the series’ history. And a cool element of this showcase is the fact thatr series creator Kohei Horikoshi also shared some notes about elements of his experience. This includes what he felt was the hardest part of the final arc (as translated by @shibuyasmash on X), and surprisingly it was the final fight between Dabi and Shoto Todoroki as the Todoroki Family reunited.

My Hero Academia Creator Had Trouble With the Todoroki Family

It turns out that My Hero Academia series creator Kohei Horikoshi had trouble with the final fight between Dabi and Shoto because of the balance with the Todoroki Family reunion within it. As Horikoshi explained, he wanted to balance it enough to showcase both the family in this moment while being sure that Shoto would still be able to stand on his own. “Each and every line took a lot of time, I had to be really careful with it and it had a physical effect on my body.” The creator began.

“I had decided to have the whole Todoroki family stop Toya head on, all together, but I wanted to avoid having Todoroki-kun being ‘just one of the family’ there.” Horikoshi explained. “I was careful about the balance of ‘the story of the Todoroki family’ and ‘the story of how Todoroki-kun became the person he wanted to be,’ these stories overlap but are not mixed. I don’t know if I was able to do a good job of protecting that balance. But I had come this far so I wanted to finish drawing it all.”

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia will be fully coming to an end sometime this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule. While a concrete release date has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, the anime will be taking on the final fights against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki as it all comes to an end. If you wanted to catch up with everything that has happened so far, you can now find the first seven seasons, OVA specials, and a couple of the movies now streaming with Crunchyroll.

There will be a returning staff and voice cast for the anime’s grand finale as well. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. It’s yet to be revealed if the anime will be adapting all of the extra materials released after the manga’s ending, so that’s yet another reason to tune in and see how the anime approaches such a grand finale.

HT – @shibuyasmash on X

The post My Hero Academia Creator Reveals the Most Difficult Part of the Final Arc appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Despite its unassuming initial impression, My Hero Academia’s new spinoff anime was an instant hit among fans of the franchise, becoming a strong favorite of the Spring 2025 season. Despite having an all-original main cast and new antagonists, the series quite simply excels as a spinoff and even as a prequel, revealing the origins of iconic characters like Stain while also expanding on Kohei Horikoshi’s vibrant world in an organic way. That said, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes just delivered its final episode, concluding its spectacular first season with a bang, and immediately followed it up with confirmation of Season 2.

Crunchyroll has confirmed the popular sequel will be returning for Season 2, which fans can expect to release sometime in 2026 and stream with the service when it hits. The series has yet to provide a more concrete release window; however, the announcement was accompanied by a short teaser video compiling some of the best moments from Season 1. The series has also released a new poster for Season 2 featuring the main trio of Koichi, Knuckleduster, and Pop Step, as well as the mysterious Scarred Man voiced by Taku Yashiro, hinting at his central role in the upcoming installment. Check it out below.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Confirms Season 2 Release in 2026

With the eighth and final season of My Hero Academia set to air in October 2025, anime fans will surely be left wanting more of the franchise when it ends, making Vigilantes‘ 2026 Season 2 release perfectly timed to fill that void immediately after, as well as in the years to come. With 15 volumes and over 120 chapters worth of manga content, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has more than enough source material to work with for at least five or six seasons, as Season 1 adapted about 28 chapters of the manga.

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Nonetheless, between the final season of My Hero Academia and Season 2 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, it’s shaping up to be quite an interesting year for fans of the franchise. Fans have especially felt the absence of the series since My Hero Academia’s manga concluded in August of last year, and Vigilantes has been the perfect remedy, making it no surprise that it was instantly renewed for Season 2

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

The post My Hero Academia’s Hit Spinoff Confirms Season 2 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s manga might have come to an end last year, but the original creator behind it all revealed that he originally had a much different idea in mind for Izuku Midoriya’s final moments. My Hero Academia is currently gearing up for the TV anime’s return later this Fall for its final season of episodes, and that means even more fans are going to see how the decade long run of the story came to an end within the pages of Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Deku’s ending in particular sparked a lot of debate back then too as fans came to terms with the finale.

Warning! Massive spoilers for My Hero Academia’s ending to follow! My Hero Academia ended its original run in Shonen Jump with a flash forward jumping ten years into the future following the end of the war against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, and Deku had since become a teacher without the use of One For All. But as the final pages of the story came to an end, Bakugo and the rest of the former Class 1-A students revealed they pooled their money together to give Deku a power suit that would let him be a hero once more. But according to series creator Kohei Horikoshi, this ending wasn’t the original plan.

My Hero Academia Creator’s Original Plan for Deku’s Ending

According to comments made by series creator Kohei Horikoshi for My Hero Academia’s new exhibition running in Japan (as translated by @shibuyasmash on X), when asked about the changes from the opening chapter’s future tease of Deku saying it was a story about how he became the greatest hero only for the final chapter to then be changed to include everyone else who became great heroes, Horikoshi revealed that the original plan was for Deku to remain a teacher. He’d still be powerless after losing One For All, but ultimately satisfied.

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“I originally planned for it to end with Deku becoming a teacher and saying ‘You can be a hero!'” Horikoshi began. “Having used up his powers but looking fully confident…like that. The reason it was changed is because the series was no longer a story just about Deku and One For All.” As Horikoshi continued to explore the ending to the series, he also realized that the scope of the series had changed from how he had originally planned it to go.

What Does This Mean for Deku?

As Horikoshi elaborated further, the overall theme for the series was reflected better in this new version of the ending, “In this series I was exploring ‘What does it mean to be the greatest hero?’ and the answer this manga came to is that it means ‘reaching a hand out to others,’ so I thought I would put the answer in writing and that’s how the final monologue of Chapter 430 became what it is now.” So while it originally had Deku passing on hope to the future, it instead became much more collaborative.

This expansion to the rest of the heroes is something fans started to notice after All Might was originally retired after his fight with All For One. Rather than focus squarely on how Deku was going to make up for the lack of All Might’s power, it instead fell on hero society on a whole to support one another in the face of such a loss. This continued even years after the war, and eventually led to the new version of the future that saw Deku be both a teacher and the future pro hero he always saw himself as.

HT – @shibuyasmash on X

The post My Hero Academia Originally Had a Much Different Deku Ending Planned appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Bandai Namco is one of the world’s biggest video game publishers. The company has a lot of notable games in the works right now, many of which will be released in 2025. On Wednesday, July 2nd, fans will get a closer look at several of these games thanks to the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase. The event will be streamed on the company’s official YouTube channel at 12 p.m. PT. Viewers can expect to learn new information for many titles that have already been announced, and they’ll also see a brand-new game based on My Hero Academia revealed.

As of this writing, a name has not been announced for the My Hero Academia game, but a trademark for the title All’s Justice was filed back in March. That was our first hint about a new game in the works based on the series, and we even saw a leaked logo and key art for the game earlier in the month of June. Now it looks like we’ll finally be getting a full reveal at the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase. A trailer for the event can be found below.

As laid out in the trailer, Bandai Namco will be using this event to showcase several other games, as well. Little Nightmares 3 will show up, following the recent release date announcement. We can also expect to learn more about Shadow Labyrinth, Code Vein II, The Blood of Dawnwalker, and Towa and the Guardians of the Sacred Tree. The showcase will also include a “gameplay deep dive” for Digimon Story: Time Stranger, and there will be something related to Tekken 8. Since the latter game is supposed to get the DLC fighter Fahkumram soon, it’s possible we could see a closer look at how he plays.

The Bandai Namco Summer Showcase will offer a look at two games based on PlayStation properties. Earlier this year, it was announced that Bandai Namco will be publishing Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots and Patapon 1+2 Replay. Unlike previous games in those respective series, both games will be released on non-PlayStation platforms, notably PC and Nintendo Switch. This is a new thing for Sony, and it already has some people speculating about whether we could see a similar treatment for other dormant PlayStation franchises.

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All in all, it looks like the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase should have a lot to look forward to. Unfortunately, the publisher has not revealed how long the livestream will last, so it’s impossible to say just how much information we can expect to see. Since many of these games are set to be released within the next few months though, this could offer a great opportunity for Bandai Namco to highlight what it has on the way. The company might be able to win over some viewers that might be on the fence about these games right now.

Are you planning to check out the Bandai Namco Summer Showcase? Which of these games are you most eager to see during the event? Share your thoughts with me directly on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post New My Hero Academia Game and More to Appear at Bandai Namco Summer Showcase appeared first on ComicBook.com.

“Mada mada”, they mutter, pushing themselves off the ground, bleeding, fighting to stay conscious, but ever ready for another round. It’s a sight familiar to all anime weebs, especially among shonen fans: the “weakling”, the “naive” character who just refuses to relent even when faced with the impossible. Often, they begin their journey as the underdog, the weakest link, with low to no power/fighting abilities. Does that stop them from launching headfirst into conflicts they apparently have no chance of winning? Absolutely not. In fact, these guys are bullish in their pursuit of doing better, becoming greater, not through chance or luck, but sheer force of will. 

Their power lies in their unwavering conviction. They may falter and fall, but they will always, even and especially when it seems impossible, rise again. Without further ado, here are five of the most bullish, tireless, and unapologetically dogged anime characters we’ve ever met, whose magic is never giving up.

1) Asta (Black Clover)

One of the main protagonists of the anime Black Clover, Asta’s determination and willpower are near legendary. Abandoned by his mother as a baby, Asta grew up in a church, ever competing with his OP friend Yuno despite seemingly having no magical abilities of his own. Early on in the show, he declares that he will one day become the Wizard King. While seemingly optimistic to the point of naivete even among anime heroes, Asta has shown time and again that he is not someone who gives up easily, or ever.

Armed with his Anti-Magic abilities, Asta has taken on formidable villains, devils, and magic users and emerged victorious despite being up against impossible odds. Through the four seasons, fans have watched him dauntlessly grow more and more powerful, pushing against physical and mental barriers, fighting his own demons, and working towards his goal with feverish intensity. 

2) Kazuma Kuwabara (Yu Yu Hakusho) 

Kazuma Kuwabara, from the anime Yu Yu Hakusho, is one of the four main protagonists of the show. He initially appears as just another high school delinquent, albeit one with an iron-clad code of honor. In the beginning, he is shown to be someone who considers Yusuke Urameshi his number one rival and nemesis, and is determined to beat him in a physical confrontation. Defeated and beaten to a pulp by Yusuke again and again, Kuwabara refuses to give up till he wins.

When Yusuke dies and is later revived, gaining supernatural powers, Kuwabara is determined to hone his own abilities. Through persistent effort, he keeps getting stronger and stronger, manifesting the Spirit Sword and later even the Dimension Sword that lets him cut through literally anything. The embodiment of grit in the face of insurmountable adversity, Kuwabara ends up becoming the strongest human alive by the end of the show. 

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3) Leorio Paradinight (Hunter x Hunter) 

Leorio Paradinight from the anime Hunter x Hunter is another example of staunch determination in the face of adversity. He may be one of the four main characters in the anime, but, unlike his three friends, he didn’t have any special powers or characteristics helping him along the way. But does he let that deter him from going after what he wants? Never. When we first meet him, he seems to be just another guy who wants to be a Hunter so he can enjoy the endless resources that come with the position. Soon, though, it becomes clear that he is not just the hot-headed, superficial guy he comes off as. Instead, he is protective, relentless, and persistent, even and especially when victory seems impossible.

When Leorio enters the Hunter exams, he refuses to let his physical limitations get in the way of his dreams, pushing through the seemingly endless marathon in the First Phase despite bone-deep exhaustion and challenging Hisoka over and over again despite being beaten to a pulp each time. Armed with an unshakeable sense of justice and a need to protect his friends, Leorio is the kind of guy who would claw and crawl his way back from the brink of death, spitting blood and hurling curses, and ever ready to fight again.

4) Takemichi Hanagaki (Tokyo Revengers)

Takemichi Hangaki is the time-traveling protagonist of Tokyo Revengers. Often referred to as the “Crybaby Hero”, Takemichi is not a very strong fighter by any definition, although he does improve over the course of the series. What makes him powerful enough to become a legend among rival gangs is his endless resilience. He determinedly leaps through time over and over again to save his friends from their gruesome fates. Sure, he might break down and cry easily, but that doesn’t mean he ever gives up.

Hanagaki’s near-indestructible willpower gives him an indomitable endurance so he can take hits that would knock most folks out cold and still get up and retaliate. He can beat most enemies simply by enduring their hits till they’re exhausted, giving his allies enough time to arrive. His attack power isn’t great, but, pushed far enough, he can take out even the most fearsome fighters. His dogged refusal to stop getting up and fighting back often rubs off on his friends, a quality that makes him a powerful leader and ally.

5) Deku (My Hero Academia)

The unofficial leader of the “It’s not over till I’m dead” club, Izuku “Deku” Midoriya, is the main protagonist of My Hero Academia. Like the others on this list, Deku initially seems nothing special, that is, until one is faced with his unshakeable fortitude. Born Quirkless, Deku’s dream of one day becoming a Pro Hero seems unattainable till All Might — the hero he most looks up to — transfers his Quirk, One For All, to the former.

Deku uses this gift to train relentlessly to increase his physical prowess so he can handle the Quirk. Even then, his body often proves too weak to handle such immense power. Yet Deku surges ever-forward, routinely breaking his fingers, arms, and legs to win fights and save lives. Usually an overthinker and strategic planner, he is impulsive and reacts with an utter lack of self-preservation when he sees someone, especially a loved one, in danger. While many other anime heroes are willing to put their lives on the line, Deku often wilfully puts his own body at risk of being destroyed by his own Quirk time and time again, helping him stand out from the crowd.

The post 5 Best Anime Heroes Who Refuse to Stop Getting Up appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s anime is ending later this year but the manga’s story has already reached its grand finale thanks to creator Kohei Horikoshi. Recently, the superhero shonen series released a brand new exhibit to honor the works of the mangaka, with Horikoshi revealing not just exclusive art for the property. In a startling new revelation, Kohei revealed that the villainous son of Endeavor, Dabi, was originally supposed to have a major tie-in with Marvel’s resident Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider. With My Hero Academia’s creator stating in the past that he is in love with North American comic books, it makes sense that he was well aware of Johnny Blaze’s superhero tenure.

Considering My Hero Academia’s Dabi looked almost like a flaming skeleton in his final fight against his younger brother Shoto, it makes sense that Horikoshi would pay tribute to Marvel’s flaming skulled hero. At the recent UA Academy exhibit, Kohei spilled the beans on the original planned homage, “I originally intended for Dabi’s final form to be an homage to Ghost Rider and have him riding something. I had this loose image of ‘He has a giant patron and…” in my head and the line about him getting motion sickness easily when they attacked the convoy carrying Overhaul was a reference, or life a leftover, of that idea.”

Horikoshi continued, “I still planned to have him ride something at this point [at the end of the Overhaul Arc], but I dropped it after Endeavor flew later.” While Dabi wasn’t doling out any penance stares in his grand finale on the battlefield, the League of Villains member certainly was just as scary as the Ghost Rider.

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My Hero Academia’s Future Past The Finale

Earlier this month, My Hero Academia’s spin-off, Vigilantes, brought its first season to an end. While a second season has yet to be confirmed, the manga had plenty more adventures focusing on Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster that were a part of the printed story. With My Hero Academia’s eighth season billed as its finale, anime fans are left wondering if Deku and Class 1-A might return via a feature-length film. The latest movie, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, wasn’t billed as the final move of the franchise, meaning it’s possible a new film might continue the tale.

While the final anime season is arriving this October, BONES has yet to confirm the exact date when the premiere episode will arrive. With villains like Dabi, Toga, and Spinner already defeated, the heroes can’t quite take a victory lap as of yet. Shigaraki and All For One are still fighting on, leaving Deku and All Might with the unenviable task of fighting for Hero Society against these nefarious villains.

Want to see what other elements Kohei Horikoshi left on the cutting room floor? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on My Hero Academia and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime or hit us up in the comments.

Via Shibuya Smash

The post My Hero Academia Creator Reveals Dabi Almost Had a Marvel Ghost Rider Tie-In appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is now on the cusp of the anime’s final episode, and fans have gotten the first look at what to expect from its season finale with a new trailer. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes premiered earlier this Spring and introduced fans to a whole new side of the hero world seen in Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia franchise. Taking place years before Izuku Midoriya enrolled in U.A. Academy, this new prequel spinoff anime series introduced fans to a new trio of underground heroes that are fighting criminals that the heroes have largely ignored up to this point.

With My Hero Academia: Vigilantes reaching the climax of its debut season as Naruhata’s underground idols worked together for a special concert, fans also saw Knuckleduster’s origins fully revealed and why he’s been working so hard to take out the recent Trigger drug threat. With the vigilante finally saving his daughter after fighting the villainous monster that possessed her, he’s now disappeared as Koichi wonders what to do next. As for what that next will actually be, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has dropped the promo for its finale that you can check out below.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 13

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 13 is titled “What a Man Takes With Him,” and will be premiering in Japan on Monday, June 30th and streaming with Crunchyroll exclusively for regions outside of Japan. The penultimate episode of the season saw Knuckleduster in a full fight against the villain Kuin, but it was revealed that she was actually his daughter that he had been searching for this entire time. With a full fight between the two, it’s revealed that Kuin was actually a real bee that had taken root within Knuckleduster’s daughter’s brain and used her as an unwilling host body.

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But after this fight came to an end, her fate was left unclear as Knuckleduster needed to stop her heart in order to free her from the insect parasite. At the same time, he also needed to quickly try and restart her heart. Fighting her to the brink of death was the only hope that the vigilante had to save his daughter, and soon fans will see whether or not it was successful. And if so, there’s no guarantee that Knuckleduster will be continuing his work as a vigilante in the field either.

Will My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Return for Season 2?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be ending its run with the final episode coming next as part of the ending Spring 2025 anime schedule, but as of the time of this publication it’s yet to be announced whether or not the anime will be returning for more episodes. The original manga from Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court has since fully completed, but there’s still lots of material left over for the anime to adapt when this season comes to an end. In fact in many ways this really still is only the beginning of the main story.

The biggest example of this came with the debut of a brand new villain that fans should keep an eye out for as well. This mysterious figure has yet to be named following his debut in the penultimate episode, but will be voiced by Taku Yashiro (Rick Flag in Suicide Squad Isekai). With My Hero Academia: Vigilantes defeating its first major villainous threat as of the end of the first season, the anime’s only going to get more intense from this point on. It’s highly likely that it will continue with more episodes in the future.

The post My Hero Academia Drops First Look at Vigilantes Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Shonen anime is hands down the most popular form of anime out there, and it’s not hard to see why. These series deliver incredible storylines, memorable characters, and powerful themes that speak to everyone, hitting you right in the feels without being overly complicated. And when it comes to modern anime that absolutely master this formula, Kohei Horikoshi’s masterpiece, My Hero Academia, is in a league of its own. The anime is more than just a story about superheroes-in-training. 

While it has captured the hearts of fans all around the world with its amazing action sequences, what really makes it special is how deeply it explores the meaning of being a hero, with themes of sacrifice, identity, determination, and the blurry lines between good and evil. Sure, the fight scenes may be epic, but it’s the words that come from heroes, villains, and everyone in between that leave the biggest impact. So, without further ado, here are the 10 best My Hero Academia quotes fans will remember forever.

1) A Goal With No Plan Is Called a Delusion (My Hero Academia, Episode 65)

When the League of Villains tries to recruit Overhaul, things don’t go quite as planned. Instead of showing interest, Overhaul takes one look at their approach and dismantles it in seconds. He flat-out rejects their offer and criticizes them by saying:

“A goal with no plan is called a delusion. You need a plan in order to achieve your goal.”

-Kai Chisaki

Despite being one of the series’s most ruthless villains, Overhaul delivers these words that resonate far beyond the context of his villainous schemes. It also says a lot about his personality – he’s calculated, cunning, and always aiming to stay one step ahead. He relishes in pointing out others’ weaknesses while boasting about his own strengths. However, despite his twisted ways, Overhaul practices what he preaches – it’s a bit ironic, but some of the most valuable life lessons come from quotes from antagonists.

2) Show the World How Pitiful You Really Are (My Hero Academia, Episode 49)

All For One and All Might have been sworn enemies for a very long time, but when they face each other again in Season 3, it becomes one of the biggest fights of the series. During the fight, All For One keeps attacking All Might, who eventually gets so beaten up, his body can’t stay in its strong form anymore. Seizing the moment, All For One mocks:

“Show the world how pitiful you really are, Symbol of Peace.”

-All For One

All For One makes this cruel speech because he wants to destroy All Might’s reputation and make people lose faith in heroes. He knows that All Might has always been called the “Symbol of Peace,” someone people could trust and believe in to keep them safe. But now that everyone can see how weak All Might really looks, All For One uses that title to try and prove that heroes can’t even defend themselves, let alone anyone else.  

3) What Heroes Do (My Hero Academia, Episode 37)

During the practical exam, Bakugo refuses to cooperate with Deku. He believes that real heroes don’t rely on others and have to win on their own. As he continues to try and take on All Might alone, he says:

“Stop talking. I will win. That’s… what heroes do.”

-Katsuki Bakugo 

For Bakugo, being a hero is simple: you have to win, no matter what. The episode is great because it shows how Bakugo slowly learns that working with others doesn’t make him weak. When he finally agrees to team up with Deku, he’s still determined to win, but realizes that sometimes you need help to do it.

