AnimeJapan 2025 took over Japan this past weekend, and with it revealed some big anime projects now in the works. AnimeJapan is usually one of the biggest events to help kick off the new year of anime as its the first real opportunity that many studios take to showcase some of the new projects they have in production. This past weekend the event took place, and it turned out to be one of the biggest in recent memory as there were a ton of new announcements and first looks revealed at some of the new anime coming our way soon enough.

This past weekend not only gave us a new look at some of the big franchises on the way such as My Hero Academia Season 8, but also Fire Force Season 3, My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 and more. There were also plenty of new movie reveals too for the likes of Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc, Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: A Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved, and more. With so many big premieres already lined up for the Spring and Summer seasons this year, read on for a breakdown of some of the biggest announcements over the weekend (with new updates still coming).

Friday, March 21

• Netflix’s Supernatural Horror Anime Drops Hot New Trailer: Watch
• Puella Magi Madoka Magica Movie Reveals First Major Promo in Months
• My Hero Academia Season 8 Shares New Trailer, Poster for Final Season
• Demon Slayer Reveals Bonus Swag to Hype Infinity Castle’s Release
• Oshi no Ko Hypes Season 3 With Aqua-Themed Teaser & Poster
• Dandadan Promo With Incredible Collage Spotted at AnimeJapan
• Crunchyroll Announces One Piece Premiere Weekend For Anime’s Return
• Netflix’s Devil May Cry Hypes Release With Japanese Voice Cast Reveal
• My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Crossover Sees Deku And Crawler Team-Up
• Fire Force Season 3 Confirms Yet Another Streaming Home for 2025
• Tokyo Revengers Hypes Sequel With Three Deities Arc Promo
• Jujutsu Kaisen Hypes Upcoming Movie in AnimeJapan 2025
• Kaiju No. 8 Drops Incredible Season 2 Trailer & Promo to Hype Summer Release
• New One Piece Spinoff Anime Announced
• Netflix’s Sakamoto Days Shares First Look at Part 2
• New Panty & Stocking With Garterbelt Anime Reveals Release Window, New Characters
• Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 4 Drops Hawaii Arc Trailer: Watch
• Lycoris Recoil Shares New Trailer Ahead of New Anime: Watch
• Tougen Anki Drops New Trailer Ahead of Summer Premiere
• Netflix Teases New Sci-Fi Anime by the One Piece Director in Latest Promo
• Kaiju No. 8 Hypes Its Strongest Anti-Kaiju Combatant in New Promo
• Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus Sets Release Window With New Trailer
• Boruto Star Joins Fire Force Season 3 Cast

Saturday, March 22

• Solo Leveling Unleashes Epic Season 2 Finale Trailer
• Studio Shaft’s Virgin Punk Unveils Cast & Promo to Hype Release Date
• Classroom of the Elite Season 4 Drops First Trailer
• Solo Leveling’s Creator Teases Good News to Come After Season 2
• New Jujutsu Kaisen Movie Drops First Trailer: Watch
• One Piece’s Time Slot Replacement Anime Reveals New Trailer: Watch
• This Kamen Rider Anime Is Going to Be a Must-Watch For Fans
• Jujutsu Kaisen Has Bad News for Fans Waiting for Season 3
• Rurouni Kenshin Season 3 Announced With First Look
• Black Butler: Emerald Witch Arc Shares Final Trailer Ahead of Premiere
• My Dress-Up Darling Season 2 Locks Down Release Window With First Look
• Chainsaw Man – Reze Arc Movie Finally Reveals Its Release Date (But There’s a Catch)
• Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid Shares New Look at New Movie
• Disney Twisted-Wonderland Anime Shares First Trailer: Watch
• Hell Teacher Nube Returning for New Manga Revival Ahead of Reboot Anime
• Mobile Suit Gundam: GQuuuuuuX Shares New Promo Ahead of Premiere
• Netflix’s My Melody & Kuromi Is Looking Adorable With First Preview
• HIDIVE Fantasy Anime Drops Action-Packed Trailer to Hype Release: Watch
• Re:Zero Season 3 Unleashes Promo Ahead of Finale (But There’s a Catch)
• Sentenced to Be a Hero Sets Release Window With New Trailer, Poster

What has been your favorite announcement from AnimeJapan 2025? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

The post AnimeJapan 2025: Every Major Anime Announced appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Studio BONES has a lot on its plate in 2025, with a major entry for the studio being the brand-new anime adaptation for Gachiakuta. Of course, the lion’s share of attention that the production house will be receiving for the My Hero Academia franchise. On top of releasing the eighth and final season of UA Academy’s main series this fall, BONES is also planning to adapt the shonen superhero series spin-off next month in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. To help celebrate this major year, the anime studio has brought together Deku and Crawler in a major crossover for the ages.

Deku and Crawler did meet in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes but the two have never gone into battle with one another. While Koichi Haimawari might be the star of the shonen spin-off, he has a long way to go to stand toe-to-toe with Izuku Midoriya thanks to the power of One For All. Crawler’s Quirk allows him to “glide” along any surface and his story is one that sees the hero operating outside of the traditional crime fighter route of Hero Society. Rather than training at U.A. Academy, Koichi operates outside of the law and his side story will have big implications for the main series.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Season 8 Shares New Trailer, Poster for Final Season]

My Hero Academia: Deku x Crawler

To get fans hyped for My Hero Academia’s future in 2025, Studio BONES has released a new promo poster that sees Crawler and Deku leaping into battle. At present, Vigilantes has not confirmed if the spin-off will receive multiple seasons but there is plenty of material from the manga to potentially give fans years of stories. This would mean that Crawler’s story might continue following the main series’ anime finale, giving viewers the option to experience a new side of Class 1-A’s world that wasn’t seen before.

Why Vigilantes Is Worth Your Time

On top of presenting an interesting story revolving around Crawler and his outlaw comrades, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes gives fans of the main series some major lore. In several storylines, the spin-off takes the opportunity to focus on the earlier days of the likes of Eraserhead, Present Mic, Midnight, All Might, Mirko, and many others. One storyline in particular focuses on Aizawa and Oboro’s friendship at UA Academy, with the latter eventually transforming into the League of Villains member, Kurogiri. This arc might not be a part of Vigilantes’ first season but it will give some meaningful context to some of the events in the final season of the main series.

While Vigilantes is a part of the My Hero Academia universe, it was not made by series creator Kohei Horikoshi. Creators Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court first started the manga spin-off in 2016, eventually bringing it to a close with a satisfying ending in 2022. Spanning around six years, UA Academy fans are in for a wild ride when the anime adaptation arrives next year.

Want to stay up to date with 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 My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Crossover Sees Deku And Crawler Team-Up appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is now in the works on returning for Season 8, and the anime is celebrating with a new look at what’s to come in the final season of the series. My Hero Academia Season 7 set the stage for the grand finale with the final war between the heroes and villains. Through the episodes, fans have seen some key battles come to an end against some of the biggest villains in the series overall. But with the end of the season, My Hero Academia left fans on a pretty big cliffhanger for the true climax on the way.

Shortly after the end of My Hero Academia Season 7, it was officially announced that My Hero Academia would be returning for Season 8. The real surprise of the matter, however, was also the fact that Season 8 would be serving as the final season of the TV anime overall. Now as we all eagerly await to see how the My Hero Academia anime is readying to bring it all to its end, the anime is getting fans one step closer with a cool new teaser trailer that you can check out in the video above. You can also check out the new poster featuring Deku and Shigaraki below.

What to know for My Hero Academia Season 8

My Hero Academia Season 8 will be making its debut some time in October as part of the Fall 2025 anime season, but has yet to announce a concrete release date as of the time of this publication. Officially dubbed as My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, the anime will be streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll when it premieres alongside its new episodes that will be dropping weekly in Japan. The anime will be featuring a returning staff and voice cast when it returns for the final season as well.

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’s going to be picking up right from where it all left off at the end of the seventh season, so you’re going to want to be sure you’re fully caught up for the climax. And you can find all seven seasons streaming with Crunchyroll while we wait.

RELATED: What Is My Hero Academia’s Final Season Going to Do With Bakugo?

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

This won’t be the only new My Hero Academia anime release that fans will get to see over the course of the year, however. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its official TV debut on April 7th in Japan, and will be streaming with Crunchyroll when it premieres. This new anime is set years before the events of the main series, but is a crucial piece of the overall puzzle for the franchise as it features some big events that only got briefly teased in the original series.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be kicking off a big year for the franchise as fans eager for more My Hero Academia should check it out to get a whole new look at the hero world. This series showcases new looks at heroes at the prime of their careers like All Might in action, and will be a fun way to get ready for what’s to come in the grand finale of the main anime series hitting this Fall.

The post My Hero Academia Season 8 Shares New Trailer, Poster for Final Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia might have ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last year, but the series has dropped an emotional trailer for its big art exhibition celebrating the grand finale. My Hero Academia ended with Shonen Jump last Summer, and the franchise has been on a goodbye tour ever since. Not only did the manga host a worldwide poll to see who is the most popular character in the entire roster last year, but My Hero Academia is preparing to make an even bigger comeback later this year with the eighth and final season of the TV anime.

That’s not all that’s going to be on deck for My Hero Academia this year, however, as fans in Japan will soon be able to celebrate the manga’s biggest moments with a new art exhibition showing off a much closer look at Kohei Horikoshi’s work with the series. Running in Tokyo later this Summer, My Hero Academia is gearing up for this new exhibition with a special new trailer that you can check out in the video above. It’s an emotional revisit for the past, and it’s going to make you want to read it all over again.

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia‘s manga might have come to an end last Summer, but it was far from the end of the franchise overall. Not only did series creator Kohei Horikoshi return for a brand new epilogue chapter set after the end of the original series that further fleshed out how the series ended, but the My Hero Academia TV anime is currently getting ready to return to screens for its eighth and final season later this Fall. As teased by Season 7, now it’s time for the true final battles between the heroes and villains to begin.

My Hero Academia Season 8 is currently scheduled for a release some time later this Fall, but has yet to confirm a concrete release date as of the time of this publication. The final episodes will be picking up from where it all left off as Armored All Might is now in his final fight against All For One, and Izuku Midoriya has begun his final fight against Tomura Shigaraki. But for fans who want more My Hero Academia sooner than that, there’s another big anime coming soon.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Confirms Streaming Home With New Trailer, Poster

What’s My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?

If you want to see more of My Hero Academia, the prequel series will finally make its anime debut later this Spring. Scheduled to premiere on April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be a new anime series set years before the events of the main series. Streaming with Crunchyroll exclusively when it premieres, this new anime series will be showcasing what the hero world looked like before fans started following Deku and the rest of Class 1-A in their hero journeys all those years later.

Starring Shuichiro Umeda as Koichi Haimawari (aka The Crawler), Ikumi Hasegawa as Kazuho Haneyama (aka Pop Step), Yasuhiro Mamiya as Iwao Oguro (aka Knuckleduster), Toho teases what to expect from My Hero Academia: Vigilantes as such, “Koichi Haimawari is a dull college student who aspires to be a hero but has given up on his dream. Although 80% of the world’s population has superhuman powers called Quirks, few are chosen to become heroes and protect people. Everything changes for Koichi when he and Pop☆Step are saved by the vigilante Knuckleduster and get recruited to become vigilantes themselves!”

The post My Hero Academia Teases New Art Exhibition in Emotional Trailer appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is the big anime franchise heading a new wave of anime coming in the Spring 2025 anime season, and now fans know where to tune in as its streaming home has finally been locked down with a new trailer and poster. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is coming this Spring with a brand new take on the My Hero Academia world. While fans are waiting on the final season of the main series, this special spinoff will be showcasing a hero world years before what we got to see with Izuku Midoriya in action with the original series.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes takes place years before the events of the main series, and follows a trio of underground heroes who illegally start fighting criminals to protect their town when the heroes don’t show up. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be officially premiering on April 7th, and it’s now been confirmed (via press release) that the anime will be streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll alongside their initial premiere in Japan. To celebrate, you can check out the newest trailer for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes in the video above and new poster below.

What to Know for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its debut on April 7th, and will be streaming exclusively with Crunchyroll when it hits. The anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki for Bones Film with Yosuke Kuroda returning from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida overseeing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi. The opening theme has been revealed with this new trailer too, “Kekka Orai,” as performed by Kocchi no Kento.

As for the voice cast, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes currently includes the likes of Shuichiro Umeda as Koichi Haimawari (aka The Crawler), Ikumi Hasegawa as Kazuho Haneyama (aka Pop Step), Yasuhiro Mamiya as Iwao Oguro (aka Knuckleduster), Kenta Miyake as All Might, Junichi Suwabe as Eraserhead, Hiroyuki Yoshino as Present Mic, Akeno Watanabe as Midnight, and Masamichi Kitada as Ingenium. New additions to the voice cast include Sayaka Sembongi as Kuin Hachikusa, Kohsuke Toriumi as Soga Kugizaki, and Tokuyoshi Kawashima as Naomasa Tsukauchi.

RELATED: Yes, The X-Men Really Did Appear in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

What Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes About?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes kicks off a huge year for the franchise as My Hero Academia will be returning for the final season of its anime later this Fall. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes showcases more of what Japan looked like before the hero world was at the level seen in Izuku Midoriya’s time in Class 1-A, and young people like Koichi decide to take things into their own hands when their neighborhood is overrun by crime. Because of this, fans also get to see some of the lesser known pro heroes in action.

This includes even more of heroes like All Might at their full strength compared to what was seen in the original series. As for what to expect from the story, Toho teases My Hero Academia: Vigilantes as such, “Koichi Haimawari is a dull college student who aspires to be a hero but has given up on his dream. Although 80% of the world’s population has superhuman powers called Quirks, few are chosen to become heroes and protect people. Everything changes for Koichi when he and Pop☆Step are saved by the vigilante Knuckleduster and get recruited to become vigilantes themselves!”

Will you be checking out My Hero Academia: Vigilantes when it premieres this April? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Confirms Streaming Home With New Trailer, Poster appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Toshinori Yagi, aka All Might, has had quite the ride in My Hero Academia’s history. Once one of the strongest beings in Hero Society and living up to his reputation as the Symbol of Peace, Yagi lost his super strength thanks to his confrontation with All For One earlier in the series. With the seventh season finale of the anime adaptation seeing an armored Toshinori entering the battlefield, the superhero shonen series has a fresh look at All Might with a message from franchise creator Kohei Horikoshi.

As the anime adaptation looks to complete its take on the original manga’s source material, Horikoshi has released a special message regarding the franchise’s art exhibition, “During the ten years of the series’ serialization, we moved to submitting digital drafts instead, but my lineart remains the same and ar analog drawings. I’m confident we can show you rather raw versions of the drafts. Also, oftentimes the storyboarding and manuscripts for My Hero Academia are completely different, so I really wanted to display the raw storyboards to give you an idea of a mangaka’s thought process during serialization and how they draw it out. I wanted to do an exhibition where you can feel the rawness of what exactly goes into the serialization of a manga.”

Horikoshi continues, “I hope that even those who don’t have an interest in My Hero Academia can enjoy this exhibition. We’re working hard on a lot of things, so I hope you can come see!”

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Returns to Series With Special New Promo]

All Might Armors Up

All Might’s armor might not make him as strong as he once was at the height of his career, but the suit has already withstood some major attacks from All For One. When we last left My Hero Academia, the anime adaptation gave us a cliffhanger that sees Toshinori attempting to buy time for Deku who is fighting against Shigaraki. Should All For One make his way to the fight between the two representatives of the next generation, then the heroes would be in for a world of trouble.

The Upcoming My Hero Academia Art Exhibit

The upcoming summer anime event isn’t the first time that My Hero Academia has held an exhibit but it might just be one of the last. Beginning on June 21st in Japan, the exhibit will last until August 31st, featuring original art from Kohei Horikoshi along with exclusive merchandise for fans willing to turn out. Many anime franchises including Naruto, One Piece, and countless others have had art exhibits to honor their stories and there are sure to be many more as anime only continues to grow more popular.

While fans might have a heavy heart to say goodbye to My Hero Academia’s anime, there’s good news for those wanting to further dive into this anime world. This April, Studio BONES is finally bringing to life My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the spin-off series that focuses on the crime fighters who are operating outside of the traditional means. While Vigilantes has yet to confirm how long its run will be, the source material could give it several seasons before it also ends.

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 My Hero Academia Creator Shares New All Might Promo Ahead of Final Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia might have come to an end last year, but the creator behind it all has returned with some stunning new art for an upcoming exhibition to help celebrate the series. My Hero Academia ended its run after ten years with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last Summer, and has since been on a lengthy goodbye tour as fans have gotten to say farewell to the series in many different ways. As the franchise prepares to come to a different end later this year, there is still plenty of time to celebrate how far it’s all come thus far.

As part of the celebration for how big of a franchise it really has become since it first began, My Hero Academia will be launching a special exhibition in Japan beginning later this Summer. This new exhibition will be showing off art from across the My Hero Academia manga, and features a cool new piece of art from series creator Kohei Horikoshi himself. Now that official art has been revealed and showcases an awesome look at the final war between the heroes and villains. Check it out below.

RELATED: 10 Best My Hero Academia Fights That Are Truly Plus Ultra

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia‘s manga run might have come to an end last Summer, but the franchise still has some plans for the future. The anime will be officially ending its run with an eighth and final season. My Hero Academia Season 8 will be kicking off its run beginning later this Fall, but has yet to confirm a release date as of the time of this publication. This final season has yet to reveal how many episodes it will be running for before it comes to an end, but it will be tackling the true final battles between the heroes and villains.

