My Hero Academia

Setting

My Hero Academia is set in a world where about 80% of the human population has gained superpowers called as a result of recent human evolution. Quirks vary widely and have the possibility of being genetically inherited, with the series' focal Quirk "One for All" being the only one that can be passed on without heritage. Most Quirks are generally small in scale, but some exhibit near god-like ability. Almost every Quirk has some sort of physical drawback, whether it be a usage limit or self-injury. Some Quirks also cause physical mutations to a person's body. Known as Mutants (異形), people with these Quirks face discrimination and are given the pejorative "heteromorphs". The 20% of the population without Quirks, known as "Quirkless", also tend to get this treatment, albeit less severely. Quirks will generally manifest in an individual just after their toddler years.

As Quirks became dominant among the population, society melded around their existence and largely commodified around them. Although the first case of a Quirk was in China, in the following years Japan emerged as the country with by far the highest percentage of Quirk population and strength, using this influence to become a superpower country. Despite this, other countries such as the United States also have heavy Quirk populations and influence.

Among the Quirk-enhanced individuals, a few of them earn the title of Heroes, who cooperate with authorities in rescue operations and apprehending criminals who abuse their Quirks, commonly known as Villains. Heroes work out of Hero Agencies, which serves as their base of operations and a means for them to operate a business from their heroics. There are two different kinds of Hero Agency structures: one in which there is a single Hero owning the agency who also employs lower-level heroes called Sidekicks, and another in which a group of heroes will own an agency together as a team. In addition, Heroes who excel in their duties gain celebrity status and are recognized as. Heroes are ranked in popularity via the Hero Billboard Charts, with higher ranking heroes receiving public appeal, although it is not uncommon for novice heroes to gain popularity as well.

Pro Heroes begin their initial training in high school, of which U.A. High School in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan is considered by far the most prestigious. In addition to regular schooling, students are taught different forms of hero training such as combat and rescue operations, as well as how to meld their individual skills and overcome their drawbacks. Companies will also sponsor the students, mainly by constructing, repairing, and remodeling superhero suits for them. They also take part in events to show their skills to the public, such as sports festivals and cultural festivals. These events also serve as a way for Pro Heroes to scout students to intern for them. While initially forbidden from heroic work, students will eventually partake in the Provisional Hero License Exam, which gives them a temporary amateur Hero License before they become fully registered.

There are two types of internships that offer the opportunity to become a Pro Hero. The first type is the Hero Agency Internship in which the Pro Heroes can send a request to students that wish to work under them, such as in the aftermath of the Sports Festival. It involves a student shadowing a Pro Hero, listening to their advice, and watching them in action for a week. The second type is the Hero Work-Study, where, after a student acquires a Hero License, they can apply to function as real sidekicks. This also allows them to gain experience and can help them get noticed by other Pro Heroes who might hire them as full-time sidekicks once they graduate.

Initially the people who volunteered to do their heroic duties without permission were recognized as. Students who have acted as vigilantes are not allowed to work as heroes due to Quirk restriction laws managed by the Hero Public Safety Commission (ヒーロー公安委員会). While the act of vigilantism is inherently illegal, the vigilantes themselves represent a moral gray area. The Hero Public Safety Commission originally enlisted vigilantes to do their dirty work until they became too organized for the vigilantes to properly deal with, so they abandoned the idea and instead focused on recruiting Pro Heroes. Some vigilantes wear costumes, but since they do not have access to support companies like heroes do, they are made out of regular clothes and everyday items.

Plot

Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is a Quirkless boy who, despite his lack of powers, dreams of becoming a Hero and attending U.A. High School, idolizing Japan's No. 1 Hero, All Might who also attended U.A. He is frequently picked on by others for this, particularly his childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo. One day, All Might witnesses Deku attempt to save Bakugo from a villain, inspiring him to choose Deku to inherit his Quirk "One For All" — which grants the ability to stockpile raw power and pass it on to others — and become his successor. All Might was severely injured by his arch-nemesis All For One, whose Quirk allows him to steal other Quirks for his own use and pass them over to others at his will. After nearly a year of physical training, Deku inherits One For All and passes the entrance exam to U.A. by saving Ochaco Uraraka. Deku, Ochaco, and Bakugo are among the twenty students placed in Class 1-A, where Deku's tenacity earns him several friends. Deku also discovers several applications to use his Quirk, as the power is so immense it breaks his body anytime he uses it. During one of their classes, Class 1-A encounters the League of Villains, led by All For One's apprentice Tomura Shigaraki. Shigaraki attempts to use an artificial being called a Nomu to kill All Might, but All Might overpowers it.

Class 1-A takes part in a Sports Festival with the rest of their grade. Deku helps his classmate Shoto Todoroki emotionally move on from his resentment of his father – the No. 2 Hero Endeavor – for abusing him and his family. Bakugo wins the Sports Festival, but is incredibly unsatisfied by the victory. During it, 1-A's Class Representative Tenya Ida's older brother is crippled by the "Hero Killer" Stain, a villain who believes most Heroes only desire fame. As the U.A. students go on their Hero Agency internships, Deku interns with All Might's former master, Gran Torino, who helps him learn how to control his power. Ida tracks down Stain to get revenge, though Stain is ultimately defeated with the help of Deku and Todoroki. Stain's ideology spreads, and many of his believers join the League of Villains, including villains Dabi, Himiko Toga, and Twice, with Shigaraki deciding to take advantage of Stain's popularity for his own benefit. All Might informs Deku about the relationship behind the One For All Quirk and the villain All For One, and his plans for world domination. Class 1-A then take part in their final exams, where Deku and Bakugo are forced to team up to fight All Might.