4) Recognize Your Own Weaknesses (My Hero Academia, Episode 80)

After failing the Provisional License Exam, Bakugo, along with others, is forced into taking an additional exam that involves babysitting some really difficult kids with powerful Quirks. These kids keep attacking the aspiring heroes with their Quirks, thinking they are better than the adults around them. In response, Bakugo takes a moment and gives the kids some real advice:

“If all you do is look down on people, you won’t be able to recognize your own weaknesses.”

-Katsuki Bakugo

This is a huge moment for Bakugo because it shows how much he has grown as a person. He’s basically calling out the exact same attitude he used to have. It’s a pretty ironic My Hero Academia quote coming from someone who spent most of the series looking down on people, but that’s what makes it so powerful.

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5) Learning From Your Experience (My Hero Academia, Episode 17)

As The Symbol of Peace, All Might has faced many tough battles as a hero, but one of his hardest was his first fight against All For One. That battle left him with a serious injury so bad, he could barely use his powers. But All Might doesn’t let this defeat break his spirit, saying:

“Whether you win or lose, looking back and learning from your experience is a part of life.” 

-All Might

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, All Might chooses to see his painful experience as something he can learn from. He understands that both good times and bad times teach us important lessons that help us grow as people. This My Hero Academia quote shows that even though he lost a lot in that fight against All For One, he gained something invaluable: wisdom about what it means to be a true hero. 

6) Who Protects the Heroes? (My Hero Academia, Episode 98)

During a training session in Episode 98, Izuku loses control of his new power, Blackwhip, shooting black rope-like things everywhere and destroying buildings. Watching Izuku scream in pain and fear, Ochaco thinks back to when she was little and how heroes always seemed so strong when they saved people. In her inner monologue, she states: 

“Who protects the heroes when they are hurting?” 

-Ochaco Uraraka

This My Hero Academia quote hits hard because it flips the usual narrative. Heroes always save others, but who’s there when they need saving? This moment changes everything for Ochaco as she realizes that heroes aren’t just the strong people who save everyone else; they’re also regular people who can get scared, hurt, and need help sometimes, too. 

7) Hero Who Saves Everyone (My Hero Academia, Episode 76)

Believing himself to be the only one who truly understands the value of Eri’s Quirk Rewind, Overhaul demands the right to harvest her body. This is when Izuku experiences a kind of awakening and realizes that all the training and power in the world mean nothing if he can’t save the person right in front of him. Leading him to say:

“If I can’t save one little girl right in front of me… Then how can I ever hope to be a hero who saves everyone?!”

-Izuku Midoriya

After this speech, Deku unleashes a barrage of blows, giving Overhaul no chance to heal himself and eventually defeating him. But this is also the moment he learns that no matter the odds, a true hero never walks away from someone in need. Even if it means risking everything.

8) I Am Here (My Hero Academia, Episode 1)

Young Izuku Midoriya is having the worst day of his life as his bully, Katsuki, destroys his notebook and mocks him for dreaming of being a hero without a Quirk. To make matters worse, he’s attacked by a Sludge villain who traps him, making it hard for him to breathe. But just when Izuku thinks he’s about to die, a gust of wind blasts the villain away, and as the dust settles, standing tall is none other than All Might, who smiles and says: 

“It’s fine now. Why? Because I am here!”

-All Might 

For Izuku, hearing this quote from his idol after almost dying is life-changing. All Might’s catchphrase isn’t just words – it’s a promise that as long as he’s around, evil won’t win. This is the moment that changes Izuku’s life, planting the seed for his own journey of becoming a hero.

9) Greatest Hero (My Hero Academia, Chapter 422)

In the final battle against All For One, Deku charges forward while his classmates and fellow heroes sacrifice themselves to clear a path for him. Watching from the sidelines, All Might remembers the day a young Izuku, Quirkless and afraid, rushed out to save Bakugo from the Sludge Villain. With pride in his voice, he says:

“Yes, ever since that day… you’ve been my greatest hero.”

-Izuku Midoriya

Watching Deku inspire an entire army of heroes to fight alongside him against the ultimate evil, All Might finally speaks the truth he’s known all along. He sees the boy who once admired him as the number one hero become the hero the world needs. His My Hero Academia quote draws attention to the full-circle moment My Hero Academia has been building towards all along.

10) All Men Are Not Created Equal (My Hero Academia, Episode 1)

Izuku Midoriya was born without a Quirk in a world where nearly everyone has some sort of superpower. In a flashback, a young Izuku is seen standing up to Bakugo, trying to protect another kid, only to be ridiculed for being Quirkless. As the narration returns to the present, a now 14-year-old Izuku speaks the heavy truth that describes the world he lives in:

“All men are not created equal.”

-Izuku Midoriya

This quote isn’t just dramatic words; it’s Deku’s reflection on the world he lives in. Compared to others, Izuku felt like he could never achieve the dreams he had set for himself. At that point, he truly believed people weren’t equal, but through his journey, he learned that while not everyone starts at the same place, everyone deserves the chance to forge their own path.

The post 10 Best My Hero Academia Quotes Fans Will Remember Forever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Kohei Horikoshi’s beloved My Hero Academia manga reached its conclusion in August 2024, a few months after announcing the historic milestone of having over 100 million copies in circulation. The supernatural hero series began serialization in the Weekly Shonen Jump Magazine in 2014 and achieved worldwide popularity after its anime debut in 2016. Although the manga has already ended, the story remains unfinished in the anime version. The anime series is all set for the eighth and final season in Fall 2025. The seventh season covered the manga till Chapter 398, so the Final War Arc will be continued in the eighth season.

The previous season focused on the heroes engaging in a desperate battle against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki. The heroes have suffered significant casualties, but the battle is still far from over. The finale ended with All Might’s final fight against All For One, despite losing all his powers. Furthermore, it will also adapt the Epilogue Arc following the heroes as they rebuild society after the devastating war. The aftermath of the war was heart-wrenching, but the series ends things on a happy note. It will be an emotional ride for fans, especially those who have stuck with the series all these years.

My Hero Academia Holds an Exhibition to Celebrate Its Ten Years of Success

To celebrate the series’ ten years of success, a ‘My Hero Academia: Original Art Exhibition is being held at the Creative Museum Tokyo in Chou-Ku, Tokyo. The exhibition opened on June 21st, 2025, and will wrap up on August 31st, 2025. It has the full support of Horikoshi, whose manuscripts, documents, and newly drawn illustrations will be displayed there. There will also be behind-the-scenes stories and commentary from the author, so the visitors can relive the journey of becoming the greatest hero. The venue is divided into five zones, each displaying something different.

The first zone will have the handwritten manuscripts of Izuku Midoriya from the beginning of his journey to the final war. The second zone will display original drawings, including the completed digital drawings as well as the hand-drawn materials created during the creative process. The third zone is panoramic space, dynamically depicting the devastation of the final war. Zone 4 will allow the visitors to enjoy the final battle against Tomura Shigaraki and All For One in a spatial display. The highlight of this zone will be a panoramic photo spot, which will include a key visual titled “Heroes vs. Villains” created by Kohei Horikoshi.

Finally, the fifth zone will reveal the special release of the original drawings of the epilogue Chapter 431, which is included in the final volume. These will also be new illustrations from Horikoshi that were created based on Deku’s POV, who will take photos of the characters’ daily lives after the story’s conclusion. It’s a moving exhibition just like the one Jujutsu Kaisen has been holding since last year. After the exhibition in Tokyo, it will move to Osaka in the Fall of this year.

H/T: Mantan Web

The post My Hero Academia Celebrates 10 Years of History With Special Event appeared first on ComicBook.com.

We’ll cut to the chase: the team here at ComicBook Anime is here for the readers, and it seems like you’re all hungry for anime to watch before you kick the bucket. We’ll playfully ignore what that says about the state of the world. There’s so much content spread across a variety of genres and eras of the medium that it can be easy to overlook a wide variety of gems, hidden or otherwise.

Anyway, our first anime bucket list showcased a range of titles that would give you a full view of the industry. With this list, though, we’ve put our heads together and offered up personal all-timers. The result: 10 titles hand-picked by ComicBook staff for relevance, poignancy, or just plain being a cut above the rest. Signed and sealed: these are the anime series you can’t miss.

1) Hikaru no Go

I got into Hikaru no Go the day it graced the pages of the old Shonen Jump magazine, enamored both with the writing by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata’s pre-Death Note artwork. When they sent DVD samples of its first episode, I immediately fell in love with Pierrot’s take, an elegant portrayal of its hero on a journey of self-discovery and the path to a fulfilling yet turbulent career as a young professional Go player. It was wildly compelling, creating an engaging coming-of-age premise with the wonderfully complex, ancient board game of Go. 

Hikaru no Go goes on my personal anime bucket list because it features gorgeous opening and ending themes, a concise coming-of-age story where its stars grow up subtly yet undeniably, and it approaches an extremely complex board game in a digestible manner. While the anime doesn’t cover the extent of the manga’s source material, it still approaches a cathartic tear-jerker of a conclusion to young Hikaru Shindo’s journey. Pierrot’s animated rendition teaches powerful lessons on growing up and processing becoming independent, even if it verges on feeling abandoned in the process.

via J.R. Waugh, ComicBook Anime Editor

2) ReLIFE

What makes ReLIFE once in a lifetime is its premise—a captivating blend of fantasy and everyday life, a deeply resonant slice-of-life story. More importantly, it explores regret and the wish to do things differently if given another chance. This is the journey the protagonist finds himself on. At 27, stranded between jobs and struggling to manage his life, he’s presented with an opportunity to revert to his 17-year-old self by taking a pill from an organization conducting a social experiment.

As part of the deal, the protagonist must return to high school at 17. While he expects it to be easy this time around, it brings its own set of challenges, emphasizing that circumstances may be the same, but obstacles remain regardless of age or experience. While it may appeal to a younger audience, it’s clear this story is meant for those who have recently entered the adult world and are unsure or afraid of what lies ahead. As Arata’s time with a second chance draws to a close, it evolves into a compelling, uplifting story with twists and a charming romance that adds depth to its slice-of-life narrative.

via Rohit Jaiswar

3) Link Click

Under the guise of the Time Photo Studio, Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang’s trade instead involves the client providing the photo. With it, they can travel back in time. While Lu Guang provides guidance with his ability to see 12 hours into the photo’s future, Cheng Xiaoshi leaps back to the moment the photo was taken, assuming the identity of the photographer along with all of their memories and emotions. The two must then work together in order to solve the client’s request and relieve them of their past regret.

A picture’s worth a thousand words, but to Cheng Xiaoshi, Lu Guang, and their clients, it’s worth so much more. The use of photographs here isn’t just a visual symbol, but an allegory pervading the entire narrative. The photos capture the moment the person’s life changes course: a mere vignette to the sequence of events that brought them there; a candid view of their life’s lens and exposure to their emotions and memories; a twelve-hour limited depth of field narrowing the aperture of opportunity; trying to find a resolution without changing the composition of events. Link Click gives truly vibrant developments within the snapshots of the human experience.

via Demi Leverett

4) Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku

When it comes to recommending anime, shoujo and josei often get swept under the rug despite having much to offer. In fact, josei often toes the line with seinen, which is why the genre would appeal to many if only they gave it a chance. An excellent example of this is Wotakoi.

Short for Love is Hard For Otaku, Wotakoi, as its name implies, is expressly targeted at otakus and weebs and revolves around four such closeted otakus as they navigate the challenges of romance and adult relationships. Office workers by day, otakus by 5 PM, Wotakoi is equal parts witty and relatable and has all the makings of a comfort show, though sadly, it has yet to get a second season.

via Merlyn de Souza

5) Jujutsu Kaisen

Forget your typical shonen tropes – Jujutsu Kaisen bursts onto the screen with a refreshingly dark, thrilling energy that will hook you from the very first cursed spirit. This isn’t just about good guys punching bad guys; it’s a carefully crafted world where the line between hero and monster blurs, and every victory feels hard-won, though oftentimes with a heavy price. With its breathtaking animation from Studio MAPPA, especially during the high-octane dynamic fight sequences, Jujutsu Kaisen elevates battles into a form of visceral art.

Beyond the stunning visuals and unique power system, Jujutsu Kaisen blends moments of genuine humor with themes of loss, sacrifice, and the weight of destiny. It’s an anime that isn’t afraid to confront its characters with brutal realities, leading to some truly shocking (and emotionally scarring) plot twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The soundtrack alone is a character in itself, perfectly accentuating every tense battle and beat, drawing you further into its world. Whether you’re a seasoned anime fan or just looking for your next binge-worthy obsession, Jujutsu Kaisen offers an entertainment experience that is both exhilarating and thought-provoking, rightfully earning its place as a global phenomenon.

via Jenna Wrenn

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6) Vinland Saga

Among seinen readers and fans of the anime, Vinland Saga is undoubtedly one of the all-time modern greats. Based on the manga by Makoto Yukimura, the series starts as a fairly generic revenge tale about young Thorfinn seeking to avenge his father, Thors. Amidst its impeccable fight scenes and complex supporting characters, Vinland Saga‘s debut season shows hints of thematic greatness.

Then Season 2 pulls one of the greatest bait-and-switches in anime history. The first season is revealed to be a prologue, and the true story begins with Thorfinn’s enslavement and redemption arc, as he undergoes an existential journey about what it means to be a “true warrior.” Vinland Saga‘s true story is moving, self-reflective, and, not to put it lightly, life-changing, having inspired a wave of fans to improve their own lives.

via Archie Fenn

7) My Hero Academia

You’re probably thinking that only anime of a certain classic era have cemented their place as major hits that you absolutely need to experience, but My Hero Academia is an example of a major recent era juggernaut that you need to see at least once. Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia hit at the perfect time. It wasn’t in the same pocket as pandemic-era shows like Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, but instead was one of the final standout franchises from the 2010s that were commemorated with the kind of anime release that we just don’t see in action anymore.

At the time of this publication, My Hero Academia‘s anime is going to end with Season 8. That’s a number of seasons that’s not only rare these days, but something of a bygone era. My Hero Academia not only keeps the spirit alive for these classic era shows that ran for a very long time, but also has more modern sensibilities, as it also got to be a seasonal show that aired every year instead of needing to keep a weekly episode release schedule like One Piece or Black Clover. Then, when you dive in, you get a spectacular superhero show that honors the best of Western comics and its Japanese manga influences. There are few like it.

via Nick Valdez, ComicBook Staff Writer

8) Samurai Champloo

From the mind of Shinichirō Watanabe, the creator of beloved Cowboy Bebop, comes, in my opinion, the animator director’s opus: Samurai Champloo, a 26-episode two-part series that focuses on the traveling trio of Fuu, Mugen, and Jin as the latter two help Fuu travel as she seeks out the “Sunflower Samurai”. The entire trek is backlit by the two swordsmen’s shared disdain and their truce for as long as they are helping Fuu. The series contains high-octane fights, busy episodes, and wonderful intra-character development, lending itself to the perfect ensemble cast.

Highlights of the entire production would be much of the scene direction and the way scenes are choreographed and blocked with melodic and sync-heavy instrumental hip-hop. Cowboy Bebop was about friendship and existence with no discernible destination. A simple show full of action but also mundane day-to-day story beats that takes similar thematic notes, Samurai Champloo is about friendship and the journey of life. We may not be going to the same place, but we can enjoy each other’s company on the way, and maybe we’ll meet again down the road.

via Adam Gonzales

9) Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Super Dimension Fortress Macross is a product of its time, yet it transcends time itself. The original ’80s series occasionally suffers from incredibly cheap and poorly looking episodes, plus there’s tonal whiplash throughout the series. One moment is serious drama where characters are unceremoniously killed off, and another moment is about pop idols and music.

However, the series is better than the sum of its parts, delivering a sincere message about music and cultural barriers. The overall ’80s aesthetics give the anime its identity, creating one of the most fun, interesting mechas of all time.

via Misael Duran

10) Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

With a reputation as one of the best anime of all time, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has something for everyone. What’s especially interesting about it, though, is that it’s one of the most philosophical anime out there, but doesn’t come across as pretentious or difficult to understand. As a more manga-accurate remake of the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime, the series masterfully combines depth, humor, action, and emotional moments to keep viewers hooked.

The story is gripping right from the very beginning as viewers follow two brothers who commit the alchemical taboo of Human Transmutation to try and bring back their dead mother. As a consequence for trying to mess with the laws of nature, the brothers lose their bodies, with the older brother Ed losing an arm and a leg while the younger brother Al loses the entirety of his body to become a soul bound to a set of armor. The series then follows the brothers’ quest to get their bodies back, with many twists and turns along the way.

via Areeba Khan

This is the first time we’ve run a “staff picks” piece, and it’s been a while in the making. So first, we’d like to take a second to thank every member of our staff who volunteered an entry for this piece!

As for you, the reader: if you like the more personal angle, make sure to leave your thoughts in a comment below. If you want to go a step further, then share it and check out the ComicBook profiles of our authors whose tastes are closest to yours. There could be a lot more in the future—but we have to make a case to our higher-ups like anybody else does!

The post 10 Best Bucket List Anime We Can’t Recommend Enough (STAFF PICKS) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Rumors about a new My Hero Academia game have been circulating for a while now. In March, the company behind Weekly Shonen Jump filed a trademark for All’s Justice. The name’s similarity to My Hero One’s Justice led many gamers to believe that the trademark might indicate a third game in the series. Thus far, no new My Hero Academic game has been officially confirmed, but a new leak makes it look even more likely that we’ll have an announcement soon.

Beloved manga and anime My Hero Academia has spawned a fair number of video games. However, My Hero One’s Justice and its sequel, My Hero One’s Justice 2, are some of the most popular and most highly rated. The second game came out back in 2020, which means it’s high time for a third installment. After the All’s Justice trademark sparked fan hopes, new intel suggests we may soon learn more about a possible third game in the series.

The leak comes from dataminer @SrgioM3 on X, who recently shared what appears to be keyart for the My Hero Academic: All’s Justice game. Sergio has been the source for some reliable leaks in the past, but nothing is official until the developer announces the game.

The image features several characters from My Hero Academia, along with what appears to be the logo for a new game. If this is indeed actual key art, it looks like the next My Hero Academia game will be called My Hero Academia: All’s Justice. It’s not yet clear what kind of game it will be, but if it is a third installment in the My Hero One’s Justice series, it’s likely to follow a similar format. Both of these games were 3D arena fighters with multiplayer options, so All’s Justice may well follow a similar format.

Leak Suggests a My Hero Academia: All’s Justice Trailer Coming Soon

In addition to the key art, SergioM3 claims to have a few screenshots from an upcoming trailer for the game. As of now, the dataminer has not shared these screenshots. In fact, in a response to their initial post, SergioM3 notes that they’re not going to post the screenshots until they know more about when the trailer will release.

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So, for now, we don’t know when we might actually see a trailer or official announcement for My Hero Academia: All’s Justice. However, if this intel proves accurate, it does suggest that a trailer for the game exists. That’s good news for fans of the series, as it makes it more likely that we’ll hear official confirmation of an upcoming My Hero Academia game soon. The two prior games in the series were published by Bandai Namco, meaning they will likely be involved with the third game as well. So, we’ll all be keeping an eye out for a trailer from Bandai here soon.

Are you excited for a potential new My Hero Academia video game in the One’s Justice series? What are you hoping to see in the trailer when and if it does release? Let us know in the comments below!

The post New Look at Next My Hero Academia Game Leaks Online appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s eighth season will be its last as Studio BONES is preparing to say goodbye this fall to Class 1-A. While the end is nigh, the grand finale doesn’t mean that the superhero shonen series won’t revisit some of the classic characters and battles that put Kohei Horikoshi’s anime on the map. During the anime’s sixth season, Izuku Midoriya decides that to fight evil and keep Hero Society together, he would need to don a twisted outfit that routinely had fans referring to him as “Dark Deku.” Now, a new figure and a life-sized statue have arrived to honor this rough patch in Deku’s life.

The new figure arrives thanks to a recent My Hero Academia exhibit which honors the long-running series. Here’s how the shonen franchise describes this recreation of Dark Deku, “Sculptor WATANABE×REN was in charge of creating the 3D data based on a rough sketch of “Black Deku” drawn by Horikoshi-sensei for the “Horikoshi Kohei My Hero Academia Original Art Exhibition.” The 3D data of the “Black Deku” originally created for life-size has been condensed into a 1/7 scale figure with overwhelming volume and quality. Under the supervision of Horikoshi-sensei, the realistic sculpture of this figure staring straight at the viewer in a battle stance has been faithfully reproduced.” You can check out a first look below.

The Life-Sized Dark Deku

In Japan, a new exhibit highlighting the works of legendary manga artist Kohei Horikoshi is preparing to swing open its doors. The “Kohei Horikoshi My Hero Academia Original Art Exhibition” will be open from June 21st to August 31st at the Creative Museum Tokyo and has already shown off its life-sized version of Deku’s darker half. Unfortunately, the new statue hasn’t been confirmed to make its way to North America but the tinier figurine will be available worldwide.

A Dark Refresher Course

Deku took up this decidedly darker mantle as a result of Hero Society falling apart, as Shigaraki and the League of Villains wasted little time in freeing All For One and scores of imprisoned villains. Spending no time to rest and/or eat, Izuku was in a mad dash to save as many people as he could from the villains’ onslaught and his costume highlighted this fact.

Luckily for Midoriya, he was pulled back from the brink by his friends at UA Academy, assuring him that they could assist with shouldering the burden and aid him in the fight against All For One and Shigaraki. This led to the final battle currently taking place in the anime, seeing heroes and villains alike fall in battle and the future of Hero Society hanging in the balance. Returning this October, My Hero Academia’s anime adaptation will cover some major earth-shaking events should it follow the manga’s trajectory.

