After a decade of serialization and a sucessful ongoing anime, My Hero Academia officially came to a close. Kohei Horikoshi’s legacy has been cemented with the conclusion of the series, with the mangaka’s colleagues and fans singing his praises from the moment the final chapter dropped on Augest 5, 2024.

Horikoshi has taken notice, of course, to the compliments being thrown his way, and has responded by speaking out to his supporters.

After the series originally ended, Horikoshi delivered a brief message as his final author’s note in Weekly Shonen Jump, which read:

“I was so glad to be in Jump! I’m so glad for everyone who read my series. Thank you so much!”

Kohei Horikoshi

The author recently came back on his X (formerly Twitter) to deliver another new message, telling fans:

The manga My Hero Academia has concluded in this week’s issue of Jump! I’ve been exhausted for a long time, but I managed to make it to the end! Thank you to everyone who read it!!!!!!

I will never forget the joy and weight of being able to battle with so many interesting manga in the coveted Jump. And above all, the fact Deku was entrusted by Luffy’s side, even if only for a short time, even if it was just luck!

I’m still drawing Deku and the others for the comics, the anime is still airing, the movie is in theaters, the games are still ongoing, the spin-off manga is still being serialized, there are events, and so many other people are keeping My Hero Academia going, so it doesn’t feel like it’s over at all.

Please continue to support My Hero Academia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Plus Ultra

While it’s still a bittersweet feeling to see the series go, it is an absolute delight to see how much love is being sent Horikoshi’s way to celebrate its big finale.

Originally beginning serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2014, Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia has finally come to an end. With 430 chapters, a successful anime adaptation, merchandise, spin-off films, and even video games – the series has become nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

The action shonen initially became popular for its unique artstyle and zero-to-hero story that resonated with manga readers around the globe. Now, with the series having officially ended, those effected by Horikoshi’s groundbreaking series are giving thanks for his hard work over the years.

Fellow Mangaka & Other Industry Professionals Praise Horikoshi For My Hero Academia’s Impact

My of Horikoshi’s colleagues have been sharing sentiments toward the popular mangaka over the past week commending him on his newfound legacy with the conclusion of My Hero Academia, including the likes of One Piece‘s Eiichiro Oda and Gege Akutami:

So now you get to play Pokémon Go as much as you want! Congratulations on ten years, Horikoshi Sensei!

Eiichiro Oda

Jujutsu [Kaisen] would not exist without My Hero. Congratulations!

Gege Akutami

Other mangaka with newer series running in the magazine, like Koji Miura, the creator of Blue Box, also shared their love for Horikoshi on social media, stating:

Congratulations on the final chapter of My Hero! Ten years of some of the most passionate manga ever. Well done!

Koji Miura

Other newly published mangaka, like Kagurabachi‘s Takeru Hokazono, shared how My Hero Academia affected them before ever pursuing manga, saying:

I still remember reading volume 17 while I was in high school. From Mirio to One For All 100 percent. What a legend!

Takeru Hokazono

Professionals within the manga industry weren’t the only ones to send Horikoshi praise, however, with the Animation Director of My Hero Academia‘s anime adaptation, Anna Yamaguchi, sending Horikoshi a special message to celebrate:

Kohei Horikishi-sensei,
Congratulations on completing My Hero Academia!!

I personally empathized with and sympathized with the villains, thought about many things, was emotionally stirred, and shed tears as I read every week. I love the world of Hero Aca where they struggle to survive.
I have gained a lot from Hero Aca.
It is an important part of my life.
Now and forever PLUS ULTRA!!
Thank you very much!

Anna Yamaguchi

and Chief Director, Kenji Nagasaki, saying:

Congratulations Horikoshi-sensei on completing the series! [My Hero Academia] is the best hero to me! Not only does the manga give me energy, but I also gained a lot of new experiences from working on the anime, and I was able to grow along with Deku and the others. I’m really glad I came across this work, which changed my life. Thank you very much!

Kenji Nagasaki

The Best Fan Contributions To #ThankYouHorikoshi

Fans of the beloved series have been pitching in to send love to the mangaka, too, with an influx of gorgeously illustrated fan art and other fan projects being uploaded to sites like X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate the series’ legacy.