While Classes 1-A and 1-B are at a Summer Training Camp, they are ambushed by the League of Villains' recruits, and kidnap Bakugo in the hopes of recruiting him. All Might leads several Heroes in locating the League of Villains' hideout, where All For One reveals himself. Deku and some of his friends rescue Bakugo, All Might battles All For One, and the League of Villains escape. All For One is defeated and imprisoned, but All Might exhausts the last of One For All's power and retires. Suspecting a traitor amidst U.A., the students move into new dorms on the campus. The class then partakes in their Provisional Hero License Exam, which Todoroki and Bakugo fail, later taking remedial courses as a make-up. Bakugo deduces the secret behind Deku's Quirk, with him and All Might confessing the truth about One For All to him.

Class 1-A meets with the "Big Three", U.A.'s top-ranked seniors who select a few students to join them as interns; one of the Big Three, Mirio Togata, picks Deku to join his internship with All Might's former sidekick Sir Nighteye, whom desires Mirio to inherit One For All. Nighteye's team comes into conflict with the Shie Hassaikai, a yakuza group recently allied with the League of Villains, who are experimenting on their boss' granddaughter Eri to produce Quirk-Destroying Drugs. Nighteye leads his agency, alongside those of the other Big Three, in a raid to save Eri, during which Nighteye is killed and Mirio is de-powered. Eri is taken in by the U.A. staff, while the League of Villains steal the remaining drugs. During the school's Culture Festival, Class 1-A performs a rock concert to help Eri overcome her trauma, while Deku deals with a villain duo who attempt to disrupt the festivities. Endeavor, who has now become the No. 1 Hero after All Might's retirement, is humbled by his added responsibility and begins to try and make amends with his family, as well as facing new dangerous threats like a more powerful Nomu.

During a battle exercise with Class 1-B, Deku undergoes an awakening with One For All, being able to communicate with the vestiges of the previous users of One For All, and also learning that he will start to acquire all the Quirks of the previous users. Meanwhile, Shigaraki is tasked by All For One's Doctor to earn his spot as his successor by obtaining the loyalty of All For One's bodyguard Gigantomachia. The League of Villains then find themselves in conflict with another villain group, the Meta Liberation Army, during which Twice, Toga, and Shigaraki's Quirks awaken to devastating effects. The Meta Liberation Army admits defeat and the two groups merge to become the Paranormal Liberation Front, while Shigaraki undergoes a months long procedure to obtain the All For One Quirk. In anticipation for the incoming conflict, a second round of internships is called, and Deku joins Bakugo and Todoroki to intern under Endeavor, where they learn the family, and Endeavor himself, blame him for the death of the oldest son, Toya.

A war finally breaks out between the Paranormal Liberation Front, and the Pro and training Heroes. Shigaraki is awakened and goes on a massive destruction spree, targeting Deku to obtain One For All. Twice is killed by current No. 2 Hero Hawks, Ochaco develops sympathy for Toga after the latter interrogates her about Twice's death, and Gigantomachia leaves devastation in his wake through countless cities. At the War's climax, Dabi reveals himself publicly as Endeavor's presumed dead son Toya, whose abuse led him to villainy. Shigaraki, now possessed by All For One's vestige, escapes with many of the Villains, and proceeds to break his original body, as well as thousands of other Villains, out of prisons across the country. Between the collateral damage, the escaped convicts, and Endeavor's revelation, public trust in Heroes shatters, and Japan descends into chaos. Believing his classmates are no longer safe, Deku reveals the truth about One For All and leaves U.A. to hunt down the Villains with Japan's top Heroes. However, this leads Deku to overwhelming physical and emotional ruin taking on all the burden on his own, so his classmates intervene to bring him back to U.A., which is now a refugee camp. Civilians protest Deku's return, until Ochaco pleads to them that Heroes need protection too.

After Deku recovers, Class 1-A student Yuga Aoyama is discovered to be a double agent for All For One and the one responsible for the first two League of Villains attacks. After reconciling with his class, the Heroes uses Aoyama's connection to lure the Paranormal Liberation Front into a trap that scatters them across the country for the remaining members to be defeated by the Heroes. Toga transforms into Twice using her Quirk and nearly kills Ochaco, but the two girls come to an understanding and Toga dies saving Ochaco's life through a fatal blood transfusion. The Todoroki family subdues Dabi after preventing his suicidal final attack. All For One attempts to reach Shigaraki's location to preform a permanent transfer, but is stalled by many Heroes, including All Might using a powered exoskeleton, a handful of reformed Villains, and finally a nearly deceased Bakugo. After several complications, Deku eventually faces off against the true Shigaraki, who in order to understand how he became this way, forcibly transfers One For All to damage his soul from within. Deku is able to make peace with Shigaraki's inner self, but All For One makes one last attempt to reclaim Shigaraki's body. Deku, aided by hero reinforcements, strikes the final blow on both All For One and Shigaraki. In the War's aftermath, Japan begins its reconstruction efforts, a crippled and retired Endeavor and his family visit a slowly dying Dabi, while Deku and Ochaco support each other over Shigaraki and Toga's fates.

Eight years later, Deku's One For All has completely faded, rendering him Quirkless once again. He is now a hero course teacher at U.A., while his former classmates work as Pro Heroes or Sidekicks. All Might gifts Deku a powered suit that replicates his old Quirks, funded by his former classmates, which he uses to return to hero work while continuing to teach at U.A. In the following months, Deku enters a relationship with Ochaco and becomes the No. 4 Hero.