Want to see what the future holds for UA Academy? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on My Hero Academia and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post New My Hero Academia Figure Revisits Dark Deku (With Life-Sized Statue in Japan) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is now in the works on returning for the final season of its anime later this Fall, and the anime has shared a new look at the final battle between Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki with its latest trailer. My Hero Academia is gearing up to bring its TV anime run to a close after many years with Season 8, and with it is going to end the long war between the heroes and villains. Because after everything that happened in Season 7, Deku and the others have even more struggles to survive before it will all be over.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON is now in the works for a release later this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, and has officially released the first trailer for its final episodes. This newest trailer is the first look that we’ve gotten to see of the final season in motion since it was initially announced after the end of Season 7, and with it fans have gotten a new look at the final fight between Deku and Shigaraki has progressed since the massive cliffhanger the anime left us on last time. Check it out below.

When Is My Hero Academia Season 8 Come Out?

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON has yet to confirm its concrete release date as of the time of this publication, but the anime will be airing sometime this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule. The newest episodes will be streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll for fans outside of Japan, and it will feature a returning voice cast from the previous season (though it has yet to be revealed if fans will be introduced to new characters before it’s all over). But fans will get a new sneak peek at the final season soon too.

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My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON has announced it will be taking the stage at Anime Expo 2025 on July 5th. Izuku Midoriya voice actors Justin Briner and Daiki Yamashita will be in attendance at a special panel for the final season with Shonen Jump editor Ryosuke Yoritomi, and it’s also been teased that series creator Kohei Horikoshi will also be sharing a special message with fans at the panel ahead of the anime’s final episodes. So there is going to be lots to look forward to for fans who happen to hit up the convention next month.

What to Know for My Hero Academia Final Season

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. The anime will be picking up right from where the seventh season left off as it’s going to be throwing Deku right back into the middle of the action as he’s now in a life or death fight against Shigaraki.

This wasn’t the only final battle that left fans on a cliffhanger following the end of My Hero Academia Season 7 either as the trailer also teases that we’re going to be jumping right back into the final fight between All Might and All For One. There’s no guarantee that either of them will make it out of the fight unscathed, and that’s going to be making for a very interesting finale. It’s yet to be revealed how many episodes this final season will run for, but when it comes to an end hopefully the anime also reaches a satisfying conclusion for fans.

The post My Hero Academia Trailer Shares New Look at Deku & Shigaraki’s Final Battle appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Kohei Horikoshi’s manga My Hero Academia centers on heroes who help keep society safe, preventing anyone from misusing their Quirks. Naturally, society cheers these heroes, a sentiment highlighted by the Hero Billboard Chart, a ranking that lists heroes by their standing. While every nation in the series has its own, the story focuses on Japan’s, called the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart. After the final war, the chart was bound to change, especially considering the roles the U.A. High students, particularly Class 1-A, played in shaping a new society, However, the final chapter, 430, which includes a time skip and shows where the students are now, doesn’t feature the hero rankings directly.

But this is addressed in an additional chapter in the final volume of My Hero Academia, which reveals that 16 of the 21 members of Class 1-A secured an official hero ranking. The protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, isn’t on this list, due to him not being an official hero anymore, while Koji Koda (Anima), Rikido Sato (Sugar Man), and Yuga Aoyama (Can’t Stop Twinkling) were shown to be sidekicks, and Hitoshi Shinsou (NightHide) isn’t mentioned at all. With Deku’s absence, fans were disappointed. Nevertheless, a final bonus chapter, released on May 2, 2025, brings a new twist by adding Deku to the chart, while Bakugo reaches new heights once again.

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17) Minoru Mineta

Minoru Mineta, the Grape Juice hero, someone fans never expected to make the list, is actually ranked 108th on the Japanese Hero Billboard Chart. His ranking is mentioned in the final chapter of My Hero Academia and not in the recently released final bonus chapter.

This suggests his ranking may have changed, but considering how society has shifted, it’s likely that Mineta climbed the chart due to his humorous behavior, which has become a key factor in the rankings following the societal impact of the final war.

16) Denki Kaminari

Denki Kaminari, aka the Sun Hero: Charge Bolt, is ranked 44th on the Hero Billboard Chart according to the final chapter. The final chapter also shows that he’s doing well, having opened his own hero agency, which happens to be adjacent to Kyoka Jiro’s.

It’s clear the series is hinting that their relationship is starting to blossom romantically, something fans had always suspected. Now that the hero society is peaceful, there’s more than enough time for Denki and Jiro to explore this side of their relationship, and it may have blossomed further by the time of the final bonus chapter.

15) Toru Hagakure

The Stealth Hero: Invisible Girl, Toru Hagakure’s official ranking in the final chapter is 39th on the Hero Chart. This number highlights her value as a hero due to her stealth prowess, and it’s clear that the agency she opened may specialize in this area.

The final chapter also reveals that Aoyama is working at her agency as her sidekick, which might be a hint at how much their relationship may have grown, possibly even romantically, as the two had formed a special bond, especially before the final war of the series began.

14) Hanta Sero

Hanta Sero, aka the Taping Hero: Cellophane, holds an impressive 36th rank on the Hero Billboard Chart JP, according to the final chapter. Sero’s ability makes him extremely agile, and his speed surely played a key role in securing such a high spot on a chart that comprises heroes from across the nation.

The final chapter doesn’t reveal much more about him aside from his ranking, but Sero may likely have opened his own agency, specializing in capturing villains quickly, a move that could raise his rank even further if it hasn’t already.

13) Tsuyu Asui

The Rainy Season Hero: Froppy, as per the last mention, ranks 33rd on the HBJ. In the final chapter, it’s also suggested that while Froppy may not have her own agency, she is working with Uravity at her agency, which focuses on helping children.

Asui, much like Uravity, has a warmhearted nature, which may make her especially popular among children, possibly a key factor in her ranking. If the bonus chapter were to mention her rank, it would likely have gone up further due to her growing popularity with children.

12) Mashirao Ojiro

The Martial Arts Hero: Tailman, Mashirao Ojiro, ranks 31st on the Hero Chart as per the last mention. The final chapter doesn’t say much more about him aside from his ranking, but as a martial artist, he may have earned his spot by honoring this sport culture through his actions.

If he doesn’t have his own agency, it’s easy to imagine him opening a dojo to teach martial arts to others. With his high ranking, it’s clear Ojiro is having a successful hero career while sharing something he loves.

11) Kyoka Jiro

Kyoka Jiro, aka the Hearing Hero: Earphone Jack, holds the 30th spot on the HBJP, as mentioned in the final chapter. It’s also revealed that she has her own agency, which, as previously mentioned, is adjacent to Kaminari’s.

The final chapter may have subtly hinted at her relationship with Kaminari, but it’s clear that her love for music has blossomed as well, a passion that has also brought her close to Eri, who is revealed to become a performer in the final bonus chapter.

10) Mina Ashido

at the top 10 among Class 1-A students, we have Mina Ashido, Ridley Hero: Pinky, at 28th on the chart. Mina has continually inspired those around her to keep moving forward, including her classmate Eijiro Kirishima, a testament to her uplifting nature and a key factor in securing her current rank.

Speaking of which, while the new hero ranking revealed in the bonus chapter doesn’t mention Mina directly, it’s likely she may have climbed even higher, possibly into the top 25 or even the top 20, due to her inspiring personality.

9) Ochaco Uraraka

The romantic interest of the protagonist of My Hero Academia, Ochaco Uraraka, aka the Zero Gravity Hero: Uravity, holds the 24th spot on the HBJP. Uraraka has opened her own agency, which focuses on helping children, a path influenced by her experiences with her archnemesis, Himiko Toga.

Her agency assists children in understanding their Quirks and growing into their best selves. It’s clear she’s popular among children, and as the head of an agency that continues to do valuable work, Uraraka’s rank will only rise if it hasn’t already.

8) Momo Yaoyorozu

Momo Yaoyorozu, the Everything Hero: Creati, is among the top 20 on the Hero Chart at number 19 as per the last mention. The series finale doesn’t reveal much about her current contribution as a hero, but it’s clear she’s a valuable asset due to her powerful and creative Quirk.

It’s likely she may have her own agency by now, specializing in developing innovations for heroes, a profitable venture in a world where even individuals without Quirks, like Deku, can become heroes.

7) Fumikage Tokoyami

Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi, Tokoyami, holds the 17th rank on the hero chart, as mentioned in the final chapter of the series. Tokoyami has been one of the strongest students from Class 1-A, and his contribution in the final war even intimidated All For One, so it’s no surprise he has a high rank.

It’s likely that his power during the time skip continued to contribute greatly to hero society, subduing formidable villains on a rampage. Also, considering he formed a close bond with Hawks near the end of the series, it’s plausible that he may be running Hawks’ agency or playing a key role in it if he doesn’t have his own agency.

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6) Tenya Ida

Tenya Iida, the Turbo Hero: Ingenium, was last ranked 13th on the HBJP. However, considering the latest changes made with Deku and Bakugo ranking higher, it’s likely Tenya’s rank may have been affected. Nonetheless, it’s improbable he would drop lower than the top 15.

Tenya is one of the most active heroes due to his remarkable speed, allowing him to catch villains faster. While it’s unclear whether he has his own agency, it’s likely he might be working at his brother’s agency, possibly as the new head, given his admiration for him and his resolve to follow in his path.

5) Eijiro Kirishima

Eijiro Kirishima, the Sturdy Hero: Red Riot, was last ranked 12th, just above Tenya Iida. But much like Iida’s rank may have shifted, Kirishima’s may have gone down, or up, especially considering he recently started his solo career.

Kirishima embodies chivalry through his quirk, which has likely earned him a strong following among fans who appreciate his masculinity and resolve. He’s one of the most successful heroes from the series, and if the final bonus chapter were to reveal the HBJP chart, it’s likely his rank, alongside Deku and Bakugo, would have gone higher.

4) Mezo Shoji

The Tentacle Hero: Tentacole, Shoji was one of two students who ranked in the top 10, with his last rank sitting at 9th on the hero chart. But recent changes may have pushed him down due to Deku and Bakugo’s rise in rank.

Shoji contributed greatly to the final war, helping to bring about societal change by improving attitudes toward heteromorphs. As a leading figure for the heteromorph community, it makes sense that many people would vote for him (if there is a voting system to determine the ranks) due to his representation and the hope he brings.

3) Katsuki Bakugo

Considered one of the top 3 Class 1-A students, Bakugo, going by the hero name Explosive Hero: Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight, has a new rank change that puts him in the top five at 5th spot on the hero chart. This is the third time Bakugo’s rank has changed, with his debut rank at 4th, while before the latest change, he was 15th.

It was explained that he lost his high rank due to his unlikability among fans, which hilariously fits his character. But with the latest change, it might be that fans have started to find him more likable. Among the top three, he’s currently the lowest, but his debut rank shows that he was once higher than Deku and Shoto, suggesting he could still rise further.

2) Izuku Midoriya

In the final chapter of My Hero Academia, it was mentioned that Izuku didn’t have a rank at all as he was just beginning to start his heroic journey with support systems. However, as soon as he was officially a hero, he was welcomed and honored with a 4th rank on the Hero Chart, revealing his full hero name as One For All Hero: Deku.

Deku making the rank is what fans wanted to see, and when it was omitted for obvious reasons, it suggests that the final bonus chapter was released to fix this oversight and show his true place in society, which he helped build. Deku now manages his life as a hero and a teacher, and while it’s unclear if his rank could go higher, there’s a plausible chance it might, given how many factors are now taken into consideration when ranking heroes.

1) Shoto Todoroki

The additional final chapter of My Hero Academia included in the final volume shows everyone from Class 1-A gathering to celebrate Shoto’s new rank, which places him in 2nd on the Hero Billboard Chart, right below Togata Mirio. Even in the final bonus chapter, it’s mentioned that Togata Mirio and Shoto are maintaining their ranks while Bakugo and Deku have a new rank, placing them in the top five.

Shoto’s rank as the top hero among his peers is fitting, as he has always demonstrated great power and maturity, and considering he is the son of a former number one hero, Shoto’s rise was expected. Almost all the Class 1-A students have a rank on the Hero Billboard Chart after the time skip, which shows that Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia ended on a satisfying note, giving peaceful and fitting roles to everyone after all their struggles.

My Hero Academia can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post My Hero Academia: All Class 1-A’s Official Hero Rankings After Time Skip (And What Changed) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia will be returning for Season 8 of the TV anime later this Fall, and a new trailer has finally given fans the first full look at the anime’s final season. My Hero Academia Season 7 came to an end with a massive cliffhanger that saw not only All Might preparing for his final fight against All For One, but Izuku Midoriya getting into his final face off against Tomura Shigaraki. The season then came to an end with the confirmation that the anime would be returning for Season 8 in the future, and that this would serve as the final season for the anime entirely.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON has since dropped some updates since the initial announcement to confirm that it was going to be airing sometime in October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule later this year. But while there have been some updates about when to expect the new episodes, the actual episodes themselves have not really been seen in motion yet. That’s all changed with the newest trailer for My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON that you can check out in action below as part of the special celebration for “Hero Day” in Japan.

What to Know for My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be premiering this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, but has yet to confirm its release date as of the time of this publication. What has been confirmed for the new season, however, is that Crunchyroll will be streaming the new episodes in international territories alongside their initial debut in Japan. If you want to seek out the first seven seasons, you can also find My Hero Academia‘s anime now streaming with Crunchyroll as well alongside the now-airing My Hero Academia: Vigilantes prequel anime series.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. The voice cast from the first seven seasons will be returning for their respective roles as well, and new additions aren’t likely going to be seen much considering that the anime has pretty much introduced all of its key players heading into this point of its endgame.

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10 Best My Hero Academia Villains

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia might be coming to an end later this Fall, but that likely means we’re about to see a lot more promotion for the final episodes. With this new teaser trailer giving the first small look at the new episodes in motion, we’re going to steadily see even more over the coming weeks and months. This includes a presentation during Anime Expo 2025, in which My Hero Academia will be in attendance showing off the final season together with main Izuku Midoriya stars Izuku Midoriya voice actors Justin Briner and Daiki Yamashita taking the stage together with Shonen Jump editor Ryosuke Yoritomi.

My Hero Academia fans are about to get a lot more updates about the anime’s future soon, and there are plenty of questions about what to expect as it all comes to an end. My Hero Academia ended its run with Shonen Jump last Summer, but creator Kohei Horikoshi has since added onto that ending with all kinds of new material in the year since. The anime could take the opportunity to bring all of that to life to make for a much fuller anime experience than fans expected, but we’ll see soon enough how it all works out.

The post My Hero Academia Season 8 Trailer Drops First Look at Anime’s Final Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With My Hero Academia’s eighth season bringing the superhero shonen series to an end, now is the perfect time to revisit some of the villains that helped make the story of Deku and Class 1-A shine. After all, a hero is only as good as their villains and Kohei Horikoshi made some all-time antagonists to threaten Hero Society.

In tackling the top ten villains of My Hero Academia, rounding down the evil-doers was not an easy task but we’re confident our “Top Ten Best My Hero Academia Villains” honors the antagonists who stand above the rest.

1) Muscular

Muscular, aka Goto Imasuji, was a great, early “one-on-one” villain for Izuku Midoriya to face, arriving in the third season of My Hero Academia. Tagging along with the League of Villains, Muscular wasn’t exactly a cerebral threat in the way that All For One and Overhaul could be, acting far more as a “grunt” than anything else. However, Goto’s bloodthirst nature and his desire to fight helped to create one of the best fight scenes for Deku in that third anime season. To say nothing of the satisfaction of seeing Midoriya take down Muscular with one hit in recent seasons following the League of Villains’ prison escape.

2) Overhaul

Overhaul, aka Kai Chisaki, was a unique villain in the history of My Hero Academia as his reign of terror was almost completely separate from that of All For One’s. A leader within the Yakuza, Overhaul’s Quirk allowed him to “disassemble and reassemble” anything that he touched. Kai not only led a large group of villains but he also created Quirk-earing bullets thanks to using the power of Eri’s rewind Quirk. Easily the biggest villain of My Hero Academia’s fourth season, Overhaul stands tall on this list of major shonen antagonists.

3) ReDestro

ReDestro, aka Rikiya Yotsubashi, was an interesting villain in that he didn’t necessarily want the destruction of Hero Society to start but he came to align his goals with those of Shigaraki and the League of Villains. Rather, the leader of the Meta Liberation Army simply wanted a world where the government didn’t regular anyone’s Quirks. The MLA grew throughout My Hero Academia amongst the populace as more regular citizens were finding themselves drawn to the cause. For ReDestro, his wealth, brains, and muscle granted to him by his Quirk, made the Meta Liberation Army leader a threat to be reckoned with who could have challenged Class 1-A on his own, outside of the League of Villains.

4) Stain

Stain was an amazing solo villain who first appeared in My Hero Academia’s second season, having such a strong presence and methodology that his message inspired countless villains to step up to the plate. Seeking to destroy heroes who he deemed “unfit” to be crime fighters, the swordsman with the ability to freeze those whose blood he consumed has taken on a far different role in the final war. Rather than allying himself with All For One and his forces, Stain is backing All Might for the last battle of the anime. Despite his shift to the light side, his villainous ways make him an easy pick for this list.

5) Spinner

Of all the villains that make up All For One’s forces, Spinner arguably had the weakest Quirk of them all. This fact changed when he got an upgrade from the “Demon Lord” but it wasn’t his powers that made the lizard-like villain stand out. Spinner’s appearance made him a prime target of harassment, showing that the world of My Hero Academia still had a prejudice against Quirk-wielders whose powers made them look far less human than others. Spinner was a perfect example of a villain who was far less evil than many of his comrades but still had a major part to play in the fight against Hero Society.

6) Twice

What’s not to love about Twice? Much like Spinner, Twice always felt like he was “along for the ride” when it came to the League of Villains but had a backstory, powerset, and personality that made him unique. Unfortunately, while Twice’s Quirk allowed him to create near-infinite doubles of himself, or any object he was touching, the antagonist had severe mental issues thanks to this as he was terrified of losing himself to his duplicates. Eventually dying at the hands of Hawks, Twice’s death still makes for one of the saddest moments of the series regardless of his affiliation.

7) Toga

Our readership would riot if we didn’t include the villainous Toga on this list and they would be right to do so. The blood-drinking villainess has been a major part of the series since her debut in season two, becoming a fan-favorite antagonist ever since. Harboring a twisted crush on Deku, not only was Toga a major force for evil but the villain helped to demonstrate the Quirk Singularity Theory as her powers evolved to wild, all-powerful levels. While she did recently die in My Hero Academia’s seventh season, her legacy on Hero Society and the anime medium on the whole won’t soon be forgotten.

8) Dabi

Of all the villains on this list, Dabi is arguably the most connected to Hero Society in terrifying ways. Revealed to be none other than the son of Endeavor and older brother to Shoto Todoroki, Toya Todoroki was a byproduct of both his father’s abuse and All For One’s manipulation following the Todoroki family fallout. Harboring a flame-manipulating Quirk that arguably made him stronger than every other member of his family in the fire department, Dabi is eventually defeated by Shoto in the final war. Dabi has, perhaps, the most rich backstory of any villain and it still has fans remembering him long after the manga’s grand finale.

9) Shigaraki

The heir apparent to All For One has a killer powerset and a mentality that has made him easily one of the most dangerous individuals aiming to destroy Hero Society. While his initial Quirk of decay was scary enough on its own, Shigaraki eventually evolves his powers before even receiving the full power of All For One to use for himself. Having what is a wildly tragic upbringing, Shigaraki’s status as the grandson of Nana Shimura twists the knife in All For One and establishes his ties to the crime-fighting world. Considering the biggest battle of the final season is Shigaraki facing Deku in a fight between All For One and One For All, it makes sense that the decaying villain would make this list.

10) All For One

The alpha and the omega, All For One is easily the biggest villain in My Hero Academia. Without the all-powerful villain, characters like Shigaraki and Dabi would not be the antagonists they are today. Were this a ranked list, it would be almost impossible not to put All For One on the top of the rankings. On top of his devilish personality and nigh-invincible powerset, All For One has a musical score that might go down as one of the best for any anime villain to date. With the final season setting up the final confrontation between the Demon Lord and All Might, what better way to end this ranking than with the villain that started it all?

The post 10 Best My Hero Academia Villains appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Studio BONES might be currently working on My Hero Academia: Vigilantes and Gachiakuta this summer but these two projects are far from the only thing the production house has up their sleeves for 2025. My Hero Academia’s final season is set to make landfall later this fall and Class 1-A fans are on the edge of their seats to see how the fight between Deku and Shigaraki will come to an end. Luckily, BONES is teasing the release of the final season’s first footage as the anime studio prepares to bid a fond farewell to Kohei Horikoshi’s epic superhero story.

My Hero Academia is planning to release a new look at the final season via a new teaser trailer dropping on June 16th. Specifically, it will release at 7PM that day to honor “Heroes Day,” a holiday that honors heroes that are both real and fictional. Studio BONES released a head’s up for the upcoming teaser stating, “This year’s Hero Day will feature the screening of “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON” at 7:00 p.m. A teaser PV made up of footage from the main series will be released. Please check it out!!” Considering the events that will transpire in the eighth season, this upcoming preview will be one that shonen superhero fans won’t want to miss. The teaser will arrive on Toho’s YouTube Channel next week.