Other projects are illustrations celebrating My Hero‘s entire ensemble cast, such as this piece by @nstime23:

Another gorgeous illustration featuring the full cast, created by @NovaNeonDream celebrates the relationship between Bakugo and Deku:

It’s clear that My Hero Academia‘s impact will be sitting with readers for years to come, and with the anime adaptation still ongoing with season 7 currently airing, and a brand-new My Hero Academia film, My Hero Academia: You’re Next releasing in the U.S. in October 2024, fans of the series still have plenty more of Deku and his friends to look forward to.

My Hero Academia is available to stream on Crunchyroll. The original manga is available on Viz Media’s Shonen Jump app.

Source: Weekly Shonen Jump volumes 36-37, Koji Miura on X, My Hero Academia’s Official Website, Shonen Jump

Warning: The following contains major spoilers for My Hero Academia.

After ten long years, My Hero Academia has finally come to a close, and of course, the manga‘s official ending has sparked controversy among fans and non-fans of Kohei Horikoshi’s superhero-centered action manga.

While definitive endings rarely work for everyone, regardless of medium, My Hero Academia has been notorious during its run for having judgement passed on the character writing and handling of the narrative. It begs the question on whether the finale truly works to wrap up the story, or if it missed the mark.

My Hero Academia’s Ending Isn’t What Fans Expected

After defeating Shigaraki, the world is finally at peace now that the League of Villains have been thwarted, all thanks to Midoriya. This conclusion is then followed by an epilogue detailing the events and fates of the core cast now that the war is over. Chapter 430 opens with an 8-year-old time-skip, showing how much has changed after nearly a decade in My Hero‘s world. Ochaco and Deku have both been left feeling haunted and forever jaded after their experiences with Toga and Shigaraki, respectively.

During My Hero Academia‘s final arc, Deku officially lost his Quirk and is no longer a hero. Now in his mid-20s, Deku has become a teacher working in UA, teaching a brand-new generation of heroes. Despite being left Quirkless, Deku felt satisfied with the brief experiences that he had with his friends during the time of the war. Despite his being satisfied with a quiet life, his friends refused to let him retire, and it’s revealed that Deku has a special set of battle armor – making him almost adjacent to a hero like Iron Man.

Did My Hero Academia’s Ending Live Up To Expectations?

While there is beauty in an ending that prioritizes how one can be happy living a slow, average life, My Hero Academia fails to deliver its message effectively. Something Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, has struggled with over the series’ run is wrapping up story arcs in a satisfying way. One of the most glaring examples of this comes from Deku’s “rogue” or “dark” arc where the young hero very briefly goes rogue before turning around and returning to his friends shortly after.

While Horikoshi occasionally does an excellent job delivering his story to readers, the grand finale, unfortunately, just misses the mark. It doesn’t fully commit to Deku’s satisfaction with a normal life by giving him a super-powered suit, and doesn’t truly allow him to live the life as one of the most impactful heroes in the world, either. While My Hero Academia certainly has a legacy, it is unfortunate to see how the series struggled to stick the landing.

My Hero Academia is, without a doubt, one of the most influential anime and manga to release in the past few decades. Initially compared to other Shonen works ad nauseam, it managed to set itself apart thanks to its creative characters, dazzling art, and engaging story arcs.

And yet, when one looks back at all of its different arcs, some are clearly a cut above the rest. To that end, we’re here to rank every My Hero Academia arc from worst to best.

After ten years and lots of critical acclaim for both the manga and the anime, My Hero Academia has come to an end, and I can’t muster any feeling towards it one way or the other.

It’s a sentiment similar to the one I had when Attack on Titan ended last year. Yes, I can acknowledge the amount of love and attention that the series has garnered since it debuted in Shonen Jump and how its more measured anime adaptation prioritized quality over pumping out new episodes as quickly as possible. But much like Attack on Titan, I could never get into the series, no matter how hard I tried. Whether it was watching the anime or reading the manga, every attempt I had to engage with the series left me cold. And now it’s all over.