Development

Writer Kōhei Horikoshi stated that after his previous series Barrage was canceled after just two volumes, he was depressed and out of ideas.[4] To formulate more ideas, he revisited a one-shot he previously published in Akamaru Jump, titled My Hero (僕のヒーロー). This would end up being the basis for My Hero Academia.[5] Horikoshi was also an avid fan of American films and comics, such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Star Wars, and X-Men, which he used for inspiration.[6][5] Horikoshi cites Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto manga series as being the main influence for his art, specifically stating it gave him a love for drawing hands.[7] Horikoshi has also cited Dragon Ball, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider as sources of inspiration.[6][5] Additionally, Horikoshi noted that he is a fan of the kaiju franchises Gamera and Godzilla and has mentioned and made reference to them in several comments.[8][9]

Hitoshi Koike, the editor of My Hero Academia, said that Horikoshi already had a general story in mind for the manga. However, he also noted there were many rejected story ideas, and that Horikoshi dismissed some ideas himself. Koike also stated that Horikoshi liked to use his inspirations.[5] Koike additionally noted My Hero Academia's first three chapters took longer to complete than many other new serialized works. Koike and Horikoshi worked on character design concepts while finishing the storyboards; Koike felt excited about the characters' designs despite not knowing their role in the plot.[5]

Kengo Monji, the second editor of the manga, said Horikoshi had a difficult time writing chapters at first. Monji felt that the manga was mixing the flair of Japan's manga with "heroes", a concept that he thought was understandable to a wide audience. Monji also complimented Horikoshi's artwork, noting its cartoon-style.[5]

Conclusion

Horikoshi originally stated that My Hero Academia would not be as long as One Piece since he felt he did not have enough stamina; he instead preferred to keep it concise in comparison to other manga series.[6] In April 2021, Horikoshi stated that the series had continued for longer than expected, but that it was still leading toward the ending that he had decided upon before the series began.[10] In December 2021, he stated during an interview at Jump Festa '22 that "if things go smoothly, the manga will meet its goal to end in one year. If it doesn't go smoothly, I think [Izuku's voice actor] Yamashita will be reading out the exact same letter from me at next year's Jump Festa." He also teased that Katsuki Bakugo would soon get a "big scene".[11] Horikoshi wrote in the 34th volume of the manga that "I feel like I can finally see the goal in sight. It's a rather strange feeling getting to this point. In the past, I would just be drawing without a single care [for the future], but now I wonder just how many more times can I draw these characters? Change is scary as you grow older. Well, I really shouldn't dwell on that! Until next volume then!".[12] In October 2022, the author rescinded the statement he made during Jump Festa '22, opting to take longer to complete the manga's final arc than initially expected.[13]

In December 2022, although Horikoshi stated that his estimations were wrong, he said that the ending of the manga is "very close".[14] In December 2023, he reiterated on what he said in the previous year's event. However, he added that there were still many things he wanted to draw beyond the battle that was currently ongoing in the manga. The author also jokingly said that "if the series continues until next year's Jump Festa, we will hold a Dogeza Festival on the stage."[15] In June 2024, Shueisha announced in the year's 27th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump that the manga had entered its "epilogue" with the 424th chapter. Horikoshi stated in his comment that although the conclusion of a story is usually short, it is not the kind of manga to end immediately after defeating the villain, and so it will go on "a little longer," and he added that the manga would "return to its title."[16] Later in the same month, it was announced that the series would end in five chapters after a ten-year run on August 5, 2024. The author expressed gratitude to his fans that made it possible for him to draw Deku and the others for the past ten years.

Themes and analysis

Horikoshi has stated that the main theme he focuses on is "what makes a hero".[17] He also stated that he likes stories with bad endings, as well as horror stories. However, he finds these difficult to draw since the mood in his stories is based on his own current mood. To combat this, he adds in more silly-looking characters such as Fat Gum, in order to keep the mood up.[17]

The series explores themes such as the nature of heroism, the importance of perseverance and determination, and the power of friendship and teamwork. Horikoshi said that he was inspired by the idea of creating a world where anyone, regardless of their background or abilities, could become a hero. He wanted to show that even those without powers could still make a difference and achieve their dreams through hard work and determination.[18] That vision results in heroes in the series not being egotistical, but passionate and dedicated individuals with clear goals to work towards.[19] The series also explores Izuku's idolization of heroes from a young age and his enthusiasm. In a world where superheroes are not just regulated, but commercialized brands, he still sees something inspiring in their actions.[19]

My Hero Academia has been noted for its positive view of heroes. Cramer wrote that "in the modern world, we often challenge heroic ideals, and the motivations of the people who pursue them", noting how in American media, the optimism of the Silver Age of Comic Books lead to post-Watchmen ambiguity. He also noted that, even in Japan, unquestioned heroism is often challenged in modern revisions of older series, such as in Yatterman and Gatchaman.[19]

Manga

Written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi, My Hero Academia began its serialization in Shueisha's manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 7, 2014.[20] The series ended after a ten-year run on August 5, 2024.[21][22] Its chapters were collected and published by Shueisha into 42 individual volumes, released from November 4, 2014, to December 4, 2024;[23] the final volume includes 38 pages of new content that take place after the original ending.[24]

The series is licensed for English-language release in North America by Viz Media, which published the first volume on August 4, 2015.[25] As the series was published in Japan, it was also released simultaneously in English digitally by Viz Media's Weekly Shonen Jump and later its website.[26][27] Shueisha began to simulpublish the series in English on the website and Manga Plus app in January 2019.[28]