But that’s not all as My Hero Academia will first be returning later this Spring with a brand new anime series. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the spinoff set years before the events of the original series, will be officially getting its anime debut on April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. This new anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki for Bones Film with Yosuke Kuroda returning from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida returning to oversee the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Returns to Series With Special New Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Though their respective manga may have long concluded, My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer are still, without a doubt, two of the most popular and successful shonen franchises, with fans spread across the globe. However, despite their popularity, My Hero Academia remains set in an alternate contemporary reality, and Demon Slayer is set in a fantastical re-imagining of the Taisho Era. It is hard to imagine the two series ever overlapping, that is until a recent fanmade video reimagined two of the most iconic characters from these franchises in an epic crossover fight.

A fan-made animation recently posted on X (formerly Twitter) by @danimate_2d stunning brought to life a hypothetical clash between Bakugo and Inosuke, illustrating how a fight between My Hero Academia‘s quirks and Demon Slayer‘s breathing techniques might go down. The breathtaking video, though only a minute long, perfectly captures the dynamic, almost playful fighting styles of both characters as Inosuke’s Beast Breathing meets Bakugo’s Explosion quirk. Besides the exceptional fight choreography, the video also uses color sparingly though effectively to highlight Inosuke’s slashes and Bakugo’s explosions and the chilling fighting spirit in each of their eyes, while the high-energy music and gorgeous sound effects create an almost cinematic viewing experience.

[Related: My Hero Academia Creator Returns With New Art For Hilariously Special Award]

How Would a Fight Between Bakugo and Inosuke Actually Play Out?

Despite being a part of the same genre, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia could not be more different in terms of their power systems, making it difficult to envision a cross-franchise battle, which is precisely what makes the above fan video so intriguing. At first, it seems as though Bakugo, with his firepower-packed quirk, would easily edge out Inosuke, whose skillset and breathing style are centered entirely around his physicality. That said, as fans see in the fan animation, Inosuke’s agility and brute strength work pretty well in his favor, allowing him to evade Bakugo’s explosions. Inosuke’s chipped Nichirin blades manage to stand up against Bakugo’s Grenadier Bracers, even managing to crack one of them eventually, as seen in a shot near the end of the video.

Considering the powerful demons Inosuke has gone up against, and the powerful abilities many of them have wielded, it makes sense that Inosuke would at the least be able to handle Bakugo’s quirk. The same likely cannot be said if his opponent were Deku, though Bakugo seems to be an even match. The matchup also makes quite a bit of sense given Inosuke and Bakugo’s similar personalities, with both being well known for never turning down a fight and giving every battle their all without forgetting to fully enjoy the thrill of it throughout.

As for who would ultimately be the victor of the battle, we’ll leave that up to you to decide in the comments below. At the end of the day, it is brilliant fan art such as this that allows fans to see such fun scenarios play out and indulge fans’ wildest, crossover fantasies. Nonetheless, be sure to follow along with Team Anime for all things My Hero Academia and Demon Slayer.

Fan-made video created and hosted by danimate_2d on X (formerly Twitter).

The post My Hero Academia Meets Demon Slayer For an Epic Crossover Fight in New Fanmade Video appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s eighth and final anime season is set to hit the ground floor running later this year but this is far from the only thing that UA Academy fans have to look forward to. This April, Kohei Horikoshi’s superhero shonen universe is expanding on the small screen with the release of its first anime spin-off, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Rather than focusing on any of the students of the crime fighter school, the side story is one that will explore the lives of those heroes operating outside of the law. With three new trailers, Studio Bones has shown anime fans the stars of the spin-off who might become anime household names.

To start, the main character of Vigilantes is a young crime fighter named Crawler. While not having the ability of Quirks like All For One and One For All, Koichi Haimawari is putting his super powers to good use as “Slide and Glide” allows him to have some serious versatility on the battlefield. Pop Step, one of Crawler’s strongest allies, has an equally bizarre power set in that she can jump exceptionally high and land without taking damage. Finally, the strongest member of the team, Knuckleduster, has a secret when it comes to his abilities that we’ll refrain from sharing here, but the “Batman” of the spin-off is a showstopper.

[RELATED: Yes, The X-Men Really Did Appear in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes]

Pop Step, Crawler, and Knuckle Duster Assemble

Studio Bones has released three new trailers that shine a spotlight on the Vigilantes and their side quest. Taking place some time before the main series finale, anime fans will have the opportunity to also see some major heroes back in action and in their prime. Top level crime fighters like All Might, Eraserhead, Present Mic, and Midnight will be featured, and should the series continuing past its first season, we might just see some wild flashbacks that help flesh out major events from UA Academy’s past.

The Difference of Vigilantes

While this side story might take place in Deku’s universe, it was not helmed by My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi. Vigilantes was created by writer Hideyuki Furuhashi and artist Betten Court, running for quite a few chapters before also ending its series. Based on the amount of installments the spin-off had, it is possible for Vigilantes to continue past the main anime’s grand finale though that will depend on the reception to Crawler, Knuckle Duster, and Pop Step.

When it comes to stories taking place after My Hero Academia’s main conclusion, Kohei Horikoshi hasn’t hinted at Deku and company making a comeback. However, Studio Bones hasn’t confirmed whether there will be more movies under the shonen series’ umbrella so we might see some brand new stories in Hero Society.

Want to see what the future has in store for the Vigilantes? 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: Vigilantes Hypes New Characters in Latest Promo: Watch appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia might have come to an end last year, but the creator behind it all has brought back Tomura Shigaraki with a dark new makeover. My Hero Academia ended its ten year run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last year as one of the final major franchises that started its run in the 2010s. The hero series brought the long running fight between Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki to an end, and set the young hero and the other members of Class 1-A into the future. Now the creator behind it all has brought its grandest villain back.

My Hero Academia’s Tomura Shigaraki might not have been a more prime evil than All For One when the series came to an end, but for a long time during the series’ run he stood as the main antagonist that Deku somehow needed to face and overcome before it was all over. With the series now done, My Hero Academia series creator Kohei Horikoshi now has more time to reflect on the series’ characters and has brought back Shigaraki in a wicked new sketch shared with fans on social media. Featuring a look for the villain never seen before, you can check it out below.

My Hero Academia Isn’t Over Just Yet

My Hero Academia‘s manga might have ended its ten year run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine last year, but it’s far from the end of the franchise overall. My Hero Academia is preparing to come to an end for the anime as well with Season 8 of the anime. The eighth and final season of the series will be bringing the anime to an end later this Fall, but has yet to confirm a concrete release date for the final episodes as of the time of this publication. It’s going to be a wild ride for sure.

When My Hero Academia Season 7 ended last year, it left fans on the cliffhanger with two major fights going down. As the season ended, fans were treated to the final fight between All Might (who donned a special battle armor for the occasion) and All For One and the final fight between Shigaraki and Deku. These fights have only just begun, however, so the final season still has quite a lot to explore through these fights before it all can officially come to an end.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Reveals Official Marvel Captain America: Brave New World Crossover

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

This won’t be the only new release for My Hero Academia we’ll get to see, however, as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is finally getting its official anime adaptation due. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be officially premiering April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. This series is set years before the events of the main series, and follows a trio of illegal heroes who end up saving their town because the pro heroes aren’t as spread out as seen in the main anime years later.

The new anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki for Bones Film with Yosuke Kuroda returning from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida returning to oversee the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi. This series will even featuring returning pro heroes from My Hero Academia at a much earlier stage of their careers with Kenta Miyake as All Might, Junichi Suwabe as Eraserhead, Hiroyuki Yoshino as Present Mic, Akeno Watanabe as Midnight, and Masamichi Kitada as Ingenium (who is getting a more expanded role than in the original).

The post My Hero Academia Creator Resurrects Shigaraki in Dark New Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

On Valentine’s Day, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is planning to return to theaters with the fourth entry of the Captain America series, Captain America: Brave New World. With Steve Rogers retiring following the events of Avengers: Endgame, it’s up to Sam Wilson to take up the shield and fight against a gamma-powered threat to the United States of America. In a surprising twist, My Hero Academia is teaming up with the MCU by bringing the perfect anime hero for the job into the cinematic universe. At the end of the day, fans can now speculate who would win in a fight between the former Falcon and the number two ranked hero Hawks.

Hawks, aka Keigo Takami, is one of the youngest heroes ever to be ranked number two on the top-ranking crime fighters’ list for Hero Society. While clearly having the ability to soar the skies thanks to his wings, Takami has an ability that puts him one run above Sam Wilson in the super powers department. Hawks’ Quirk allows him to manipulate all the feathers that make up his wings, using them for both an offensive and defensive advantage on the battlefield. While this new crossover doesn’t pit Hawks against the new Captain America, the two are soaring the skies together for the first time ever.

[RELATED: Yes, The X-Men Really Did Appear in My Hero Academia]

Captain Hawks: Brave New Hero Society

While this new crossover doesn’t feature Sam Wilson jumping into the shonen world, it does see Hawks and Captain America flying into battle. Alongside promoting the next Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, the crossover is also hyping up the eighth and final season of My Hero Academia’s anime. Even though Hawks has lost his Quirk thanks to All For One wrapping his hands around Keigo Takami, expect the number two hero to play a big role in the final season arriving later this year.

The Marvel/My Hero Academia Crossover

Of course, this meeting between Sam Wilson and Keigo Takami isn’t the first time that Hero Society has found its way into the Marvel Universe. Thanks to Deadpool: Samurai, the first manga starring Marvel’s Merc With A Mouth, the former symbol of peace All Might teamed up with Wade Wilson to take on a familiar foe. Thanos The Mad Titan was a big enough threat for Wade to call on the help of All MIght and hopefully, it won’t be the last time that we see these two universes collide in a manga setting.

This spring, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will arrive on the small screen and the spin-off also has a unique Marvel crossover of its own. In the original manga, new heroes were introduced who were clearly tributes to two of Marvel’s biggest mutants, Cyclops and Wolverine. While it has yet to be established whether these “homages” will appear in the anime series, there’s a strong possibility that this hilarious crossover will be animated.

Want to see how the worlds of Marvel and anime continue to collide? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on anime crossovers and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via My Hero Academia Social Media Account

The post My Hero Academia Reveals Official Marvel Captain America: Brave New World Crossover appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In My Hero Academia, battles aren’t just about who has the stronger Quirk—they’re moments that define the characters and their journeys. Every fight pushes heroes and villains past their limits, testing their strength, ideals, and determination. Some fights are about survival, while others are deeply personal, shaped by rivalries, grudges, and the weight of responsibility. Whether it’s a hero standing against impossible odds or a villain proving their dominance, these battles carry real emotional stakes. 

With high stakes-action and deeply personal conflicts, the series delivers emotionally charged battles that leave a lasting impact on both the characters and the audience. From explosive showdowns between top Pro Heroes to life-changing duels between students, the series has no shortage of adrenaline-pumping moments. Some fights mark the downfall of legends, while others signal the rise of new heroes, each bringing a mix of intense action and meaningful storytelling. These battles don’t just entertain—they define the journey of the characters, their struggles, and their growth. With that in mind, here are the ten best fights in My Hero Academia that can only be described as truly Plus Ultra. 

10. Uraraka vs. Bakugou (Sports Festival Arc)

While it may not be the flashiest fight in the series, Uraraka vs. Bakugou carries significant thematic weight and character development for both characters. Up until this point, Uraraka has been seen as a cheerful and somewhat naive character in My Hero Academia. However, her battle against Bakugou forces the audience and the characters within the story. to recognize her as a capable, determined character who is to be taken seriously. She enters the match with a well-thought-out strategy, attempting to use Bakugou’s aggressive combat style against him. 

But even when her plan fails, she refuses to give up, standing strong despite Bakugou’s relentless barrage of explosions. The fight also sheds light on Bakugou’s approach to combat; he respects fighters who give it their all regardless of their background or perceived strength. Uraraka ultimately loses the fight, but she earns the respect of her peers and proves that her worth isn’t defined by winning or losing. 

9. Deku vs. Lady Nagant  (Dark Hero Arc)

Occurring in the “Dark Hero” arc, this battle marks Deku’s first real test after embracing his vigilante persona, pushing him to the limits of his evolving power while challenging his ideals. Lady Nagant is more than just a skilled assassin; she represents the disillusionment that has infected hero society. As a former Pro-Hero who was manipulated and betrayed by the very system she served, her fight with Deku exposes the dark underbelly of hero society, making Deku question the true nature of justice. 

This also shows Deku’s growth as a hero because by this point he has mastered multiple quirks from One For All, including Fa Jin and Danger Sense. This battle forces him to combine these abilities in ways he hasn’t before, proving his growth. His ability to counter Nagant’s precision while saving the former villain Overhaul demonstrates his growing tactical intelligence and unwavering morality. When Deku finally reaches Nagant and extends his hand to her, the way her expression changes, showing the first signs of doubt and regret, adds to the emotional weight of the fight.

8. Bakugou vs. Shigaraki (Final War Arc)

The battle between Bakugo and Shigaraki in My Hero Academia’s Final War Arc is one of the most gripping and high-stakes fights in the series, showcasing Bakugo’s evolution as both a fighter and a hero. Unlike previous battles, this fight is not just about power, it’s about Bakugo’s determination to stand against an unstoppable force, even when the odds are overwhelmingly against him. Now wielding his refined Cluster technique, Bakugo pushes himself to inhuman limits, moving at speeds rivaling One For All and strategically countering Shigaraki’s decay-infused attacks. 

The battle is explosive and chaotic, with Bakugo using his mobility and rapid-fire explosions to keep Shigaraki from advancing on Deku and the other heroes. However, despite his newfound power, Shigaraki is simply too strong, his modified body and enhanced regeneration making him nearly unkillable. The moment Bakugo begins to surpass his own physical limits, the fight reaches a heart-wrenching climax—Shigaraki lands a devastating blow, critically injuring Bakugo in a moment that leaves fans stunned. More than just a fight, this battle is a defining moment for Bakugo, proving that he has truly embraced the essence of heroism—fighting, not for recognition or pride, but to protect the people he cares about, no matter the cost.

7. Lemillion vs. Overhaul (Shie Hassaikai Arc)

The battle between Lemillion and Overhaul is one of the most heartbreaking and heroic moments in My Hero Academia. Unlike many fights in the series that are about power, this battle is a testament to willpower, sacrifice, and the essence of being a true hero. When Overhaul threatens Eri, Mirio charges in alone, using his Permeation Quirk to dodge attacks with perfect precision, weaving through the battlefield like a ghost. 

The real emotional weight of the fight comes when Overhaul steals Mirio’s Quirk, stripping him of his greatest weapon. Despite this devastating loss, Mirio keeps fighting with nothing but his own skill and determination, proving that being a hero isn’t about having a Quirk. It’s about never giving up, no matter the odds. Even Quirkless, he protects Eri with his life, embodying the spirit of what a true hero should be. 

6. Shouto vs. Dabi (Final War Arc)

This battle embodies the deep fractures within the Todoroki family. Unlike other fights driven by ambition or heroism, this battle is rooted in trauma, revenge, and redemption. Dabi, once a hopeful child seeking his father’s approval, has become a symbol of resentment and destruction, using his pain to justify his pursuit of vengeance. His goal is not just to defeat Shouto but to completely dismantle Endeavor’s legacy, exposing his abuse to the world and proving that hero society worships false idols. In contrast, Shoto represents resilience and growth, showing that he refuses to let their father’s mistakes define him.

Dabi’s reckless blue flames threaten to consume him, while Shouto counters with his new technique, Phosphor. Their battle is more than just a clash of power; it’s a tragic confrontation between two brothers who were shaped by the same pain but chose drastically different paths. His breakdown is one of the most tragic moments in the series, as it becomes clear that not everyone can be redeemed. 

[RELATED – 10 Best Naruto Fights That Will Make You an Instant Fan]

5. Mirko vs. the High End Nomus  (Paranormal Liberation War Arc)

The battle between Mirko and the High-End Nomus is one of My Hero Academia’s most exhilarating displays of raw power and sheer determination. Unlike other heroes who rely on strategy or flashy Quirks, No. 5 Pro Hero Mirko is a pure powerhouse, using her immense physical strength, agility, and reflexes to take on multiple High-End Nomus alone. These Nomus, which possess enhanced regeneration and advanced intelligence, prove to be some of the most formidable opponents in the series, but Mirko refuses to back down. 

Even as she suffers gruesome injuries—losing an arm and sustaining deep wounds—she continues fighting, embodying the purest form of heroism: pushing forward no matter the cost. Her battle highlights her unyielding spirit, proving that she is not just a background hero but a true symbol of resilience and strength. This battle not only cements her as one of the most fearsome Pro Heroes but also sets the tone for the intensity of the Paranormal Liberation War. 

4. Endeavour vs. Hood (Pro Hero Arc)

The battle between Endeavor and the High-End Nomu, Hood, is a defining moment in My Hero Academia, marking his true rise as the No. 1 Pro Hero after All Might’s retirement. This fight isn’t just about victory, it’s about proving he is worthy.  Endeavor has spent his career chasing after All Might’s legacy, and now, with all eyes on him, he faces a nearly indestructible opponent that forces him beyond his limits. The High-End Nomu is unlike anything he’s fought before, boasting incredible regeneration, intelligence, and overwhelming strength. 

As the battle rages through the city, Endeavor suffers devastating injuries yet refuses to fall, pushing himself further than ever before. His use of the series’ iconic catchphrase, “Plus Ultra,” even as he claims to hate it, isn’t just a battle cry. It’s a declaration that he is no longer standing in All Might’s shadow. The final moments, where Endeavor stands victorious, battered but unbroken, and raises his fist in triumph, serve as one of the most powerful images in the series. 