On August 5th, 2024, Kohei Hirokoshi’s superhero epic wrapped up. As I’m writing this, the final chapter has yet to be released, but even if it somehow offers a finale that lives up to everyone’s expectations, I don’t think it will incentivize me to start following the series now that it’s all said and done. So, much like last time, I wanted to offer up an explanation as to why I never got into one of the most popular Shonen properties of the last decade.

I admit, when I first heard of My Hero Academia in 2014, I didn’t care for it. I had already written it off before reading a single chapter. Why? Because of its inspiration. While Kohei Hirokoshi had said that he was inspired by manga like Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, most of the aesthetics and themes of the series took their cues from American comics. Hirokoshi has been a huge fan of American comics and read them even before they became popular in Japan thanks to the worldwide success of numerous Hollywood superhero franchises like the MCU, Spider-Man, and the X-Men series. Because of that, Hy Hero Academia was seen as a blending of the two cultures – making an American superhero epic from the perspective of a Japanese Shonen action series.

But it’s because of that blatant connection that I became disinterested in the series, whether it was fair or not. I’m someone who loves to read American superhero comics. I’ve been a DC fan for most of my life and at the time I was reading comics like Scott Snyder’s run on Batman, Brian Azzarello’s wonderful run on Wonder Woman, and various smaller series like Secret Six, Animal Man, and Batgirl. These titles gave me exactly what I wanted – stellar artwork, great action, and solid character drama. These series were also part of a large, interconnected world that would come together in grand events that would shake the fabric of the world. When I saw My Hero Academia, I had assumed that the series was a pale imitation of those tropes.

On that, I can safely say that I was wrong. My Hero Academia takes a lot of the iconography of superheroes and puts its own, worthy spin on it. In the world of My Hero Academia, anyone is capable of being a hero. Even if you’re like Deku, a person who was born without a Quirk and logically shouldn’t be able to become a superhero, still tries to. He pushes himself to be accepted into U.A. High School and slowly becomes the hero he always wanted to be. It’s a theme that’s universal in superhero comics. It doesn’t matter if you have powers or not. Anyone can be a hero with enough determination and perseverance.

But still, my bias against the series stood. Even as the series exploded in popularity with the anime’s release in 2015, I tried to engage with it but found one part that stopped me in my tracks – its supporting cast. In the first season of the show, the series introduced an absurd amount of supporting characters to populate Class 1-A. While some of them received worthwhile development as the series went on like Bakugo and Todoroki, there were just too many characters to keep track of. Some of them were insufferable, like Mineta (though I won’t hold that against the series), but most just kind of existed, not providing a lot to the ongoing narrative. But instead of fleshing out this core class that Deku and his friends spend most of their time with, the series keeps trying to add even more characters.

My Hero Academia takes the concept of a large and shared superhero universe goes overboard with it yet doesn’t know what to do with it. Not only is Class 1-A introduced, but Class 1-B is also shown off despite most of its students hardly doing anything. It’s been shown that there are superheroes outside of Japan, but we hardly see any of them since the series is solely focused on Deku and the people surrounding him. The manga did get a spin-off, Vigilantes, that attempted to flesh out the world somewhat, but had minimal impact and those characters, yet again, rarely, if ever, factor into the events of the main series. Why bother designing all of these characters if the series doesn’t do anything with them outside of sporting slick designs and using their power for fight scenes?

Developing and maintaining a large supporting cast is tricky, especially for a long-running series. At the risk of sounding like a One Piece apologist, one of the strengths of that series handles is its supporting cast. They’re established within the confines of an arc and then are left once their story is concluded. There are rare instances where some side characters will reappear in future arcs, but they’re exactly that – rarities. Plus the series has trained its audience to expect check-ins with its cast in between major arcs or during global events, to remind audiences about the scale of the world and the events happening. My Hero Academia seems its supporting cast as background fodder and every time I interact with the series it just continues to prove that point.

A few years after the anime debuted, I gave the series another chance by watching the original movie, World Heroes’ Mission. I was given a screener in the lead-up to New York Comic Con and watched it, hoping that this non-canon film would generate some interest in exploring the series in more detail. I’ve always believed that non-canon anime films, or at least the good ones, should be a distillation of the strengths of their source material and are easy jumping on points for newcomers. But as I watched the movie, I was just bombarded by tons and tons and tons of side characters that ultimately didn’t matter and served as glorified cameos. The film centered on Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki, with barely any thought being given to anyone else. Is this true of the rest of the series? Does the show center on these three and their struggles to be heroes? That’s the impression that I got from World Heroes’ Mission.