Spin-offs

Three spin-off manga series have also been released. The first, My Hero Academia: Smash!! by Hirofumi Neda, is a comedy manga which ran in the Shōnen Jump+ digital app from November 9, 2015, to November 6, 2017.[29][30][31] Its chapters were collected in five volumes.[32] The second spin-off manga, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, is a prequel to the main series written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court, which ran from August 20, 2016, to May 28, 2022.[33] Its chapters were collected in 15 volumes.[34] The third spin-off manga, My Hero Academia: Team-Up Missions by Yōkō Akiyama, features various side stories. It began serialization in Saikyō Jump on August 2, 2019, with a prologue chapter debuting in Jump GIGA on July 25, 2019;[35] the series ended on January 4, 2025.[36] The three spin-off manga were licensed for the English-language release in North America by Viz Media.[37]

The four series' films have been adapted into one-volume manga series by Homesha.[38] A 15-page one-shot spin-off manga, illustrated by Yōkō Akiyama, centered on Melissa, titled Everyone Is Surely Someone's Hero (きっと誰もが誰かのヒーロー), was published in the 35th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 30, 2018.[39] A one-shot spin-off manga that serves as a prequel to the first film, written and illustrated by Kōhei Horikoshi, centered on All Might's past and the featured character Nana Shimura, titled No. 0 All Might: Rising (No.0 オールマイト：ライジング), was given to the first one million attendees on August 3, 2018. A ten-page manga was included in the My Hero Academia Two Heroes Vol. 0 Origin (僕のヒーローアカデミア２人の英雄 Vol.0 Origin) book.[40] It was later published in English by Viz Media in September 2018.[41]

Deku & Bakugo: Rising (出久&爆豪:ライジング), a two-chapter spin-off manga illustrated by Akiyama, was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump on December 16 and 23, 2019. It centered on Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo during their second year in middle school.[42] A one-shot spin-off manga that serves as a prequel to the second film, written and illustrated by Horikoshi, centered on Nine, titled League of Villains: Undercover (ヴィランれんごう:アンダーカバー), was also given to the first million attendees on December 20, 2019. A nine-page manga was included in the My Hero Academia Heroes: Rising Vol. R (僕のヒーローアカデミア ヒーローズ：ライジング Vol.R) book.[43] It was later published in English by Viz Media in March 2020.[44]

A 17-page special one-shot chapter written and illustrated by Akiyama, titled My Hero Academia Tokubetsu Spinoff: Endeavor's Mission (僕のヒーローアカデミア 特別スピンオフ エンデヴァーズ ミッション), was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on August 2, 2021. It centered on Endeavor and his trainees Izuku, Katsuki, and Shoto during their Hero Work-Studies at the Endeavor Agency.[45] An 80-page manga booklet, titled My Hero Academia World Heroes' Mission Vol. W (僕のヒーローアカデミア ワールドヒーローズミッション Vol. W), includes a nine-page one-shot manga that serves as a prequel to the third film, centered on Endeavor Agency trainees and the featured character Hawks, titled No. XXX Hawks: Soothe (No.XXX ホークス:スーズ)[46] was given to the My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission attendees who viewed the film in Japan on August 6, 2021. The manga volume had a limited print run of one million copies.[46] In October 2021, a 76-page booklet featuring a specialty manga was also given to the attendees who saw it on the opening weekend in the United States.[47]

A 16-page one-shot spin-off chapter written and illustrated by Akiyama, titled Connect to the Day, was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump on July 29, 2024. It takes place before the Final War, centered on Class 1-A students during their mission to capture the Jailbreakers.[48] An 80-page manga booklet, titled My Hero Academia Vol. Next (僕のヒーローアカデミア Vol. Next), includes a seven-page one-shot manga that serves as a prequel to the fourth film, centered on Class 1-A students, titled A Piece of Cake, was given to the My Hero Academia: You're Next attendees who viewed the film in Japan on August 2, 2024. The manga volume had a limited print run of 1.5 million copies.[49] The manga chapter was later published in English by Viz Media in October 2024.[50]

Anime

An anime television series adaptation of the manga was produced by Bones.[30] It was directed by Kenji Nagasaki, written by Yōsuke Kuroda, and featured character designs by Yoshihiko Umakoshi.[51][52] The series's first season aired from April 3 to June 26, 2016.[53] A second season aired from April 1 to September 30, 2017.[54] A third season aired from April 7 to September 29, 2018.[55] A fourth season aired from October 12, 2019, to April 4, 2020.[56][57] A fifth season aired from March 27 to September 25, 2021.[58] A sixth season aired from October 1, 2022, to March 25, 2023.[59] A seventh season aired from May 4 to October 12, 2024, with four "Memories" recap specials having aired in the preceding month of April.[60] An eighth and final season aired from October 4 to December 13, 2025.[61][62]

A bonus television special that adapts chapter 431, which was bundled with the 42nd and final volume of the manga, is set to premiere on May 2, 2026.[63][64]

Original video animations

An original video animation (OVA) was shown at Jump Festa '16 on November 27, 2016.[65] Titled "Save! Rescue Training!", it was bundled with the limited edition of the 13th volume of the manga, which released on April 4, 2017.[66] A second OVA, titled "Training of the Dead," bundled with a limited edition of the 14th volume of the manga, released on June 2, 2017.[67][68] A third OVA, "All Might: Rising," was released on February 13, 2019.[69] A two-part original net animation (ONA) titled "Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training," was released on August 16, 2020.[70] An OVA based on the bonus manga chapter "Departure" was included with the "Plus Ultra" edition of My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission in Japan.[71] Two new OVAs, titled "HLB <Hero League Baseball>" and "Laugh! As If You Are in Hell," were given screenings in Japan from June 16–19, 2022.[72] A special OVA, titled "UA Heroes Battle," premiered with an English dub at the New York Comic Con on October 13, 2023. The episode was given screenings in Japan from October 20–26, 2023.[73] An OVA based on the bonus manga chapter "A Piece of Cake" was included with the deluxe "Plus Ultra" edition of My Hero Academia: You're Next in Japan.[74]