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The Final Season Looms Large

Last summer, My Hero Academia manga creator Kohei Horikoshi brought the long-running shonen series to a close, following over a decade of stories focusing on the world of Quirks. While chapter 430 did put a bow on the story of UA Academy, Horikoshi would return to pad out the finale with new scenes that expanded on what happened to Deku following the final battle against the League of Villains. It will ultimately be interesting to see which scenes make it to the anime adaptation and how BONES will end the television series with the expansive source material.

If you need a refresher on how the seventh season ended, many of the major villains have been defeated to wrap that previous outing for Class 1-A. Toga, Spinner, and Dabi have all lost their respective battles though this fact doesn’t mean that evil itself has been conquered. Both Shigaraki and All For One are still on the battlefield, using their all-powerful Quirks in a way to ensure Hero Society’s future is theirs. As Deku and Shigaraki are still fighting one another, a powerless All Might, with a new suit of armor, is attempting to stall All For One long enough to bring the hammer down on his greatest foe. Thanks to All For One’s healing factor making him de-age, it might just come down to a waiting game for the Symbol of Peace.

Want to stay in the know when it comes to UA Academy’s final season? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on My Hero Academia and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia Teases New Footage of Final Season (And It’s Releasing Soon) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Moms tend to be pretty cool. I’d know — I have three! You know who else is pretty cool? Anime moms! So, let’s pay homage to moms everywhere by listing the 10 Best Anime Moms that any anime fan or mom can appreciate! Whether they’re a mom who firmly supports their child’s dreams like Delia Ketchum or a mom who looks like an absolute snack like Carla Jaeger, there’s so many anime moms to choose from! “But which moms are the best?” Well, that’s a weird question for you to ask. While the obvious answer is my own, a list pertaining to the moms in anime will have to do.

Whether they’re a single mom, a working mom, a domestic mom, adoptive mom, fun mom, strict mom, or whatever mom, these moms have certain traits that make them stand out from all the other moms in anime. Some anime moms have the dreaded side plait to seal their fates. Some have a certain devotion to their children that are unmatched. Whatever the case, these anime moms have certain qualities that will make you want to binge the animes they’re in just for their motherly presences!

1) Maquia from Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms

The mystical race of the Iorph, known for their longevity, live isolated from the tumultuous outside world of mankind. But when the power-hungry kingdom of Mezarte in their endeavor to add the immortality of the Iorph to the king’s bloodline invade their homeland, ravaging their home with what is left of the dragons, the Renato, at the invaders’ disposal, Maquia is carried off by one of the rogue Renato and left deserted in a forest far from her homeland. Finding the baby in a nearby destroyed village, she decides to raise him as her own, naming him Ariel. Knowing nothing of the world of mankind nor how to raise one of its children that ages much faster than her, she’s determined to not let Ariel feel the loneliness she’s had to endure.

As much as I enjoy anime, ’twasn’t I who suggested seeing Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms when it came out in theaters, but my own mother. She’s not much of an anime fan, but apparently saw that this was available and thought it would be a great mother-daughter film to go see. And it was. And you should too. Maquia, though generally inexperienced as an adult Iorph let alone knowing anything about motherhood, has a certain determination to provide for her adopted son that shows such a vulnerable, tender, and heartwarming love between mother and child.

Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms can be streamed on Crunchyroll, Prime Video, Pluto TV, and Tubi TV.

2) Hana from Wolf Children

When college student Hana notices a mysterious man without a textbook in one of her classes, although he isn’t really a student, she becomes curious. Though the two end up really hitting it off and falling in love, the man reveals his secret: he’s a wolf! Not only does this revelation not deter Hana, but the lovers decide to start a family and have two half-wolf children, Ame and Yuki. But having a half-wolf family isn’t easy in the city, especially when Hana’s left to fend for her wild children as a single mother when her love and the father of her children suddenly passes away. Deciding to move to the countryside, the family faces a new set of struggles as Ame and Yuki grow up: to decide to live as human or wolf.

Motherhood is hard enough. Becoming a widow and single mother is even more difficult, especially when your kids aren’t entirely human. I may have a pet, but I could never imply any sort of comparison to actual parenthood by calling my rabbit my “fur-baby” as my nieces and nephews, with love, are pretty wild enough. Though, the struggles Hana faces could possibly only be comparable to the difficulties parents of children who dub themselves “furries” face (joking, joking).

3) Chi-Chi from the Dragon Ball Series

After Kakarot is sent from Planet Vegeta of the nearly-extinct Saiyan race to Earth, he becomes adopted by Grandpa Gohan and renamed to Goku. As Goku grows up, instead of destroying Earth as originally intended, he instead travels and defends the world from other powerful enemies who search for the legendary wish-granting Dragon Balls. Endeavoring to become as strong as possible to fend off increasingly powerful foes, the only thing that truly rises to match the strength of Goku’s powers is his heart. Just because Goku eventually even creates a family for himself doesn’t mean he settles down. In fact, having sons of his own only means more allies to power up.

Eventually becoming friends with Bulma, the two bond over the struggles of raising a Saiyan family. With Goku often absent, she ended up becoming tougher and temperamental as compared to her shy and sweet childhood self in order to raise her sons Gohan and Goten, but still cares for her family with a pure heart. Although she often yells at Goku over fighting and tries to emphasize academic achievements over martial arts,
Chi-Chi is willing to fight as a stereotypical shōnen mother to protect her family. Much like my own out-of-this-world, kick-a-s step-mom and my feisty sister with her two sons.

Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

4) Trisha Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist

The Elric brothers, in their endeavor to bring their mother back from the dead, ignored the ban of human transmutation and ended up paying a hefty price. While trespassing the taboo cost Edward an arm and a leg, Alphonse lost his entire body. With their bio-mechanical engineer neighbor and friend Winry able to fit Edward with advanced automail prosthetic limbs, Alphonse had his soul bound to an entire suit of armor in Edward’s attempt to save him. Determined to restore their bodies, they set out to find the Philosopher’s Stone, an item said to allow an alchemist to defy the traditional laws of Equivalent Exchange, and become caught in the middle of a conspiracy along the way.

The late Trisha Elric had always put her beloved sons first when she was alive, always encouraging Edward and Alphonse to not just grow in their alchemical prowess and achievements, but to look out for each other and work together as brothers. Although she basically raised her children on her own as the boys’ father, Van Hohenheim, was absent, she seemed to cherish and nurture their talents as sons of the most powerful alchemist in the world. And Edward and Alphonse loved her more than the alchemical limits of life itself.

While the original Fullmetal Alchemist series isn’t widely available, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood can be streamed on Netflix, Crunchyroll, or Hulu where available.

5) Lisa from Ponyo

When a curious goldfish sneaks away from home, five-year-old Sousuke finds her trapped in a bottle near the shore and frees her, cutting his finger in the process. The small fish licks his wound and heals it. Realizing she’s special, Sousuke puts her in his bucket and names her Ponyo, taking his new friend home to his mom, Lisa. Frantic that she’s missing, the sorcerer Fujimoto searches for and recaptures his daughter Brunhilde. The goldfish insists she prefers the name Sousuke gave her, rejects living as a fish, and is determined to return to her friend. Sousuke’s blood having given her the power to transform to look like a human girl, she rushes back to him, creating an imbalance in nature in her wake. As the two grow close in their friendship, Sousuke and his mother embrace Ponyo with open arms as not just human, but one of the family.

Lisa seems to be the type that reminds me a bit of both my sister and my mother-in-law — somehow managing to balance being both a responsible, caring parent and just being super chill, taking things as they come and just being fun to hang out with. Like Lisa, my sister is the type to dote upon her son while thinking of creative ways to make the mundane fun and her family welcoming others into their home with open arms. Akin to my mother-in-law who even shares the same name, Lisa shows a certain resilience and optimism that I admire even when the world itself seems to start to fall apart.

Ponyo can be streamed on Max.

[RELATED: 10 Best Anime Movies by Studio Ghibli, Ranked]

6) Miyako Ishida from A Silent Voice

Shouya Ishida was a bit of a wild child in elementary school, but unfortunately he found entertainment in cruel ways. When Shouko Nishimiya transfers to Shouya’s class, Shouya takes to relentlessly bullying the deaf girl along with the rest of the class. But when her mother notifies the school that she suspects her daughter has been bullied, Shouya is singled out and Shouko transfers, leaving Shouya to become ostracized and the target of his class’s bullying. All the way up to high school, Shouya’s cruel past has haunted him. Filled with guilt and regret, Shouya tries turning a new leaf in honest attempts to redeem himself. Although he’s determined to meet Shouko and make amends, the road to redemption is much more difficult than he could’ve imagined, for both himself and for Shouko.

Shouya Ishida’s hair stylist mother Miyako is an absolute gem of a human being. When she learns that her son had done wrong, she takes it upon herself to meet with Shouko’s mother, even receiving physical recompense herself for the harm her son caused. She cares so much for her son and gets the hint when he showed signs of “planned obsolescence”. Even as a single mother, she’s shown to have helped raise her grandchild Maria.

7) Yor Forger from Spy x Family

As the neighboring countries Ostania and Westalis quietly plot against each other, spy Twilight takes on the alias of psychiatrist Loid Forger in the Ostanian city of Berlint to conduct intel. His target: the politician Donovan Desmond. The problem is Donovan only rarely appears at his son’s school, Eden Academy. In order to get closer to his target, Loid enlists Yor Briar, an unmarried city hall clerk, and Anya, his newly adopted daughter, who he enrolls at Eden Academy, to act as a normal, happy family. Unbeknownst to the spy, Loid’s new family hides their own secrets — Yor is actually an assassin known as “Thorn Princess” and Anya is a telepath secretly able to read others’ minds.

Agreeing to enter a fake marriage with Loid Forger in order to continue her work as an assassin, Yor also subsequently becomes the mother figure to Loid’s adoptive daughter, Anya. Although Yor had basically raised her younger brother, Yuri Briar, on her own, she somehow still seems to lack much common domestic knowledge, such as cooking. Even so, she always strives to better herself for the daughter she’s more than willing to protect and the family she’s grown to love.

Spy x Family can be streamed on Hulu and Crunchyroll where available.

8) Ai Hoshino from Oshi No Ko

In the world of entertainment, idols hide behind masks of lies and fans buy into the illusions. Although Ai Hoshino is one such sixteen-year-old idol of pop idol group B Komachi selling said lies, she still hopes that the faux love she gives to and receives from her fans could someday become true. But just as she has the world enamored, Ai announces going on hiatus due to a vague health concern, which makes fans concerned. Meanwhile at a countryside hospital, Dr. Gorou Amemiya cares for the terminally ill Sarina Tendouji who are both fans of Ai and would be a dream come true if they could someday meet her. When Ai shows up to the hospital pregnant with twins, although Dr. Amemiya is mysteriously killed, he wakes to find he’s been reincarnated along with the late Sarina as Ai’s newborn twins, Aqua and Ruby Hoshino.

Oshi No Ko may have quite an unorthodox premise, but there’s good reason fans love Ai Hoshino. As a single teenage mother, Ai may not be the “best” mom, but, with the help of Miyako Saitou, she absolutely does her best to give her children every opportunity for success and every ounce of her true love. Aqua and Ruby may have been fans of Ai as an idol in a previous life, but, as her children, they become fans of her as their mother. Stylish, bubbly, and sociable, Ai is much like another of my sisters, having both a certain spirited twinkle in her eye and being absolutely devoted to giving her adorable daughter the best in life.

Oshi No Ko can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, or HiDive where available.

9) Inko Midoriya from My Hero Academia

In a world where super powers, or “quirks”, have become so common to the point of eighty-percent of humanity possessing such abilities, middle school student Izuku Midoriya dreams of becoming a hero as amazing as the one he idolizes. Unfortunately, Izuku is in the quirk-less minority. Devastated but still determined, not even lacking a quirk will stop Izuku from diligently taking notes on heroes and clinging to his dream. When he finally meets his hero All Might, Izuku gets the opportunity to make his dream of becoming a hero true. As All Might’s quirk is able to be transferred to others, he chooses Izuku as his successor. As he enrolls in UA High to train to become a full-fledged hero alongside other skilled classmates and against powerful foes, Izuku will learn what it means to be a true hero.

Even when her son was deemed to be quirk-less at first, although devastated at first, Inko never lost faith in Izuku’s ability to someday become a hero, encouraging him all along the way. Inko’s support and compassion are as boundless as she is proud when it comes to her son. Although, that’s not to say she’s completely okay with her son being in the line of danger; the typically soft Inko even gives All Might himself an earful at one point for putting her son in harm’s way and threatens to pull him from the academy. Even so, Inko is still willing to put her son’s dream first and support him however she can.

My Hero Academia can be streamed on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, or Crunchyroll where available.

10) Sachiko Fujinuma from Erased

29-year-old detached manga artist Satoru Fujinuma experiences the odd phenomenon he calls “Revival” of being sent back several minutes before an accident occurs, of which he takes advantage of the ability to save the lives of those around him. When he’s wrongfully accused of the murder of someone close, this time, he’s sent back 18 years in the past to to his childhood in 1988. Suspecting the present-day murder may be connected to a childhood incident, the abduction and murder of his quiet classmate Kayo Hinazuki, Satoru speculates it’s a chance to make things right as to uncover the truth and prevent present-day tragedies.

Sachiko Fujinuma is an absolute bada-s of a mom. As a former news announcer and single mother, her intuition is unmatched; She both is able to piece together the unsettling patterns in her neighborhood in connection to the serial kidnappings and is able to read her son’s emotions so well to the point of practically having a sixth-sense. Her strength and love proves to be unwaveringly devoted even in the face of danger and adversity. But even aside from specific acts of bada-sery, Sachiko worked hard to impart a subtle, steady everyday love that can unfortunately go overlooked, providing a nurturing environment for her son, diligently making sure he was supported in every aspect of everyday life, and giving lighthearted reassurance that he could count on her no matter what.

Erased can be streamed on Hulu or Crunchyroll where available.

Who’s your favorite anime mom? Let us know in the comments which anime moms deserve some recognition!

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Warning! Major spoilers for My Hero Academia to follow! My Hero Academia has hit shelves in Japan with a special new art book collecting some much of the creator’s original art for the franchise, and with it has dropped a full look at how Izuku Midoriya and the others look in their pro hero future after the grand finale’s big time skip. My Hero Academia ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, but series creator Kohei Horikoshi has been keeping the franchise alive with new projects in the time since.

This has included plenty of new materials expanding on that original ending in cool ways as well, and My Hero Academia’s final chapter jumps ahead ten years after the end of the war against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki. Horikoshi has since expanded that ending with new chapters and art exploring more of that future timeline revealing Deku and the others’ fate, and has since confirmed that every member of the former Class 1-A has since gone on to a bright future as pro heroes. Now fans have gotten a full look at what this future looks like with a new spread included in the pages of its new Ultra Artworks book. Being revealed in the new promo, you can check it out below.

My Hero Academia Reveals Its Post-Timeskip Future

The new spread included in the Ultra Artworks My Hero Academia art book has yet to be fully revealed online, but thanks to this new trailer for its release as shared by Shueisha, fans now have the best look at the future yet. This new spread not only reveals more of the pro hero designs from the members of Class 1-A that were released with the final chapter of the original series, but also reveals older looks for many of the other heroes introduced throughout the series. It even goes as far as including new looks at the defeated villains as well.

The final chapter explained that ten years after the war, Deku had since gone on to be a teacher at U.A. Academy. The final page of the series then sees him joining together with the rest of the former Class 1-A as a pro hero thanks to a special new suit of armor that mirrored all of the quirks he used to have thanks to One For All’s power. But My Hero Academia has gone far beyond this scene in the year since with new supplementary materials and even new epilogue chapters.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Shares New Deku & Bakugo Art Ahead of Final Season

Is My Hero Academia Truly Over?

With all of the new materials expanding on My Hero Academia‘s ending in the year since it had come to an end, it could be hard to imagine that the series is truly over. Unfortunately, that seems to be the case. Outside of this artbook and a new exhibition offering Horikoshi the chance to share new looks at these favorite characters, it’s likely going to be all coming to an end fairly soon as Horikoshi prepares to move on from future works. Especially as the TV anime comes to an end later this Fall as well.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be premiering some time this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, but has yet to confirm its release date as of the time of this publication. The new season will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it debuts, and you can catch up with the first seven seasons there as well along with other platforms such as Hulu and Netflix.

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My Hero Academia is coming back with some big events through the rest of the year, and the original creator behind it all is helping to celebrate with some special new art of Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo ahead of these big events. My Hero Academia might have officially ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, but the franchise is coming back with a whole new wave of celebrations through the rest of the year. This will all lead to the TV anime coming back for its eighth and final season of its run later this Fall.

My Hero Academia is not only bringing the TV anime to an end later this year, but the franchise is coming back with a special art exhibition now hitting in Japan. This special exhibition is showing off all sorts of art from series creator Kohei Horikoshi, and this includes some brand new sketches and artworks as well. My Hero Academia will be launching a special collaboration with Men’s Non-no magazine in Japan, and to celebrate Horikoshi has dropped some cool new art for Deku and Bakugo. Check it out below.

My Hero Academia Creator Shares New Deku and Bakugo Art

My Hero Academia’s creator has returned for a special collaboration illustration with Men’s Non-no magazine highlighting Deku and Bakugo in special fashions. These illustrations will be given away as merchandise for fans in Japan, and Horikoshi stated the following about the art, “I was thinking of casual clothes for the two of them, with the image of Deku as a middle school student in American casual wear, and Katsuki as a local delinquent. This time, I stuck to using colors that were characteristic of both of them, while also keeping in mind the Men’s Non-no feel with an oversized silhouette.”

Along with the new My Hero Academia exhibition in Japan, My Hero Academia fans have a lot to look forward to. Series creator Horikoshi has been returning to the series in the year since it came to an end, and has expanded the ending with all sorts of new material that fans have been hoping to see. The creator has returned with all kinds of special new sketches, and with the anime returning with new episodes later this year there are bound to be much more of these characters hitting our screens.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Just Channeled Homelander With One Hero Fans May Have Missed

What to Know for My Hero Academia’s Final Season

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be premiering some time this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, but has yet to confirm its release date as of the time of this publication. The new season will be streaming with Crunchyroll alongside the new episodes in Japan, and that’s also where you can currently catch up with everything that happened in the first seven seasons of the series before the grand finale hits. You can also check out the now airing My Hero Academia: Vigilantes spinoff anime streaming with Crunchyroll this Spring too.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. With everything really popping off in the final war between the heroes and villains at the end of the seventh season, there’s going to be a lot riding on these final episodes to make sure My Hero Academia ends with a bang.

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My Hero Academia‘s spinoff, Vigilantes, is currently airing, offering a story centered on eccentric individuals acting as heroes without receiving any of the recognition or benefits that come with the title. This highlights that their drive to fight villains stems from personal conviction rather than a desire for fame or approval, which many professional heroes in the main series often seek. The core premise of the spinoff revolves around dismantling a crime syndicate distributing a drug called “Trigger,” which drastically enhances a user’s Quirk but at the cost of their mental stability, often driving them into a violent frenzy. While the premise itself leans more toward a gritty crime thriller than an inspirational hero story, it’s the presence of protagonist Koichi Haimawari that elevates the narrative.

In many ways, the spinoff mirrors the original series, particularly in its depiction of heroes, villains, and the Quirk system. However, the most striking similarity lies between the protagonists, Koichi and Izuku Midoriya, as both share a kind-hearted nature and a deep-seated desire to become heroes despite lacking impressive Quirks. This is the direction My Hero Academia initially hinted at with Deku, but by granting him a powerful inherited ability, the series veered away from that foundation. In contrast, Koichi’s journey stays true to that original spirit, ultimately delivering on the promise that Kohei Horikoshi seemed to set out with in the main series.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Has Found Its Lighter Take on The Boys (And Here’s Why)]

Koichi Haimawari in Vigilantes Delivers the Story My Hero Academia Promised With Deku

From its initial foundation, My Hero Academia suggested a unique direction by presenting Midoriya as Quirkless yet still determined to become an inspiring hero. This setup implied that his journey would challenge the very structure of the established hero system. Deku’s obsessive knowledge of heroes and tactical thinking further solidified the idea that he was poised to become an outlier, someone who would rise through wit and determination alone. However, just two episodes later, he was gifted the most powerful Quirk imaginable. While this turn is undoubtedly inspirational and conveys the message that chasing one’s dreams can open new doors, it diverged from the path fans expected, a story of defying the system without supernatural aid.

In contrast, Koichi’s journey remains true to that original concept. Possessing a Quirk that clearly won’t place him among the top heroes, Koichi understands his limitations. He contributes through surveillance and by taking down villains within his reach, gradually refining his abilities through persistence and experience. If My Hero Academia had stayed aligned with its initial premise, Deku’s path might have resembled Koichi’s, relying on intelligence, grit, and small victories while starting out as a vigilante. That said, it’s understandable why the mangaka chose to align Deku with a powerful, flashy Quirk; it fits the expectations of the shonen genre, and without such elements, it’s likely that My Hero Academia wouldn’t have achieved mainstream success.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can be streamed on Crunchyroll, with it also available on Netflix in select Southeast Asian regions.