3. Bakugou vs. Deku (Provisional Hero License Exam Arc)

This fight is one of the most emotionally charged and character-defining battles of the series. Unlike their previous scuffles or the U.A. Sports Festival fight, this confrontation is deeply personal, driven by years of unspoken emotions, guilt, and rivalry. For most of his life, Bakugou believed he was destined to be the best, but Deku’s rapid improvement challenged everything he thought he knew. This fight is his way of searching for answers. 

When the fight ends with Bakugou pinning Deku down, the raw emotion of the moment is clear. Bakugou, overwhelmed by frustration and guilt, finally confesses his insecurities, his belief that he failed All Might, and his struggle to accept Deku’s strength. This vulnerability is one of Bakugo’s biggest moments of character growth, showing that despite his arrogance, he deeply cares about being the best hero he can be. 

2. Deku vs. Shigaraki (Final War Arc)

The battle between Deku and Shigaraki in My Hero Academia’s seventh season is one of the most intense and pivotal fights in the entire series, showcasing the culmination of their ideological and physical conflict. Now fully awakened, Shigaraki wields his evolved decay and overwhelming strength, making him near-unstoppable. Deku, understanding that conventional heroes cannot stop him, pushes One For All to its absolute limits, tapping into multiple Quirk abilities at once, including Float, Blackwhip, and Danger Sense. 

The battle is relentless, taking place in the ruined cityscape as Deku fights with everything he has to keep Shigaraki away from civilians and fellow heroes. The sheer scale of destruction and the high-speed choreography make this fight feel like a true clash of titans, with each blow carrying massive consequences for the future of hero society. However, despite his overwhelming strength, Deku realizes that Shigaraki is no longer just himself—All For One’s influence is growing within him, turning this battle into a struggle not just against a villain but against a force that could erase the very essence of heroism itself. This fight is not just about winning, it’s about survival and the future of their intertwined fates. 

1. All Might vs. All For One (Hideout Raid Arc)

As the showdown between the Symbol of Peace and the Ultimate Villain, the fight not only marks the end of an era but also sets the stage for the new generation of heroes. This fight is All Might’s last stand, the moment when the world watches as its greatest hero pushes himself beyond his limits one last time. With his strength already depleted from years of injuries, All Might is fighting at a fraction of his full power. 

Yet, despite his weakened state, he refuses to back down, knowing that if he falls here, society’s faith in heroes will collapse. His victory is symbolic, a final reassurance to the people that he will always be their hero, even when his powers are gone. The fight ends with All Might pointing at the camera, iconically declaring “You’re next!”. While the public believes he is addressing the remaining villains, Deku knows the truth; the message is meant for him. It is a declaration that All Might’s time as a hero has come to an end, and Deku is now the next symbol of peace.

The post 10 Best My Hero Academia Fights That Are Truly Plus Ultra appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its highly anticipated anime debut later this Spring, and the prequel anime will make good on one of the big promises from the original series by bringing back a criminally underused hero. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a special spinoff series that not only tells its own story outside of the events of Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, but many of its moments and characters have direct ties into that series’ events. It’s one of the big benefits the spinoff series has by also being a prequel that’s actually set five or so years before the original.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a special prequel series set years before the events of the main My Hero Academia series, and that means that its main character Koichi Haimawari comes face to face with the same pro heroes that Izuku Midoriya meets in the main series. But because it’s set so long before, these heroes are at a much different stage in their life. This is especially true for Tensei Iida, who was the original Ingenium before his younger brother took the title. And who’s coming to this anime with a much more expanded role.

Ingenium Returns in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

In the original My Hero Academia series, Tenya’s older brother Tensei is alluded to as Ingenium, a hero that Tenya really looked up to. But when Tensei is taken out of action and is forced to retire due to an attack from Hero Killer Stain, Tenya decides to don his brother’s title and become a pro hero in his stead. But My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is going to be the place where fans actually get to see the speedy hero in action as he becomes a regular part of Koichi Haimawari’s early vigilante career in the prequel. It was officially announced that Masamichi Kitada will be returning from the My Hero Academia to voice his character in the prequel too.

As stated in a special statement shared with fans, Kitada is excited to really show off more of Ingenium’s time as a hero, “I’ve been waiting for the anime adaptation of ‘Vigilantes’ more than anyone else. I’m really happy. I can’t wait to be able to show everyone the sight of the first Ingenium sprinting. [Tensei] is a really cool guy. I will do my best to convey [Tensei]’s determination, passion, and fighting spirit that come through in the original work. Let’s run all the way together!” It’s because he’s finally doing something heroic on screen with this new anime.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Runs Into Pop Step Controversy

When Does My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Come Out?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its premiere on April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. The new anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki for Bones Film with Yosuke Kuroda returning from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida returning to oversee the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi. Kitada will be returning from the My Hero Academia alongside Kenta Miyake as All Might, Junichi Suwabe as Eraserhead, Hiroyuki Yoshino as Present Mic, and Akeno Watanabe as Midnight.

They will be joining the brand new illegal hero trio at the center of the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime too with Shuichiro Umeda as Koichi Haimawari (who becomes the vigilante known as The Crawler), Ikumi Hasegawa as Kazuho Haneyama (who becomes the vigilante idol known as Pop Step) and Yasuhiro Mamiya as Iwao Oguro (the brutal vigilante known as Knuckleduster).

The post New My Hero Academia Prequel Anime to Feature Criminally Underused Hero appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is finally coming to the silver screen. Fans of the superhero shonen series have wait since 2018 to see if the story of Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckle Duster would be animated and this April, those same fans are getting their wish. Studio BONES is diving into the spin-off series months before the eighth and final season of the main series, promising to show us the heroes that operate outside of the law. In the early chapters of the manga, Marvel’s X-Men didn’t just cameo in the side story but had major roles too boot.

In the earliest chapters of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ manga, we are introduced to two delinquent high schoolers named Ichimoku Samatsu and Jube Namimaru. While they don’t exactly look like Scott Summers and James Howlett, the two criminals in the making have Quirks that make them look quite like Cyclops and Wolverine. With the anime’s arrival on the horizon, now seems like the perfect time to not only revisit this unexpected Marvel crossover but to also begin speculating whether the pair will actually make their way to the television series. Ichimoku does have the ability to shoot energy beams from his eyes, but Jube doesn’t have Logan’s legendary adamantium claws, instead holding onto two wooden swords.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Goes Back To The Past With New Prequel Preview]

Uncanny Vigilantes

In the first volume of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ manga, artist Betten Court broke down the mutants’ inspiration on these anime characters, “Furuhashi instructed me to make them look like delinquents. Samatsu’s visor was inspired by a certain Marvel superhero. Namimaru (whose name comes from a certain group) just gets rounder and rounder the more I draw him.”

Writer Hideyuki Furuhashi went into even more detail on the pair, confirming that Ichimoku and Jube were one hundred percent meant to pay homage to Cyclops and Wolverine, “Two certain someones from X-Men, yes. At first I was just going to use them for the start of chapter three, thinking ‘I’ll barely get away with this level of parody, so this time only…’ But then they kept showing up in chapters four and five, so my editor said, ‘These guys again huh?’ They’ll probably end up as regulars in the bonus pages of the volumes. I like them because they’re just so easy to employ however I want.”

Past Class 1-A Marvel Interactions

The biggest meeting of the anime universe with the Marvel universe was in Deadpool: Samurai in which everyone’s favorite Merc With a Mouth teamed up with All Might to take on Thanos the Mad Titan. As of the writing of this article, an anime adaptation for this Wade Wilson manga hasn’t been confirmed and the manga itself is on hiatus. Hopefully, comic fans will one day see a full blown crossover that will slam the two universes together as a fight between Class 1-A and Marvel’s finest is one that would be well worth checking out.

Want to see if Charles Xavier’s students make the cut for the upcoming anime? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Vigilantes and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post Yes, The X-Men Really Did Appear in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Aizawa has long been a key figure not just in fighting against the crime running rampant in Hero Society, but also molding a new generation of heroes. While Eraserhead was originally a scourge on the underworld, the My Hero Academia mentor has grown to become an amazing teacher despite his rough edges. Even though the manga has already ended, creator Kohei Horikoshi has been spending time creating new art for some of his favorite characters. In a surprising turn, the mangaka has shared a new take on Eraserhead that is by far the darkest look for the former vigilante turned official crime fighter.

The seventh season of My Hero Academia saw Eraserhead joining his students on the battlefield, attempting to use his Quirk to make sure that Shigaraki wasn’t able to access the full strength of All For One. Unfortunately, Aizawa’s original plan came to a halt when he was interrupted by Toga and her many clones that were created thanks to a post-mortem boost from Twice. While Shigaraki might be completely unleashed, Deku luckily seems to be up to the task so far. With the eighth and final season arriving this fall, My Hero Academia will still have some big moments for the UA Academy teacher.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Goes Back To The Past With New Prequel Preview]

Eraserhead’s Dark New Outfit

Since My Hero Academia’s manga ended, creator Kohei Horikoshi has normally created new art to accompany the anime episodes that have released post-series finale. Luckily, it seems that the artist still is infatuated with his superhero universe, and wanted to create a new dark take on Aizawa. While no context was shared for this new aesthetic, it might be a re-imagining of Eraserhead had he acted as a villlain rather than a heroic teacher.

Aizawa’s About To Be Busy

On top of the eighth and final season of the main series dropping later this year, Eraserhead will have a major role in the spin-off dropping this April. On top of being highlighted during his superhero career, the side story also travels to the past to focus on Aizawa’s younger days as a student at UA Academy himself. If you’ve been following the main anime, this might turn out to be essential viewing as Vigilantes dives deeper into the friendship of Aizawa, Present Mic, Midnight, and Oboro Shirakumo (the former hero who would become Kurogiri).

In terms of any potential sequels and/or spin-offs of the shonen series, that’s any anime fan’s guess at this point. Horikoshi nor Shonen Jump has confirmed that there would be a new tale in the UA Academy universe, though Kohei himself has alluded to the idea in the past that his days of creating manga are far from over.

Want to stay in the loop on all the new art coming from Kohei Horikoshi? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on UA Academy and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Shares Dark New Take on Eraserhead appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes might focus on crime fighters operating outside of the law, but anime fans might be surprised as to when this story takes place. While the eighth and final season of the television series is arriving later this year, the anime focusing on Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckle Duster will take fans back to the past for its adventure. Thanks to a new preview, not only will we have the opportunity to check out some of the top heroes in their earlier years, but some major characters that were killed thanks to the fight against All For One will be “resurrected” too boot.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes might take place in the same universe as UA Academy but it was in fact not made by franchise creator Kohei Horikoshi. Instead, the spin-off was created by writer Hideyuki Furuhashi and artist Betten Court. Running for six years with fifteen volumes of its original manga, the series was one that could continue for multiple seasons and run past the conclusion of the main anime adaptation if Studio Bones so chooses. Not only does the story revolve around the three main vigilantes in the recent past, but the side story also ventures far back into the past to follow the likes of Eraserhead, Present Mic, and Midnight in their far younger days.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Runs Into Pop Step Controversy]

Back To The Class 1-A Past

The very fact that All Might is featured in the promotional material for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is proof enough that the spin-off takes place in the past, though you might be surprised at the other faces slated to appear. Midnight, for example, died in the fight against All For One in My Hero Academia’s sixth season and another big hero from the past is slated to appear. Tensei Iida, older brother to Tenya Iida, also is featured here, with the side story planning to show him in action before he suffered a terrifying fate at the hands of the Hero Killer Stain.

While Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckle Duster might not be a part of UA Academy, the trio of heroes makes good with their Quirks, or lack thereof, when it comes to entering the playing field. This spin-off might not feature Deku and his classmates but it is an important one to check out for fans of the main series as it will reveal some shocking details about some of your favorite heroes and villains. You can check out the new posters released by Studio Bones below.

My Hero Academia: How Will The Franchise Move Forward?

At this point, it seems likely that Vigilantes will “outlive” the main series as it has more than enough material to give it a second season. With the main My Hero Academia anime ending later this year, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll never see Deku and company on the screen again. At present, Studio BONES has been quiet on whether a new movie will take place in the shonen universe though following the success of My Hero Academia: You’re Next but the possibility is there. Without going into spoiler territory for the series finale, My Hero Academia could give us some wild theatrical stories in the future.

Want to see what other surprises that My Hero Academia has in store for anime fans? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on UA Academy and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Goes Back To The Past With New Prequel Preview appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Warning! Spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 8 to follow! My Hero Academia will be making its grand return to TV screens later this Fall with the eighth and final season of the anime overall. My Hero Academia Season 7 was one of the most eventful seasons of the series to date as Izuku Midoriya and the other young heroes have kicked off their final battles against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki’s massive army of villains. Through to the final episodes, the important battles across the war have come to their respective ends with big losses on both sides of the conflict.

The biggest loss heading into the final season of My Hero Academia, however, was Katsuki Bakugo. In a final collision with Tomura Shigaraki, Bakugo had pushed his quirk beyond to a new limit in order to help buy time for the other heroes until Deku made it to the battlefield. This ended with Bakugo taking a fatal blow, and his fate is still currently unknown as of the end of Season 7. But that’s not entirely true either as My Hero Academia’s manga revealed what happens next, and it raises some questions about how Season 8 is going to handle things for anime fans. Major spoilers to follow, you’ve been warned!

How Will My Hero Academia’s Anime Bring Back Bakugo?

The fact of the matter is that Bakugo returns to the battlefield to help out one more time before My Hero Academia comes to an end. He’s far from being fully dead as thanks to the help and quick work of Best Jeanist and Edgeshot, Bakugo’s heart is kept beating and he’s able to come back to life. Though he has been heavily injured, he actually plays a very crucial role in helping to stop All For One before things get worse. So while Season 7 left him on a cliffhanger, Bakugo indeed survives this attack and comes back.

But the big question for My Hero Academia fans, however, is how the anime team themselves will be handling this fact. Bakugo’s ultimate fate might have been spoiled by manga readers during My Hero Academia‘s final chapters releasing over the course of the last couple of years, but there’s a chance that there are many anime fans will be watching with fresh eyes and don’t know that Bakugo survives. That is unless the anime team decides to reveal it early through promotional materials.

As My Hero Academia Season 8 airs this Fall, it won’t be too much longer before the anime begins revealing more promotional materials revealing the first look at the final episodes. This is a delicate balancing act, however, as because Bakugo plays such a huge part in the final battles, there’s a good chance that any scene involving him (ideally) wouldn’t be used for these promotional materials. That’s if the anime team wants to keep it a secret, however.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Runs Into Pop Step Controversy

My Hero Academia Won’t Keep the Bakugo Secret For Long

Bakugo’s such a big part of My Hero Academia, it’s hard to imagine that the anime will be advertising the final season without featuring him. Not only did he win the worldwide character popularity poll held after the manga’s finale next year, but has had some big moments as the series’ deuteragonist overall. Therefore, the anime team just might rip off the bandage and reveal that Bakugo is indeed going to be coming back and show off those scenes in a future teaser for the final season.

The best compromise would be to hold off on showing Bakugo for as long as they can. My Hero Academia Season 8 can do quite a lot to tease its final episodes with new shots of the final battles between Deku and Shigaraki and All Might and All For One alone without revealing Bakugo’s return to battle. It’s such a big moment in the series that anime fans should get the chance to experience it completely fresh just as manga readers were able to last year, so the fact that it might be revealed so early is just a bit of a bummer.

Hopefully, My Hero Academia Season 8 doesn’t reveal Bakugo’s comeback before it’s time but there’s a chance that it’s going to get spoiled further anyway as manga readers will likely be counting down to Bakugo’s return episode. Maybe the best course of action is to just get it out of the way, and use that Bakugo return to fuel the hype for the final episodes in this case. It’s an interesting element of the final season to consider as My Hero Academia Season 8 prepares to bring it all to its grand finale some time later this Fall (with no concrete date set for the final episodes just yet).

The post What Is My Hero Academia’s Final Season Going to Do With Bakugo? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For years, many shonen fans believed that the My Hero Academia spin-off series, Vigilantes, would never receive its own spin-off. Now, as the main series approaches its series finale, Studio Bones has confirmed that the story of Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster will finally be told on the small screen. While the initial trailers and promotional material for the series arriving this spring has gotten anime fans hyped, there has been some controversy regarding the main female figure of the side story. In bringing Pop Step from the printed page to the small screen, Bones has made some changes when it comes to the vigilante’s costume.

Like many other heroes in the universe of UA Academy, Kazuho Haneyama’s super powers are such that they hardly seem up to par with the likes of One For All and All For One. “Leap” allows Pop Step to do just what is advertised, aka jumping high into the air should Kazuho be on a solid surface. Should she be on a non-solid surface, her power doesn’t allow her to jump nearly as high. Without going into spoiler territory, her powers do change significantly in the series due to unforeseen events which take place in the story.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime Reveals Release Date & Cast With New Promo]

Pop Step’s Costume Changes

In bringing Pop Step’s look to the small screen, Studio Bones has made some changes to the Vigilante’s costume, causing a stir amongst anime fans online. While an official reason hasn’t been revealed by the production house, it’s clear that Bones decided to take a more conservative approach to the hero’s outfit. You can check out the difference between Pop Step in the original manga and the new anime adaptation below.

Changing character appearances from the manga to the screen is nothing new in the anime world. Most recently, One-Punch Man did just that when it came to one of their heroes, “Blackluster,” making some big changes to the character when it comes to the upcoming third season of the television series. It will be interesting to see if Vigilantes is hit with any other changes as it prepares to debut this April.

