My Hero Academia was an optimistic tale of what happened when a quirkless boy was chosen to become the next greatest superhero. This manga and the anime that was adapted from it are well-loved by anime fans, creating one of the most popular manga of the 2000s. However, there’s more to this fictional universe than just what Izuku Midoriya experienced.
The world of superheroes can be dark, as the prequel and spin-off My Hero Academia: Vigilantes makes well known. The manga was serialized between August 2016 and May 2022, ending after 15 volumes. However, only those that read the manga could access the story. Now, come April 2025, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will receive its own anime adaptation. However, there are still a few things My Hero Academia fans will need to know before checking out the new series.
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Vigilantes Takes Place Five Years Before the Original
Don’t Expect Deku to Be a Hero
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes takes place five years before the beginning of My Hero Academia. The main character, Koichi Haimawwari may wear an All Might hoodie, but don’t expect to see too many familiar faces from the My Hero Academia crew. The familiar students fans are used to will all be in elementary or middle school, so, aside from a cameo or two, they won’t be able to do anything to help the main cast of this spin-off.
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However, expect the superheroes to make an appearance. Aizawa has yet to take his position as a U.A. teacher and is still working as a pro hero. The same can be said of All Might. In the trailer, Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Present Mic, and others make a cameo appearance as Koichi thinks about his chaotic world. Heroes who lost their status or their lives in the original series now take the stage again.
However, fans should keep in mind that this series primarily focuses on a brand-new cast. Koichi Haimawari joins with others who couldn’t make it in the hero’s world to take down villains their own way. This is their story, so fans shouldn’t be too disappointed when their favorite characters make a small appearance, if they make one at all.
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This Is a Darker Take on the World of My Hero Academia
Being a Hero Isn’t Always Pretty
Although My Hero Academia had its dark moments, it was an optimistic tale where good triumphed over evil and the bad guys got what was coming to them. Izuku Midoriya may have had rivals and enemies, but people he loved also surrounded him. He had hopes and dreams, and found enjoyment in studying pro heroes.
If My Hero Academia is the bright and heroic side of this fictional world, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is the dark underbelly. Its protagonists are those who couldn’t make it as Pro-Heroes, so they had to find other ways to survive. They became vigilantes, bringing villains to justice with their own methods that many heroes likely wouldn’t agree with.
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Koichi Haimawari may have a Quirk, unlike Izuku when he began his journey, but that doesn’t make his life any easier. His mother is abusive and smacks him for the littlest of things. No one bothers to remember the hero’s name he picked out for himself. He didn’t have someone like All Might to guide him on the path of justice. Instead, he had the vigilante Knuckleduster to show him there was another path he could take.
The series is also darker and edgier than the original story. Violence is far more common, leading to blood and gore. Drug addition and sexual assault are even themes that come up from time to time. When villains like Stendhal, Kuin, and Number 6 get involved, things get even more violent and gory. This isn’t the My Hero Academia series fans want their children watching. For kids, sticking to the original series may be the better way to go.
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Not Everyone Can Become a Hero
Getting Into U.A. Is Harder Than It Seems
Koichi desperately wanted to be a hero. He had a cool quirk like Slide and Glide, but he missed his chance when he was younger. Now, he’s 19-years-old and doing whatever he can to help make a difference in others’ lives. He puts on his hero costume and does the only “hero work” he can. Unfortunately, it’s mostly self-imposed good deeds, like giving out directions, picking up trash, and helping the elderly cross the street.
He may do what he can to make a difference, but Koichi is far from satisfied with his lot in life. Despite missing out on his chance to join U.A., he still dreams of becoming a hero. With his quirk, it should’ve been easy. When he has at least three limbs touching the ground, he can slide around at the speed of a bike. His speed should have been able to account for something when heroes like Toru Hagakure, also known as Invisible Girl, made it into U.A. in the pro hero class.
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However, he finally gets the chance to be a hero of sorts after a chance encounter with the vigilante Knuckleduster. Koichi joins his new role model as they prowl the streets for villains at night. It isn’t long before they’re joined by a third member, Kazuho Hanemaya, also known as Pop Step.
Being a vigilante is even more dangerous than being a pro hero. Koichi and Kazuho only have Knuckleduster to look out for them, and the villains they go after can sometimes be worse than the ones Izuku had to face off against. Izuku had the faculty of U.A. and his fellow students to help get him through tough times, but Koichi doesn’t have that luxury. He simply has to make do with the few allies he has.
2
Even the Quirkless Can Become Heroes
Knuckleduster Is a Quirkless Hero
Koichi may have admired All Might enough to get a hoodie based on him, but he wasn’t lucky enough to be chosen as All Might’s protégé. Instead, Koichi gets the quirkless vigilante Knuckleduster as his role model. A chance encounter with this pseudo-superhero gave Koichi all the opportunity he needed to finally become a hero of sorts.
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Knuckleduster’s past does eventually get revealed over the course of the series but, when Koichi first meets him, Knuckleduster wanders the streets at night looking for any super villains that need to be taught a lesson. He’s got the muscle to back up his decisions as well, able to go toe-to-toe with even super-powered foes further powered by illegal drugs.
If My Hero Academia ever had its own version of Batman to back up its heroic cast, it would be Knuckleduster. This makes sense as that was who the series creator Kohei Horikoshi based him on. It makes him a fitting foil to the heroically loud and proud All Might, even if that hero is more than he first appears. It makes sense, of course, as Knuckleduster is more than just a powerful vigilante. Fans will just have to watch the show to learn more.
1
Not Every Hero Does Their Work Legally
They’re Called Vigilantes for a Reason
The name may make it obvious, but My Hero Academia: Vigilantes don’t take place in U.A. The protagonists aren’t some school-age heroes learning how to control their powers. They’re the ones who couldn’t make it in the hero world, for whatever reason. Maybe they missed their chance, or maybe that chance was stolen from them. Whatever the case, these heroes have to work on the wrong side of the law.
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My Hero Academia’s Vigilantes like Koichi and Knuckleduster fight like the Pro Heroes of the world, but they do so without following the law.
Although there are laws in place in the My Hero Academia world to manage how heroes work and what they can and can’t do, no such rules apply to vigilantes. Koichi and his crew do what they must in order to make a difference, even if doing so is illegal. Sometimes, doing the right thing is more important than following the rules.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a long-awaited spin-off and prequel to the My Hero Academia series, looking at the dark underbelly of this heroic world. Although the world may be the same, the characters are far from the U.A. students and teachers fans have grown used to over the years. This is the vigilantes’ time to shine.
This anime is looking to be one of the most anticipated released in 2025. Fans will have to wait until April 2025 to watch the anime unfold. If they want to get a head start on the action, though, there’s always the manga. It’s been finished for a while and doesn’t last nearly as long as the original My Hero Academia.
My Hero Academia
- First Film
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My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- Latest Film
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My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
- First TV Show
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My Hero Academia
- First Episode Air Date
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April 3, 2016
- Cast
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Daiki Yamashita
, Justin Briner
, Nobuhiko Okamoto
, Clifford Chapin
, Ayane Sakura
, Yûki Kaji