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is now in the midst of its final slate of episodes for its run as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, and the promo for the next episode of the anime is sparking a dark new plan coming for Koichi Haimawari and Kazuho Haneyama. As the Summer 2025 anime schedule fast approaches with a brand new wave of anime hits, the currently airing anime releases from the Spring are now kicking off their respective final arcs before they come to an end. In My Hero Academia: Vigilantes‘ case, things are about to get a lot more intense for these underground heroes.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has turned a key point as Koichi’s secret identity as a vigilante has gotten out to not only professional heroes like Ingenium, but those close to him like Makoto Tsukauchi (who had been hoping to research the vigilantes in the first place). Now that it’s all out in the open, Koichi’s about to enter a whole new kind of world as he’s about to take on bigger threats than ever before. That all starts with the next episode, and you can check out the first look at My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 10 in the video above.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 10

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 10 is titled “Event Announcement!” and will be making its debut on Monday, June 9th in Japan and will be exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll in other territories when it hits. The synopsis for the episode teases it as such, “Pop receives an invitation to perform at the ‘Naru Fes,’ the grand opening event for the Marukane Department Store. Although Pop is hesitant, she is encouraged by Koichi and Knuckle to take on the challenge. Meanwhile, Knuckle continues to investigate Hachisuka’s true identity on his own. His actions are linked to a secret that Knuckle is hiding.”

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been spending the majority of its debut season establishing Koichi and the other vigilantes with a series of episodic like fights against criminals thus far. But all the while there has been one villain behind the scenes putting all of this together as she has been using her quirk to distribute the Trigger drug to unsuspecting people and turning them into superpowered villains. But now that plan is coming more to the spotlight.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Has Found Its Lighter Take on The Boys (And Here’s Why)

What’s Next for Koichi?

Searching for Trigger and the impact it’s had on the neighborhood was the original reason Knuckleduster started taking to the streets as a vigilante, but the promo also teases that there’s another side of the mysterious man. Because after showing up in the latest episode ready to meet Koichi’s mother and Makoto (and even coming up with a perfect cover for Koichi’s vigilante activities), it’s clear that Knuckleduster was still hiding something. That something is ultimately what brings him to fight crime in the first place.

As things get more intense for this underground trio, all of these pieces are going to start coming into place. Fans who have been waiting to see a more united plan for the overall narrative will get their wish soon as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ main plot begins in full. With it also taking place years before the events of the main My Hero Academia series, it’s all what fans need to keep in mind as everything starts coming together and we see the early days of some of the biggest villains and heroes from the main series.

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Anime enthusiasts and fashionistas alike are buzzing with excitement following the announcement of a groundbreaking collaboration between Crunchyroll, the global hub for all things anime, and Fira X Wear, the innovative pop culture fashion brand This partnership is set to redefine anime-inspired style, offering fans a fresh and elevated way to express their love for My Hero Academia. With the final season of the beloved anime on the horizon, this collection promises to be a timely and stylish tribute, moving beyond traditional merchandise to create something truly expressive and authentic. 

The Collaboration Brings the Fashion of My Hero Academia to Life

Fira X Wear is created by cosplayer and creator Jasmine James, and the collaboration marks the first Black female-owned fashion brand to partner with Crunchyroll, signifying an important step towards greater diversity and representation within the industry. James has a background in costume design and is a video game character concept artist, which lends to her inspiration for clothing that embraces all levels of fandom.

“Anime has always been a powerful source of inspiration, but fashion hasn’t always reflected the depth and artistry of the stories we love,” said James. “With our new My Hero Academia collection in collaboration with Crunchyroll, we’re reimagining what anime-inspired style can look like—something that feels elevated, expressive, and authentic. This partnership is a huge moment for us and for fans, because it proves that anime fashion can be more than merch. It can be a statement.”

RELATED: My Hero Academia Season 8 to Share Big Updates Very Soon

The inaugural Fira X Wear My Hero Academia collection draws inspiration from the iconic sports uniform featured in the anime and manga, which expands its presence even now into spinoffs releasing new episodes weekly. The first of three capsule collections, which launched today, blends dynamic storytelling with cool street fashion aesthetics. Fans can expect a vibrant palette of bold blue, red, and white markings, accented by subtle embroidered, branded embellishments. 

The initial release includes a mixed-material cropped hoodie, a stylized utility jacket, futuristic cargo sweatpants, and a fitted romper. Designed with inclusivity in mind, these separates are intended to be mixed and matched, allowing fans to personalize their look and “Be The Main Character” of their own fashion story. The collection is available in a wide range of sizes, ensuring that fans of all shapes and sizes can embrace their favorite characters. 

Future capsule collections are slated for release in Fall 2025 and Winter 2025, promising even more exciting designs. This collaboration is available for purchase now directly from Fira X Wear’s website, firaxwear.com, making it accessible for fans eager to dive into this fresh take on anime-inspired apparel.

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While the final season of My Hero Academia is scheduled for release in Fall 2025, its spinoff series, Vigilantes, is currently airing. The show presents a narrative similar to the main story but with unique twists. As the title suggests, instead of following an aspiring hero, it centers on individuals who have taken it upon themselves to fight villains, without any official license to do so. The series features a protagonist similar in spirit to the original, Koichi Haimawari, a young man with a modest desire to make a difference through heroism.

Since Koichi doesn’t possess a powerful Quirk, his efforts mostly revolve around surveillance, especially of a crime syndicate distributing “Trigger,” a Quirk-enhancing drug. This drug amplifies a user’s Quirk by 100 times but causes them to lose all sense and reason. This darker element sets the spinoff apart from the main series, particularly in how it isn’t afraid to highlight the flaws within the hero society. In many ways, Vigilantes feels like an installment of the acclaimed American superhero drama The Boys, set within the My Hero Academia universe. These parallels work in its favor, as Vigilantes offers a more realistic portrayal of power scaling and its misuse, just as The Boys does.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Promo Sets Up Crawler’s High-Speed Chase]

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes‘ Premise Highlights Flaws in Hero Society, Much Like The Boys

The first parallel that Vigilantes draws from The Boys is how both series center their main premise around superpowered enhancement drugs. While the former features “Trigger,” the latter uses “Compound V.” Although The Boys focuses on exposing a corrupted hero society built on Compound V, Vigilantes uses Trigger to highlight the underlying crime within society. The use of enhancements in both stories emphasizes how people will go to any length to feel superior to others. However, the core parallel lies in how both series portray a realistic depiction of heroes if they actually existed.

While The Boys takes this concept to an extreme with characters like Homelander and Soldier Boy, Vigilantes offers a more toned-down approach through Captain Celebrity, who is clearly just as self-centered as the “heroes” in The Boys. The fact that Captain Celebrity is portrayed as an American hero makes the parallel between the two series amusingly direct. Additionally, the main cast of The Boys are essentially vigilantes themselves, fighting against a crime syndicate that manufactures superheroes using drugs for personal gain. Therefore, for fans of The Boys seeking a lighter take on its premise, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes fits the bill. Likewise, fans of Vigilantes who want a more intense exploration of a flawed hero society will find The Boys more than satisfying.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can be streamed on Crunchyroll, with it also available on Netflix in select Southeast Asian regions.

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has reached a major turning point of its anime debut this Spring, and with the newest episode has revealed the true power hidden within Koichi Haimawari’s quirk. This new prequel series has been showing off a whole new side of My Hero Academia’s hero world, and it’s been revealed that some citizens like Koichi have taken it upon themselves to help out in their neighborhood as there aren’t enough heroes around Japan at this time. But Koichi isn’t your typical hero as his quirk really doesn’t seem like it would amount to much in the actual field.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been putting Koichi through some increasingly tough odds as the criminals around him seem to be getting stronger, and as a result he’s been learning how to use his Slide and Glide quirk in new kinds of ways. But while his quirk seemed like it would just give him the mobility to glide a short distance off the ground, the newest episode of the series revealed that Koichi’s quirk actually gives him the full power of flight. It was just kind of beaten out of him.

My Hero Academia Reveals Koichi’s True Quirk Power

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9 officially debuts Koichi’s mother, and she ends up bonding with Makoto to such an extent that the two tour around Tokyo together with Koichi. Soon their tour bus is taken over by a cat who goes out of control thanks to Kuin’s quirk injecting the Trigger drug into it. The bus then goes haywire, and Ingenium is the only one who’s fast enough to keep up with the vehicle. Saving most of the people on the bus, things get complicated when Kuin interferes once more and the bus goes berserk with Makoto still trapped on it.

Koichi ends up being the only one who can help Ingenium in the moment as the hero was running out of fuel, and even starts to slow down as the bus started heading towards a gap in the road. Through this, Koichi makes a desperate move and grabs Makoto off the bus as it crashes towards the ground. Needing to keep them in the air, Koichi digs deep and ends up using a boost with his Slide and Glide quirk through his feet and propels the two of them through the air for a short time. His quirk is beginning to evolve.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Introduces Its Own Winter Soldier With MCU Easter Egg

What’s Happening to Koichi’s Quirk?

Although it seems like Koichi’s quirk is evolving the more he’s using it under duress (as seen with Deku and the others in the original My Hero Academia series), his mother actually explains that he had this ability all along. She was telling Knuckleduster (in his civilian clothes) that as a baby, Koichi was actually flying around. She was scared of his flying away completely, so she just slapped him out of fear. It seemed that this became a lifelong habit that sort of stunted Koichi’s growth.

So now it’s been revealed that Koichi’s quirk isn’t just one that can float him a little over objects, but he can fully fly for at least short periods. As Koichi continues to fight villains and make big saves as seen in the newest episode, he’ll likely evolve his quirk to even greater heights to unlock the true power within himself. It also comes with more confidence, so hopefully Koichi starts believing in himself more in the future as well. It all goes hand in hand with being a true hero.

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My Hero Academia’s power system is a long-standing point of interest, and relatively straightforward abilities that are often used in creative ways. There are a handful of quirks that truly make the series seem like a show about whether you were born powerful or not, but the frequent quirk awakenings and power advancements are enough to keep fans invested and excited to see new quirks each season.

Quirks range from complex world-altering abilities to horns on the top of someone’s head, and the very nature of these abilities means that some, even when awakened, may not ever be as powerful or versatile as others. Much of the My Hero ethos is predicated on the fact that Izuku Midoriya, aka Deku, our protagonist, was born quirkless but had the soul of a hero, and in that, he was chosen to inherit one of the best Quirks in the series, One for All. One for All is quickly shown to be a powerhouse Quirk and evolves to an even higher extent as the anime continues, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other quirks that can stand in the same arena as it. This list will focus on the top ten best quirks we have seen used in My Hero Academia.

1) All For One

All For One will be the first quirk we will focus on, and the first thing to discuss is what exactly the quirk is capable of. This quirk is seen in use multiple times by both All For One himself and Tomura Shigaraki, and the basics of it are the ability to steal quirks. This ability is activated by touch but can steal any quirk as long as the user is in contact and can then give the stolen quirk to another person of the user’s choice. All For One made an empire out of stealing quirks he wanted or relieving people of burdensome quirks in exchange for servitude.

Given that quirk theft is the floor for this quirk, things begin to get close to unstoppable as All For One and Tomura add touches of personal flair to the ability. Firstly, the quirk can stockpile the abilities it takes from people, they don’t dissipate, they don’t overload, the additional quirks just sit and wait to be used by the owner of AFO. On top of stockpiling, the quirk is also capable of combining and fusing quirks stored in it to create impressive and devastating compound quirks.

2) One For All

On the opposite end of our first entry is One For All, the non-thieving stockpile quirk that was originally owned by Yoichi Shigaraki. This quirk is a basic stockpiling quirk that stockpiles the quirks of those it’s passed down to and enhances them per user. Quite literally the opposite of AFO, this quirk must share its power to grow, and by the time the fans get to see it in use, it has become more powerful than just about any other quirk.

One For All has managed to stockpile six quirks along with the physical amp that comes from gaining the ability. Deku has managed to unlock all six abilities and has begun to mix abilities to use combo-style moves, such as using Black Whip, Fa Jin, and Float to create a super-speed rocket-like flight for Deku. On top of that, Deku can speed-blitz the fastest villain, Shigaraki, by activating Gear Shift along with Fa Jin to create an unprecedented speed and power boost.

3) Decay

Decay is the main quirk used by Shigaraki throughout My Hero and is represented as a fairly simple destructive quirk early on in the series. Decay was a quirk that was given to Shigaraki without his knowledge as a child and has a destructive capacity that the villain mentally suppressed for a long time. Upon his first introduction, Decay needed full contact of the hand to activate and decay its target fairly slowly.

However, as Tomura began to come into his own as a villain, and began to truly understand that his goal was unfettered and unchecked destruction against Re-Destro. Once he awakened his quirk, Shigaraki became an unprecedented threat. With the awakened version of Decay, the quirk would spread from one point of contact to another, allowing for Shigaraki to rapidly destroy whole cities.

4) Overhaul

Overhaul was the quirk owned by and used solely by the criminal Kai Chisaki and was a quirk not unlike Decay. Overhaul, much like Decay, was a contact-based quirk; however, once contact was made, the quirk was able to rapidly deconstruct whatever it was in contact with. At the base level, it appears to be identical to decay; only Kai has the ability to reassemble the target of Overhaul. Kai had full control of the speed of destruction and reconstitution and was also able to reconstruct whatever was under his quirks’ effect as he saw fit, such as removing impurities.

On top of healing through reconstruction, Overhaul can also break down multiple things at the same time and recreate them all together as its user sees fit. This has led to Kai creating immense chimera-style monsters out of his team members and even himself to amp up his physical stats in a battle. Overhaul is a pretty clearly incredibly powerful quirk that doesn’t spread the way Decay might, but has additional levels of utility beyond the outright destruction.

5) Half-Cold Half-Hot

The pinnacle of Endeavor’s flame quirks with all of the support of a built-in cooling system, Half-Cold Half-Hot is the iconic quirk of the cool and collected Shoto Todoroki. The simplest portion of this quirk is that one side of Shoto’s body produces flames like his father, Endeavor, and the other produces ice like his mother, Rei. Early on, Shoto favors the cold portion of his power in spite of his father, and even with nerfing himself, he still manages to easily become one of the top-scoring students during the U.A. Sports Festival.

Once Shoto begins using his flames and ice in tandem, the quirk skyrockets to a versatile, powerhouse-style quirk. The ice portion of the quirk is repeatedly used to make slopes and sleek ground to aid in Shoto and his allies’ transportation and battle speed. Along with speed and AOE control, Shoto also masters his abilities to use the two sides in conjunction, creating immensely powerful attacks such as the Great Glacial Aegir, which creates flames cold enough to extinguish any other flame. By the end of the series, Shoto is capable of using fire as hot as his father’s while also being able to cool down any other flame that may reach that level of heat, making him the ultimate area control hero.

[RELATED: 7 Best Anime to Binge on Crunchyroll in June 2025]

6) Permeation

Labeled as a useless quirk and often touted as a quirk that was improved solely through hard work. Permeation is the phasing quirk possessed by the head of the Big 3 U.A. seniors Mirio Togata. Mirio notably struggled to master the quirk and felt like he and his father had been given a useless quirk that was too difficult to use to become a hero. The quirk itself is fairly simple; it causes the user to permeate through all objects, but they keep their mass.

The way fans see Mirio use Permeation, however, is not as a useless quirk but rather as a finely tuned machine that is close to unstoppable. If any fans had seen Kitty Pride or Obito from Naruto, they would quickly recognize just how powerful the ability to not be able to get hit is. On top of his immense evasiveness, Mirrio can also land a blow with enough force to knock out an average target due to his forced propulsion when deactivating his quirk. Permeation may be difficult to master, but it is by no means a weak quirk.

7) Wave Motion

Wave Motion is an outright powerhouse of an energy-based quirk wielded by another of U.A.’s big 3, Nejire Hado. Unlike her classmates’ quirk, this one is straightforward. Wave Motion converts and propels the user’s vitality in the form of spiraling blasts of energy. The energy-based quirk itself is fairly straightforward in that it can do anything an average blasting quirk can do, but it has substantially more versatility for Nejire.

Nejire often uses the quirk to fly, and because of the quirk’s slow-moving attacks, she often has to get creative with the ways she uses the energy waves. She has a handful of moves that allow her to use the energy in concentrated bursts to deal the maximum amount of damage to an opponent and also can redirect the attack mid-air. Nejire is also a capable fighter up close and has been seen using her quirk around her limbs like offensive melee striking weapons.

8) Manifest

The final member of U.A.’s Big 3 is Tamaki Amajiki, and his quirk is one hundred percent the most versatile of the group. Tamaki’s power Manifest is the ability to manifest portions of what he has recently eaten onto his body. The baseline for this ability is giving himself wings or tentacles to use in battle and as physical support to aid in rescue-style missions. Manifest lasts as long as the substance is in the user’s system and at first is shown to be used with different foods, but as Tamaki grows, he begins to consume non-food items to better amplify himself.

The examples of better controlling his quirk also extend into his ability to become a full chimera, gaining all of the amps that the foods he’s eaten can bring. Tamaki’s chimera modes are notably powerful, and he even has access to an amped up chimera based combo attack with Nejire, where he uses Manifest to create a large chimera-style canon and uses it to rapidly and in immense volume launch some of Nejire’s energy.

9) Explosion

Katsuki Bakugo is the hot-headed and incredibly violent yet competent rival to Izuku Midoriya. Given that he is the protagonist’s rival, it comes as no surprise that his quirk, Explosion, is one of the strongest non-combination quirks in the entire series. Explosion is a simple quirk and does exactly what its namesake implies. Bakugo’s sweat in his palms is capable of being ignited like nitroglycerine, creating larger and larger explosions based on how amped up Bakugo is.

Explosion is used with immense control by Bakugo and is used to maneuver and fly around the battlefield in its base form. However, once Bakugo begins getting left behind, he awakens his quirk and begins using the “cluster” portion of Explosion, where the beads of sweat are hyper-condensed, allowing for rapid movement and repetitive explosions. Eventually, Bakugo is even able to speed-blitz the likes of AFO when his clusters become so condensed and backed up that they begin releasing explosions all over his body.

10) New Order

New Order is the USA of quirks, in the sense that it is a quirk that functionally says, “what I say goes.” Cathleen Bates, aka Stars and Stripes, is America’s number one hero, and she reps this amazing quirk with style. The quirk requires contact, and for Cathleen to say the name of the target before she can apply a rule to it. Examples of these rules are when she states that if Tomura Shigaraki moves, his heart will stop. The only reason that the quirk didn’t work in this instance was because Shigaraki struggled with his persona, meaning that the target was not recognized by the quirk.

However, Cathleen was also able to apply rules to things like the air, making them physical manifestations of herself, allowing her to make powerful long-range attacks with the very air itself. This quirk was so powerful that AFO was truly worried about Cathleen heading to Japan, and even when Shigaraki thought that he had won and stolen New Order, she was able to use the quirk itself to make it incompatible with any other quirk, meaning it destroyed many of Shigaraki’s stored quirks and itself. New Order is truly one of the strongest quirks in the series and has no conceptual upper limit as long as its user is creative and doesn’t fall to the narrative.

See any favorites of yours? What Quirks in My Hero Academia should have made the list, but didn’t make the cut here? Let us know in the comments below!

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My Hero Academia is now in the works on the anime’s final season, and it’s going to be getting some big updates later this Summer as it takes the stage at Anime Expo 2025. My Hero Academia ended Season 7 with the announcement that it was coming back with an eighth and final season, and fans have been gearing up for the grand finale ever since. But outside of the fact that it was going to launch some time later this October, My Hero Academia has been fairly light in terms of how things are coming along behind the scenes so far.

My Hero Academia Season 8, otherwise known as My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, will be sharing some new updates soon enough as a new panel for the final season has been announced for Anime Expo 2025. Taking place on July 5th, Izuku Midoriya voice actors Justin Briner and Daiki Yamashita will be taking the stage together with Shonen Jump editor Ryosuke Yoritomi and will be dishing some new information about their time with the grand finale. Check out the announcement below.

What We Know About My Hero Academia Season 8 So Far

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be premiering some time this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, but has yet to confirm its release date as of the time of this publication. What has been confirmed, however, is that the new season will be streaming with Crunchyroll alongside the new episodes in Japan. It’s also where you can catch up with everything that happened in the first seven seasons of the series. If you want even more in the meantime, you can also check out the now airing My Hero Academia: Vigilantes spinoff anime streaming with Crunchyroll as well. There’s a lot to watch for hero fans.

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. Yamashita and Briner will likely be returning for their respective roles in the final season, and the same can likely be said for the rest of the voice cast behind the long running anime. There won’t be many new additions to the series either considering we’re now in the final battles.

RELATED: 2 Years Ago, Netflix Teased the Ultimate Live-Action Anime Adaptation (And Was Silent Ever Since)

How Will My Hero Academia’s Anime End?

My Hero Academia Season 7 ended with a massive cliffhanger for two final fights. The first saw Deku fighting against Tomura Shigaraki for the last time, and the second saw an armored All Might taking on All For One to keep him away from Shigaraki for as long as he can. The season ended as the two heroes were in the midst of their toughest battles against their respective villains, and the final season is going to through fans right back into the thick of all of that chaos.

There is still quite a lot to adapt from Kohei Horikoshi’s original My Hero Academia manga before the anime can come to an end, and potentially even more than that if the anime chooses to adapt all of the extra epilogue materials that have been released since the manga’s original ending. Fans are in for a wild ride later this Fall either way, so it’s time to finally see how the long running superhero anime is going to take its final bow.