The Vigilantes Are Coming

If you’re unfamiliar with My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the spin-off focuses on new heroes that operate outside of the law. Despite this fact, the side story does feature quite a few characters from the main series. Specifically, Vigilantes has story arcs that follow the likes of Eraserhead, Present Mic, Midnight, All Might, and Mirko earlier in their lives. While the upcoming anime adaptation hasn’t confirmed if its story will continue past its initial season, there is more than enough material from the manga to mean that the spin-off will continue with new seasons following the end of My Hero Academia’s main anime.

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

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Runs Into Pop Step Controversy appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its highly anticipated anime debut later this April, and the anime has finally set a release date for the new series with a new look at the anime’s central cast. My Hero Academia is set to have quite the huge year as although Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga ended last year, the TV anime is set to come to its own end later this Fall with its eighth and final season. But before fans get to see how it all ends, we are going to be treated to a new look at how the My Hero Academia world began.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spinoff series that takes place five years before the events of the main My Hero Academia series. This prequel follows a trio of local heroes who decide to start fighting villains and criminals without their official hero licenses because their small town is in danger. Now fans won’t have to wait too much longer for this new series to make its anime debut as it’s now scheduled to make its debut on April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. You can check out the special new promo for the upcoming anime below as shared by TOHO Animation.

What to Know for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its premiere on April 7th as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. Along with the newest promo and trailer, the anime has also revealed the central voice cast behind its main trio of illegal heroes. Shuichiro Umeda will be starring as Koichi Haimawari, who decides to become a local hero named “The Crawler” (who is also inspired by All Might like Izuku Midoriya) to help out people in his neighborhood. Ikumi Hasegawa will be starring as Pop Step, a local neighborhood idol who goes from performing on the street to helping Koichi.

And finally, Yasuhiro Mamiya stars as Knuckleduster, a wild vigilante hero who takes Koichi under his wing as they end up wrapped up in a much more intense story than Koichi ever expected. The new anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki by Studio Bones’ new Bones Film offshoot production house. Yosuke Kuroda returns from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida is overseeing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi will be composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi.

RELATED: My Hero Academia: Shoto Todoroki Star Reacts to Young Fan’s Viral Video

Why You Should Watch My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

If you’re a fan of My Hero Academia, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a definite must-watch. Originally written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, this might be a spinoff series to the main events but it has some very important ties to the original hero series. There are entire arcs of this prequel series that help to flesh out some of the biggest reveals in the original My Hero Academia (that really were only teased at in the original anime series), and fans get to see what Japan was like before heroes really took over.

This series also gives fans a look at some of the main series’ pro heroes at a much earlier stage in their lives, and this even includes All Might who is still very much in his prime. But as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes reveals that the hero world is much sketchier than fans saw in the main series, fans will fall in love with its central trio of illegal heroes much like Deku and the others in the main series.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime Reveals Release Date & Cast With New Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is making a big comeback this Spring with a brand new prequel anime series, and fans have gotten another look at what to expect with a new trailer for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. Kohei Horikoshi’s original My Hero Academia manga might have come to an end last year, but the anime franchise is far from done. Although the main TV anime series is readying to come to its own conclusion later this Fall, but My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be ushering in a much different era for the franchise first when the anime makes its debut this Spring.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is currently scheduled to make its debut this April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, and it will be adapting the official prequel to the main My Hero Academia series. This series is set years before the events of My Hero Academia, and follows a few characters who get into the hero business under more illegal means as the hero association has yet to expand to their little town. You can check out the newest trailer for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes in the video above.

What Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?

Originally written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an official spinoff manga that takes place about five years before the events of the original series. It starts new main hero, Koichi Haimawari, who decides to be a local street hero helping out in his neighborhood in his spare time. Inspired by his favorite hero All Might (not unlike Izuku Midoriya), Koichi soon gets wrapped up in a much more dangerous world as he becomes a fully vigilante hero not authorized by the rest of the continually growing hero world in Japan.

It’s a much different kind of hero world than seen in My Hero Academia, and it’s a much needed watch for fans of that main series. Not only does Koichi meet some of the heroes in the main series at a much different place in their careers (just as how he gets to see All Might in action during his prime, before he started weakening in My Hero Academia), but some of the characters he also meets end up fleshing out some of the reveals and moments that we see in the main series too. It’s going to be necessary viewing for sure.

RELATED: My Hero Academia’s Finale Is Coming But the Series May Not Be Over

When Does My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Come Out?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its TV anime debut this April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, but has yet to confirm a concrete release date as of the time of this publication. The new anime will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki by Studio Bones’ new Bones Film offshoot production house. Yosuke Kuroda returns from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida is overseeing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi will be composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi.

This new anime has also yet to reveal how long it’s going to be sticking around for, but there’s plenty of material to adapt. The original My Hero Academia: Vigilantes manga has officially come to an end, so there’s definitely a solid roadmap for the new anime to follow for the next few years. If you wanted to check out the original series before the new anime hits, you can find the entire manga now available with Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha’s MangaPlus service.

The post New My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Trailer Shows Off New Prequel Anime appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia fans have been loving a recent viral video on TikTok where a young girl loves the fact Shoto Todoroki shares similarities with her, and it turns out that Shoto voice actor Yuki Kaji has seen the video and shared his support as well. My Hero Academia‘s anime is preparing to have a massive year as the franchise will be returning for the eighth and final season of the TV series overall. And that means that fans are going to get to see Shoto in action one last time along with Izuku Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A’s young heroes.

Shoto really had some big moments in My Hero Academia Season 7 as it aired last year, and has cemented himself as one of the top three heroes in the franchise as voted by fans. It turns out that there are some very young fans that can be accounted for too, however, as lastflashqueen on TikTok has gone viral with a special video that shows a young child noticing that Shoto shares a birthmark that looks exactly like hers. It’s super sweet and fans have really been embracing the young hero. Check it out below:

My Hero Academia Responds to Viral Video

But as spotted by Anime News Network, it turns out that this viral video has even reached the voice of Shoto Todoroki in My Hero Academia himself, Yuki Kaji as well. Taking to social media, Kaji shared that original series creator Kohei Horikoshi had actually shown him the viral video, “I watched a video of a girl who had a birthmark in the same place as Shoto that Horikoshi-sensei told me about,” Kaji’s message began. “‘It’s the same as me,’ she said, hugging the doll with a cute smile.” Which further shows how big of a viral video this really was.

As Kaji continues, it’s a message that Todoroki can still save someone even if he himself has a tragic origin for his own scar, “Even if he has a tragic backstory, it has the potential to save someone…There was a heroic side to this only Shoto could have.” And given how Todoroki’s main story has been how he has overcome his past and the trauma from the rest of the Todoroki family heading into the future, then My Hero Academia has clearly made an impact with fans of any age.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Returns With New Movie Promos: Check Them Out

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia has a big year ahead as the anime is returning for Season 8. This will serve as the final season for the series overall, and that means it will finally bring the final fights against Tomura Shigaraki and All For One to their proper conclusions. With the My Hero Academia manga coming to an end last year but returning for a special epilogue with the release of its final volume, it’s yet to be revealed which ending that the anime will be adapting when it ends its own run.

My Hero Academia will also be making a brand new anime debut later this Spring with the premiere of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. This is a prequel that takes place years before the events of the main series, and showcases a different side of the hero world that we see in action with Deku and the others. With new characters that have ties to some significant events seen in the anime’s final season, fans are definitely going to want to keep an eye out for the prequel when it hits.

HT – Anime News Network

The post My Hero Academia: Shoto Todoroki Star Reacts to Young Fan’s Viral Video appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is gearing up for a huge 2025, and things are kicking off to a big start for the year as My Hero Academia: You’re Next is getting ready for its home media release overseas with some special new promo art showing off the new movie’s characters. My Hero Academia: You’re Next made its debut last year as the fourth major feature film in the long running My Hero Academia franchise. But as the anime gets closer to its final climax than ever, You’re Next offered up a powerful villain that Izuku Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A largely had to deal with on their own.

My Hero Academia: You’re Next released to quite a lot of success in both Japan and other international territories when its made its debut across theaters last year, and now the new film is preparing for its Blu-ray and DVD release in Japan beginning on February 19th. The new home media release overseas is going all out for the occasion with some special new promo art for each of the characters at the center of it, and you can check out the special promo posters for My Hero Academia: You’re Next below.

What Is My Hero Academia: You’re Next?

Featuring My Hero Academia series creator Kohei Horikoshi as the supervisor and new character designer, My Hero Academia: You’re Next was directed by Tensai Okamura for studio Bones. Yosuke Kuroda returned from the TV anime to write the script, Yoshihiko Umakoshi returned to provide the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi returned to compose the music. New characters and cast introduced in the film included Kenta Miyake as Dark Might, Meru Nukumi as Anna Scervino, Mamoru Miyano as Giulio Gandini, who all play big roles in the new movie.

My Hero Academia: You’re Next was the fourth major film in the My Hero Academia anime franchise following Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, and World Heroes’ Mission, and is set in between Seasons 6 and 7 of the TV anime. TOHO Animation teases the film as such, “‘Next, it’s your turn!’ In a society where heroes and villains continuously battle in the name of peace and chaos, Deku, a U.A. High School student who aspires to be the best hero he can be, confronts the villain who imitates the hero he’s long admired. Can Deku and the rest of U.A. High Class 1-A protect the world by putting an end to Dark Might, the man claiming to be the new Symbol of Peace?”

RELATED: The Top 2025 Anime Releases You Don’t Want to Miss

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia has some big plans for how it wants to spend 2025, however. My Hero Academia’s TV anime will be returning for Season 8 later this Fall, and it will be officially serving as the final season of the series overall. It’s yet to be revealed how long the final season will be sticking around for, but there is still quite a lot of material to cover from Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga before it can all come to an end.

That’s not all, however, as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will first be making its own TV anime debut first. Hitting screens around the world beginning some time this April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule, this new anime spinoff will be adapting the prequel manga of the same name. This anime has also yet to reveal how long it’s going to be either, but it’s going to be necessary watching for fans who love the original My Hero Academia series.

The post My Hero Academia Returns With New Movie Promos: Check Them Out appeared first on ComicBook.com.

When you buy through our links, Comicbook may earn an affiliate commission. Fans of the long running anime series My Hero Academia will be excited to know that Funko has just dropped a new line of MHA Pops that will definitely help with the post-show sadness. Indeed, the show is coming to an end this year with its eighth and final season, and you can prepare yourself with Funko Pops of heroes and villains such as Midoriya, Shigaraki, Star and Stripe, Dabi, and even a glow-in-the-dark Dabi chase! These Pops are available to pre-order now here on Amazon and should be available here at Entertainment Earth later today. A full breakdown of the wave can be found below.

• My Hero Academia Izuku Midoriya Funko Pop 
• My Hero Academia Tomura Shigaraki Funko Pop
• My Hero Academia Lady Nagant Funko Pop
• My Hero Academia Stain Funko Pop
• My Hero Academia Star and Stripe Funko Pop
• My Hero Academia Dabi Funko Pop with the chance at a Glow-in-the-Dark Chase 
• You can keep up with all of the latest Funko Pop drops here via our weekly roundup.

More My Hero Academia News 

For those of us who like to watch heroes and villains battle it out with different quirks – don’t worry. Although MHA will soon be finished, a new spin-off show is right around the corner. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is set to make its anime debut this year, marking the first time that the My Hero Academia universe has produced a spin-off. The new series will be set 5 years before the events of the original anime, meaning this series should fill in the gaps in the original anime for some of the mainstay characters. 

While the original series had us following pro heroes who operated within the system, this new anime brings us face to face with a vigilante – ‘The Crawler’, AKA Koichi Haimawari, a young wannabe hero who tries to help his neighborhood by using his abilities without an official hero license. However, it doesn’t take long for Koichi to get wrapped up in a much larger mess than he was ready for. 

The new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime will make its debut some time in April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. Animation production will be handled by Studio Bones, just like the original My Hero Academia series.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest anime news and collectibles? Then keep an eye on our Gear Page!

The post Awesome My Hero Academia Funko Pops Drop Ahead of Final Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In 2024, manga artist Kohei Horikoshi made the decision to end the story of Izuku Midoriya and his fellow students at UA Academy with the final chapter of My Hero Academia. While the long-running manga series might have ended, there are still several projects in store for Class 1-A. One of the biggest was the side story My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, which would create new short stories that would see heroes teaming up for unique quests. Much like the torch holder, Team-Up Missions has wrapped its story and creator Yoco Akiyama has a message to the fans who have been following the spin-off since the start.

My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions first began in 2019, focusing on stories that were far more light-hearted than the fight against All For One and Shigaraki. Rather than entirely focusing on Deku and his goal of becoming the world’s greatest hero, the spin-off would see some lesser known heroes joining forces to take on threats that never made their way to the main series. With the shonen franchise confirming that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is receiving its own anime adaptation, the idea that Team-Up Missions will one day be animated isn’t completely out of the question.

[RELATED: After Five Years, a Hit My Hero Academia Series Is Ending This Weekend]

A Final Plus Ultra Message

The final page of My Hero Academia: Team-Up Mission’s last chapter once again brings together the main heroes of Class 1-A and their teachers for an ensemble image. Stating that “this is a side story of how we strove to become heroes,” the spin-off took the chance to both thank fans and promote the next manga from creator Yoco Akiyama. The final message read, “Thank you for reading! Please look forward to Akiyama-Sensei’s next work. Team-Up Mission Volume 8 will release sometime in 2025!”

My Hero Academia’s Anime Future

2025 will be a big year for UA Academy, not only thanks to the arrival of the eighth and final season of My Hero Academia’s anime, but the arrival of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes from Studio BONES. While not confirmed for this year, the superhero shonen franchise also might have future movies to release, as the latest film, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, was a hit at the box office. Considering how the manga came to a close, there might be some wild territory for future silver screen premieres to explore in Hero Society.

Want to stay up to date on Class 1-A following the conclusion of the series? 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: Team-Up Mission Ends With Special Message to The Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Released in September 2024, Ichi the Witch, a supernatural fantasy manga, has already won the hearts of many. It is written by Osamu Nishi and illustrated by Shiro Usazaki. At the end of each year, Manga Plus, the official global source of Shonen Jump manga, releases the top rankings. The ranking for all the new series is compiled based on the number of views within the first seven days after the first chapter’s release. The list is specifically limited to the series translated into English.

The app added 57 English-translated series in 2024, and Ichi the Witch ranked second, just behind Drama Queen. Ichi the Witch will release its first volume on January 4th, 2025. The bottom of the cover includes a comment from My Hero Academia creator Koehei Horikoshi. He says, “A high fantasy that is at once witty and stylish, and at the same time rich and deep. How many people can draw this balance? This is an ideal shonen manga that allows the reader to expand the world naturally.” With over 100 million copies in circulation, My Hero Academia is one of the most popular manga of all time. The mangaka’s comment on the first volume is surely a prideful moment for this new series as the official account on X promotes the volume’s release.

[RELATED: Shonen Jump’s Ichi the Witch Is Getting an Animated Manga in the New Year]

What is the Plot of Ichi the Witch?

The story is set in a fantasy world inhabited by magical creatures known as Majiks. Traditionally, individuals called Witches hunt these Majiks to extract their magic. It is believed that only women can become witches, and they are respected by everyone for their great power. Ichi, a young boy, lives on Druid Mountain and sustains himself through hunting. He was abandoned on the mountain and left to die, but he turned his situation around and became a skilled hunter.

The Druid Mountain hides a dangerous creature whose heart cannot be pierced by a woman. The powerful Majik threatens the safety of the people, but the witches are unable to defeat it. Hence, Ichi steps in to save the day. After defeating the Majik, he becomes the first male witch. His experience as a hunter influences his approach to magic, which blends survival instincts with newfound powers. The story continues as he challenges the long-held belief that only women can hold such a position.

Along the way, he encounters various challenges and adversaries, including powerful beings like King Uroro, who embodies hatred and has caused significant destruction. Ichi’s journey is full of confrontations with such formidable foes, as well as interactions with other witches and creatures in this magical world. While he does face opposition from traditionalists and rival witches, a few of them support Ichi and even see him as a harbinger of change. Not only that, Ichi also befriends some Majiks who sense his respect for their kind.

The manga has 16 chapters, which are currently released on the official Manga Plus app. While the release date of the first volume has been revealed, it’s only for the Japanese version. The English translation will take at least a few months to be globally available.

H/T: Official account of Ichi the Witch on X, Official Website of Manga Plus

The post My Hero Academia Creator Praises This Supernatural Hit as “Ideal for Shonen Manga” appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With the celebrations surrounding My Hero Academia‘s ending and the release of the final volume slowly winding down, Kohei Horikoshi’s hit superhero franchise is all but ready to be wrapped up. That said, fans of the series may soon have to bid farewell not only to My Hero Academia but also to its hit spin-off series, Team-Up Missions, which is finally ending in 2025 after five long years.

As per an official listing on Amazon Japan, Saikyo Jump’s February 2025 issue will include the final chapter of My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions, the popular spin-off written and illustrated by Yoko Akiyama. The issue releases on January 4th, 2025, concluding the long-running spin-off this weekend with Chapter 52. No other details have been provided regarding what to expect from this final chapter as of yet.

[Related: My Hero Academia: Team-Up Mission 45 Cover Pairs Deku With Koji Koda]

My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions To Wrap Up Its Run in 2025

Authored by one of Horikoshi’s talented assistants Yoko Akiyama, Team-Up Missions has been in serialization in Saikyo Jump for nearly half as long as the main series itself. Though not as popular as My Hero Academia‘s other spin-off Vigilantes, Team-Up Missions certainly has its own unique appeal by offering a window into the daily lives of the Class 1-A students and the rest of My Hero Academia‘s myriad side characters that generally don’t get much of the spotlight in the main series.