Light novels

A light novel series, titled My Hero Academia: School Briefs (僕のヒーローアカデミア 雄英白書), written by Anri Yoshi, was released by Shueisha under its Jump J-Books imprint. It centers on Izuku Midoriya and his classmates of U.A. High in everyday school lives. The first volume was released on April 4, 2016.[75] As of October 4, 2021, six volumes have been published.[76] In North America, it has been licensed in English by Viz Media.[77]

Light novels based on the four anime films were released on August 3, 2018, December 20, 2019, August 6, 2021, and August 2, 2024, also written by Anri Yoshi.[78]

Theatrical films

Anime

An animated film, titled My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, had its world premiere at Anime Expo in Los Angeles on July 5, 2018,[79] before a Japanese theatrical release on August 3, 2018.[80] A second film, titled My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, released in Japan on December 20, 2019,[81] with a North American release following on February 26, 2020.[82] A third film, titled My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, was released in Japan on August 6, 2021,[83] and premiered in North America on October 29, 2021.[84] A fourth film, titled My Hero Academia: You're Next, was released in Japan on August 2, 2024,[85][86] and began screening in the United States on October 11, 2024.[87]

Live action

In October 2018, Legendary Entertainment acquired the rights to produce a live action adaptation of the series.[88] In August 2021, it was revealed to be directed by Shinsuke Sato, with Alex Garcia and Jay Ashenfelter overseeing the adaptation, and Ryosuke Yoritomi representing the manga publisher Shueisha. Toho is set to distribute the film in Japan.[89][90] On December 12, 2022, Netflix announced that they had acquired the rights to the film with Joby Harold as screenwriter.[91] In September 2025, it was announced that Jason Fuchs had been hired to rewrite the script and that Sato had been reaffirmed as director.[92]

Video games

Console games

A video game based on the anime,, was announced in November 2015.[93] The game was developed by Dimps and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment for the Nintendo 3DS, where it released in Japan on May 19, 2016.[94]

My Hero Academia has also received four video games developed by Byking and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. The first, titled, was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, and Xbox One on October 26, 2018.[95] The game has sold over 500,000 units worldwide by January 2019.[96] A sequel, , was released on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on March 12, 2020, in Japan and worldwide in the following day.[97] The third, a free-to-play battle royale action game, titled My Hero Ultra Rumble (僕のヒーローアカデミア), was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One on September 28, 2023.[98] The fourth, a sequel to One's Justice 2 titled My Hero Academia: All's Justice, was released on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on February 5, 2026, in Japan and worldwide in the following day.[99]

Mobile games

Three mobile games have been released for iOS and Android. My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero was released in North America and several other mostly English-speaking countries in late May 2021.[100][101] My Hero Ultra Impact (僕のヒーローアカデミア) was released in February 2022.[102]

Crossovers

Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Katsuki Bakugo, and Shoto Todoroki appeared as playable characters in the 2018 crossover fighting game Jump Force.[103] Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, All Might, Shoto Todoroki, Eijiro Kirishima, Mina Ashido, and the members of League of Villains appeared as cosmetic outfits for players to purchase in Fortnite. Additionally, the in-game abilities including "Deku's Smash" and "Todoroki's Ice Wall" were introduced.[104] In December 2023, a Roblox game based on the anime, My Hero Academia: Battlegrounds, was produced by Gamefam in collaboration with Crunchyroll and Toho;[105] and in September 2025, its second game My Hero Academia: Ultimate was also developed by Gamefam in collaboration with Crunchyroll.[106] Izuku and Katsuki were featured as playable characters in the Granblue Fantasy collaboration event from January 12–25, 2024.[107] A collaboration with Overwatch 2 became available from October 17–30, 2024. The outfit skins featured Tracer as Deku, Juno as Uravity, Reinhardt as All Might, Kiriko as Himiko Toga, and Reaper as Tomura Shigaraki.[108]

Stage plays

My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage, a stage play adaptation, was first announced in 2018 and ran from April 12–21 and April 26–29, 2019.[109][110] The play was directed by Tsuneyasu Motoyoshi,[109] written by Hideyuki Nishimori, and choreographed by Umebō. Shunsuke Wada composed the music. The cast includes Shin Tamura as Izuku Midoriya, Ryōta Kobayashi as Katsuki Bakugo, Yume Takuchi as Ochako Uraraka, Hiroki Ino as Tenya Iida, and Ryō Kitamura as Shoto Todoroki.[110]

A second stage play adaptation, titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero, was scheduled to run from March 6–22 and March 27 – April 5, 2020, with the cast and staff returning.[111] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero's original run was canceled and postponed to July 2020, where a complete version, titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero Plus Stage Ver., ran instead.[112] After one staff member contracted COVID-19, the production committee announced that My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: A True Hero would instead be live-streamed; however, the play was delayed again after another staff member contracted COVID-19.[113] The stage play ran in 2021 from December 3–12 and December 24–26.[114]