The post My Hero Academia Season 8 to Share Big Updates Very Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has kicked off an intense new half of the anime as it rounds out its episodes for the Spring 2025 anime season, and the promo for the next episode is already kicking things up a notch with a new high speed chase for Koichi Haimawari to deal with. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been exploring the darker aspects of the hero world introduced in the main My Hero Academia series, and as a result Koichi has been dealing with a different kind of criminal than Izuku Midoriya and the Class 1-A heroes ever dealt with during their run.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes starts to really turn now that the anime has officially introduced Makoto Tsukauchi and Captain Celebrity in the latest episode, and things are never going to be the same for Koichi ever again. Because while he had some attention as a vigilante around Naruhata before, he’s about to start getting wrapped up in even bigger problems in the episodes to come. That’s the case with the promo for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9, and you can check it out in the video above.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9 is titled “Mom Descends!” and will be making its debut on Monday, May June 2nd in Japan and will be exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll in other territories when it hits. The synopsis for the episode teases it as such, “Koichi’s most frightening mother, Shouko, has arrived! Koichi tries to look good by asking Makoto to pretend to be his girlfriend, but Shouko easily sees through him. Makoto suggests sightseeing in Asakusa on behalf of Koichi, who keeps making blunders, but the tour bus the three of them are on suddenly goes out of control! Ingenium and the others rush to rescue them, but Makoto is left behind on the bus…”

The post-credits scene from the latest My Hero Academia: Vigilantes episode revealed Koichi’s mother for the first time in the anime, and saw her wanting to know more details about his university life. His current life is likely one that she won’t approve of as he’s actually a vigilante who hangs out with a wild old man and an underground pop idol, so he’s trying his best to hide that fact. But at the same time, trouble comes for Koichi nonetheless.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Just Channeled Homelander With One Hero Fans May Have Missed

What’s Next for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?

One of the best elements of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is the deeper way it explores the hero system that the main series only got to hint at, and this all begins in full with Makoto’s debut in the series. Not only does Captain Celebrity offer a major example of how the hero system isn’t exactly on the up and up (as he’s really only in Japan to better his images due to all his scandals in the United States), but Koichi’s going to show that the line between vigilante and hero isn’t so broad.

As his challenges get more intense with each new episode, he’s also going to get a lot more notoriety with the rest of the hero world. Because he’s working outside of the system, Koichi’s doing illegal actions in order to fight against crime. But that’s also going to put him in the crosshairs of both potential villains and even the police the more he tries to save people while he’s an unlicensed hero. You can catch up with all of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes so far now streaming with Crunchyroll.

The post My Hero Academia Promo Sets Up Crawler’s High Speed Chase appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Though My Hero Academia‘s manga has concluded and the final season of the anime is yet to be released, the series isn’t entirely off the radar. The spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, is currently airing. As a prequel, it carries a distinct yet familiar tone to the original. While it retains the foundational elements of heroes and villains, it focuses on individuals operating outside official supervision, true to its title. The story centers around an unusual trio: a college student, a high school girl who shines as a freelance idol, and an older man with a devastatingly powerful punch.

This premise offers a fresh take on the My Hero Academia universe. Considering the original series ran for over 400 chapters, the absence of such unsupervised figures feels like a notable oversight. After all, in a world where people have powers, it’s inevitable that some would act independently or for personal gain. The latter idea is exactly what takes center stage in Episode 8 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which introduces Captain Celebrity, a self-serving American hero working in Japan. He makes it clear that, despite his powers to make change, he only acts when it benefits his fame, channeling a hint of what made Homelander a chilling “hero.”

[RELATED: My Hero Academia’s Final Season Will Be Incomplete Without Its Real Ending]

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Sheds a Distinct and Realistic Light on Heroes That the Main Story Overlooks

One of the notable oversights in the original series is its consistent portrayal of heroes as morally upright, rarely straying from their intended path. While the main story attempts to challenge this notion through Stain and his ideology, it ultimately falls short, as Stain’s villainous presence overshadows the core message, leaving little room to explore the idea that heroes themselves can be corrupt. In contrast, Vigilantes doesn’t shy away from exposing the flaws in its heroes. Captain Celebrity, for instance, is shown entangled in scandals involving women and is depicted as selfish, refusing to help unless his PR team is present to document it.

The fact that C.C. is even in Japan to escape the backlash from his scandals highlights his self-serving nature. Episode 8 further emphasizes his flaws, showing that he ignores crimes happening nearby if he’s on a date. While Captain Celebrity is a character fans are likely to dislike, his portrayal is fitting, as it reflects the reality that not all heroes act out of altruism — some are driven by personal gain. However, it seems that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will not fully commit to portraying the dark side of the heroes and push them to a level like Homelander, as C.C. is being positioned to join the vigilantes and undergo a redemption arc, softening the critique of heroism.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can be streamed on Crunchyroll, with it also available on Netflix in select Southeast Asian regions.

The post My Hero Academia Just Channeled Homelander With One Hero Fans May Have Missed appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has kicked off the second half of its debut season this Spring, and the anime’s English dub release has recruited a major Dragon Ball star to help bring America’s new top hero to life. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has revealed a whole new side of how the hero world works in Japan, and with it has been able to explore how much has actually changed since Izuku Midoriya and the other young heroes enroll in U.A. Academy years later. But this also has been sharing a new look at the rest of the world too as we learn more about hero society on a whole.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been showcasing more of the grittier sides of the hero system as it’s been made clear that not only are there some criminals who are lumped into this system with bad luck, but the episodes have also showcased that the heroes aren’t exactly all on the up and up either. That’s the case with the debut of its newest hero, Captain Celebrity, who is brought to life by Dragon Ball franchise legend Sean Schemmel (who’s done the voice of Goku and many more).

Dragon Ball Star Joins My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 8 officially debuted Captain Celebrity to the anime. He’s a hero who comes from the United States, and was one of the top heroes in the region. Koichi Haimawari quickly runs into this hero in the neighborhood and finds out that the American hero is really only doing all of this for fame. Making things as big as possible so that he can show off to the press, he can fly and seems to have super strength. But he really only uses that strength when he’s either asked to by the police or the media can report on his actions.

He also comes with his fair share of controversies as Knuckleduster reveals that Captain Celebrity has only come to Japan in order to reform his image. He’s got a ton of scandals involving multiple women back in the United States, and is clearly going to be playing a big role in Koichi’s life from now on. So that means the two are going to be crossing paths in some wild ways, and he’s got the perfect star to help bring him to life in the English dubbed release.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Censors Major Moment in Latest Episode

Captain Celebrity Spotlights My Hero Academia’s Broken Heroes

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been highlighting how the hero world might be a more broken system than fans would have expected at first, and that’s the case with heroes like Captain Celebrity. Not only was it first revealed that the hero system came from the United States in the first place, but it has sparked a debate over whether or not it was meant as a way to control those with quirks. At the end of the day, only a small number of people were officially recognized as heroes in the United States.

Having Dragon Ball‘s Sean Schemmel bringing Captain Celebrity to life as a hero with more of an edge is a hilarious counterpart to fellow Dragon Ball star Christopher R. Sabat as All Might. The two heroes are pretty much mirrors to one another, and it reflects the kind of relationship that Goku and Vegeta have in Dragon Ball. The two have a lot in common, but their differences at their core bring the dynamic to life. Now that spirit has come to My Hero Academia: Vigilantes as well.

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Kohei Horikoshi’s manga My Hero Academia has come to an end, and the final season of the anime is on the horizon. The series embodies the core elements of the Shonen genre, packed with intense action and rich lore. What sets it apart is the concept of Quirks, unique abilities that have given rise to a diverse array of heroes and villains. Among them, none are more menacing than the main antagonist, All For One, whose terrifying Quirk, the ability to steal or transfer other Quirks, makes him a standout threat.

All For One’s Quirk allows him to steal the abilities of others and store them within himself, giving him access to a vast arsenal of powers. This makes him highly unpredictable, as he can deploy any number of Quirks to overwhelm his opponents. His ability enabled him to dominate the nation for decades until All Might rose to challenge and eventually defeat him. While the series has showcased All For One using an array of powerful Quirks, there are three particular options, any of which could have made him even more formidable. These Quirks would have either extended his range or provided him with defensive capabilities, potentially making him truly unstoppable.

1) Ectoplasm’s Clones

Ectoplasm in My Hero Academia is a Pro Hero and a teacher at U.A. High School. What enables him to excel in both roles is his impressive Quirk. His Quirk, Clones, as the name suggests, allows him to generate multiple copies of himself. What makes these clones truly unique is that they operate through a hive mind, functioning as direct extensions of Ectoplasm. This ability allows him to personally monitor multiple students simultaneously. Specifically, he can produce around 30 to 36 clones at once, which marks his limit.

Had All For One acquired this Quirk, essentially enabling him to create multiple versions of himself, he would have been nearly unstoppable, especially if each clone could access his vast arsenal of stolen Quirks. With multiples of himself, All For One could effectively become an army, posing an even greater threat than he already does in the series. However, Ectoplasm’s clones have a critical weakness: they disappear if hit with a strong enough blow. Given that many heroes are capable of such attacks, taking down these clones wouldn’t be overly difficult. Still, the hive mind feature of this Quirk could have greatly enhanced All For One’s surveillance and coordination, allowing him to plan and execute his sinister schemes with even greater precision.

[Related: My Hero Academia’s Final Season Will Be Incomplete Without Its Real Ending]

2) Twice’s Double

One of the most notable villains in My Hero Academia is Jin Bubaigawara, infamously known as Twice. He became a significant threat to both heroes and society through his involvement in numerous fraudulent activities. His Quirk, Double, allows him to create a clone of anything he desires, living or non-living, with the same properties as the original. Twice was frequently seen using his Quirk to duplicate himself, though this unfortunately led to deep psychological trauma. Unlike Ectoplasm’s clones, Twice’s doubles had independent minds, which caused severe identity issues when multiple versions of himself began to claim they were the original.

Since Twice’s doubles essentially functioned as complete versions of whatever he replicated, All For One acquiring this Quirk would have made him even more dangerous. Unlike Ectoplasm’s clones, whose ability to use the original’s Quirks is uncertain, Twice’s doubles could likely access the full range of All For One’s stolen Quirks. This would have allowed him to multiply his power and range several times over, creating independent versions of himself, each armed with devastating abilities.

The series never shows All For One attempting to acquire Twice’s Quirk. This could be because he viewed Twice as a close member of the League of Villains, particularly valued by Shigaraki. Stealing Twice’s Quirk might have risked destabilizing his larger plan of grooming Shigaraki as his true successor and extension, a risk All For One likely deemed unnecessary.

3) Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow

Fumikage Tokoyami is one of the few students from Class 1-A in My Hero Academia whose Quirk possesses immense power. His Quirk, Dark Shadow, allows him to summon a shadowy creature that is loyal to him and can be materialized at will. The strength of Dark Shadow increases in the absence of light, growing more powerful to scale with the surrounding shadows growing larger. The peak of Dark Shadow’s power was showcased during the final war, where Tokoyami unleashed its full strength against All For One. The attack was so overwhelming that even the Demon Lord himself was stunned and brought to the brink of defeat. Had All For One not used the Rewind drug bullet, this might have been his end.

Witnessing Dark Shadow’s unleashed potential, All For One was visibly impressed and considered stealing the Quirk. However, the countdown of his rewinding body forced him to redirect his priorities. Still, had he managed to acquire Dark Shadow, it would have served as either an impenetrable defense or a devastating offense capable of crushing his enemies with a single blow. Combined with Twice’s Double Quirk, Dark Shadow would have made All For One truly unstoppable, allowing his clones to be protected by Dark Shadow and deliver lethal attacks, turning the tide of battle decisively in his favor.

My Hero Academia can be streamed on Crunchyroll and Netflix.

The post My Hero Academia’s All For One Would Have Been Unstoppable if He Had These 3 Quirks appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Live-action adaptations of anime are a real gamble that rarely works out. Multiple companies want a part of the anime cash flow as the medium has increasingly become mainstream in Western countries. 2025 is predicted to be the biggest year for anime yet, and companies are trying several different avenues to profit from it. Turning animation into live-action has been a habit for Netflix and several large studios to draw in a larger crowd. Many people erroneously believe animation is a lower art form because animation is viewed as something for children. However, that is a fallacy on two fronts, because animations and children’s products can be high art.

Nonetheless, since these live-action adaptations have sometimes made a profit, corporations will continue making them. Live-action adaptations of anime series have had a trickier reputation, especially for projects made by English-speaking production companies. Netflix has served as the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the prolific production companies in Hollywood, making several ventures into the potentially lucrative live-action anime pie. Netflix had announced multiple projects, including a live-action adaptation of My Hero Academia. Puzzling enough, no word on the My Hero Academia live-action series has been unveiled to the public since the project was officially announced in 2023.

[RELATED – Netflix Snags Major My Hero Academia Release]

Whatever Happened to the My Hero Academia Live-Action Series?

On the surface, My Hero Academia seems perfect for an English-speaking, live-action adaptation. The series is imbued with so much iconography lifted directly from American comic books that it feels tailor-made to be adapted for Americans in mind. Superhero culture is already huge in the United States thanks to movies and television, and a live-action My Hero Academia series would have fit right in at home on Netflix. Nevertheless, the series went dark almost immediately, with no major updates revealed since 2023.

Netflix has an uneven track record with live-action anime series. The company achieved the impossible and produced a relatively well-received live-action adaptation of One Piece, the over-the-top anime series starring a rubber boy. The live-action One Piece show may have detractors, but it fared better than most people imagined. However, while One Piece was a success, Netflix has had some huge blunders. The live-action Cowboy Bebop was a notorious misfire from the streaming service that cost a lot of money and was canceled after one season. The company may have been recalibrating how it handles its live-action series after suffering through some flops, perhaps most prominently Cowboy Bebop, explaining the silence on My Hero Academia.

These live-action anime are also infamously expensive, with no cheap workaround to convey the action and intensity displayed from animation. Netflix and its associated production companies needed to spend millions on the pirate ship sets and CGI for One Piece. Netflix may be scaling back certain projects as Hollywood has been in a state of panic for several years, brought on by studios’ miscalculations on streaming revenue, overspending, underpaying talent, and numerous other problems stemming from corporate greed.

There’s no cheap way to do a My Hero Academia series, where too many of the Quirks, AKA superpowers, would require a lot of CGI. My Hero Academia is likely no longer a priority for Netflix until the company can achieve more success, similar to that of the One Piece live-action show. If One Piece Season 2 becomes a hit, the other live-action projects Netflix has on the back burner may become viable again. It’s also possible the streaming company has been working on My Hero Academia quietly for the last two years, with the project still in the early stages of development.

The post 2 Years Ago, Netflix Teased the Ultimate Live-Action Anime Adaptation (And Was Silent Ever Since) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has seen countless villains with powerful Quirks, but none as terrifying or iconic as All For One. Throughout the series, he proves himself to be ridiculously strong and a major threat with his unique ability that lets him steal other people’s Quirks. During the final war, victory seemed within his grasp – he had the power, the strategy, the momentum, and the same fearsome presence that had crushed heroes for generations.

He had just torn through multiple heroes and was heading toward Tomura Shigaraki to complete his plans, while the heroes were running out of time, energy, and hope. All he needed to do was keep going, but then he spotted All Might, the one person he couldn’t ignore. Instead of staying focused, his ego took over and led him to make a decision that cost him everything, showing that in the end, All For One wasn’t defeated by a stronger opponent or by bad luck, but by his own worst enemy: himself.

[RELATED – My Hero Academia’s Final Season Will Be Incomplete Without Its Real Ending]

The Need to Dominate, Not Just Win

All Might, also known as Toshinori Yagi, was Japan’s Symbol of Peace; his strength and presence gave civilians hope and frightened villains. But his first battle with All For One left All Might with life-threatening injuries. He recovered, but he was never the same. And when he temporarily defeated All For One again, he used up the last embers of One For All still inside him, making him essentially Quirkless and forcing him towards an early retirement.

But even after All Might lost his powers, All For One still viewed him as the man who haunted his existence for decades, a fixation that ultimately cost him everything when All Might returned to the battlefield in a special suit as bait. All For One knew it was a distraction, but couldn’t resist the opportunity to completely defeat his rival. So, instead of making his way to Shigaraki, he turned around, even though it was strategically the worst possible choice. 

For all his strength and experience, All For One had one weakness that ultimately destroyed him: he believed he was untouchable. His ego blinded him to the possibility that he, too, could be manipulated. So when a Quirkless All Might stood before him, All For One took the bait. 

All Might Knew Exactly What He Was Doing

And here’s what makes it even more poetic: All Might knew exactly how All For One would react. He had defeated him, shattered his image, forced him into hiding, and was the only one who had ever truly humiliated All For One. He understood his enemy’s psychology better than anyone, so during the final battle, All Might risked his life, not to win, but to play one final mind game, becoming bait that his nemesis couldn’t resist.

All Might then deliberately provoked the Symbol of Evil, his taunting pushing All For One into a blind rage. As the latter’s emotional state visibly deteriorated, he became increasingly reckless with every move, even regressing in age as he burned through powers to heal himself mid-fight. On the other hand, despite suffering multiple injuries, the former Symbol of Peace kept smiling and fighting, knowing that every second he held All For One’s attention was another second tipping the scales toward victory.

By engaging in his pointless vendetta, All For One gave the heroes exactly what they needed: precious time to regroup, call for reinforcements, and shift the battle back in their favor. And honestly, that’s what made this moment so brilliant. In a world filled with superpowered Quirks, it was a human flaw – pettiness – that brought a god-like villain crashing down. Proving that sometimes, the strongest weapon is simply knowing your enemy’s biggest weakness. In the end, All For One threw away his almost certain win over a personal grudge, sacrificing his tactical advantage and, ultimately, the entire plan, all because he couldn’t let go of his need to crush All Might once and for all.

This Wasn’t the First Time

Worse, this wasn’t the only time All For One’s ego got the better of him; it’s been a recurring flaw of his throughout the series. All For One was a sadistic and twisted man who liked to rule from the shadows while controlling others. In the past, he used his powers to help people, but only if they served him, and once they were no longer useful, he would abandon them. 

He took Quirks from those who didn’t want them and gave them to those desperate for strength, building a loyal army that followed him without any question. With this, he began seeing himself as a god-like figure and even compared himself to a demon lord from comic books. His obsession with stealing powerful Quirks just because he could also hints at kleptomaniac tendencies; he simply couldn’t resist taking what he viewed as rightfully his, and this need for domination and superiority ultimately led to his downfall.

The post All For One Would Have Won The War if Not for One Mistake appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia will be officially ending the TV anime later this Fall, but the anime will always be incomplete unless the TV series adapts the real ending to the manga. Kohei Horikoshi originally brought My Hero Academia‘s run to an end last Summer with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and with it ended the series with 430 chapters and a decade’s worth of serialization. This final chapter offered a brief look at Izuku Midoriya and the others’ future following the war against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, and came after five chapters worth of exploring the war’s aftermath.

Without giving too much away for My Hero Academia fans who are waiting to end the story with the anime release, this final chapter of the manga isn’t actually the true ending for the series. Horikoshi actually returned later in 2024 with a special new chapter in the manga’s final volume that takes place after the final chapter, and this new epilogue offers an even more expanded ending than fans got before. It’s this version of the series’ ending that will need to be in the anime to help it be a truly grand finale.

My Hero Academia’s Anime Needs to Adapt the Epilogue

In the final volume of My Hero Academia, series creator Kohei Horikoshi returned for Chapter 431. This is a brand new chapter of the series that was not included in the original Shonen Jump run, and takes place after the original final chapter of the series. This new chapter takes the finale even further with a full look at the kind of future Deku and the others have fought for, and takes some pretty big steps with a couple of the characters. But that also wasn’t the complete end of the story either as Horikoshi also returned for a five page one-shot that keeps it going.

The release of the My Hero Academia Ultra Age fan book on shelves in Japan this Summer included yet another small continuation of the series with a new one-shot that takes place after Chapter 431. So if the anime wants to come to an even more conclusive end that the original manga run did, then it’s going to need to adapt all of these extra materials for its final episodes as well. If not, then fans of the anime are going to miss out on a huge part of My Hero Academia‘s future. They’ll be missing out on the real, canonical ending itself.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Just Released Special Discord Avatars: Here’s How to Get Them

How Will My Hero Academia’s Anime End?

If My Hero Academia does indeed choose to adapt the final epilogue chapters of the story, it could go about it in two different ways. The TV anime series might decide to end where the manga originally did in order to line up with how things worked out in Shonen Jump magazine. That leaves a final potential option to bring the anime back for one final project to adapt the epilogue. The franchise could instead decide to bring back the anime for one final feature film, and that movie would capitalize on the promise from the final chapter’s vision of the future.

It won’t be too much longer before we get to see how it all works out as My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON makes its debut later this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule. The anime has yet to set a concrete release date as of the time of this publication, but it will be streaming its new episodes with Crunchyroll when they hit. You can currently catch up with the first seven seasons of the anime there to get ready for it.

The post My Hero Academia’s Final Season Will Be Incomplete Without Its Real Ending appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Crunchyroll and Discord are partnering to deliver special Discord Avatars based on My Hero Academia. The collaboration will include nine Avatar Decorations and three Profile Effects, available in Discord in countries found in North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The nine decorations are based on Deku, Bakugo, Ochaco, Todoroki, Endeavor, Hawks, All Might, and the villain, Tomura Shigaraki. The three profile effects are themed around Deku, Bakugo, and the League of Villains. The Discord and My Hero Academia collaboration is part of the promotion for the 2025 Crunchyroll Awards, premiering on May 25th. My Hero Academia Season 7 is nominated for Best Continuing Series in this year’s Crunchyroll Awards, and the My Hero Academia: You’re Next movie is nominated for Film of the Year.