The spin-off has been collected into 7 volumes so far, the latest of which was released on December 4th, 2024. Five of these volumes are available in English so far, with Volume 6 set to release on March 4th, 2025. As such, it may be a while until non-Japanese fans can get their hands on the final chapter releasing this weekend as the final eighth volume of Team-Up Missions likely won’t be released in Japan until August or September 2025, judging by the pattern of release so far.

Source: Amazon Japan

The post After Five Years, a Hit My Hero Academia Series Is Ending This Weekend appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With 2024 nearing its end, it’s time to look ahead to what’s hitting in the anime world next year. This past year had some of the biggest releases we have seen in years as both TV anime and feature film releases have hit higher heights than ever before. It’s put a ton of pressure of what’s coming next in 2025, and hopefully the next wave of anime coming next year is going to all of those marks set by this year. Perhaps there is even a chance of 2025 surpassing everything that has come before with some of the new releases leading the pack.

2025 has revealed a lot of the new anime fans can look forward to over the next year. While far from the end of the reveals as lots of projects still under wraps, there are enough new anime already announced that the next year is already looking like it’s stacked with contenders for the best. There are plenty of new seasons for blockbuster franchises, manga making their highly anticipated anime debuts, brand new originals from prominent creative teams and more coming our way.

Read on for ten of the most anticipated new anime releases coming in 2025, and get ready for the new year!

Sakamoto Days

Release Date: January 11th (Netflix)

Leading the pack for new Shonen Jump series making their anime debuts in 2025 is Yuto Suzuki’s Sakamoto Days. As one of the more recent generation of action series that’s starting to find its groove with fans, Sakamoto Days is enjoying more of a cult favorite status at the moment. The anime is going to change things big time, however, as the action series is meant for as wide of an audience as possible. Following retired assassin turned convenience store owner, Taro Sakamoto, this series is ruled by what the coolest thing is at any given time.

This action might be based in the grounded assassination world, but the characters are anything but. Constantly bending the laws of physics to make fights as cool looking as they possibly be (as Sakamoto can be seen fighting across moving trains and through buildings), this series is basically perfect to share clips of online. It’s going to be a hit when it finds its audience.

Witch Watch

Release Window: April 2025

Kenta Shinohara’s Witch Watch is in the same generation as Sakamoto Days as it’s going to be Shonen Jump’s big anime premiere of the Spring. The two series could not be more different, however, as Witch Watch takes a fun, episodic approach to its own stories. When Morihito Otogi, an ogre, gets tasked with guarding his childhood friend, Nico, when she completes her training to become a witch, the two’s lives are never the same. The anime is guaranteed to have wacky magical shenanigans pretty much every week, and is going to serve as a fun way to reset yourself after watching everything else this Spring.

Witch Watch is not going to be the kind of series you seek out for high intensity action, but it’s certainly going to have plenty of the light humor that some of the best series are great at. And that has a much needed role of its own when stacked against everything else on your plate next year.

Fire Force Season 3

Release Window: April 2025 (Crunchyroll)

The first of the big returning franchises on this list is certainly one of the hottest comebacks. Fire Force ended Season 2 on a major cliffhanger, and it’s been many years with fans waiting for a potential comeback. Not only is the anime returning for new episodes next year, but Fire Force is actually kicking off the run towards its grand finale. With Atsushi Okubo’s original Fire Force manga now completed, the anime’s third season will be airing its episodes over the course of the next two years as it gears up to bring it all to an end.

There are actually some big spoilers and reveals in the newest trailers leading into Fire Force Season 3’s premiere, but showing all of it so early reveals the kind of confidence that this new season has leading to its premiere. It’s going to be a big one.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

Release Window: April 2025

My Hero Academia is coming to an end next year with its eighth and final season, and it almost made this list. But with two My Hero Academia releases competiting against one another, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes wins out for some key reasons. It’s finally going to be a full TV anime adaptation of the prequel spinoff series set years before the events of the original My Hero Academia, and fans get to see some of the rougher elements of the pro hero world that were ironed out by the time Izuku Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A enters the scene years later.

It’s a new My Hero Academia anime series that shows off a whole new side of the hero world, and that’s going to be especially important when fans get to see how the main series ends next Fall. The franchise is set to continue by bringing this long awaited spinoff to life, and fans will soon get to see why this has been such a cult hit.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2

Release Window: July 2025 (Crunchyroll)

Kaiju No. 8 had what had to have been the biggest anime debut of 2024 overall. Kaiju No. 8 simultaneously premiered its episodes around the world with both Crunchyroll and X, and that was the first time fans got to see a new anime launch with that kind of scale. It was appropriate for the project itself, however, as Kaiju No. 8 was stacked to the brim with giant monster action as fans watched 30 year old Kafka Hibino trying one last time of making his childhood dream of joining the Kaiju Defense Force come true.

Season 2 is teased to have even bigger moments wiht Kafka’s secret ability to transform into the titular Kaiju No. 8 revealed to the rest of the Defense Force, and now he has to keep fighting as hard as he can to stop the monsters and earn everyone’s trust before it’s all too late.

RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced

Spy x Family Season 3

Release Window: October 2025

Speaking of big returns, Spy x Family is finally coming back for Season 3 next year. Following the massive success of the first two seasons of the TV anime, and new movie, Spy x Family is ready to make its own comeback to screens with much more. The second season pushed more of the action outside of the Forger Family to highlight more of Yor’s assassination work with its biggest arc, and Season 3 is going to have much more of this kind of detour. Instead, fans are going to get much more of Loid’s spy action with WISE with some big events that go down and a particularly intense one involves Anya using her abilities to alleviate a hostage situation. It’s going to be a wild season.

One-Punch Man Season 3

Release Window: TBA 2025

Probably the biggest return of the year overall is also the most curious. One-Punch Man Season 3 unfortunately (and unfairly) has a lot riding on it to succeed. One-Punch Man had one of the highest rated debut anime seasons among fans, and it was such a lightning in a bottle that there was no way a future follow up could ever match that success. This was the case for Season 2, which tried its hardest with J.C. Staff but the differences between the first and second seasons were far too noticeable for fans to ignore. That could all change with the next season, however.

One-Punch Man Season 3 has been in the works for quite a while, and will be releasing next year to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the anime overall. If the team behind the series truly put all that time and effort behind the next wave of episodes, then One-Punch Man Season 3 could be the hit that fans are hoping for. Or it could be a huge bomb. Either way, it’s going to be one to watch.

Oshi no Ko Season 3

Release Window: TBA 2025

Oshi no Ko had a heck of a return with Season 2 of the anime earlier this year as there was a major flip between Aqua and Ruby’s perspectives. Oshi no Ko Season 2 introduced fans to the world of stage play adaptations, and with it had Aqua seeking out more of his mysterious father. Upon thinking this father was killed, it was then revealed he’s actually more wrong than he ever had been before. At the same time, Ruby was also making some dark discoveries for herself that is changing how she’s moving forward in the anime next. With Oshi no Ko‘s original manga ending last year, the anime now has a clear path forward as it gets closer and closer to that end.

Gachiakuta

Release Window: TBA 2025

Gachiakuta‘s one of those hidden gems that’s about to become a full blockbuster if the anime’s debut is a success. Originally created by Kei Urana for Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine in 2022, an artist who once worked together with Atsushi Okubo’s Fire Force, Gachiakuta was yet to really get its hooks into the manga audience outside of Japan. But like many of the best anime releases, Gachiakuta is set to find a much bigger world of fans who will be drawn to the gritty series inspired by street art and graffiti.

With the anime studio behind My Hero Academia bringing it to life, Gachiakuta tells the story of a young kid thrown into the garbage. Needing to fight back against the oppressive upper class who’ve wronged him, this new anime just might hit the perfect vein for 2025.

Lazarus

Release Window: TBA 2025 (Adult Swim, Max)

Last, but certainly not least, for this list is Lazarus. A new anime from the same director behind Cowboy Bebop, Carole & Tuesday and more, Shinichiro Watanabe, Lazarus is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing original anime productions from Adult Swim yet. With John Wick director Chad Stahelski attached to the project and designing action sequences, Lazarus is already shaping up to be one of the more unique projects hitting next year overall.

Telling a brand new story unlike seen in Watanabe’s other works, and Sola Entertainment bringing it all to life, a new group is pulling together to try and save everyone from the side effects of a supposed miracle drug that has actually shortened all of their lives by mistake. We can expect to see all kinds of intrigue when this one finally hits.

The post The Top 2025 Anime Releases You Don’t Want to Miss appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be finally making its full TV anime debut next year, and the anime is getting fans ready for what’s to come with the first look at the Crawler, Pop Step and Knuckleduster. My Hero Academia is going to have a huge 2025 as not only with the main TV anime series be returning for the eighth and final season of its run next Fall, but its big prequel spinoff series will be hitting screens with its own anime in the Spring. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes ties in to some key pieces of My Hero Academia‘s history, and has its own dynamic heroes at the center of it all.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is set about five years before the events of My Hero Academia, and introduces a much different look for the hero society than fans see in the main series. Because heroes aren’t as proliferate in this time as they are later, it means certain areas of Japan fall through under the cracks and aren’t under protection. This leads to the debut of some new unlicensed heroes, vigilantes, who take things into their own hands, The Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster, who are seen in the first trailer in the video above.

Who Are My Hero Academia’s Vigilante Heroes?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes introduces fans to Koichi Haimawari. Although he didn’t really plan on being a hero of any kind, he decides to help out in his neighborhood as The Crawler. Going around in his favorite All Might hoodie (as he shares a fandom for the number one hero with Izuku Midoriya), Koichi’s plans were to just help throw out trash and give out directions. Small chores that would make the neighborhood better was all he needed until he runs into the mysterious Knuckleduster.

This older man becomes his vigilante mentor as he fights villains and criminals with his bare fists. He’s unlike any character seen in the original My Hero Academia series, and he ends up wrapping Koichi in much bigger problems. As for Pop Step, she’s an underground performer who uses her quirk to put on illegals singing shows as she’s trying to be an entertainer. But like Koichi, it’s not long before she ends up wrapped up in the world of fighting bigger threats than they ever could have seen coming.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Shares Special Holiday Art Post-Finale

When Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Coming Out?

Originally written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its full TV anime debut some time in April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. Kenichi Suzuki will be directing the new anime for Studio Bones’ newly formed Bones Film team with Yosuke Kuroda returning from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts. Takahiko Yoshida will be overseeing the character designs for the new anime, and Yuki Hayashi will be composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi.

A concrete release date has yet to be set for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes as of the time of this publication, but there’s still plenty of time to check out the original manga release ahead of time. It’s now complete with over 120 chapters under its belt, and you can find the entire back catalog with Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library with a paid subscription. With the series setting the stage for some big events in My Hero Academia’s later arcs, fans are definitely going to want to keep an eye out for this one.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime Shares First Look at The Crawler & More appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia might have released the final chapter of its manga but that hasn’t stopped creator Kohei Horikoshi from continuing to dive into his beloved superhero shonen. On the regular, the mangaka will share new, original artwork of his heroes and villains, even while the end approaches for the anime adaptation as well. With the shonen franchise making some major announcements at this year’s Jump Festa to cap off 2024, Horikoshi still took the opportunity to portray some of his biggest crime fighters getting into the holiday spirit. In this new original art, Deku, Bakugo, and Mirko are giving Santa Claus a break for this year and bouncing their way across the rooftops.

If you want to celebrate the holidays with Class 1-A outside of this original art, we have good news for you. In the fifth season of the series, “Have A Merry Christmas” sees UA Academy’s finest all throwing on their Santa gear to have a merry holiday before they take on the likes of Shigaraki and All For One in the upcoming wars. While most of the class is more than willing to throw on Santa gear to ring in the holiday season, Bakugo holds onto his usual attitude and decides to wear his usual attire. The installment made for a nice respite before returning ot the brutal battles that made the series a hit amongst anime fans.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Brings Back Dark Deku With New Sketch]

Santa Deku, Santa Bakugo, And Santa Mirko

Arguably, Deku, Bakugo, and Mirko are three of the most popular characters to ever spring from the mind of mangaka Kohei Horikoshi. While All Might might be regularly thought of as the Symbol of Peace, the Rabbit Hero Mirko might have gained a far more passionate fanbase thanks to her personality and ability to get down and dirty on the battlefield. Considering the Quirks of this trio, sending them out to take over Santa Claus’ duties on Christmas certainly makes sense and Horikoshi himself shared a special message to fans alongside the new art.

“Thank you for your support this year! Thank you very much! Merry Christmas!”

The Vigilantes Are Coming

While fans prepare to say goodbye to the main heroes of the shonen universe via next year’s eighth and final season of My Hero Academia’s universe, that upcoming batch of episodes isn’t the only surprise that the superhero story has in store. At this year’s Jump Festa, Studio BONES confirmed that they would begin to adapt the spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, to the small screen as well. Considering how long this side story went in its original manga, we could potentially see several seasons that follow the likes of Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster.

Aside from following the heroes that operate outside of the law, Vigilantes also follows the earlier days of major crime fighters in the series. Past stories revolving around the likes of Eraserhead, Present Mic, Midnight, Mirko, Fat Gum, All Might, and more make up the spin-off and are sure to take many by surprise in the upcoming anime adaptation. Even though My Hero Academia’s manga is at an end, there’s plenty to look forward to if you are a fan of all things UA Academy.

Want to follow all the anime holiday goodies that are coming your way at year’s end? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on the anime holiday season and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Shares Special Holiday Art Post-Finale appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia might have come to an end earlier this Summer, but the creator behind it all has brought back Izuku Midoriya’s darkest (and coolest) form with some special new art. My Hero Academia came to an end with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer after Deku and the other heroes were successful in bringing the final fights against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki to an end. With the TV anime following behind with its own planned ending coming next year, it won’t be too much longer before the franchise reaches its grand finale in both forms.

My Hero Academia‘s final war against the villains really put Deku through the wringer as he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Being the final one who could use One For All, and the only one with enough power to directly fight against Shigaraki, Deku thought he had to do it all alone. Pushing himself as a vigilante hero working outside of the system without a real sleep or rest, Deku took on a dark new form that morphed his usual costume into something monstrous. Now this form has returned in a cool new sketch from series creator Kohei Horikoshi and you can check it out below.

What Is Dark Deku?

My Hero Academia pushed Deku to his limits as following All For One freeing all of the villainous prisoners within Tartarus, Deku wanted to stop as many as he could on his own. Fearing that anyone else would get caught up in the danger as he was the true target for everything, Deku briefly left U.A. Academy and started speeding around Japan to stop as many of these villains as possible. As he was learning to better use all of his One For All abilities together to form new powers, Deku was also becoming far from the kind of hero he truly wanted to be.

It took Ochaco Uraraka and the rest of Class 1-A to hunt down Deku and beat him out of his nonsense. The rest of his class wanted to band behind him and help Deku realize that he’s far from alone. It was here that there was a real turn in the series as from that point on the true final war between the heroes and villains began. But Deku needed this brief dark period as he had been dealing with so much before all of it. There was nowhere for his emotions to go than outward.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Brings Back Its Top Heroes With Jump Festa Promo

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

My Hero Academia will be officially returning to screens with Season 8 of the TV anime next Fall. Premiering some time in Fall 2025, this will serve as the final season of the series overall. Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga ended its run earlier this Summer, but the final volume of the series hit shelves in Japan earlier this month with a brand new final chapter that fleshed out more of the final events of the series. But it’s unclear as if whether or not the anime will be adapting this extra material.

My Hero Academia will first be returning with a brand new anime series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, next Spring. Airing in April 2025, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will feature much of the same team from the original TV anime, and will be handled by the newly crafted Bones Film wing of Studio Bones. This is a prequel series set years before the events of the main series and reveals looks at All Might, Endeavor and more in their prime. So there is a ton for My Hero Academia fans to enjoy next year.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Brings Back Dark Deku With New Sketch appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia officially came to an end earlier this year, but the creator behind it all has brought back its top heroes with a special new promo for Jump Festa 2025. It’s been a massive year for My Hero Academia as the series officially ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine after ten long years. Then the series ended up making a comeback with a special new epilogue with over 30 brand new chapters released with the final volume of the series hitting shelves in Japan earlier this month. But it’s still not over for Deku and the others just yet.

My Hero Academia might have ended its manga run, but it still has plenty to celebrate as there are all sorts of new projects for the series in the works next year. With the anime continuing with its final season airing next Fall and a new spinoff anime series on the way, My Hero Academia’s creator really went all out for the Jump Festa 2025 event with some special new art. Highlighting Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, and All Might for the event, you can check out Horikoshi’s new sketch below.

What’s Next for My Hero Academia?

It’s no surprise to see Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto headline this special sketch for Jump Festa 2025 as the three of them are My Hero Academia‘s top heroes. Following the original end of the series earlier this Summer, My Hero Academia fans voted in a worldwide popularity poll over the course of the last few months. The winners were revealed shortly before the release of the manga’s final volume in Japan, and Bakugo, Deku, and Shoto were voted the three best heroes by the world respectively as a result of all the votes tallied.

My Hero Academia‘s creator is now finishing up their work with My Hero Academia now that the manga’s final release is out. While there are likely still a few sketches to go off on here or there, Horikoshi is already starting to look towards the future and has putting the steps into planning whatever original series there is coming next. It’s likely going to be much different than what was seen with My Hero Academia over the last decade, but My Hero Academia itself isn’t completely over just yet thanks to its now in the works anime releases.

RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced

My Hero Academia Anime Returns in 2025

My Hero Academia is set to return to screens with Season 8 of the TV anime some time in Fall 2025. This will serve as the final season for the series overall, and will bring Deku’s fight against Tomura Shigaraki and All For One to an end. It’s yet to be revealed if the anime’s adaptation of the finale will be including all of the new material released with the final volume, but either way fans are ready to see how My Hero Academia brings it all to an end. That’s far from everything, however.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be officially making its full TV anime debut after fans have been asking to see it happen for such a long time. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has announced during Jump Festa 2025 that it will be making its TV anime premiere some time next April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. This new anime will be bringing the prequel spinoff series to life through the newly opened Bones Film, and fans will finally get to see some of the series’ biggest but hidden moments.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Brings Back Its Top Heroes With Jump Festa Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia is coming back to screens next year with a brand new anime, and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has debuted the first trailer for its big spinoff premiere. My Hero Academia‘s TV anime run will be officially coming to an end next year with the premiere of the eighth and final season. Scheduled to make its premiere some time next Fall, it won’t be too much longer before fans get to see how it all ends for Izuku Midoriya and the others. But while the main series is ending, My Hero Academia’s anime will continue on with a brand new series.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an official spinoff to the main My Hero Academia series that takes place years before the events of the main series. This prequel reveals what the pro hero world was like before Deku and the other young heroes started their journeys, and it means a much rougher kind of hero is needed to deal with this ever changing world of criminals and villains. You can check out the first trailer for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes in the video above as it readies for its Spring 2025 premiere.

What Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?

Originally written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an official spinoff that’s set about five years before the events of the main My Hero Academia series. It follows Koichi Haimawari, a recent graduate from school who’s sort of lost his lust for life. So in his downtime he decides to work around his neighborhood as the local, unlicensed hero known as The Crawler. While it starts out small enough as he only really intends to help give directions or properly dispose of trash, Koichi finds himself in a much more intense world than he ever expected to be in.

Teaming up with a few other unlicensed heroes, Koichi and his fellow “vigilantes” soon cross the paths of some other major pro heroes we see in their prime such as All Might, Endeavor, and even some other heroes before they become full pros such as Mirko, Shota Aizawa, Midnight and more. It’s a rare look into the past of My Hero Academia’s hero world, and has some very crucial ties to the main series through some of its big arcs teasing how the Nomus were first created and more.

RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced

When Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Coming Out?

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will be making its full anime debut some time in April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. A concrete release date has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, but it will be directed by Kenichi Suzuki by Studio Bones’ new Bones Film offshoot production house. Yosuke Kuroda returns from the main My Hero Academia TV anime to handle the scripts, Takahiko Yoshida is overseeing the character designs, and Yuki Hayashi will be composing the music together with Shogo Yamashiro and Yuki Furuhashi.

My Hero Academia is planning a massive takeover with these two new anime releases now hitting at relatively the same time. It’s yet to be revealed how long Vigilantes will be sticking around for, but there is plenty of material to adapt from the original manga series. And when it finally gets to some of the big arcs that tie back into some huge reveals in My Hero Academia, then fans are going to be locked in to each new episode as they hit. If you wanted to check out the original prequel manga, you can now find the complete run of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes with Viz Media’s digital Shonen Jump library.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Debuts First Trailer for New Anime Spinoff appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The My Hero Academia manga may be over, but there’s still plenty from the franchise for fans to look forward to. An eighth and final season of the anime is scheduled to release in the fourth quarter of 2025, and an anime adaption for the Vigilantes spin-off series has been announced at Jump Festa ’25. Bones, the same animation studio that works on the My Hero Academia anime, will also produce the Vigilantes spin-off. The Vigilantes anime is set to premiere in April 2025, with Bones sharing a first-look teaser of the anime at Jump Festa. The teaser gives fans a good look at how the protagonist, Koichi Haimawari, appears in the show.

Bones has shared the main staff of the series on the official Vigilantes website. The staff is stacked with veterans who have worked on some of the most popular anime in recent memory. The director for Vigilantes will be Suzuki Kenichi, best known for his work on Cells at Work and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean. The character designs will be handled by Yoshida Takahiko, an artist best known for working on Big Windup! and Yowamushi Pedal. The composer for My Hero Academia, Hayashi Yukira, will bring the series’ music to Vigilantes. With all these high-end talents working on the spin-off anime, Vigilantes is already setting itself up as being one of the most anticipated animes of 2025!

[RELATED: Jump Festa 2025: Every Major Anime Announced So Far]

What Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes About?

My Hero Academy takes place in a world where the majority of people have superpowers, known as Quirks in-universe. People can become licensed heroes and work for an agency as official superheroes, but those who fight crime without a license are deemed vigilantes. My Hero Academy: Vigilantes takes place five years before the events of the main series and stars a vigilante named Koichi, who has a Quirk that allows him to travel fast across any flat surface. Unfortunately, the catch is that he needs to make contact with the surface in at least three places on his body. He teams up with other vigilantes to fight off supervillains and goes by The Crawler.

The series was published by Shueisha for the Jump Comics+ imprint in Japan and the Shonen Jump+ magazine. Vigilantes lasted for six years, running from 2016 to 2022, releasing fifteen volumes. It was the second My Hero Academia spin-off to release, proceeding My Hero Academia: Smash!! and follow-up by Team-Up Missions. However, Vigilantes doesn’t feature any of the characters from the main series in major roles. While prominent heroes like All-Might make small appearances in the series, Vigilantes primarily focuses on original characters not related to the cast of the main series.

The spin-off offers fans a unique perspective of the world of My Hero Academia, showing what things were like before Deku gained the power of One for All. Whereas the main series focuses more on superhero-ing as a business and career, Vigilantes centers on the people who work outside the establishment. It’s a vastly different setting between those who are taught to be heroes and those who learn by doing.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Reveals First New Anime Details: What to Know appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has announced that Season 8 of the anime will be serving as the final season, and now it’s been confirmed that the final season will be hitting in the Fall of 2025. My Hero Academia brought Season 7 to an end earlier this Fall as fans saw Izuku Midoriya and the other heroes continue to struggle in the final battles against the villains. But with many of these fights reaching their respective ends, now only All For One and Tomura Shigaraki remain standing as the final opponents to take down before this long and grueling war can come to an end.

My Hero Academia previously confirmed that the final season of the TV anime would be hitting some time next year, but during TOHO Animation’s presentation as part of Jump Festa 2025 (as detailed via press release), they have now confirmed that My Hero Academia‘s final season will begin airing some time during the Fall 2025 anime schedule. A more concrete release date has yet to be announced as of the time of this publication, but you can check out the updated poster for My Hero Academia Season 8 below.

What to Know for My Hero Academia Season 8

My Hero Academia will be returning for Season 8 in the Fall of 2025, and the anime will be picking up right from where it left off. With Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga series wrapping up its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, the anime now has a clear runway towards the end. My Hero Academia spent Season 7 breaking down the final fights against Dabi, Toga, and Spinner with all of them reaching their respective conclusions. But there are still two major fights that need to be settled before it’s all over.

When My Hero Academia Season 7 came to an end, there were still two major fights that were being teased for the final season. All Might had donned a brand new set of power armor in order to take on All For One one last time, and while we had gotten to see a bit of this fight in action, there’s still much to the final climax against All For One. The same could be said for Tomura Shigaraki, who has really only started his final fight against Deku as well as the two clash in the wreckage of the formerly flying U.A. Academy battlefield.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Goes Beyond Plus Ultra One Last Time With Final Volume’s Milestone

How Will My Hero Academia End?

My Hero Academia ended its original manga earlier this Summer, so fans can expect to see the anime’s grand finale follow pretty much that same path. There is a bit of a wrinkle as to how the anime might approach this finale, however, as original creator Kohei Horikoshi actually added more supplementary material in the months since that original ending. With the release of the final volume of My Hero Academia in Japan, there were over 30 pages of brand new story material set after the final chapter.

This brand new material fleshes out that original ending, so it’s unclear as to where the anime will end its adaptation. It’s entirely possible that the anime team at Studio Bones will bring this extended epilogue to life, but it’s also possible that they will honor the original ending as it previously released. That means even fans who had read ahead in the manga might want to pay even closer attention to the anime’s final season to see how it all plays out next year.

The post My Hero Academia Season 8 Confirms Release Window: What to Know for Final Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is finally going to be making its anime debut next year, and fans have gotten the first look at what to expect from the spinoff anime’s premiere with the first look! My Hero Academia‘s anime will be coming to an end next year, and that means it’s not going to be long before fans get to see how the hero series comes to an end. But thankfully it’s going to be far from the end of the anime franchise overall as one of its biggest spinoffs is going to get its official anime adaptation next year.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a special spinoff series to Kohei Horikoshi’s original My Hero Academia manga that’s actually set five years before the events of the main series. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes includes some big moments for the characters that help to fill in some of the gaps from the My Hero Academia anime’s story, and now even more fans will be able to check it out when the spinoff hits next year. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is celebrating this announcement with the first look at the new anime and you can check out its teaser poster below. You can also check out the special trailer in the video above.

What to Know for My Hero Academia’s New Anime

Originally written by Hideyuki Furuhashi with illustrations by Betten Court, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an official spinoff that’s set years before the events of the main My Hero Academia series. As one of the major announcements TOHO Animation revealed during Jump Festa 2025 this weekend in Japan (as detailed via press release), the new My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime will be making its debut some time in April as part of the Spring 2025 anime schedule. Animation production will be handled by Studio Bones just like the main My Hero Academia series.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes follows new main character, Koichi Haimawari, a young wannabe hero who helps out in his neighborhood by using his abilities without an official hero license. Unlike many of the pro heroes we see operating in the main series, Koichi operates outside of the main system and protects his neighborhood as the hero known as “The Crawler.” But like the main series, it’s not long before Koichi ends up in much bigger circumstances than he ever expected when he first started acting as a vigilante hero.

RELATED: New Spider-Man Manga From My Hero Academia Team Releases First Chapter

Why You Should Be Excited for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been a highly requested anime adaptation from fans because while it’s indeed a spinoff with its own story, it actually has some big ties into the main series’ events. Serving as a prequel to My Hero Academia, this spinoff reveals how the hero world looked before Izuku Midoriya and the other characters started their own hopeful student careers. This means looks at heroes like All Might closer to their prime, and that’s something you don’t get in the original.

The big reason this series is important also is that it’s officially part of the main My Hero Academia canon. There’s a particular arc in the spinoff that fills in some of the gaps from Shota Aizawa’s past, and these moments were only referenced in My Hero Academia’s later seasons slightly. Meaning that now even more fans can see the much fuller picture for the My Hero Academia world when this hero spinoff series finally makes its long awaited debut next Spring. It’s going to be a big one to watch out for.

The post My Hero Academia: Vigilantes to Finally Make Anime Debut in 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s manga might have ended earlier this year but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t picking through the “post-credits scene” that gave manga readers a look into the future. Without diving too deeply into spoiler territory in our opening paragraph, shonen fans were able to see what Hero Society looks like far into the future following the fight against All For One and Shigaraki. Thanks to the release of the final manga volume of the superhero series, creator Kohei Horikoshi was able to inject several new pages that gave grand finales to multiple characters. One such character is Monoma, the copy cat hero, who was able to achieve some big things.

Warning. If you don’t want to be spoiled on the timeskip of My Hero Academia, be forewarned that we’ll be diving into serious spoiler territory. One of the most staggering aspects of Monoma’s character was the fact that his Quirk was ever seen as weak. Growing up, the Copy Cat hero’s fellow students would make fun of his powers, thinking that it was worthless to copy the Quirks of others for a limited time. Of course, Monoma would eventually prove them all wrong as he was able to harness his amazing powers to be a force to be reckoned with as a part of UA Academy. In the future, Monoma has achieved one of his dreams by becoming a major crime fighter in his adulthood.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Timeskip Reveals Shoto’s Pro Hero Future (& His Real Dream Job)]

Monoma’s Top Ten Reign

While Shoto Todoroki has become the number two hero in Hero Society, following Lemillion in the rankings, Monoma has achieved a dream by making it into the top ten. In a specific panel, we learn that the Copy Cat Hero is the tenth highest ranking hero in Japan and that he is sporting a new style in his professional hero days post-UA Academy graduation. Monoma has gone far flashier in his adult years and while we don’t see him in action here, it’s clear that he has been improving from his school days.

In achieving this honor, it would be interesting to see how Monoma works in terms of crime fighting if he is tackling villains on his own. Thanks to his Quirk copying powers, he has most likely grown far more adept at learning new powers on the fly given any of the unique circumstances he encounters. With the image you can see below, it’s clear that the Copy Cat Hero hasn’t lost his flair in his adult years.

A My Hero Academia Sequel?

Unfortunately, creator Kohei Horikoshi has made no statements regarding the possibility of Hero Society making a comeback post the manga’s finale. Luckily, this fact doesn’t mean that the manga artist is finished with the medium as Kohei has been hinting at the fact that he has a brand new story in the works. Whether it will once again focus on super heroes is anyone’s guess but fans of Class 1-A are sure to give whatever work Horikoshi produces a chance.

Next year will see the release of the eighth and final season of My Hero Academia’s anime, set to animate some of the biggest moments of the superhero shonen to date. While this might be the grand finale for the television series, it’s entirely possible that a new movie could still arrive and perhaps, that potential fifth movie will focus on the future of our young heroes.

Want to stay updated on the adult iterations of UA Academy’s students? 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 Timeskip Sees Monoma Living Out His Greatest Dream appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has revealed what Shoto Todoroki’s pro hero future has looked like after its big time skip, and it teases that Shoto has something other on his mind than being a hero. My Hero Academia returned with the final volume of the manga series overall earlier this month, and it officially brings Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga series to an end. It’s a much more conclusive end than when it first wrapped up with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, however, as Horikoshi has gone back and added over 30 pages of brand new material fleshing out the future hero world.

My Hero Academia now has a new final chapter set after the manga’s original finale, and with it explores more of the future world that Izuku Midoriya and the rest of the former Class 1-A students now live in. After everything he had been through with his father and brother, it turns out that while Shoto is successful at what he does as a pro hero he’s not really satisfied with it. Thinking it’s only something he’s doing because he’s been essentially led to this point, Shoto has plans to seek out a different path that more involves food.

Shoto Becomes a Top Hero in the Future

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 is a brand new chapter released with Volume 42 of the manga in Japan, and takes place about a month after Deku joins the rest of the former Class 1-A in pro hero action. The friends all unite to celebrate Shoto as it turns out that he’s risen all the way to the second spot in the top hero rankings. As a result, he’s begun to reassess some things about his current career trajectory. And it’s made him think about whether or not he actually wants to spend all of his time as a pro hero and instead wants to seek out other activities and futures.

In the time since the war against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, Dabi has since died. And this has started to put things in a new perspective for him and with the rest of the Todoroki family. It’s been noted how he’s starting to break out of the shadow of what his father had done before, and those around him have started to point out that he’s made the right choices to get out of that poor reputation from his father. But as he continues to struggle, Shoto instead wonders what he can do for himself.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Says Goodbye to Their Top Heroes With Special Posters

What Shoto Really Wants to Do in the Future

Hearing all this praise about how he’s doing things better than his father, and finally putting Dabi to rest, Shoto has really started to think about his place in hero society. As the future begins to change with less active villains following All For One’s defeat, Shoto and the other heroes have been able to think about what else to do with their lives for the first real time. And this is where Shoto realizes that his fate might have just pulled him in this direction.

So to change things, Shoto instead wants to start taking classes to make bowls and chopsticks. He’s always enjoyed eating (which has resulted in some of his best moments in the series’ past), and now that he has more free time he wants to be more involved with cooking. Wanting to be a hero is not all that he wants to be, and now he has the freedom and drive to seek out a brighter, less hero focused future.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Reveals Shoto’s Pro Hero Future (& His Real Dream Job) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has released a brand new chapter set after the original manga’s finale, and with it has confirmed that one major villain has died since the end of the series. My Hero Academia wrapped up its ten year run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but series creator Kohei Horikoshi was able to bring the series to an even more conclusive end with the release of its final volume this month. As My Hero Academia’s final entry hits shelves, it comes with a brand new chapter that expands on the time skip seen in the original finale.

My Hero Academia Volume 42 adds a brand new chapter set after the original finale, and it showcases more of the pro hero futures that Izuku Midoriya and the rest of Class 1-A had gone out on before that original ending. This new chapter shares more updates about the state of the hero world years after the fight against All For One and Tomura Shigaraki, and with it also confirms some developments for the Todoroki family. And as teased by My Hero Academia’s final chapters, Toya Todoroki has since died.

My Hero Academia Confirms Dabi Has Died

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 is set about a month after the events of Chapter 430, and with it reveals more of the future pro hero world that Deku and the other former Class 1-A students are now a full part of. Each of these students has managed to break through to the top hero rankings in one way or the other, but Shoto Todoroki has managed to make it to second place despite how complex and complicated the rankings have become since All For One and Shigaraki had been defeated. But Shoto himself is changing too as he’s really moving on from the loss of his brother.

When fans had last seen Toya Todoroki in My Hero Academia Chapter 426, he was definitely worse for wear as the war really pushed his body to its utmost limits. Dabi was on a suicidal path of destruction, and it was clear by the time the final chapters of the manga came around that he wasn’t going to be alive for much longer. Now that many years have passed, Shoto confirms that Toya has indeed passed on as he reveals he was praying at his grave earlier in the day before Class 1-A had a get together in Chapter 431.