A third stage play adaptation titled My Hero Academia The "Ultra" Stage: The Symbol of Peace was announced on December 26, 2021, and was scheduled to run from April 9–10, April 22–24, and April 29 – May 8, 2022.[115] However, due to one of the actor's injury during a performance of the play, future performances were postponed.[116]

A fourth stage play adaptation, titled My Hero Academia: The "Ultra" Stage: The Best Hero, was announced at the Jump Festa '23 event in December 2022. It ran from April 29 – May 7, May 12–14, and May 19–21, 2023.[117]

Art and guidebooks

Two My Hero Academia art books and four guidebooks have been released by Shueisha. The first art book, titled My Hero Academia: Official Character Guide Ultra Archive Art Book, (僕のヒーローアカデミア 公式キャラクターガイド ウルトラアーカイブ画集) was released on May 7, 2016.[118] The first guidebook, titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Archive - The Official Character Guide, (僕のヒーローアカデミア公式キャラクターブック Ultra Archive) was published on May 2, 2016.[119] Accompanying the anime, the second guidebook, titled My Hero Academia: Ultimate Animation – The Official Book Guide, (僕のヒーローアカデミア 公式ガイドブック Ultimate Animation Guide) was released on September 4, 2017.[120] The third guidebook, titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Analysis – The Official Character Guide, (僕のヒーローアカデミア 公式キャラクターブック2 Ultra Analysis) was released on October 4, 2019.[121] The fourth and final guidebook, titled My Hero Academia: Ultra Age – The Final Fan Book, (僕のヒーローアカデミア ファイナルファンブック Ultra Age) was released in Japan on May 2, 2025.[122] The second and final art book, titled My Hero Academia: Official Illustration Collection Ultra Artworks, (僕のヒーローアカデミア 公式イラスト集 Ultra Artworks) was released on June 4, 2025.[123] Viz Media has licensed the second art book for English release in North America, which is set to be released in Q4 2026.[124]

Other media

A drama CD titled My Hero Academia: Sweep! Local Area Cleaning! (僕のヒーローアカデミアハケ！ちいきせいそう！) bundled with a limited edition of the seventh volume of the manga, released before the anime. Kōhei Horikoshi provides the original story and supervised the project, and the script is written by Yōsuke Kuroda who also wrote for the anime series.[125][126] An interactive puzzle-solving event called "Heroes Dead End Program" was held on July 29 and 30, 2017.[127] An exhibit of the series ran in Tokyo's Ikebukuro Sunshine City from September 30 to October 8, 2018.[128]

An art exhibition, titled "My Hero Academia Drawing Smash", ran in Tokyo from April 23 to June 27, 2021, and in Osaka from July 16 to September 5, 2021.[129] An animation exhibition with a theme of Heroes vs. Villains, titled My Hero Academia Anime: All-Out War Arc Exhibition, ran in various cities in Japan from April to November 2023.[130] Another animation exhibition, titled My Hero Academia Ultra Animation Exhibition, ran in Tokyo and Osaka from December 2023 to March 2024.[131] Another art exhibition, to celebrate the series' ten-year run, was held at Creative Museum Tokyo from June 21 to August 31, 2025.[132][133] It is set to be held at the Namba Parks Museum in Osaka from October 25 to December 21 of the same year, and at Mitsukoshi Gallery in Fukuoka from April 11 to June 14, 2026.[134][135]

From March 1 to August 14, 2024, Universal Studios Japan hosted an attraction based on the series, as part of the "Cool Japan" program. My Hero Academia The Real 4-D attraction uses 3D visuals and special effects such as seat rumbles and splashes of water. It also includes an original story featuring Deku, Bakugo, Uraraka, and Todoroki facing off against a villain who appears at the concert of a world-famous rock performer.[136] A live-action short film titled "Succession", commemorating the manga's tenth anniversary, released its video on YTV Animation's YouTube channel on April 27, 2024. It follows the lives of two brothers who grew up together with the manga series using its iconic quotes.[137]

A global popularity poll titled "World Best Hero", commemorating the manga's ten-year run, was announced on August 5, 2024. The poll advertisement was published in the International edition of The New York Times on August 6. It is the first manga that Shueisha hosted a worldwide character popularity poll. The voting opened till September 30, with the winner on December 3 would get a statue designed by Horikoshi.[138]

Popularity

My Hero Academia ranked second on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2015" poll by Honya Club online bookstore.[139] The series has been ranked on the "Book of the Year" list from Media Factory's Da Vinci magazine, where professional book reviewers, bookstore employees, and Da Vinci readers participate; it ranked 26th in 2015;[140] 22nd in 2016; 16th in 2018; 37th in 2019;[141] 41st in 2020;[142] 34th in 2021;[143] 22nd in 2022; 19th in 2024; and 28th in 2025.[144] On Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! ranking of the top 20 manga for male readers, it ranked fifth on the 2016 list.[145] On TV Asahi's Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, My Hero Academia ranked 16th.[146] On a 2021 survey conducted by Line Research asking Japanese high school students what manga series they are currently into, the series ranked second among boys.[147]

The story has been noted to take inspiration from elements in American superhero comics, such as the aesthetics of its characters,[148] and due to the popularity of the series, characters of My Hero Academia were used to promote the Marvel Studios films Avengers: Infinity War and Captain America: Brave New World.[149] Before the anime adaptation's premiere, Naruto's creator Masashi Kishimoto praised Kōhei Horikoshi's work, and said: "My Hero Academia is finally getting animated! Congratulations! To put into words this sensation, which I know firsthand... it's probably a great feeling. [Considering] the original work and the studio, Bones... you don't need the 'probably,' it's a great feeling. People who know it will get it! Internationally, even... in any case, it's a great feeling. It's the same feeling I had when my work was first animated – no, [the series] is more than that! And they aren't making me say this, it's the truth." Kishimoto also believed that it would be a success overseas. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda also praised the series.[150] After the manga's completion, writers, editors, the anime's staff and cast, and stage play actors expressed congratulations to Horikoshi for his work.[151]

