Summary
- Deku set a new standard for shōnen protagonists, prioritizing kindness and strategy over brute strength.
- My Hero Academia rejects the trope of main characters with special lineages, emphasizing Deku's efforts over genetically inherited power.
- The rivalry between Deku and Bakugo is complex and realistic, showcasing character growth and development uncommon in shōnen anime.
My Hero Academia is highly regarded as one of the best action shōnen anime of the 2010s, to the point that many fans of the genre believe that it became one of the “new Big 3” after Naruto and Bleach ended. Of course, this huge level of success was possible not only because of the high quality of Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga but also because Bones delivered one of the best animated adaptations in the entire industry to date.
My Hero Academia: Best Episode of Each Season
Every season of My Hero Academia is worth watching, but these specific episodes are the best from each one.
My Hero Academia is so big, influential, and popular because it does many things better than most of the anime it’s often compared to, even though sometimes this may go unnoticed in the eyes of viewers. This series stands out in terms of storytelling, character dynamics, and the design of its power system, and the following examples perfectly reflect everything that it does better than the competition.
1 A Kind But Smart Main Character
Deku Laid The Foundation For A New Generation Of Heroes
During the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, most shōnen protagonists followed the same archetype: they were loud, reckless, rude, and a little bit dumb, but they all had a heart of gold. As a result, Goku, Monkey D. Luffy, and Naruto Uzumaki became the most recognizable main characters in the entire industry. On the other hand, most modern shōnen series nowadays feature kinder, softer, and more sympathetic protagonists instead, like Tanjiro Kamado or Yuji Itadori.
This sudden shift in the industry was almost entirely influenced by My Hero Academia and its main character, Izuku Midoriya (AKA Deku). He’s a very kind, soft-spoken, and friendly boy who is constantly trying to do his best and wants to save everyone around him, not to mention that he often uses his brains to come up with strategies that’ll allow him to come out victorious from the most challenging battles. When My Hero Academia first released, this was seen as a really bold and risky change, but it definitely ended up working quite well for both the series and the entire anime industry.
2 A Non-Special Protagonist
Who Remained Non-Special Until The Very End
Many action anime establish their main characters as complete nobodies, only to later reveal that they possess some sort of special heritage that allowed them to become so important and powerful in the first place. This type of twist took place in Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Jujutsu Kaisen, and many other prominent shōnen series, and it’s always met with a lot of disdain from anime fans who believe that it undermines the messages these stories are trying to convey.
Curiously enough, My Hero Academia completely avoided this tired and controversial trope, and yet it seems most anime fans haven’t noticed it. When the story starts, Deku is just a regular, quirkless kid who was chosen by All Might to inherit One for All and, fortunately, it was never revealed that he belonged to a special lineage of powerful heroes/villains all along, or anything like that: he became incredibly strong and special through his effort and hard work. Deku’s initial mundanity ended up becoming a major advantage to him because it was later confirmed that he was able to use One for All for so long without dying, specifically because he was born without a quirk.
3 A New Take On The Classic Shōnen Rivalry
One Of The Best (Albeit Most Controversial) Rivalries In The Genre
The intense and fascinating rivalry between Izuku Midoriya and his childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugo, is one of the most noteworthy but most controversial aspects of My Hero Academia. Most people strongly dislike Bakugo because of his aggressive and violent personality and very easily dismiss him as a generic bully character, but his development and growth throughout the series make him a very compelling rival.
My Hero Academia: 8 Characters Who Won The Most Fights, Ranked
Winning a fight in My Hero Academia is rarely an easy task, but these characters managed to do so on multiple occasions.
Seeing Bakugo coming to terms with his sense of inferiority, apologizing to Deku, and becoming one of his strongest allies was a breath of fresh air. Most rivalries in the action shōnen genre are surprisingly one-note and simplistic, whereas Deku and Bakugo’s relationship feels much more complex, realistic, and humane in comparison.
4 Complex Characters Seeking Atonement
These Compelling Characters Are Far From One-Dimensional
When an action anime for younger audiences introduces certain types of antagonistic characters, like childhood bullies or abusive parents, they usually remain one-dimensional and despicable until the very end. However, My Hero Academia is quite bold in this regard, because it featured more than one character that did horrible things, but they actually went on to condemn their actions and started seeking atonement.