Dabi’s Death is My Hero Academia’s Biggest Tragedy

Dabi’s fate is ultimately the most tragic in My Hero Academia‘s run overall. One of the big three stories within the series was through the Todoroki Family as it was showcasing how Endeavor’s burning desire to be the top hero was actually a twisted vision of what true heroism really was. This was evident through the abusive way he treated the rest of his family, and it resulted in the “birth” of the villain Dabi. The former Toya Todoroki felt he was betrayed and abandoned by his father, and it led him on a fiery path of revenge.

But with Dabi knowing his days were limited, his search for revenge was more of a self-destructive one. He wanted to essentially burn away his own body and die in a brutal and public fashion in order to permanently damage Endeavor’s reputation. He wanted to destroy his father inside and out, and only when he was fully accepted by his family was he finally at the edge of death. Of course, by then it was too late to recover from all of the physical and emotional damage done to him already.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Confirms One Major Villain’s Death appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia’s manga has ended and shonen fans are still picking up the pieces following the last story focusing on UA Academy. Luckily, the end of the manga doesn’t spell the end of the anime until next year, as the eighth and final season will arrive in 2025. While the story of Izuku Midoriya and his fellow young heroes might be done, this fact doesn’t mean that Class 1-A won’t continue making the headlines. In its 42 volume, My Hero Academia is once again pulling in major sales as a new report confirms.

Since this write-up is only involving sales of the final volume, we’ll refrain from diving into any spoiler territory. My Hero Academia’s 42nd volume had the added bonus of not just being the grand finale but also housing a new post-credits scene that further documented the future of the young crime fighters. At present, creator Kohei Horikoshi has refrained from confirming that he will create new stories in his beloved superhero shonen series, though the artist does have a new manga in the works. While story details remain a mystery, Horikoshi clearly is still passionate when it comes to making manga, though his days focusing on superheroes might be over.

[RELATED – My Hero Academia Creator Says Goodbye to Their Top Heroes With Special Posters]

My Hero Academia’s Final Volume Goes Beyond Plus Ultra

As of the writing of this article, My Hero Academia’s final manga volume currently has over one million copies in circulation. Considering the groundswell that the finale had, it should come as no surprise that the 42nd volume was able to go plus ultra and then some. While the original ending was one that gave readers quite the happy ending for many of the characters involved, Horikoshi’s post-credits scene is one that was able to cement quite a few elements that fans were hoping to see.

Let’s Talk About UA’s Future

Horikoshi might be taking on a new manga story but there are still some potential major projects that could emerge from the franchise on the screen. With the eighth anime season on the way, Studio BONES has yet to confirm if the latest movie, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, will be the franchise’s last. It may very well be possible that the films will help to create new stories of UA Academy’s heroes post the manga’s series finale.

There is also one major spin-off that has yet to be animated that Shonen fans have been waiting for. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has quite a few chapters to its name, following the adventures of heroes that operate outside of the law. Crawler, Knuckleduster, and Pop Step might be the next big anime heroes should the shonen franchise decide to explore this story. Since Vigilantes also tells tales from UA Academy’s past, exploring the earlier lives of Present Mic, Eraserhead, and Midnight, it almost feels essential to the anime world.

Want to see what the future holds for Class 1-A? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest UA Academy updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia Goes Beyond Plus Ultra One Last Time With Final Volume’s Milestone appeared first on ComicBook.com.

In the world of My Hero Academia, quirks are fundamental to the characters and their roles in society. Quirks not only shape the individual’s abilities but also influence how they view themselves and how others perceive them. Given the beginnings of the manga, including Deku and other surprisingly high-profile heroes being born quirkless, these powers, and even their absence, greatly affect each character’s development.

As the popular manga nears its conclusion, many fans wonder if there were more quirks or characters that could have been explored. However, in a recent interview with Shonen Jump, creator Kohei Horikoshi addressed this question directly.

Horikoshi’s Final Thoughts on the Quirks in the Series

During the My Hero Academia “World Best Hero” Popularity Poll, which saw Katsuki Bakugo take the crown as the most popular character, creator Kohei Horikoshi was asked around the 44-minute mark whether there were any quirks or characters he wished he had included but didn’t.

Horikoshi confidently replied, “I don’t think so. I didn’t hold back!” He emphasized that he used all the quirks he wanted to showcase, and even characters who appeared briefly still had their own charm. As the manga concludes with Volume 42, released December 4th, Horikoshi reassures fans that the final chapter will bring even more excitement and closure.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Would Have Quit Manga If the Series Failed

Quirks Explored in My Hero Academia

In My Hero Academia, quirks drive the series’ narrative and character arcs, with One for All being the most iconic. A quirk that can only be inherited willingly, it grants immense strength and speed. Izuku “Deku” Midoriya inherits One for All from All Might in Chapter 10 of My Hero Academia, though initially, he only receives a portion of its power. He gradually learns to control it, and in Chapter 258, he taps into Full One For All in his battle with Shigaraki during the War Arc. Finally, in Chapter 369, Deku fully masters the quirk.

His journey of mastering One For All, which includes quirks from past users, is tied to both his personal growth and the legacy of the Symbol of Peace, All Might. As Deku grows in strength, viewers also witness his personal growth, discovering his quirks, powers, and their origins alongside him. His transformation into a more powerful, as All Might entrusts him with the quirk and the responsibility of carrying on his legacy.

How My Hero Academia Pushes the Limits of Quirks

In My Hero Academia, quirks are pushed to their limits by not only testing characters’ growth and abilities through intense battles but also serving as a tool to explore relationships and traumas, revealing deeper layers of each character’s emotional journey and personal struggles. Some relationships are explored through the lens of family and the pressures of expectations, particularly regarding quirks.

Todoroki’s internal struggle with his Half-Cold Half-Hot quirk is highlighted during the Sports Festival arc, especially in his battle with Deku. His reluctance to use his fire side reflects his conflict with his father, Endeavor. In Chapter 120, Todoroki reveals that Endeavor burned him as a child, forcing him to use his flames in a way that traumatized him. This moment exposes the emotional weight Todoroki carries, shaped by his father’s abusive expectations in regard to his quirk.

Todoroki’s internal conflict intensifies when he faces Dabi, who is revealed to be his brother, in Chapter 290 when Dabi’s true identity is exposed. Dabi’s Blueflame quirk, symbolizing destruction and revenge, is fully revealed as he confronts Endeavor. The fight highlights the destructive potential of both Todoroki brothers’ quirks, emphasizing the generational trauma caused by Endeavor’s abusive actions.

Horikoshi Didn’t Hold Back

These characters’ quirks, tested in various battles throughout the series, are more than just abilities—they reflect each character’s growth and, to an extent, the characters themselves. My Hero Academia illustrates how quirks evolve alongside those who wield them, serving as both powers and symbols of personal transformation.

Horikoshi brilliantly uses quirks in My Hero Academia to explore the complexities of growth, trauma, and resilience, ensuring each character’s power evolves in parallel with their personal journey. Through quirks, Horikoshi deepens relationships, from Deku evolving to Todoroki and Dabi’s troubled family bond. Quirks are the heart and soul of My Hero Academia and will continue to be even though its manga has come to a close.

H/T: Shonen Jump on YouTube

The post My Hero Academia Creator Has No Regrets Over Missing Out on Quirks appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has come to a complete end in Japan with the release of the manga’s final volume, and the original creator behind it all is saying goodbye to their top heroes with some special new posters. My Hero Academia wrapped up the manga with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this year, but it has now come to a more conclusive end with the release of its final volume on shelves in Japan. My Hero Academia Volume 42 features some of the final new materials for the long running hero series, and it’s been a time of goodbyes for series creator Kohei Horikoshi.

My Hero Academia is really going all out to celebrate the release of Volume 42 in Japan, and held a worldwide popularity poll that ran for the last few months. This poll catalogued millions of votes from fans around the world, and ultimately Katsuki Bakugo took first place with Izuku Midoriya coming in second, and Shoto Todoroki rounding out the top three. These three heroes in particular are helping to say goodbye to My Hero Academia with some brand new art that ran in different newspapers across Japan. Check them out below.

My Hero Academia Fans Vote for Their Top Heroes

As part of the grand finale celebration, My Hero Academia launched a worldwide popularity poll following the final chapter earlier this Summer. Fans voted across multiple stages, and Bakugo was ultimately the one that won the vote. It wasn’t very much of a surprise considering that Bakugo had been dominating each stage of the polls since they began, but part of the victory lap for the top three heroes was some brand new art shared by Kohei Horikoshi for these special posters.

As part of the push for My Hero Academia Volume 42, these posters appeared in different newspaper ads in Japan. Deku’s poster appeared in Yomiuri Shimbun, Bakugo’s poster appeared in Asahi Shimbun, and Shoto’s poster appeared in Mainichi Shimbun. These posters are also going to appear in various exclusive goods and other promotions across Japan, but they have been shared online so that fans all over the world can check out these illustrations as well as Horikoshi starts saying goodbye to the hero series he’s been spending over a decade on.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Timeskip Confirms One Surprising Hero Couple (& It’s Not Who You Think)

What’s Next for My Hero Academia’s Creator

My Hero Academia’s finale might be keeping its creator busy for a while, but Horikoshi is already starting to lay the groundwork for what’s coming next. As part of a special crossover celebration with Marvel, Horikoshi was asked about what his future plans were, “I feel really lucky over the success of [My Hero Academia], so I know there’s a lot of pressure around my next move,” the creator stated. “I’m planning to start a new manga as soon as I possibly can.”

But while the creator initially planned to only focus on being the artist for his next work, Shueisha’s editors convinced him to write the next series as well, “I was thinking to committing myself to simply drawing my next project, and letting someone else write the story, but my editor advised me ‘It will be better if you do it all yourself.'” Horikoshi continued. “With that in mind, I’ve slowly started writing and drawing the thumbnails of my next manga. However, there are still several events left surrounding [My Hero Academia], so for a while I’ll still be committed to supporting and promoting it.” So while it’s going to be a bit longer before Horikoshi gets to really work on the next series in full, he’s already started on what’s next.

The post My Hero Academia Creator Says Goodbye to Their Top Heroes With Special Posters appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has released a new chapter set after the original manga’s ending, and it reveals that Mt. Lady’s future hero costume comes with a secret tribute to her fallen friend Midnight. My Hero Academia might have ended with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but series creator Kohei Horikoshi really went all out for the release of the final volume of the manga overall. Hitting shelves across Japan, the final volume of My Hero Academia comes with over 30 new pages of brand new story set after the original finale and fleshing out that time skip seen in that finale.

My Hero Academia Volume 42 is now available on shelves in Japan, and with it comes a brand new chapter set about a month after the events of Chapter 430. This fully explores the time skip introduced in the manga’s original finale, and gives fans a much better look at the heroes in the future and how much their world has evolved since the fight against All For One. As for Mt. Lady, she’s still an active pro hero near the top of the charts and she has a major shout out to Midnight hidden in her new gear. Check it out as highlighted by @dinklebutton on X.

Mt. Lady Pays Tribute to Midnight With Her Future Costume

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 takes place a month after the events of Chapter 430, and reveals more of the pro hero lives for Izuku Midoriya and the other former members of Class 1-A in the future. With it, fans are treated to the full reveal of the new Top 10 hero rankings in the future and it reveals some major changes to the line up from the original series. Not only has Mt. Lady risen to Number 3 in the rankings, but fans also get a new full look at her future costume. There are more noticeable changes in the suit itself, but the real secret change is in the mask she wears over here eyes.

It not includes two sharp points at the bottom, and this is a change reminiscent of Midnight’s own mask. As fans remember, Midnight was really the only key hero from the series to lose their live in the fight against the villains and remains one of the key losses on the hero side overall. While her death wasn’t revealed in full, all that remained was her mask afterwards. So Mt. Lady appears to have paid homage to her fallen friend with a mask tribute of her own.

Midnight Is Still One of My Hero Academia’s Worst Deaths

Not only was Midnight one of the only really losses for the hero side, her death was ultimately My Hero Academia‘s most disappointing. It’s an opinion even shared by My Hero Academia star Elizabeth Maxwell, who voices Midnight in the anime as well. Speaking with ComicBook about it at DragonCon 2024 earlier this Summer, Maxwell noted how it was a shame that fans didn’t get to see Midnight’s final stand as a hero in the anime.

“With all due respect to the creators, who I respect to the moon and back, I was disappointed that we didn’t get to see Midnight’s last stand, especially since an episode or two ago, we saw these beautiful fight scenes with pro-heroes and see them fighting for their lives,” Maxwell stated. “It was a little disappointing to me that her fight and death was a little glossed over but it was still really cool and heartbreaking to portray those last moments. She’s a Momma Bear and to go down feeling like you let your babies down is heartbreaking.” 

The post My Hero Academia: Mt. Lady’s Timeskip Design Hides a Tragic Easter Egg appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia made a major comeback earlier this week with a brand new chapter set after the original finale, and with it has revealed that one surprising hero couple has fallen in love after the series’ big time skip. My Hero Academia might have ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but Kohei Horikoshi returned with over 30 pages of brand new material following that original finale. Bundled together with the final volume of the My Hero Academia manga now available in Japan, this final bit of story comes with some pretty huge reveals about their hero future.

My Hero Academia Volume 42 is now hitting shelves across Japan, and with it comes a brand new chapter that’s set a month after the original ending. Izuku Midoriya and the rest of former Class 1-A students have gone into their respective hero futures, and there have been some big developments amongst all of them. But while Class 1-A’s former students haven’t really progressed romantically, it turns out Class 1-B ended up with a surprising couple at the end of it all as Shihai Kuroiro and Kinoko Komori are now dating.

My Hero Academia Timeskip Confirms One Romance…But Not That One

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 is set a month after the original series’ finale, and it fleshes out more of the future hero world seen for Izuku Midoriya and the others in that final chapter. It’s here that fans get to see just how well the members of the former Class 1-A and 1-B are doing in the hero world, and it also develops the characters more in some of the ways that fans didn’t get to see in the original. With the need for heroes dwindling in the wake of All For One’s defeat, it’s left the current generation of rising heroes with more time to explore things outside of hero action.

This, of course, includes romance. But for fans of Class 1-A’s potential future relationships, unfortunately there’s no real confirmation on those fronts. Instead when Class 1-A gathers together for a party to celebrate Shoto Todoroki’s rise in the rankings, we find out that former Class 1-B’s Shihai Kuroiro and Kinoko Komori are now a couple. It’s a surprise to all of them as well as Mina Ashido explains that she went on a mission with them the other day, but there didn’t seem to be any signs of an attraction. So it truly was a romance coming out of nowhere, but not the one fans might have been hoping for.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Finally Picks His Favorite Character

The Future’s Not Totally Lost on Love, However

My Hero Academia might have never been focused on romance due to the chaos of constantly needing to fight the villains, but there were some hopes of seeing some couples becoming official before it all came to an end. These hopes were truly dashed with the release of the manga’s final chapter earlier this Summer, but this newest chapter does move the needle forward for some relationships. The biggest of which was between Deku and Ochaco Uraraka.

My Hero Academia ended its final chapter with both Deku and Ochaco hoping to spend more time with one another as now they have the time to do so. They were so focused on survival and saving the world when they were both kids, but now that many years have passed things have opened further to allow them to finally think about stuff outside of their potential hero careers. Hopefully it means more romance is sparked in the futures for these heroes who have worked for these bright futures.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Confirms One Surprising Hero Couple (& It’s Not Who You Think) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has been brought to a complete end with the release of its final volume in Japan, and a new special ending chapter has revealed a much more heartbreaking final goodbye between Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo before the two of them went on their separate ways. My Hero Academia might have released the final chapter of the manga with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but the final volume of the series just hit shelves in Japan this month. And to commemorate this final release, series creator Kohei Horikoshi included some brand new material set after that original ending.

My Hero Academia Volume 42 hit shelves in Japan with over 30 pages of a brand new chapter taking place after the original ending. This new expanded ending focuses on further fleshing out the hero world Izuku and the others are now in following the time skip seen in the final chapter, and with it gave fans some key final moments between its biggest characters. For Deku and Bakugo, the two of them finally leave their long running rivalry turned partnership behind as the two of them take very different paths into their respective futures.

How Do Deku and Bakugo Say Goodbye?

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 takes place after the final chapter of the series, and picks up a month after Deku gets his power suit from Bakugo and the rest of the former Class 1-A heroes. The group is getting together to celebrate Shoto Todoroki’s reaching the Number 2 spot on the top heroes’ chart, and Bakugo gives Deku a ride there. Bakugo asks if Deku’s going to keep teaching even now that he’s working as a hero, and Deku says that he will. He loves the fact that he’s gotten to pass his experiences onto a new generation, and is even happier now that he’s also working as a hero alongside the others.

But hilariously, this was Bakugo trying to get Deku to work alongside of him only for Deku to turn it down. Bakugo’s more angry that Deku didn’t even think highly enough of himself to think Bakugo would want to work with him, and chastises the fact that Deku doesn’t even notice the most obvious of things because he thinks so lowly of himself. In fact, treating everyone as special to him is almost the same as not treating anyone as special overall. And that gets Deku thinking.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Teases Their Next Manga (& It’s Coming Soon)

Deku and Bakugo’s Final Scene Together

When there’s a nearby carjacking, the former Class 1-A heroes all move together and Deku and Bakugo have one final scene together. Bakugo says he made it first, only for Deku to correct him with the fact that he wasn’t. It’s a small moment, but a reflection of the fact that Deku no longer just placates Bakugo anymore in his bragging. All these years later, this rivalry has been left behind and Deku really is his own person that doesn’t need to really worry about someone else anymore.

