After nearly ten years on the air My Hero Academia The anime recently ended, thus cementing it as one of the most popular and influential shonen series in the history of the industry. Based on the original manga of the same name by Kohei Horikoshi, this superhero story has resonated with millions of viewers around the world, and for very good reason.
The only question left is: Why? what makes My Hero Academia So special that it has allowed it to have such a huge cultural impact? Well, the truth is that this anime actually does a lot of things better than its contemporaries in the battle shonen genre, and the anime community often ignores or undermines these positive qualities. There are many solid points to choose from, but the following eight are the most notable
My Hero Academia: Deku's Most OP Moments, Ranked
These moments showed us all how great the hero Deku really is.
A kind, smart, and complex main character
Izuku Midoriya is not a run-of-the-mill shonen hero
Battle shonen heroes often fall into two categories: they are either dumb, careless but have hearts of gold – like Goku, Naruto or Luffy – or they are very kind but frustratingly one-dimensional – like Tanjiro or Itadori. My Hero Academiamain character, Izuku Midoriya (aka Deku), he may seem to be part of the second category (in fact, he single-handedly helped popularize it) but he is actually much more complex and interesting than it first appears.
Not only is Deku incredibly smart and extremely kind, which felt really innovative when the anime first came out, but the story slowly proves that he is also reckless and overworked, to the point that he has a self-destructive tendency to save everyone that usually ends up harming him both physically and psychologically. Despite living in such a fantasy world, he is a very human character at his core, and he goes through an incredible development that very few shonen heroes have managed to match, let alone.
Breaks expectations
My Hero Academia is not as ordinary as it seems at first
My Hero Academia Came out in 2016, meaning that it had an extensive, almost 40-year-long history of borrowing elements from the Battle Shonen series. While its story clearly belongs to the most common of the genre tropesIt also subverts many of them in great ways, and it unfortunately went over the heads of many viewers.
for example, Katsuki Bakugo Introduced as a loud and impulsive antagonist and, instead of ceasing to be important or changing his personality completely, he evolves into a better person who is still loud and impulsive. There is also effortJoe is quickly established as an abusive father and husband, and instead of leaving him as a one-dimensional antagonist who is easy to hate, My Hero Academia In fact it informs about the consequences of his domestic abuse and his attempts to seek atonement for his past actions. These two plot threads were handled with such a level of maturity and complexity that it helped the show stand out from other modern fighting shonen anime.
Visuals that are on par with the source material
The animation is just as beautiful as the art from the original manga
The Animation quality Adaptations of popular shonen manga can be really hit or miss: sometimes it's so breathtakingly detailed that it completely surpasses the source material (e.g. Demon Slayer) while other times it's so disappointing that it's more worthwhile to check out the original manga instead (eg Tokyo Ghoul or A punch man). It's pretty rare to find a good shonen anime that matches its featured counterpart in terms of visuals, though My Hero Academia There is one notorious exception.
My Hero Academia: All Might's Most OP Moments, ranked
These moments proved how great a hero can be.
Kohei Horikoshi is one of the most talented mangaka in the entire industry, and his original illustrations My Hero Academia Not only is the manga incredibly detailed, but they also perfectly express the intricate movements of its characters and the studio in charge of the anime, Bones, did a fantastic job of keeping these drawings in motion. Of course, while anime is much less detailed than manga because of the obvious differences between the two mediums, the animation is so fluid, so cinematic and so well choreographed, that it is often considered one of the absolute best in the entire industry.
A fully balanced power system
Quirks is neither too simple nor too complicated
Power systems Battle shonen anime can be completely unpredictable, as some of them are extremely simple (eg Dragon Ballor Demon Slayerof breathing styles), while others are so unnecessarily complex that they can be very difficult to follow (eg Hunter x HunterNen or of Jujutsu Kaisen Cursed Techniques). but, My Hero Academiawho Quirks Perfectly balanced, as they seem very bare-bones at first, but the viewer slowly discovers that they are actually quite complex, without ever becoming confused.
Quirks are genetic mutations that allow people to do all sorts of things, such as manipulate an element, turn parts of their body into a special substance, or wield the physical properties of an animal, etc. However, since people are born with these powers, they can actually learn to exercise their Quirks (like a muscle) so they can develop and unlock them. On top of that, there's also the existence of the Quirk Singularity Theory, which has huge implications for the series' lore and world-building.