Even though the Crunchyroll Awards doesn’t have the same pedigree as something like the Emmys, the ceremony is still a fun way to celebrate the anime medium. Crunchyroll often brings in a team of anime experts to judge the nominees and invite surprise guests, including voice actors and other creators. The Discord and My Hero Academia collaboration is also advertising the upcoming release of the final season of My Hero Academia, which is scheduled to launch in October.

[RELATED – Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2025 Reveals Celebrity Presenter, Date, and More]

How to Get the My Hero Academia Avatars on Discord

Unfortunately, the bummer news is that the My Hero Academia Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects on Discord are not free. Users will need real money to purchase the cosmetics if they want to deck out their Discord Avatar with their favorite superhero anime. The Decorations and Effects can be found in the Discord Shop, which you can find by clicking on your profile image on Discord; it should be labeled simply as Shop. The My Hero Academia Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects should be on the front page of the Discord Shop since the products launched on May 21st, 2025, making them the newest items on Discord. The Shop can even be located above your Direct Messages on the Discord desktop app.

Prices vary from country to country, but you can buy the Avatar Decorations and Profile Effects individually in North American servers for $5.99 each. Users can only buy three bundles themed around Deku, Bakugo, and the League of Villains. The Deku and Bakugo bundles come with their respective heroes’ Decorations and Effects. The League of Villains bundle comes with the League of Villains profile effects and the Tomura Shigaraki Decoration. The bundles cost $10.99, saving people 31% if they wanted to purchase both Decorations and Effects for their favorite hero.

My Hero Academia is one of the most popular ongoing anime and manga franchises of the late 2010s and 2020s. The series has been praised for its wonderful characters and American-based aesthetics. The anime adaptation by Bones Studio has received praise for its smooth animation, well-choreographed fight scenes, and voice acting in both the Japanese and English dub. The manga ended in August 2024, but it received an epilogue chapter that gave readers a glance at the characters’ lives after the final saga, including canonizing a popular ship. Another tie-in book shared new drawn pages that revealed even more information on the characters after the epilogue.

H/T: Crunchyroll

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My Hero Academia has been no stranger to Western superhero comic influences, but the newest episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes took this even further by bringing in a legendary Marvel artist for some work for the anime. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been expanding on the hero world first introduced in the mainline My Hero Academia anime series, and has been revealing what the heroes had looked like before Izuku Midoriya and the others enrolled in U.A. Academy. This also includes a new look into the origins of hero society overall, and the newest episode dives into that even further.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes opened up even more about how heroes have boomed in the years since Quirks started popping up around the world, and the newest episode explained how the concept of superheroes began with its roots in the United States of America. To help illustrate the examples of these first American heroes, My Hero Academia actually recruited Marvel comics artist RB Silva (as announced with its official social media) for some legitimately incredible spreads for the anime series.

My Hero Academia’s Heroes Originally Come From America

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 7 officially introduces the mysterious Makoto Tsukauchi to the anime. Not only is she Detective Tsukauchi’s sister, but she reveals that she’s been doing research on the age of heroes overall. And through her, fans get a whole new look at the hero history of this world. It’s explained that when Quirks started to appear, vigilantes took to the streets to help restore societal order. It was then that only a few of the vigilantes would go on to be recognized as legal heroes. The Hero Licensing System itself actually began in Rhode Island, with only seven of the 189 vigilantes actually becaming officially recognized by the government.

This art from RB Silva comes during the explanation about America’s own vigilante turned heroes, and Makoto explains that it’s all sparked a debate among current theorists. Because while the prevailing thought is the fact that vigilantes that won public favor were eventually classified as heroes, there is a camp that believes the Hero Licensing System was instead made as a way to hammer down what classifies someone as a villain. Which is something My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been tackling head on since the first episode of its run as it has argued the need to have vigilantes working outside of the hero system.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Finally Debuts Its Own Cyclops and Wolverine

My Hero Academia Has Gone Full Marvel

The central debate then is concerned about the government’s control over people and the use of their quirks, and this is something that has been a thread all the way through the My Hero Academia franchise as a whole. Now My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been able to give just a bit of a bigger boost thanks to RB Silva, who has had plenty of experiencing illustrating Marvel works that deal with the idea of powers and societal control.

The illustrator has worked as a penciller, inker, and cover artist for many different works such as Superior Avengers, One World Under Doom, Rise of the Powers of X, and many more from across multiple titles and releases. His art stood out in the anime with its distinct look, and helps to make My Hero Academia: Vigilantes a can’t miss series. If you wanted to check out as it airs (and all of the episodes released thus far), you can find My Hero Academia: Vigilantes now streaming with Crunchyroll with both Japanese and English audio.

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My Hero Academia might have come to an end last Summer, but the creator behind it all has returned with a special new sketch for Tsuyu Asui ahead of the manga’s big exhibition later this Summer in Japan. My Hero Academia officially ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last year, but the creator has found ways to keep the series alive in the year since. Not only has the manga itself returned with all sorts of new material to help expand that original ending, but the creator has also returned with all sorts of new art to help celebrate the series’ biggest characters.

My Hero Academia has also been celebrated as a franchise in some big ways in the last year, and this includes a brand new exhibition coming later this year in Japan. This new exhibition will be showing off the creator’s art throughout the series at a much closer lens, and it was even promoted with some brand new art from Horikoshi as well. Leading into the debut of this new exhibition, Horikoshi has returned to social media with a special new sketch of Tsuyu Asui’s Froppy that puts her in a great new light. Check it out below.

What’s Going on With My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia has had a great year thus far. Not only has the series returned with a special epilogue late last year expanding on the manga’s grand finale, but also recently returned with yet another one-shot taking that expansion even further. With the release of My Hero Academia‘s new Ultra Age fan book in Japan, there has been a ton of new information revealed about many of the characters that weren’t known in the main series. This includes more of the young heroes’ lives after the finale, and each of them has gone on to notable pro hero futures.

The final chapters revealed how Tsuyu is still very close friends with Ochaco Uraraka and the rest of her U.A. Academy classmates even years after they graduated, and it’s clear that everything that happened to them during the war had an impact on what they did in the years to come. Froppy was one of the most important characters around Deku in My Hero Academia overall, so it’s also a great thing to see Horikoshi bring the character back in such a way. But we’ll be seeing much more of her soon enough.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Teases The Arrival of its Own Captain America

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia’s manga might have ended, but it’s been getting ready to make the jump to anime with tis final wave of episodes later this year. My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by a returning Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones with Yosuke Kuroda returning to handle the series’ scripts, Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. 

My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON is currently scheduled to debut some time this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule, and will be streaming with Crunchyroll alongside their premieres in Japan. It’s also where you can catch up with the first seven seasons of the anime in the meantime. If you’re still wanting even more of the anime, you can also check out the now airing spinoff prequel series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, with Crunchyroll now that it’s releasing new episodes this Spring. My Hero Academia is still going very strong this year, so there’s plenty for fans to enjoy.

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My Hero Academia’s main series only has one season left before the anime adaptation takes a bow but this doesn’t mean that UA Academy’s universe is ending entirely. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the current spin-off series that follows heroes operating outside of the law, is going strong and might continue for several seasons past the main show’s end. As Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster continue patrolling the city streets long before Deku joined Class 1-A, the side story is introducing some big new characters to the superhero shonen lore. In a preview for the anime’s next episode, the universe’s closest comparison to Captain America, outside of All Might of course, has been teased.

Captain Celebrity is set to debut in the eighth episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, a hero who has made his way from the United States of America to Japan. While there are still plenty of questions surrounding this celebrity superhero, it appears from the preview that Crawler and Pop Step aren’t too thrilled with the new hero on the block. On the official website for the anime spin-off series, here’s how Vigilantes describes the character, “Captain Celebrity is a top-ranking hero who came to Japan from America. However, Koichi seems to be annoyed by something about his attitude… Keep an eye out for the new developments that will be stirred up by this hero who will be making his first appearance in “Vigilante”!”

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Just Got Its Best Fight by A One Piece Animator]

Captain Celebrity Speaks

In prepping for the arrival of this new hero, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has revealed that the character will be brought to life by voice actor Toshiyuki Morikawa. Morikawa has had some major roles in some big anime franchises including Bleach, Demon Slayer, Naruto, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Digimon to name a few. Taking on the roles of heroes and villains alike, Captain Celebrity will be a very different role from what the voice actor has done in the past. Here’s what Toshiyuki had to say about taking on the role,

“My name is Toshiyuki Morikawa, and I will be the voice actor for Captain Celebrity, Christopher Skyline. I have come all the way from America with great anticipation, so I hope to live up to everyone’s expectations. I’m sure that those who see him in action will become Captain Celebrity’s biggest fan! We are looking for cheerleaders!”

The Future of Vigilantes

At present, anime fans have yet to know how long My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ anime adaptation will run. The original manga ran for one hundred and twenty-six chapters, meaning that there is more than enough material for the spin-off to continue past its first season. With some big events that will take place in UA Academy’s past, Vigilantes will throw out some big curveballs that further flesh out the universe’s past.

Want to stay in the loop when it comes to UA Academy? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on My Hero Academia and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

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While the manga’s ending in August of last year left a huge My Hero Academia-shaped hole in fans’ hearts ever since, the series’ new spin-off, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, has been successfully filling this void for the last few weeks. Despite not being created by Kohei Horikoshi, Vigilantes has managed to capture the same magic of the original series with a lovable new cast, gorgeous art, and, not to mention, stunning fights. If that weren’t enough to convince you to give Vigilantes a chance already, the anime just dropped what is arguably its best fight yet, and it’s animated by a famous One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen animator.

Episode 6 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes sees Stendhal turn his sights to Soga Kugisaki as well as Koichi, who steps in to defend Soga. However, when Koichi is rendered powerless by Stendhal’s quirk, Bloodcurdle, Knuckleduster steps in to save the day with this gorgeous, fast-paced exchange of blows animated by none other than One Piece animator Vincent Chansard, whose portfolio includes fan-favorite matchups such as Zoro vs. King, Garp vs. Kuzan. Shanks vs. Kid, as well as the highlight match between Sukuna and Mahoraga in Season 2 of Jujutsu Kaisen.

[RELATED: Would Attack on Titan’s Female Titan Beat Mt. Lady From My Hero Academia in a Fight?]

One Piece Animator Vincent Chansard Leaves His Mark on My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Across his work on series like One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, Black Clover, Boruto, and even Mob Psycho 100, Vicent Chansard has made quite a name for himself not just within the anime industry but also among fans of the medium with his cuts known for being insanely over the top and immediately recognizable. While Chansard’s cut in Episode 6 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes isn’t as over the top in comparison, it brilliantly expands what in the manga is essentially just a couple of panels into a beautiful 20-second sequence.

Make no mistake, Chansard’s style and influence on the episode are still very clear, even from a mundane close-up shot of Stendhal’s sword at the beginning of the fight, which looks like a shot straight out of One Piece. While this isn’t the first time Vincent Chansard has been brought into the My Hero Academia franchise, this episode in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes might be his most distinctive work for the franchise to date, and hopefully this opens the door to seeing more of Chansard not just in Vigilantes but also My Hero Academia’s upcoming final season.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes can be streamed on Crunchyroll.

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My Hero Academia has revealed more about the series following the grand finale, and with it has showcased how Shoto Todoroki’s pro hero future is the complete opposite of his father Endeavor’s. My Hero Academia might have ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, but the franchise has been continuing to expand on the final chapter with all sorts of new information about how Izuku Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A went off into their own pro hero futures. This includes one of the biggest young heroes in the series, Shoto, as well as he’s had a pro hero career too.

My Hero Academia has released a special Ultra Age fan book on shelves in Japan, and it features all sorts of new information about the series’ characters from creator Kohei Horikoshi himself. Detailing things that never made it to the series’ pages before it came to an end (as spotted by @aitakimochi on X), it was also explained that Shoto has gone on to be a hero that many admire. Unlike the scary presence that Endeavor gave off when he was an active hero, Shoto is someone who has amassed a big following thanks to the work he’s done with the people.

My Hero Academia Reveals Shoto’s Pro Hero Future

As detailed in My Hero Academia’s Ultra Age fanbook, Shoto has gone on to be one of the most fondly looked on heroes thanks to his close work with the public, “He has a passionate following due to his dedication to his work and his unbiased treatment of fans. In fact, many people even faint when seeing his small smile up close. He also goes to various places to give lectures and assists with urban planning. He helps out with the annual ‘Masegaki Summer Festival’ by creating ice castles and slides, which brings smiles to the kids.”

This falls in line with what was seen in the final chapter of My Hero Academia as Shoto was revealed to be so popular with fans that he has risen to the number two spot in the rankings following the ten year time skip after the war. At that point, however, Shoto has also revealed that he had been exploring new avenues for the rest of his life as he’s starting to pull away from his pro hero career. So even with all of his success, Shoto has a much different perspective on it all than his father ever did.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Timeskip Dashes Hopes for One Pro Hero’s Daddy Future

Shoto Breaks Free of Endeavor’s Shadow

One of My Hero Academia‘s central threads followed Endeavor and the Todoroki family as it explored how All Might had a negative impact on the hero world around him. Endeavor was abusive to his children with the hopes that one of them would surpass the top hero, and only after All Might retired did Endeavor start to see the error of his ways. Shoto, however, had wanted to break free of his father’s shadow but also still had some desire to be a hero thanks to the support of Deku and everyone else in Class 1-A.

After the war, Endeavor was so injured that he too was forced to retire and vowed to work everyday to then earn the respect of his family. It’s something that Shoto had taken to heart, and it’s clear that he had a pro hero career that didn’t carry any of the darkness his father’s did. It seems like he actively pursued the opposite path his father once did, and it’s resulted in a much better reputation among the public too.

HT – @aitakimochi on X

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has reached the halfway point of its run through the Spring 2025 anime schedule, and the preview for the next episode teases that the anime is finally going to debut Detective Tsukauchi’s sister. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been showcasing a special look at the My Hero Academia world as fans are getting ready to see a much darker look at things before Deku and the Class 1-A members enroll in U.A. Academy. This also means fans are getting to see new sides of each of the characters from the main series that don’t get a lot of spotlight either.

One of the characters already getting an expanded look has been Detective Tsukauchi, who had been mostly on the sidelines in the main My Hero Academia series until the later arcs threw the entirety of Japan into chaos. It turns out that he has a sister named Makoto, and she’ll be making her debut in the next episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes as teased by the preview that you can check out in the video above. You can also get a much closer look at her character design for the anime below too.

How to Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 7

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 7 is titled “Makoto/Truth” and will be making its debut on Monday, May 19th in Japan and will be exclusively streaming with Crunchyroll in other territories when it hits. The synopsis for the episode teases it as such, “Koichi’s vigilante activities have put his university credits in danger! His smart senior, Makoto, extends a helping hand to him. As a thank you, he becomes Makoto’s bodyguard for his research, but the research topic is, of all things, ‘Naruhata’s Vigilantes’?! Will Koichi be able to carry out his role as bodyguard without revealing his true identity?”

Makoto will be voiced by Asami Seto when she makes her debut in the new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, and she marks a major turning point for Koichi and the others moving forward. Much like how their vigilante activity has started taking a more dangerous turn with run ins with Stendhal (before he becomes Hero Killer Stain), Makoto is about to bring a lot more attention to Koichi and the others as they’ll be dealing with even bigger hero focused problems.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Introduces Its Own Winter Soldier With MCU Easter Egg

What’s Next for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been a relatively quiet hit as while My Hero Academia fans can’t wait to see the main TV anime series return for new episodes later this Fall, this spinoff has been largely ignored because it seems to different from that main anime. But as fans have seen through the episodes so far, Vigilantes not only has a lot of direct connections to how things play out for Deku and the others years later, but is starting to build to a compelling story in its own right.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is only going to get more intense as the episodes continue as we’ll get more direct lead-in to events that happen years later in the main series, and even more heroes who will be joining the fray. Makoto kicks off a new wave of bigger problems for Koichi and the others as she opens up a whole new side of the world for the vigilantes, and that’s going to be an exciting prospect to keep up with as fans wait for My Hero Academia‘s final season to premiere some time later this October.

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My Hero Academia officially ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, and the series has never gotten around to ever revealing Izuku Midoriya’s father despite many opportunities to do so. Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga series officially ended its run last Summer, but in the year since has returned with not only two special epilogue chapters that took place after the end of the story, but even a huge new Ultra Age fan book that has further revealed even more details that didn’t make it to the main story. So it’s been “ending” for the past few months now.

My Hero Academia is in a rare position in that while it might have ended its story, series creator Kohei Horikoshi has been able to return to the series with not only new chapters but also reveal all sorts of smaller side information and details that there wasn’t any time for during its run. Even with all of these opportunities, the series has yet to reveal something My Hero Academia fans have been wanting to see a hint of since it began. There is still no look at Izuku Midoriya’s father, or even a hint that he exists at all.

Deku Doesn’t Have a Dad in My Hero Academia

Deku having a present (or even seen) father isn’t the most necessary thing for his character. When he was first introduced in My Hero Academia, Deku was revealed to be a boy who idolized All Might and wanted to become a hero just like him. Then discovering that he was born without any quirk of his own, it was a shock to both him and his mother because both parents at least had quirks. Deku’s mother Inko had the ability to attract small objects to herself, and she mentioned how Deku’s father had the ability to breathe fire.

Neither of these quirks were notable in any real way, but it was still a shock to see that Deku wasn’t born without one at all. It even sparked theories for years that Deku’s quirk had been stolen, but this was later debunked as the series never confirmed it to be the case. This was notable as it was the first and final time that Deku’s father was ever mentioned in the series at all. Noting that he was working abroad in some unknown region for some unknown period of time, Deku’s father was then relegated to obscurity from that point on.

But even with the releases of its special epilogue chapter and Ultra Age fan book that came with new details about pretty much every notable character, it didn’t reveal anything more about Deku’s father at all. It not only highlights how little this character means in the grand scheme, but also further highlights how Deku’s parents overall had been left in the background as the fights got more intense. It was the same case for all of Class 1-A’s heroes, but at a few of them got both of their parents on screen for a brief time.

RELATED: Would Attack on Titan’s Female Titan Beat Mt. Lady From My Hero Academia in a Fight?

My Hero Academia Gave Deku Other Father Figures Instead

My Hero Academia was never really interested in revealing Deku’s father anyway, and Horikoshi’s reluctance to do so even with a sketch or something small after its finale further points that out. It’s because the series instead gave Deku more father figures as he started on his journey to becoming a pro hero. Deku’s connection with All Might is the most important relationship in the entire series, and the two of them are much closer than just being a mentor and pupil. The two of them grew alongside one another in many different ways, so Deku needed this connection to exist without any distraction.

Removing Deku’s father from the equation meant that Deku would then be more open to all of the older figures in his life. This didn’t stop at All Might, however, as Deku met many older figures to fill this role over the series like Sir Nighteye, Gran Torino, and all of the other Vestiges within One For All’s power. Deku was a sponge to all of these father type figures in his life, and his actual parents were unfortunately pushed to the side to help bolster these connections.

It’s why even Inko was pushed to the sidelines. She speaks with Deku ahead of the final one last time when she’s reacting to his injuries, but the two never get another full (spoken) scene together through to its grand finale. It’s because Deku was needed to save the world, and unfortunately heroes don’t really need parents when it gets to that level of intensity. But even after the finale, Deku’s dad is still hilariously nowhere to be found.

The post One Year After It Ended, My Hero Academia Still Hasn’t Revealed Deku’s Dad appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is no stranger to superhero shout outs, and the latest episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes gave Marvel another fun cameo with a Winter Soldier Easter Egg. Ever since My Hero Academia began its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine over a decade ago, series creator Kohei Horikoshi has never been shy about all of the influences that Marvel superheroes had on the series. This even led to official crossovers with heroes like Spider-Man following its finale, and fans have spotted even more connections between the two worlds over the years through manga and anime releases.

This connection with Western superhero comics even extends to My Hero Academia‘s spinoff projects like My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. The new anime series has been airing its new episodes through the Spring 2025 anime schedule, and with it fans have gotten to see a whole new side of the hero world. This even includes some fun new Easter Eggs and shout outs to more superheroes, and the latest even brings in a Yakuza member inspired by the Thunderbolts* film standout, Bucky Barnes the Winter Soldier.

My Hero Academia Introduces Its Own Winter Soldier

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 6 begins with an introduction to how the Yakuza world operates within the hero society. While fans have gotten to see this side of the crime world in the original My Hero Academia series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes takes place years before the events of the main series. This means that the Yakuza world seen here is just starting to grow and change with all of the Quirks making the world that much more dangerous. It’s meant that those who are in the Yakuza ranks are getting deadlier thanks to their powers as well, and it’s getting to be a problem.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes addresses this with a deadly new vigilante who turns out to be Hero Killer Stain before he officially becomes the villain we see later. He kicks off the episode by killing a group of Yakuza, and one of them not only has black around his eyes but then one of his arms is coated with a metal. This makes him look at lot like Marvel’s own Winter Soldier, and while he’s not named, it’s fun and quick shout out to the Marvel Cinematic Universe nonetheless.

RELATED: Thunderbolts* Director Reveals Scrapped Scene Would Confirm a Surprising Survivor

What’s Next for the Winter Soldier in the MCU?