Both Katsuki Bakugo and, especially, Enji Todoroki (Endeavor) are perfect examples of characters that were originally introduced as seemingly irredeemable people but, at one point in the story, realized their mistakes and began doing everything in their power to redeem themselves, no matter how hard it may be. Naturally, this narrative decision ended up being very polarizing among fans, but the fact that these well-written morally gray characters exist in the first place makes My Hero Academia a much more interesting and realistic story than most other action shōnen anime out there.
5 A Surprisingly Clever Power System
That Complements The World Building
Truth be told, almost every mainstream shōnen anime has a very solid and well-made power system, from One Piece’s Devil Fruits and Haki to Naruto’s Chakra and Jutsu, and even Demon Slayer’s Breathing Styles. However, My Hero Academia has one of the most brilliant power systems in the entire genre, and it outshines many of its competitors in many ways. At first glance, quirks may seem like a simple homage to the mutant gene from the X-Men comics, but they're implemented into this unique narrative very naturally and efficiently.
The sudden appearance of quirks not only inspired many people to become Pro Heroes or super villains, but it also completely reshaped the entire world’s politics, society, and culture. They are not just tools for combat, they're a natural part of this fascinating universe, not to mention that they also allowed both Kohei Horikoshi and the anime’s character designers to create all sorts of wacky and over-the-top background characters. Another important aspect about quirks that is worth pointing out is that, since they’re a natural part of people’s bodies, they can be enhanced and evolved with proper training (similarly to muscles), meaning that their growth mechanics are much more organic and comprehensible than other popular power systems in the genre. This perfectly reflects one of the main themes of the series: everybody can become a hero, no matter what.
6 It Pays Tribute To Western Superheroes
It's A Huge Love Letter To Both DC And Marvel
There are a lot of superhero anime out there, but most of them tend to be inspired by classic Japanese tokusatsu franchises (like Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Or Love After World Domination), and the very few ones that reference Western superheroes instead are comedic parodies and/or satires (like One Punch Man or Shy). On the other hand, My Hero Academia is one of the very few mainstream anime that was not only inspired by Western superheroes, but it’s a giant love letter to that entire medium.
8 Best My Hero Academia Fights That Changed The Series Forever
These impactful fights were some of the most important in the history of My Hero Academia.
Many characters, powers, and themes in this show are obvious references to classic superheroes and super villains from both DC and Marvel, with some of the most notorious ones being Deku, who’s inspired by Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and All Might, who’s inspired by Superman. The series' creator, Kohei Horikoshi, is a massive fan of Western comic books, and he never shies away from paying tribute to his favorite characters. Funnily enough, this ended up working perfectly for him, since the My Hero Academia anime began airing in 2015, just when the superhero genre was becoming more and more popular worldwide due to the newfound success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
7 Inspirational Soundtrack
The Music In This Show Can Inspire Anyone To Follow Their Dreams
Battle shōnen anime and excellent music go hand in hand, and My Hero Academia is no exception. However, what makes this show’s soundtrack much more special than its contemporaries is the fact that it’s so unbelievably inspirational that it perfectly fits the hopeful and heroic atmosphere of this story.
Veteran musician Yuki Hayashi (known for his work on Haikyu!!) is the main composer of My Hero Academia, and every single battle theme he made is downright incredible, with notorious examples including You Say Run, You Can Be a Hero, Hero A and more. This is, without a doubt, the most heroic anime soundtrack out there, and it’s so incredibly moving and touching that it can inspire anybody to follow their dreams and keep fighting for what they believe is right.
8 A Spin-Off That's Arguably Better Than The Main Series
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Is A Brilliant Story
Most spin-offs, follow-ups, and sequel series of popular anime can be either hit or miss, as they often fail to recapture what made the original series so great and end up alienating the original fan base in the process. Shows like Boruto: Naruto Next Generation, Dragon Ball GT, or Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon are not horrible per se, but most fans of their respective source materials have completely failed to enjoy them and pretend like they don't exist.
However, My Hero Academia is a notorious exception to this phenomenon because its spin-off series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, actually elevates the main series’ world-building while also introducing audiences to a new cast of lovable characters with their own powers, motivations, and personalities. Vigilantes focuses on the titular illegal heroes and their street-level adventures, which feels like a breath of fresh air in comparison to the more over-the-top adventures and high stakes of Izuku Midoriya and Class 1-A. Both shows are excellent, and they stand out in very different areas, but Vigilantes was so unexpectedly good that some fans believe it’s even better than the main My Hero Academia anime.
- Release Date
- 2016 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
- Directors
- Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano
Cast
-
Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
- Studio
- Bones
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
- Japanese Title
- Boku no Hero Academia
- Number of Episodes
- 159