The most heroic and inspiring music
My Hero Academia has one of the best anime soundtracks of all time
While My Hero Academia While there is obviously great animation, voice acting and writing, there's one other special aspect in which this show really stands out: Its music. The soundtrack My Hero Academia Most were composed by the great Yuki Hayashi, and it went down as one of the absolute best anime-original scores in the history of the industry.
Of course, the music that plays during the comedic or dramatic moments fits each scene flawlessly, but what really shines within this soundtrack are the songs that play during the action-packed scenes. Like tracks Say you run away or Hero A are so heroic and inspiring that viewers can't help but feel inspired by them, and they've become a huge part of online anime culture. On top of that, it's also worth pointing out My Hero Academia There are fourteen different openings, and all of them are so catchy and well-crafted that each one of them is worth listening to on its own.
It is perfect for fans of western superheroes
My Hero Academia's release couldn't have been better timed
This is important to remember My Hero Academia Started broadcasting in 2016, right when Marvel Cinematic Universe Its popularity was at its peak and Western superheroes were becoming a huge global phenomenon. People who were all watching miracle and DC Those eager to experience a similar story through the medium of film and Japanese animation could begin watching this beautiful, brand new (at the time) series, thus making it extremely accessible to mainstream audiences of the decade.
My Hero Academia: Shoto's Most OP Moments, Ranked
These moments really helped Shoto stand out throughout My Hero Academia.
This was 100% intentional by Horikoshi, as he is a self-proclaimed fan of Western comic books and has cited many iconic Marvel and DC characters (such as Spider-Man and Batman) as major sources of inspiration for his work. While many other superhero anime exist out there, they either don't belong to the shonen demographic or they prefer to pay homage to Eastern superheroes (e.g. Kamen Rider and Super Sentai), while My Hero Academia has a broader, more universal appeal.
A high-quality spin-off series
Vigilantes is almost on the same level as the original My Hero Academia anime
Truth be told, not many successful war shonen anime have had spin-offs that were able to match the original show in terms of quality and popularity. There are some mostly silly jokes that shouldn't be taken seriously – eg Attack on Titan: Junior High or Rock Lee and his ninja friends – While Many others are sequels that have left their respective fan bases extremely disappointed, e.g Boruto or Yasahime: Princess half-demon.
My Hero Academia A notable exception in this case, as its spin-off/prequel, My Hero Academia: Vigilance, It's surprisingly good that many fans love it more than the original series. Based on the spin-off manga of the same name (which was written by Hideyuki Furuhashi, illustrated by Betten Court and supervised by Horikoshi), vigilance Tells the story of a group of outlaw superheroes who rescue people without a license and are trying to take down a dangerous organization of trigger smugglers. It explores the darker and more grounded side My Hero Academia Adding depth to the world, some characters and plot lines that didn't get enough time to shine in the main series, and as a result, it feels incredibly unique and refreshing.
The ending of the manga was elevated
The ending of the anime was universally beloved
The last chapter of Jab My Hero Academia When the manga came out, in 2023, many readers were quick to complain about how unsatisfied they felt with its long-awaited conclusion, with some claiming that the final arcs were too confusing and that Deku's personal story ended on a disappointing and/or weak note for them. Surprisingly, however, when the anime adapted the end At the end of 2025, the audience responded very positively to it.
Why was it over? My Hero Academia Is the anime much less polarizing than its manga counterpart? It's hard to figure out exactly why, but it could be because of the execution of the animation, music, and voice acting (which do a very effective job of conveying drama and emotion in some key scenes) or it could be because of the much-needed additions made by Bones to strengthen the story and its themes. Interestingly, manga readers didn't warm to the end until an additional chapter 431 was released months later, while the additional chapter wouldn't be adapted through an OVA title until May 2026, despite the fact that anime audiences loved it worldwide. My Hero Academia: More.
- Release date
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2016 – 2025-00-00
- network
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TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- directors
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Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuyoda Nakayo, Nakayoto Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
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Daiki Yamashita
Izuku Midoriya (voice)
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Kaito Ishikawa
Manga Fukidashi (voice)