The series' characters have also been highly popular for cosplaying, especially in Japan, where a poll surveyed by Cosplayers Archive ranked My Hero Academia ninth in Q3 2017.[152] According to the retailer Zavvi, where they surveyed Instagram hashtags containing franchise names followed by the term "cosplay", My Hero Academia was the most popular franchise among cosplayers worldwide with 2,377,476 posts, ranking above companies and franchises such as DC Comics, Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, Naruto, Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Pokémon, and Sailor Moon. The retailer stated that the result demonstrates the "recent growth of anime". They also surveyed hashtags containing character names, where three My Hero Academia characters placed in the top ten rankings: Izuku ranked fifth with 224,429 posts, Shoto came at seventh with 177,161 posts, and Katsuki at ninth with 147,600 posts.[153]

On Tumblr's Year in Review, which highlights the largest communities, fandoms, and trends on the platform throughout the year, My Hero Academia ranked first in the Top Anime & Manga Shows category from 2018 to 2021.[154][155][156][157] The characters also placed highly in the rankings of the Top Anime & Manga Characters category. In 2019, Izuku Midoriya ranked first, with 17 other spots being occupied by other My Hero Academia characters in the top 50 list;[155] seven were ranked on the top 10 list in 2020;[156] and five in 2021.[157] The series also ranked fifth on Tumblr's Top 10 overall in the 2018 list;[158] it ranked ninth on the Top 20 overall in 2020;[156] and tenth on the Top 21 overall in 2021.[157] It placed seventeenth on Twitter Japan's Trend Awards in 2021, based on the social network's top trending topics of the year.[159]

Sales

My Hero Academia has been a significant commercial success since the manga's release; in 2014, the first volume reached seventh place on Oricon's weekly manga chart with 71,575 copies sold.[160] It sold out almost immediately on its first printing.[161] Volume two reached sixth place, with 167,531 copies[162] and, by January 18, 2015, had sold 205,179 copies.[163] In April 2015, volume three reached eighth place with 254,111 copies.[164] Volume four reached sixth with 259,137 in June,[165] and volume five peaked at ninth place with 279,414 copies in August.[166]

By March 2017, the manga had over 10 million copies in circulation;[167] over 13 million copies in circulation by February 2018;[168] over 15 million copies in circulation by May 2018;[169] over 16 million copies in circulation by August 2018;[170] over 17 million copies in circulation by September 2018;[171] over 20 million copies in circulation by December 2018;[172] over 21 million copies in circulation by February 2019;[173] over 26 million copies in circulation by December 2019;[174] over 30 million copies in circulation by January 2021;[175] over 50 million copies in circulation by April 2021, with 37 million being sold in Japan and the remaining 13 million in the rest of the world;[176] over 65 million copies in circulation by January 2022,[177] with 45 million being sold in Japan and the remaining 20 million elsewhere;[178][179] over 85 million copies in circulation by February 2023;[180] and over 100 million copies in circulation by April 2024.[181]

The My Hero Academia franchise sales generated an estimated ¥16 billion in revenue in Japan between 2016 and 2020.[182] The series was the sixth best-selling manga series in the first half of 2017, with over 2 million copies sold,[183] while volumes 12 and 13 were some of the top 50 best-selling manga volumes.[184] By the end of the year, it was the fourth best-selling manga series with over 5.8 million copies sold,[185] while volumes 12–15 were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes.[186] In 2018, the seventeenth volume of the manga had received an initial print run of 600,000 copies.[187] It was the fifth best-selling manga in the first half of 2018 with over 2.5 million copies sold,[188] while volumes 17 and 18 were the thirteenth and seventeenth best-selling manga volumes, respectively.[189] The series ranked sixth on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2018.[190] It was the second best-selling manga of 2018, behind One Piece, with over 6.7 million copies sold;[191] volumes 17–20 were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes, having sold over 3 million copies combined.[192] The 22nd volume topped Oricon's ranking sales chart list in February 2019, with 576,148 copies sold.[193] The series was the fourth best-selling manga in the first half of 2019, with over 3.1 million copies sold;[194] volumes 21–23 were among the 50 best-selling manga volumes of the year.[195] It was the sixth best-selling manga in 2019, with over 5 million copies sold.[196] Along with One-Punch Man, the series had an initial print run of 660,000 copies, with its 26th volume in 2020.[197] The series was the fifth best-selling manga in the first half of 2020, with over 3 million copies sold.[198] It ranked twelfth on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2020.[199]

My Hero Academia was the eighth best-selling manga series in 2020, with over 6 million copies sold.[200] The 29th volume had an initial print run of 680,000 copies in 2021.[201] The series was the fifth best-selling manga in 2021 and 2022, with over 7 million and 5.3 million copies sold, respectively;[202] volumes 33–35 were among the 30 best-selling manga volumes of 2022.[203] It ranked eighth on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2021, and ninth in 2022.[204] Volumes 37–39 were among the best-selling manga volumes of 2023.[205] The series ranked twelfth on Rakuten's Top 20 Best Selling Digital Manga of 2023.[206] Volume 38 was Shueisha's fifth-highest first print run manga volume of 2023–2024 (period from April 2023 to March 2024), with 815,000 copies printed.[207] In December 2024, the 42nd and final volume sold 1 million copies in its first week, making My Hero Academia the fourth manga series to achieve this feat in a single print volume, with the others being Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Attack on Titan, and One Piece.[208] It was also the series' highest-selling manga volume in Oricon's first week chart, with 616,671 copies sold.[209] Its volume had an initial print run of 850,000 copies printed, making it Shueisha's sixth-highest first print run manga volume of 2024–2025 (period from April 2024 to March 2025).[210]