Bakugo then waves goodbye to Deku, and he sees Deku slowly walking away little by little. It’s a send off to the connection these once shared as young heroes as now it’s clear that their futures are taking them in different directions. They’re not going to be fighting alongside anymore, and it’s a bit sadder for Bakugo because he was key in helping Deku achieve his dream of being a hero. But as it turns out, in all that time Deku found something else that he cares about a lot more. Deku and Bakugo are growing up and apart, and that’s their true ending.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Breaks Hearts With Deku and Bakugo’s Final Goodbye appeared first on ComicBook.com.

As My Hero Academia reaches its final chapters, many of the series’ long-standing questions are being answered. During the live stream on the Shonen Jump YouTube channel for the “World Best Hero” Popularity Poll, creator Kohei Horikoshi was asked about his favorite character around the three-minute mark.

Horikoshi responded, “Every character is special to me in a different way. There were times when I struggled to draw one page for days, and others when their words surprised me, exceeding my imagination,” Horikoshi said, adding, “If I had to pick, I’d probably pick Deku. In both aspects.”

This statement highlights how Izuku “Deku” Midoriya not only surprised Horikoshi but also exceeded his expectations in terms of growth and narrative impact.

Deku Is Designed to Be Lovable in My Hero Academia

Deku, whose real name is Izuku Midoriya, is the main protagonist of My Hero Academia. Born without a Quirk in a world where most people possess unique abilities, he dreams of becoming a hero like his idol, All Might. Despite his lack of powers, Deku’s determination catches the attention of All Might, who passes on his own Quirk, One For All, allowing Deku to become a hero-in-training at U.A. High School. Throughout the series, Deku’s journey is marked by struggles as he trains to control his powers, faces physical and emotional challenges, and grows into a symbol of hope and justice. His intelligence, kindness, and unwavering sense of justice have made him a symbol of what a hero can be.

RELATED: My Hero Academia Creator Bids Goodbye to Series With Final Message to Fans

How Deku Surprised Us All

Early in My Hero Academia, Deku was often labeled a “crybaby” due to his emotional reactions and self-doubt, especially during pivotal moments like the Entrance Exam and the USJ Arc. However, as the series progressed, Deku surprised fans and characters alike by showcasing his growth and heroism.

For example, during the Sports Festival Arc, Deku demonstrated strategic thinking and a keen sense of teamwork. Even when using One For All at a lower percentage to avoid injuring himself, he displayed resilience and intelligence, adapting quickly to challenging situations, especially when he became the ten-million-point frontrunner in the Cavalry Battle. Another standout moment was during the Rescue Training Arc when Deku defended his classmates against the League of Villains.

Despite his lack of formal combat experience, his quick thinking and bravery further solidified his potential. Most notably, during the Final Exam Arc, Deku’s determination to protect his peers, even at his own expense, set him apart. He was willing to sacrifice his body to ensure that his classmates succeeded.

Deku May Be Horikoshi’s Favorite, But Bakugo is the World’s Favorite

In celebration of My Hero Academia’s final chapter, the “World Best Hero” poll invited fans to vote for their favorite characters. The two-month event featured 278 characters, and the top 100 were announced on December 2nd. This global poll amassed 6.12 million votes, with Katsuki Bakugo emerging victorious, earning 1,647,611 votes. As a reward, he will receive a special illustration by series creator Kohei Horikoshi and a bronze statue to be unveiled in Japan in January 2025. The top three contenders were Bakugo, Izuku Midoriya, and Shoto Todoroki, but Bakugo’s overwhelming support secured him the top spot.

Ultimately, My Hero Academia has introduced many characters, from heroes like Deku and Bakugo to villains like Dabi and One For All. Kohei Horikoshi has spent over a decade building a world where these characters are deeply relatable, each with their own struggles and growth. Through their journeys, My Hero Academia showcases the universal themes of perseverance, heroism, and the complexities of morality. No matter who your favorite character is, My Hero Academia reminds us that heroism isn’t about perfection—it’s about the will to push forward, regardless of the odds.

H/T: Shonen Jump on YouTube

The post My Hero Academia Creator Finally Picks His Favorite Character appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fans of a particular ship were anguished when the final special chapter of My Hero Academia was released. Though the manga series officially ended in August, author Kohei Horikoshi launched an extra chapter that served as an epilogue to the series. The epilogue goes into more detail about the A-1 students’ lives as adults. Many fans hoped the bonus chapter could shed more light on whether any of their favorite characters got together. While romance is a major theme of the special final chapter, the epilogue focuses more on the relationship between Deku and Ochaco in My Hero Academia.

However, the extra installment, Chapter 431, briefly touches on the lives of the other students, sadly revealing one popular pairing is not together. While the A-1 crew hang out again to reminisce about old times, Toru Hagakure and Hanta Sero begin gossiping about the other former students of U.A. High. The gossiping pair asks Denki Kaminari and Kyoka Jiro if they are dating since their hero agencies were next door. Denki and Jiro laugh off the suggestion, claiming that Denki only moved into the available building next door to Jiro’s agency. Neither is interested in dating, completely debunking the popular Kamijirou ship from My Hero Academia.

What Is Kamijirou in My Hero Academia?

Kamijirou is the traditional name for the ship between Denki and Jiro. Denki is the blond-haired doofus with the quirk to control electricity, while Jiro is the more blunt musician with the special quirk of Earphone Joke, which allows her to jack into things with her ears and create sound vibrations. They are often seen as a pair, with many fans speculating they were romantically interested in each other. Many Kamijirou shippers hoped the final chapter would confirm them as an item when they reached adulthood, but instead, they seemingly received confirmation they were not dating.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Almost Killed Off Its Top Hero Before the End]

Is There Any Hope For Kamijirou?

The scene between Denki, Jiro, Toru, and Hanta comes off as a meta-commentary from Horikoshi. Toru’s and Hanta’s gossiping is similar to fan speculation and theories people would read online. Denki and Jiro’s rejection of their dating life seems like Horikoshi speaking to fans through them, recognizing the ship’s popularity yet still choosing to debunk it.

While that seems heartbreaking for fans hoping Kamijirou would be canon, it’s still possible that Denki and Jiro weren’t truthful about their dating life when confronted by Toru and Hanta. The pair could have been lying to save face and not spread any unnecessary rumors. It’s up to fans to interpret whether they truly believe in what Denki and Jiro said.

Even though the final chapter of My Hero Academia sunk one ship, it did confirm other ships. Throughout the chapter, Ochaco keeps seeing visions of Toga, who keeps pushing her to live her own life. After much reflection, Ochaco realizes she wants to be with Deku. The chapter ends with the two holding hands, signifying they are now romantically together. Besides Deku and Ochaco, the final chapter confirms that Shihai Kuroiro and Kinoko Komori are dating.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Shuts Down One Fan Favorite Ship appeared first on ComicBook.com.

While the Rabbit Hero Mirko never became the top hero in My Hero Academia’s story, there’s an argument to be made that she should have had her shot to be the new Symbol of Peace. Since her introduction in the anime franchise, Mirko has been giving it her all when it came to fighting against All For One and his villainous hordes. Losing several limbs during her heroic career, the high-jumping hero hasn’t let this fact keep her down and this has never been more apparent than in the final manga volume’s “post-credit scene.” In the recent finale, fans get a glimpse of Mirko’s future and see that nothing will stop her from making the world a better place.

Warning. If you have yet to read the final volume of My Hero Academia’s manga, Volume 42, and don’t want to be spoiled, be warned that we’ll dive into serious spoiler territory. Following the fight against All For One, Class 1-A’s heroes grow up to become some of the biggest heroes around. While Deku is teaching at UA Academy, his classmates Mirio and Shoto Todoroki have hit the top two spots of the rankings. For Mirko, she stands tall at the six spot, remaining a top hero despite the fact that she no longer has arms and only has one leg to stand on.

RELATED: My Hero Academia x Marvel Crossover Under Fire Over Mirko Skin Color Controversy

Mirko Doesn’t Let Lost Limbs Keep Her Down

Even without her arms, Mirko relies on technology to help her in her crime fighting duties. Anime fans have already seen this in the final war that arrived in season seven and will play out in next year’s eighth and final season of My Hero Academia. While the Rabbit Hero might only have one leg left, it’s clear that she still is a major force to be reckoned with. Thanks to defeating All For One and the villainous hordes, it would be interesting to see how Mirko spends her time now that so many threats have been taken down.

Despite the fact that Hero Society is now in a peaceful state, Mirko appears to be putting her time to good use. Even during the fight against All For One, the Rabbit Hero never looked as “jacked” as she does here. Even without her arms, it’s clear that Mirko’s workout regiment hasn’t slowed down.

Mirko’s Anime Time Might Continue

As mentioned earlier, My Hero Academia will end with its eighth season next year, bringing the story of Hero Society’s crime fighters to a close. Despite this, there is a major anime project that could arrive that would feature far more of the Rabbit Hero. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spin-off story that explored the heroes that operated outside of the law. On top of focusing on new characters such as Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster, the side story also featured stories of major heroes’ past.

Mirko receives her own story during this spin-off wherein she enters an underground fighting tournament as a teenager, proving that she was always looking for action. Should Vigilantes eventually receive an anime adaptation of its own, expect the Rabbit Hero to take the world by storm once again.

Want to stay up to date on Hero Society now that My Hero Academia has ended? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest on UA Academy and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Gives Mirko Her Best Look Yet appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most important aspects of My Hero Academia was the One For All quirk. Unlike most other superpowers in the series, One For All is a power that can be transferred from one user to the next. The user would need to ingest DNA from the previous wielder of One For All. This is how the lead character, Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, gained superpowers despite growing up without a quirk. With One For All, Deku received super strength. There were eight previous wielders of One For All, with the last owner before Deku being All Might, considered one of the greatest superheroes ever to exist.

Tragically, Deku loses the quirk when he transfers the power to his archnemesis Tomura Shigaraki, which destroys the power for good with only lingering embers existing. Deku becomes powerless again in a world with superheroes and supervillains, but fans don’t need to be upset. Deku kept his friendship with his classmates at U.A. High even as he reached adulthood. He was even gifted a new suit that replicated his superstrength powers. While the powers of One For All may have vanished, the recent special final chapter of My Hero Academia hints that the spirit of the power can still live on.

How Can One For All Still Exist?

Other than its transfer abilities, another unique part of One For All was how all previous owners were connected to Deku. The My Hero Academia protagonist had visions and spoke with the previous One For All wielders through his subconscious. Once he was in direct communication with the group, Deku became capable of using the other quirks the other users had besides super strength. The super strength was the cumulative power collected from all previous owners of One For All.

After Deku loses One For All at the climax of the Final War arc for My Hero Academia, the series flashes forward to when Deku and his classmates at U.A. High are now adults. Even though the series supposedly ended with Chapter 430, a special 431 final chapter was released that served as an epilogue for the series. While the chapter doesn’t offer hints that Deku can still connect with the previous wielders of the quirk, the final chapter does suggest that the spirits of others can still exist inside someone through Ochaco Uraraka.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia Time Skip Crowns a New Number One Hero]

In the last arc, Ochaco had an intense battle with supervillain Himiko Toga. However, during the fight, the two girls formed a connection. Himiko sacrifices herself to save Ochaco by transferring the blood and keeping her alive. Chapter 431 shows Ochaco’s life as an adult, revealing she has visions of Himiko in her dreams. Ochaco speculates that since she has Himiko’s blood, Himiko’s life may still exist within her, just like how One For All worked. Besides the visions, it isn’t shown if Ochaco has Himiko’s quirk powers, a defining trait of One For All.

However, since Ochaco can still have visions of Himiko years after having her blood inside her, Deku could potentially still have a connection to One For All. Himiko pushes Ochaco to live her life the way she wants, which leads to Deku and Ochaco finally getting together like the fans always wanted. Though the series may be over for now, there’s potential for the characters’ story to continue.

The post My Hero Academia Timeskip Teases How One For All Still Exists appeared first on ComicBook.com.

My Hero Academia has released the final volume of the manga in Japan, and the creator behind it all bid a final farewell to fans with a special message. Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia ended its run with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine earlier this Summer, but now it has come to a complete end with the launch of its final volume on shelves. This volume included over 30 pages of brand new material set after the original finale, and it gave fans the much more fleshed out ending that they were hoping for. And it seems like that was something the creator had wanted for the series as well.

Together with the release of My Hero Academia Volume 42 in shelves across Japan this week, Kohei Horikoshi included a final message within the volume (as shared by @puppyochako on X) that revealed some of his thought processes behind including more of the manga’s story. Noting that Chapter 429 was the end of the final battle, and 430 served as the epilogue, the new My Hero Academia Chapter 431 was to conclude the story in full. Horikoshi wanted the series’ characters to “be set free from their struggles” and for their drama to reach a resolution.

My Hero Academia’s Creator Says Goodbye to the Hero Series

Horikoshi shared his belief that manga is a visual medium telling its story through its art, but true success comes from the characters’ emotional and psychological being as important as the battles. Stating that, “It’s a medium where every action of the characters is tied to the development of their internal journey ‘Keep going! You can do it!’ is something all living beings express in one way or another. This story was all about those struggles.” But the series itself was a demanding one during its serialization that took Horikoshi going beyond his limits to create.

“I was constantly under pressure during the serialization, fighting my own self-consciousness,” Horikoshi stated. “Every day felt like a battle where I questioned whether I could write something better than the day before. I had no idea if readers would continue to believe in and support me. I kept asking myself if I was doing enough.” It was the audience that helped him get through it all too, “But every time I saw readers cheering for the characters I drew, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief and happiness. That trust gave me strength. You, the readers, are the ones who gave me this power. And because of that, I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had you as my supporters.”

RELATED: My Hero Academia x Marvel Crossover Under Fire Over Mirko Skin Color Controversy

Further emphasizing that he’s no less human than everyone else, he was able to do everything he wanted with My Hero Academia thanks to the support of the fans. Stating further, “Even though I might appear strong as a creator, in reality, I’m just as fragile and vulnerable as anyone else. I’m not someone who can do everything effortlessly. But because of you, I was able to move forward, even when I thought I couldn’t.” And now that journey has come to an end.

“After nearly a decade of My Hero Academia, it’s become clear to me that this series has been like gasoline to my soul—it fueled me, challenged me, and helped me grow,” Horikoshi continued. “I’m truly grateful to all of you for being part of this journey. With Chapter 431, the story will conclude. The characters will be set free from their struggles, and their dramas will reach resolution.”

My Hero Academia Chapter 431 was a brand new chapter set a month after the original ending, and showcases more of the time skip that was seen in the final chapter. With this new extra bit of story, and this final message from the creator, My Hero Academia’s manga is truly at an end in Japan. No release date has been revealed for the final volume in outside territories as of the time of this publication, but the final season of the anime will be airing some time next year.

HT – @puppyochako on X

The post My Hero Academia Creator Bids Goodbye to Series With Final Message to Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most prestigious honors for any superhero to achieve in the fictional world of My Hero Academia was to make it to the top ten on the Hero Billboard Chart for Japan. Many heroes often vied for the top spot position, with All-Might taking up the number one hero title for much of the early parts of the manga. When All-Might retired, a new top ten was introduced, with Endeavor taking up the top position for most of the rest of the manga.

However, the special final chapter for My Hero Academia offers a new top ten. The special final chapter serves as an epilogue of the series, showcasing the characters’ lives as adults. The final chapter gave fans much-needed closure, including canonizing a popular ship between two main characters. Endeavor retired after the climax of the Final War arc, leaving the top spot vacant. While the manga doesn’t cover who took the spot immediately after the last arc, the series reveals which characters make up the new top ten for the Hero Billboard chart when the main cast are adults.

The New Top Ten Superheroes in My Hero Academia

The new top ten features a mixture of supporting characters we’ve grown to know and older pro-heroes who have stayed around. Several of the latest top ten heroes were students at U.A. High, the series’ primary setting.

1. Lemillion (Mirio Togata)
2. Shoto Todoroki
3. Mt. Lady
4. Kamui Woods
5. Best Jeanist
6. Mirko
7. Nejire Chan
8. Wash
9. Tentacole (Mezo Shoji)
10. Phantom Thief (Neito Monoma)

Shoto and Tentacole were classmates in Class A-1 in the U.A. High, while Lemillion, Nejire, and Phantom Thief were other students in the academy. Best Jeanist, Mirko, and Wash were leftovers from the previous top ten, having stuck around the top listing since the main characters were students. Mt. Lady and Kamui Woods were up-and-comers during the My Hero Academia series.

[RELATED: My Hero Academia’s New Ending Makes One Major Romance Canon]

Why Isn’t Bakugo In The Top Ten?

The new top ten has a mixture of obvious inclusions and surprising exclusions. It makes sense for Lemillion and Shoto to be in the top two positions. During the main storyline, Lemillion was a recurring supporting character who was the top student at U.A. High. His quirk allows him to become intangible, being able to pass through tangible matter, not unlike Kitty Pryde from the X-Men comics. Shoto was one of the top students in A-1, with the powers to control fire and ice. His placement at number two feels appropriate, considering that’s the spot his father, Endeavor, occupied for much of his career.

However, excluding Katsuki Bakugo from the list is likely the most shocking revelation of the new top ten. The previous chapter established that Bakugo was in the top ten but would likely move down in his ranking after being recorded for another outburst. Given Bakugo’s hot-headedness, it makes sense for him to fluctuate in the rankings. It’s established within My Hero Academia that the Hero Billboard Chart is not always set in stone and is constantly changing. Fans see that heroes continually drop in and out of the top ten throughout the story. While Bakugo isn’t in the top ten anymore, he can rejoin if he fixes his attitude, even though that’s not likely either.

The post My Hero Academia Reveals New Top 10 Heroes After the Timeskip appeared first on ComicBook.com.