The Winter Soldier’s been through quite a lot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever since he was first introduced to the feature films. Bucky Barnes went from being Steve Rogers’ best friend during the World War II era, and was thought dead for many years. It turned out that he was reprogrammed and turned into a deadly assassin known as the Winter Soldier. But after being saved by Steve, Bucky regained his mind back and was able to turn everything back around and is now one of the pillars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Bucky was a central figure of Marvel’s newest cinematic entry as well, Thunderbolts*. Releasing in theaters earlier this month, this film saw a bunch of scattered characters from across the MCU and put them together into a makeshift team that would allow them to become the heroes they never thought they would be. It ended up being a direct lead into the events of Avengers: Doomsday, and it won’t be long before we find out what’s next for Bucky and the rest of this new team. And considering how well it’s done with fans so far, we’re going to see a lot more of them soon.

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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes continues to prove that it’s a big spinoff that fans of the original My Hero Academia anime need to watch, and that’s more true than ever before as the newest episode has shockingly revealed Hero Killer Stain’s bloody origins. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a much darker take on the hero world seen in the main series as it takes place years before Izuku Midoriya and the others enroll in U.A. Academy. Heroes aren’t as widespread as they are later, so this new series gets to explore that transitional period as crime gets more intense and heroes become even more necessary.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes took a deadly turn when the previous episode saw a deadly new vigilante named Stendhal save Koichi by killing the attacking villain. As the newest episode brought Stendhal more into the spotlight as he faced off against Koichi directly, it turned out that Stendhal was actually the prototype version of who Hero Killer Stain would eventually become. Not only do we see what happened to Stain’s nose in this episode, but also see why he’s inspired to kill who he saw as fake heroes in the main My Hero Academia anime.

My Hero Academia Turns Stendhal Into Stain

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 6 brings Stendhal more into the spotlight, and it turns out that he’s working with Kuin to find villainous targets to eliminate. He’s only working with her due to the connections she has with the underworld, but he’s out to serve his own needs and pass his own version of judgment. He quickly kills some Yakuza members with his own quirk, Bloodcurdle, which stalls everyone in place once he licks their blood, and it’s immediately clear that he’s actually the Stain we’d come to meet later. But this comes to a head when Stendhal starts to seek out Soga, and Koichi happens to catch them in the middle of their fight.

When Koichi gets involved and cut by Stendhal, Knuckleduster soon joins the fight. The two of them have a rather honorable battle in which Stendhal tries to explain that the two of them are the same, but Knuckleduster doesn’t want to hear any of that. Noting that someone like Stendhal could never have the true resolve to be a hero thanks to hiding behind their mask, Knuckleduster defeats Stendhal by decking him so hard that he gives Stendhal a very bloody and damaged nose. Even if he lost, however, Stendhal is inspired by Knuckleduster’s words.

RELATED: Would Attack on Titan’s Female Titan Beat Mt. Lady From My Hero Academia in a Fight?

How Stain Becomes Stain in My Hero Academia

Stendhal then becomes inspired by Knuckleduster and realizes that resolve is what makes someone a true hero. Heading back to his hideout, he continues to mumble to himself about what that means and decides that his new journey is to fully realize his own resolve. Casting away his masked self and cutting off his nose (leading to his final look in the main My Hero Academia series), Stendhal declares that he won’t be holding himself back any more.

Declaring that he has become the faceless ideology that will be changing the world, Stain then becomes the full villain we know from the main series. As for the name, his final words in the episode help bring that full circle as he gives a very ominous speech, “Action without existence. A color that dyes the world. The blood I shed, the blood I bleed, is proof of its importance. Behind me, a path remains. Indelible bloodstains that show the way.”

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Be it One Punch Man’s Saitama versus DC’s Superman, or Naruto’s Kakashi against Star Wars’ Obi-Wan, fans love debating who would win if characters from different worlds were to face off against each other. This is especially true for characters with similar powers, like Attack on Titan’s Annie Leonhart versus My Hero Academia’s Mt. Lady. Both the giants are unique in their own way and possess skills like no other, but who’d actually take the trophy home? 

A 14-meter behemoth, Annie’s Female Titan is a martial arts master who could go toe-to-toe with Mikasa Ackerman in her human form. Her hardened fists and tactical mind make her a nightmare on the battlefield. Meanwhile, at 20.6 meters, Mt. Lady is a Pro Hero whose Gigantification quirk transforms her into a city-crushing giant. She’s all about raw power, using her massive size and weight to dominate foes. These giants rule their worlds, but their strengths – Annie’s agility versus Mt. Lady’s brute force – set the stage for an epic showdown raising just one question: can skill outmatch size?

[RELATED – My Hero Academia Reveals Shigaraki’s Original Quirk (& It’s Heartbreaking)]

Both Giants’ Greatest Feats

Annie’s Female Titan is a force of nature in the Attack on Titan universe. She’s not just big – she’s terrifyingly skilled. After years of Marleyan training, she’s a martial arts master in both her human and titan form. During Attack on Titan Season 1, the Female Titan single-handedly massacred seasoned soldiers during the 57th Expedition, shrugging off cannon fire and using her hardening to protect her nape, which is every titan’s weak point. Her ability to crystallize specific body parts, like her fists and shins, also lets her deliver devastating blows and block attacks that would obliterate normal titans. She’s also incredibly agile despite her 14-meter size, as seen when she was easily able to climb Wall Maria.

On the other hand, Mt. Lady’s Gigantification allows her to grow from a normal human to a 20.6-meter giant in seconds. She’s a Pro Hero, which means that while she might not be a master martial artist like Annie, she is well-trained to handle villains and protect civilians, often in urban environments. In My Hero Academia’s Paranormal Liberation War Arc, she held back the monstrously powerful Gigantomachia. And in the manga, she’s even survived direct attacks from All For One, proving she’s not all talk.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The Female Titan’s strengths lie in her versatility. Annie’s combat training makes her a tactical fighter, able to outmaneuver opponents bigger and stronger than her with precise strikes. Annie also has a trump card: the ability to mimic other Titans’ abilities. This includes her scream which summons nearby Pure Titans to her aid, potentially turning a one-on-one fight into a chaotic mob, and her hardening and crystallizing abilities. Her stamina is notable too, but her strengths come with two big weaknesses. 

To start, like any other Titan, the Female Titan’s nape is its glaring weakness; damage there can incapacitate or kill Annie. Titans are also surprisingly light for their size, with the Female Titan estimated to weigh around 9 tons. Her lightweight frame, while agile, means she’s not built for grappling heavier opponents. Unlike Annie, who’s limited by titan physiology, Mt. Lady’s body is essentially a scaled-up human, weighing an estimated 50-60 tons based on her proportions with a massive reach advantage.

Mt. Lady’s size and weight give her a brute-force edge, letting her overpower foes through sheer mass. She’s durable and can tank hits from villains far stronger than the average human. Her Pro Hero training means she’s quick to assess situations and exploit weaknesses. However, her Quirk has its limits: she can only gigantify to 20.6 meters, with no in-between sizes, and maintaining her giant form burns energy fast. She’s also less agile than the Female Titan, and her massive frame makes her a bigger target. Mt. Lady also has no other special abilities, relying entirely on physicality.

The Inevitable Showdown: Which Giantess Wins?

In Attack on Titan’s grim universe, Annie is a predator. In My Hero Academia’s heroic landscape, Mt. Lady is a protector. If Mt. Lady suddenly materializes in front of Attack on Titan’s Female Titan via some secret dimension-travel Quirk, Annie doesn’t see a hero; she sees a bizarre, oversized titan that’s a potential threat to her mission.

Without hesitation, the Female Titan charges, her eyes locked on Mt. Lady’s nape, assuming it’s the key to victory. Annie’s usual tactics – swift kicks and hardened punches – come fast and fierce. She lands a spinning kick to Mt. Lady’s leg, expecting to topple her. But Mt. Lady, weighing nearly 20 times more, barely budges. The Female Titan’s lightweight frame, designed for speed, can’t match Mt. Lady’s sheer mass. 

Annie tries a hard punch to Mt. Lady’s torso, but the Hero braces herself, absorbing the blow with a grunt. Mt. Lady then counters with a massive hand, swatting Annie back like a fly. The Female Titan skids across the ground, stunned by the force. Mt. Lady, unfazed, closes the distance, her footsteps shaking the earth. She grabs the Female Titan by the arm, using her weight to pin Annie’s 14-meter form to the ground. Annie struggles, but Mt. Lady’s tonnage is overwhelming – she’s like a mountain holding down a feather. In desperation, Annie exits her titan body, scaling Mt. Lady’s back to reach her nape. She slices with her blade, expecting to end the fight. 

But Mt. Lady isn’t a titan – there’s no human piloting from the nape and no weak point. The blade scratches her skin, drawing blood, but it’s superficial. Annoyed, Mt. Lady reaches back, plucking Annie off like a bug. Holding the tiny human in her palm, Mt. Lady could crush her, but she hesitates as her Hero instincts kick in. Instead, she flicks Annie away, sending her tumbling unconscious into the grass as Mt. Lady stands victorious.

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My Hero Academia might have come to an end last year, but the creator behind it all has dropped some special new art for the Big Three with some special new art. My Hero Academia ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, but the last year has seen the creator return to the series with all sorts of special new releases. These have included not only full epilogue chapters exploring more of My Hero Academia after it came to an end, and tons of special art for the creator’s characters showing them off in a whole new art.

My Hero Academia is being celebrated in Japan with a special new exhibition dropping a much closer look at the series’ art over the years. This also includes some brand new sketches never seen before that either series creator Kohei Horikoshi had on the side or developed for the exhibition itself. One of these new pieces includes a special new look at the members of the Big 3 at U.A. Academy, Mirio Togata, Nejire Hado, and Tamaki Amajiki. You can check out the special new sketch below as spotted by @aitaikimochi on X.

Who Are My Hero Academia’s Big Three?

Mirio, Nejire and Tamaki were introduced as the top three students of U.A. Academy heading into the Shie Hassaikai arc. As Deku and the other members of Class 1-A kicked off their work study in the pro hero field, they were also introduced to some of the top students who had already started making a name for themselves through their own starter pro hero work. It was from that point on that things started to get much more serious for Deku and the others as not only did they start to take on tougher foes, but the stakes were raised in ways that carried all the way through to the finale.

The Big Three themselves might not have fought alongside one another in full until the events of the final war between the heroes and villains, but they were still some major characters within My Hero Academia itself. Mirio especially held a pretty close role with Deku as it was teased that he might have gotten One For All instead of Deku, and ended up being taken out of action for a while too. It’s safe to say that these three really changed the trajectory of the series’ second half.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Reveals Touching Reason For One Hero’s Adult Makeover

What’s Next for My Hero Academia’s Big Three?

The last time we had seen the Big Three in action, they were fighting against Tomura Shigaraki in the My Hero Academia anime. We’ll be seeing the next step in this final battle against the villains soon enough as the eighth and final season of the My Hero Academia TV anime will be airing some time this October as part of the Fall 2025 anime schedule. The new episodes will be streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll alongside their premieres in Japan, and you can catch up with the first seven seasons of the anime there in the meantime.

As for what to expect from the final batch of episodes, My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON will be directed by Naomi Nakayama for studio Bones. Yosuke Kuroda will be returning to handle the series’ scripts, with Kenji Nagasaki as chief director, Yoshihiko Umakoshi and Hitomi Odashima providing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music. It will be ending its adaptation of Kohei Horikoshi’s original My Hero Academia manga, so it’s time to get ready for its grand finale.

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From muscular bunny girls like Mirko to laidback charmers like Hawks, My Hero Academia’s pro-heroes definitely have some of the best designs in the series that cater to nearly every audience. It’s easy to see why the pro-heroes, even the quirkiest of them, like Best Jeanist, are so popular among fans. Having said that, if there’s one underrated favorite in the series, it would have to be Shoto Aizawa, Class 1-A’s ever-tired homeroom teacher, formally also known as Eraserhead, and My Hero Academia’s latest release just gave him a whole new look, making him more attractive than ever.

Besides the epilogue in Chapter 430, My Hero Academia also released a whole new extended epilogue branded as Chapter 431 in its final volume. This final chapter debuts the adult versions of many beloved My Hero Academia characters, including the post-timeskip version of Aizawa, who is surprisingly featured with short hair for the first time in the entire series. Furthermore, in My Hero Academia’s recently released final fanbook, Ultra Age, Horikoshi was asked if there was any particular reason for Aizawa’s short hair in Chapter 431. In response, Horikoshi revealed that Aizawa only gets his hair cut once every few years, and this appearance in the final chapter just so happened to be one of the instances when he’d recently gotten it trimmed. Horikoshi’s response reads, “Aizawa thinks cutting hair is a waste of time, so he just grows it out. He only cuts his hair once every few years. Coincidentally, that just happened to be one of those times.”

[RELATED: My Hero Academia’s Creator Answers the Big Deku x Ochaco Question]

My Hero Academia’s Epilogue Gives Aizawa a Whole New Look

As far as Aizawa’s design goes, his long hair, under-eye bags, and his long cloth scarf have become quite synonymous with him over the years and easily make up his most iconic look. Having said that, the latter half of My Hero Academia also saw Aizawa don an eye patch after losing his eye to Shigaraki. While he essentially lost use of his quirk, the eye patch did make him look infinitely cooler, though his new short-haired design may have just beaten the competition for Aizawa’s hottest look yet.

As seen in Chapter 431, Aizawa’s short hair still manages to cover his missing eye, and the pro-hero, for the most part, still looks largely the same eight years later, still donning his iconic cloth scarf and dark undereye circles, albeit with a bit more stubble. Though Aizawa has had his long, shaggy hair since he was a student at U.A. himself, there’s no denying the new look is quite refreshing.

In fact, given that Aizawa’s hair floating up used to be one of the biggest tells of his quirk being active, fans have questioned for years why he didn’t simply trim his hair short. Well, thanks to the latest My Hero Academia fanbook, fans finally have their answers, and the explanation could not be more characteristically accurate. As for the Aizawa simps, the only hope is that My Hero Academia’s anime also adapts the entire epilogue for the final season, including this version of Aizawa.

Source: @aitaikimochi on X.

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One of the things that My Hero Academia is best known for is its student-mentor relationships, the best example being Deku and All Might, whose bond was carefully fleshed out over the course of the entire series. That said, besides Deku and All Might, My Hero Academia also has one other touching mentor relationship, this being Aizawa and Hitoshi Shinso. The bond between these two especially shines in the series’ epilogue through a subtle yet touching detail of Shinso’s adult makeover, and the series’ creator just confirmed as much.

In the recently released fanbook titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Age, Kohei Horikoshi was asked whether the reason for Shinso’s longer hair in Chapter 431 was related to Aizawa. Horikoshi confirmed that Shinso did indeed grow out his hair because he looks up to Aizawa, with his response in the fanbook reading, “Yes, it’s out of respect for Aizawa.” Interestingly, in his response, Horikoshi also adds that he intended to have long-haired Shinso make his debut much earlier in My Hero Academia during the U.A. Traitor Arc. The exact moment Horikoshi is referring to is at the end of Chapter 340, where Shinso’s hair does seem a bit longer than usual, but as Horikoshi claimed, due to Shinso being featured upside down, it wasn’t all too clear at the time. Horikoshi said in the fanbook, “Actually, in Volume 34, I wanted to show his long hair already, but the pose I drew had him upside down, so it was unclear.”

[RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Preview Teases More of Its Deadly New Anti-Hero]

Aizawa and Shinso Are Still My Hero Academia’s Second-Best Student-Mentor Duo

When first introduced in My Hero Academia, Shinso certainly grabbed a lot of eyeballs, mostly due to his very interesting quirk, Brainwashing. Though Shinso did not win any accolades at the time of the Sports Festival, he definitely did leave his mark on fans as well as those around him within the series, proving that he possessed much more potential. Aizawa in particular quickly became a mentor figure to Shinso, teaching him how to make the most of his quirk in battle and how to use it to best support his fellow teammates. The fact that Shinso’s quirk was not well suited for battle was something that Aizawa and Shinso would only bond over even further, with Shinso echoing many of young Aizawa’s own anxieties about becoming a pro-hero.

It’s safe to say that Aizawa has had quite a strong influence over Shinso since then, with the effects of his mentorship most clearly showing up in Shinso’s combat abilities and his similar use of a long cloth scarf as a capturing weapon, just like Aizawa. Now with the longer hair as seen in Chapter 431 of My Hero Academia, Shinso has all but become Aizawa’s successor and the spitting image of him, complete with the long hair and the bags under his eyes. More than anything, it’s really sweet that Shinso came to respect Aizawa so greatly to the point of emulating him down to his long hair. As far as role models go in My Hero Academia, All Might is a fine choice, but Shoto Aizawa isn’t a bad pick either.

HT: @aitaikimochi on X.

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My Hero Academia has revealed one final one-shot taking place after the final chapter of the original series, and with it has unfortunately shut down any hopes of Shota Aizawa adopting Eri in the future. My Hero Academia had quite a few character threads that were being developed throughout the series’ tenure, and one of the biggest surrounded Aizawa. Although he was originally introduced as Deku’s prickly pro hero teacher at U.A. Academy, it was soon made clear that he actually cared for his students more than anyone realized. Even to the point of putting himself in some very real danger to protect them all.

Aizawa also steadily revealed more about his own private life as the series continued, and it was also made clear that he was a clear father and mentor figure to other students besides Deku himself. There was one kid that fans loved seeing Aizawa with especially, Eri, and had even hoped that Aizawa would go on to fully adopt Eri at some point in the future thanks to the connection the two seemed to share. Unfortunately, that doesn’t turn out to be the case.

My Hero Academia Splits Up Aizawa and Eri

As explained in the recently released Ultra Age book for My Hero Academia detailing more of its hero world following the end of the series (as spotted by @Color_Division on X), it was explained that Eri was freed by the Shie Hassaikai officially following the end of the war between the heroes and villains. It was Mandalay of the Pussycats who ends up taking in Eri in the future, and following her adoption of Kota, it seems like the two ended up becoming makeshift siblings in the future. So it might seem like a bummer for those who hoped Eri would end up as Aizawa’s future daughter, but not all hope is lost there.

Eri and Aizawa have far from lost their connection in the future though. In a special one-shot included with Ultra Age that showcases one final look at My Hero Academia‘s future, a now high school aged Eri is seen visiting U.A. Academy. She goes to a different school, but she came to drop by a gift from Mandalay to thank Aizawa for looking after Kota in U.A. It’s clear that the two still have a close connection after all this time, but it’s not really the father and daughter one that many fans would have wanted instead.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Explains How Deku’s Pro Hero Armor Restores His Quirks

Aizawa Still Has a Bright Future

Although Aizawa doesn’t become an adoptive father in the future, it’s still very much bright. He might no longer be involved in pro hero work due to all of the injuries he had sustained during the final war, but he still kept up with his work at U.A. Academy. Much like how the series teased that his primary focus was on protecting the next generation of young heroes, his future teased that this would continue even further as he inspires the next generation to come.

He’s been watching over Kota and the others who have enrolled in U.A. Academy after being inspired by Deku and the others during the war, and it’s clear that he’s still a “father” in this way. It might not have gone in a more concrete direction as fans might have hoped for given his connection with Eri, but it’s also a connection he has with all the young heroes. Aizawa carries about everyone, and uses his talents to nurture the future of Japan as a whole instead.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Dashes Hopes for One Pro Hero’s Daddy Future appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has released a special new Ultra Age book on shelves in Japan revealing tons of new information about the series after it came to an end, and one of the updates has explained how Izuku Midoriya’s future pro hero armor suit helps him to fight as a hero again. As My Hero Academia worked through its final battle between the heroes and villains, it was immediately made clear to Deku and the audience that his days using One For All were numbered. When the fight against All For One came to its conclusion, this indeed turned out to be the case.

With Deku giving up the final embers of One For All’s power during the war, it led to a ten year time skip revealing that he chose to become a teacher at U.A. Academy. But as a final reveal taking things into the future, Bakugo and the other former Class 1-A heroes have been spending their time as pro heroes saving up the money to put together a special suit of armor to help Deku fight as a pro hero. Now the creator behind it all has revealed how this special suit actually works.

How Deku’s Pro Hero Armor Works

In the final chapter of My Hero Academia, it’s explained that Mei Hatsume has been working together with Bakugo and the others for the past few years to put together an experimental new armor suit that would allow Deku to be a pro hero. It’s here that Deku heads into the future with the rest of his former class, and series creator Kohei Horikoshi explained in the Ultra Age book (as noted by @aitakimochi on X) that this suit indeed does its best to replicate One For All’s abilities and mix them together much like how Deku used the original version of the ability. It’s a prototype in doing so, but it seems to be working well.

In the epilogue to My Hero Academia released together with the final volume of the series, an additional chapter exploring more of the time skip period explained that Deku himself would still be focusing more on his work as a teacher rather than returning to be a hero full time. He was happy to have this power suit to help fight alongside everyone else once more, but saw a future in teaching instead. That’s changed with yet another new one-shot chapter after that grand finale too which sees Deku truly living out his pro hero dreams either way.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Reveals America’s New Number One Hero After Star and Stripe

My Hero Academia Gives Deku His Pro Hero Dreams

In the one-shot chapter released together with My Hero Academia’s Ultra Age fanbook (where this new bit of information also comes from) it’s further revealed that Deku indeed has been doing a lot of work now that he has this power suit. He balances his work life together with his hero career, and has inspired people all over Japan thanks to everything he did during the fight against All For One. But in the short time since he started his pro hero career in full, he’s already risen to Rank 4 on the hero charts.

This also hilariously sparked Bakugo to rise through the rankings himself as he jumped ten places up in the rankings to keep up with his rival, and it’s clear that heading into the future Deku is going to have the career he’s always dreamed up. So while he might have had to sacrifice everything during the war, at the end of it all Deku has become humanity’s number one in the future.

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