In North America, the volumes of My Hero Academia appeared on The New York Times Manga Best Seller list for several weeks, with volume one, which was released in August 2015, debuting at fourth place.[211] The volumes were also ranked on Circana (formerly NPD) BookScan's monthly top 20 adult graphic novels list since August 2016,[212] while it was on the top 20 manga graphic novels list in September, October and December 2018.[213] In Q4 2018, My Hero Academia was the best-selling manga franchise according to ICv2.[214] Several volumes of the manga have also been ranked on The New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since November 2019.[215] Volumes 1 and 26 ranked third and sixth, respectively, on Publishers Weekly's bestseller list in March 2021.[216] Volume 28 also charted on the Publishers Weekly's bestseller list in September 2021, ranking fifth.[217]

According to ICv2, My Hero Academia was the fifth best-selling manga franchise in Q4 2021 (September–December) in the United States.[218] According to NPD BookScan, it was the best-selling manga series in 2020, with nine volumes featured on the top 20 adult graphic novels list;[219] seven volumes were ranked among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2021;[220] two volumes were among the top 20 highest-selling manga volumes in 2022 and 2023.[221] The first volume had over 1.2 million copies in circulation by 2022 and the franchise as a whole has over 10 million copies in circulation in the United States.[179]

Critical reception

Nick Creamer of Anime News Network gave the first volume a B rating. Creamer praised Horikoshi's artwork, describing it as "absolutely professional" and "consistent and highly polished", but also stated that it was fast-paced and very sharply drawn. He praised the plot and characters, saying that despite it feeling like a typical shōnen plot, it did well enough to still feel fresh and entertaining. He also stated that the characters had great energy and personality.[222] Isaac Akers from The Fandom Post gave the second volume a B+ rating. He praised the art, saying that Horikoshi's character designs and art bolster the volume's ability to feel as if it does everything it does just because the volume likes doing it. He concluded that My Hero Academia was a difficult series to dislike, making it as the "real joy to read" by executing the author's ideas and having enough nerve and twist.[223] Sean Gaffney from A Case Suitable for Treatment referred to the art as "smooth" and complemented how it flows with the action. Gaffney also praised the story, characters, and fight scenes, stating that the story flows nicely with each of their individual personalities, while the fight scenes look smooth and non-confusing.[224]

In a review of the second volume, Leroy Douresseaux from Comic Book Bin also praised the story, specifically the way it executed comedy and drama. He also compared the series to the other superhero works such as Tiger & Bunny and One-Punch Man, stating that My Hero Academia proved that "manga can do superhero comic books that are every bit as imaginative as American superhero comics".[225] Manga Bookshelf praised the first volume for its art, saying that it demonstrated Horikoshi's skill very well, though criticizing it for having too much narration at some points.[226] Reviewing volumes 1 to 19, Michelle Smith from Soliloquy in Blue called the plot "very good", but also stated that the main reason she liked the series was the characters, specifically praising most of the main cast. However, she criticized the series for not giving some of the female characters enough spotlight despite praising their varied character designs and personalities.[227]

The series was chosen as one of the Best Manga at the Comic-Con International Best & Worst Manga in 2018 and 2019.[228] Barnes & Noble named it on their list of "Our Favorite Manga of 2018", saying that "it combines the earnestness of superhero comics with the core elements of shonen manga", but also stated that the reason the story was a delight was due to Horikoshi's "endlessly inventive imagination", praising most of the characters' abilities that are more "quirks" than superpowers.[229] Cold Cobra of Anime UK News picked the series for his list of "best manga of 2010s", praising its mix between the Japanese shonen action genre and American superhero comics. He stated that its cast of characters is what makes it stand out more than anything. He described the artwork as "wonderfully expressive and occasionally impressively shaded for those big full-page moments", which made it a joy to read.[230]

Awards and nominations

Unit 731 controversy

In early 2020, the series caused a controversy in South Korea and China for a character's name allegedly referencing Unit 731,[248] an infamous Imperial Japanese army unit known its immensely brutal and inhumane experiments on prisoners of war (POWs), including the vivisecting of captured Chinese, Korean, and Russian soldiers and civilians. In response, the series has been removed from digital platforms in China, and the character's name was changed to no longer reference Unit 731.[249] A day prior, both Weekly Shōnen Jump manga magazine publisher Shueisha and the manga's author Kōhei Horikoshi issued individual apology statements on Twitter.[250]

In the aftermath of the manga's removal from its services in China, the English-language news service Abacus reached out to bilibili and Tencent for its request. The former stated that the removal was "in accordance with China's policies" but declined to comment further, while the latter did not respond to Abacus' request for comment.[250] The character's name was changed again in the digital version of Weekly Shōnen Jump following the backlash. Shueisha promised that "going forward, we intend to devote our energies toward deepening our understanding of a variety of historical and cultural matters." Both the publisher and manga's creator reiterated that the reference to war crimes within the character's name was wholly unintentional.[251]

Following the controversy, the work has often been regarded as anti-China. In June 2025, there were multiple reports of cosplayers portraying characters from the work being attacked in China.[252][253]