So I continued to ignore the series. As I did, I started to hear more and more criticisms about the series. Keep in mind, these criticisms weren’t the majority consensus, but much like how people began to become dissatisfied with Chainsaw Man’s erratic tone or Jujutsu Kaisen’s treatment of its characters, people became comfortable sharing their dissatisfaction with the series. One of the biggest criticisms I saw of the series was the general lack of consequences that certain actions had. It’s a criticism I’ve heard a lot these past few weeks as the series’ epilogue doesn’t address the impact the final arc had on the world. While I couldn’t confirm nor deny these criticisms, what I will say is that this isn’t a problem this is exclusive to My Hero Academia.

If we’re going to argue that My Hero Academia is somehow weaker because it doesn’t show lasting consequences for its actions, then I would say that’s just par for the course with superhero comics and their constant need to maintain a status quo. How many times has there been a critically acclaimed run of a comic book that was quickly a swiftly ignored the second a new writing team stepped on board? It’s unfortunate, but if My Hero Academia suffers from a lack of repercussions, then it’s not the only series to be guilty of it is all I’m saying.

I love reading manga and comic books, but for some reason, My Hero Academia never came across like peanut butter and chocolate to me. These two parts should compliment each other well, and they do for most people, but for me they never quite sat right with each other. My Hero Academia came across as a pale imitation of the genre that I loved and instead of mixing superheroes and manga seamlessly, it instead took a lot of the comic book industries worst tropes and just put a Shonen spin on them.

But let me make one thing perfectly clear – if you are someone who loves My Hero Academia and are saddened to see it go, then I feel for you. I wish I could have overcome my biases and enjoyed the series just as much as you did. I have friends who don’t watch anime or read manga, yet they kept up with My Hero Academia for the better part of a decade. It clearly hit a nerve that affected millions upon millions of people, so who am I to say that someone shouldn’t enjoy it? If you were emotionally impacted by Deku’s journey to be a hero, then I hope this finale serves as the coda that you were looking for. I just won’t be one of the people looking back with reverence for a series that I thought never lived up to its full potential.

After 10 years My Hero Academia’s manga has concluded its run, but fans have one more chance to get their voices heard, and for the first time that will include fans outside of Japan.

The My Hero Academia World Best Hero poll has now begun to determine who is the definitive favorite amongst the My Hero character cast. This comes as Chapter 430 concluded the series epic story earlier today. Fans can lodge their votes on the World Best Hero official website, and polling will remain open from now until Sept. 30, 2024, at 7:59 am PT.

If you’re truly set on getting your favorite character to the top you can lodge one vote each day. Stage one will narrow the options down to just three characters who will compete in the Plus Ultra Stage set for Dec. 2, 2024, at 4 am PT, where one will be crowned the winner. When this phase begins fans will have 24 hours to cast their final votes and determine the victor from these finalists. During the Plus Ultra Stage, you can vote up to once per hour, with a maximum of 12 votes for the day polling is open.

Results will be announced via the official Jump YouTube Channel. The character who emerges victorious in the World Best Hero poll will get a new illustration from the series creator Kohei Horikoshi which will then be used for the creation of a bronze statue, so the stakes have never been higher.

Popularity polls have been something that My Hero fans have loved throughout the serialization of the manga with results being revealed as volumes arrived in stores. Previously only Japanese fans could vote in these polls, but now is the time for everyone around the world to get involved.

If you haven’t yet read the finale, My Hero Academia Chapter 430 is available to enjoy via the Viz Media website and Manga Plus app, alongside every previous chapter. Now’s the best time there has ever been to binge through the series once again.

A New Villain will be joining My Hero Ultra Rumble from February 21, 2024.

A bit high-strung and not overly coherent in word and deed, but he’s a villain who loves his friends – Twice joins the rumble!

My Hero Ultra Rumble has many characters with visuals and Quirks that are faithful to the original manga. Twice is one of them, and players can experience the same skill as shown in the original, including the iconic skill that create alter egos with the Quirk “Twice”.

We’re thrilled to bring this popular character to this battle royale. Here to tell you more is our game producer, Aoba Miyazaki, who has put together some tips and insights on the Twice character development so you can maximize, and dare we say, duplicate your best efforts with his Quirk!

Skill Introduction

Defeat your opponent, get their measurements, and create clones of yourself or your enemies with your Quirk when you choose Twice.

“The charm of Twice in the original story has been incorporated into his techniques as a playable character,” says Miyazaki. “He has a tricky special action that lets him duplicate the enemy, and we hope you will use it to cause mischief and add a new element of excitement to your battles.”

“We put a lot of effort into keeping his voice and visuals to be authentic and just as appealing as the original, and we hope you will connect with him in game!”

Quirk Skill – Dagger Shot

Feature: Long-range attack utilizing multiple thrown knives. Strike your opponent in a burst of blades.

Tips: As you will be throwing multiple knives, it is possible to limit the opponent’s movement by aiming for hit stops with multiple hits.

While the Quirk Skill is hitting, and the opponent’s movement is slowing down, work together with your allies to inflict massive damage.

Quirk Skill – Self Duplicate

Feature: Create a clone of yourself. Clones disappear after approaching and attacking an opponent.         

Tips: When fighting in an area with many objects, use them to hide yourself or get out of sight of your opponent, and aggressively use the Quirk Skill to confuse your opponent by attacking in such a way that they cannot tell whether you are the main body or an alter ego.

Quirk Skill – Foot Boost

Feature: Move in the direction of your extended measuring tape and use knife to attack. It can be used as a means of transportation, as it can travel to the tip of the tape measure.

Tips: Since it can also be used to move vertically, this Quirk Skill can be used while looking up to move on top of buildings in the new U.A. Island stage, which has many buildings. The Quirk Skill can be used for both surprise attacks and evacuation, allowing the user to move freely around the stage.

Special Action – Mud Imitation

Feature: Deals the final blow to a downed opponent and creates a clone of them. The clone will remain active until they are defeated or the opponent is revived.

Tips: The HP of the alter ego created by a Special Action is based on the character’s HP. Currently, there is no upper limit to the number of alter egos that can be created by a Special Action, so Twice players can actively aim to create alter egos of characters with high HP and overwhelm the battlefield.

PUR Costume for Twice – Paper Bag Disguise

This costume is from the original anime, and it is faithfully reproduced down to the handles of the paper bag.

The costume also comes in color variations original to the game. We hope players will have fun expressing themselves by unlocking color variations that suit their personal styles.

And there you have it! Confuse your opponents and overwhelm the battlefield with countless imitations of your fallen foes when Twice joins the fray on February 21.

MY HERO ULTRA RUMBLE

Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc.

☆☆☆☆☆ 414

★★★★★

Get it now

Season 3 is here! A new stage, U.A. Island, is added in Season 3! Don't miss out on battling on a new stage which includes new areas, such as U.A. High School and shopping malls! Izuku Midoriya's Quirk skill set, Full Bullet, is now available! Change Izuku’s Quirk skill set for a new way to achieve victory! Don't miss out on Season 3 Licenses and new PUR costumes! New characters will be added during Season 3! LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE! Leap into the fray with your fellow heroes…and villains! Use communication, tactics, and synergize Quirks with your team of 3 to be the last ones standing in this 24-player Battle Royale! MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR QUIRK! Pick up your favorite characters from a quirky roster divided into 5 archetypes: Strike, Assault, Rapid, Technical, and Support. The strengths of each character are completely different depending on their unique Quirk. COLLECT ITEMS AND GET STRONGER! Find items, interact with civilians, and defeat opponents to improve your abilities and get the upper hand over other teams! CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE! Unlock new characters and customization options by gaining experience and completing missions. Participate in seasonal events and try your luck with tickets to glam up with exclusive items! The game will be updated each season to include new elements, focusing on new characters and costumes! Jump in and get a hold of the rapidly changing battle conditions! *This game is meant to be played online only. It cannot be played in offline mode. *An internet connection is required to play this game. *The service and its contents are subject to change or end without prior notice.

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