TheMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesanime is finally here after years of waiting, much to the excitement of those who have read theVigilantesmanga. TheVigilantes’manga ran from August 2016 to May 2022, and now, almost three years later,the anime adaptation is finally available for fans to watch, as of Monday, July 09, 2025.
Some fans may be unfamiliar with theVigilantesstory, or perhaps even unaware that the prequel spin-off manga even exists, but anyMy Hero Academiafan would be doing themselves a disservice by not watchingVigilantes.These are ten of the most compelling reasons to check outMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes,and even the biggest skeptics of the series will find themselves convinced to give it a watch.
All Might is a Major Part of Vigilantes
Fans Who Miss All Might After the Original Manga Ended Can See More of Him in Vigilantes
The title of the first episode ofVigilantesseemed to reference All Might’s catchphrase, “I’m here!,” since that is what he declares each time he races to someone’s rescue and defeats a new villain.Vigilantesis set five years before the events ofMy Hero Academia,and All Might is still every bit as revered as he is in the original series, if not more so.
One scene features protagonist Koichi Haimawari and a crowd of onlookers cheering and applauding as All Might defeats a villain, andKoichi promises himself that he will be just as heroic as All Might one day.Even before Deku came along to hold him in such high esteem,All Might was regarded as the ultimate hero. Anyone who appreciates All Might just as much as Koichi and Deku, and is eager to witness his past, will be ecstatic to see him again inVigilantes.
My Hero Academia Pro Heroes' Backstories, Like Aizawa’s and Midnight’s, Are Revealed
The New Series Spotlights Quite a Few of Fans' Favorite Pro Heroes From My Hero Academia
Many Pro Heroes make appearances inVigilantes,withAll Might, Shota Aizawa, Midnight, and Present Mic being four of the most famous.Even afterMy Hero Academia’smanga ended recently, some fans were left with questions about the origins of their favorite Pro Heroes. Obviously, the original manga was unable to explore every curiosity fans had, but thankfully,Vigilanteswill offer some screentime to these characters who deserve more attention.
30 Most Powerful My Hero Academia Characters
Succeeding as a hero or villain requires some serious power, so who’s the strongest character in My Hero Academia?
Details like Aizawa, Present Mic, and Midnight’s student days and All Might’s rise to fame show up inVigilantes,tying the prequel back to the originalMy Hero Academiastory.These characters all play pivotal roles in the main manga, so learning more about who they are deep down and what their lives were like in the past will certainly benefit avidMy Hero Academiafans.
Vigilantes Explores a Side of Hero Society That Was Only Hinted at in the Dark Hero Arc
Becoming Registered as a Pro Hero Is Not the Only Way to Fight Crime, and Vigilantes Shows This
My Hero Academiamainly delves into the official process of becoming a Pro Hero, following Deku’s time in U.A. High’s Hero Course. However, no attention is given to those who fight crime outside the typical avenues and are calledvigilantes rather than official Pro Heroes.
My Hero Academia Reveals Deku’s Fate Before the Manga Even Started: Here’s How
Deku’s ultimate fate was unexpected for many fans, but there’s an early piece of information that hinted at what would become of the young hero.
The closestMy Hero Academiacomes to showing off vigilantes isDeku’s Dark Hero arc,when he temporarily embarks on a solo mission to catch Shigaraki and All For One, but quickly returns to U.A.Vigilantesis like an extended Dark Deku arc with a new protagonist, shedding light on the careers of those who defeat just as many villains, but do their work in the shadows.
Characters With Less Powerful Quirks or No Quirk At All Receive Starring Roles
No One in the Main Vigilantes Team Has a Particularly Spectacular Power, Yet They Still Succeed in Battles
InMy Hero Academia,often, characters like Bakugo, Todoroki, All Might, and Deku with very mighty Quirks receive the majority of the screentime and fan attention, as well as the highest ranks in their classes andofficial Pro Hero Rankings.Vigilantestakes the opposite approach,honing in on characters like Koichi Haimawari and Kazuho Kaneyama, with Quirks that are less outwardly strong, or characters like Knuckleduster, who have no Quirk.
Koichi’s Quirk, Slide and Glide, allows him to effortlessly travel across surfaces with his hands and feet, while Kazuho’s Leap lets her jump to staggering heights. Alternatively, Knuckleduster does not even have a Quirk, since it was stolen from him in a past battle. These abilities may not seem as impressive as a Quirk as monumental as Todoroki’s, for example, butVigilantesproves that even characters with more straightforward, simple Quirks (or no Quirk) can be heroes, which is a necessary lesson.
Koichi is as Lovable of a Protagonist as Deku, With a Few Similarities
Both Koichi and Deku Demonstrate That Anyone Can Change the World for the Better
SomeMy Hero Academiaviewers may be hesitant to grow attached to a new protagonist, since Deku has been such a major figure in the franchise for so long, butKoichi is a hero worth rooting for.His Quirk, Slide and Glide, is nothing super remarkable, yet every night, Koichi dons an All Might hoodie and races through the streets helping people in any way he can using his power.
When Does My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Take Place? We Finally Have an Idea
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is an official prequel to the My Hero Academia anime, and here’s a breakdown of its specific place in the timeline.
He is no Deku; instead,Koichi is an extraordinary hero in his own right.One similarity he shares with Deku though, is the fact that his character arc proves an ordinary person can make a massive positive difference in the world, so anyone who loved Deku’s story will surely enjoy Koichi’s too.
The Storyline About Trigger Creating Villains is Intriguing
The Concept of a Substance That Creates Villains Is Uniquely Horrifying
The basic premise ofMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesis that Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster work asa vigilante team to try to track down the villain distributingthe dangerous drug called Trigger.When Trigger is injected into someone, it turns them into a mindless villain by amplifying their Quirk.
Vigilantesis definitely darker thanMy Hero Academia,and the Trigger storyline contributes to this grim tone. A drug that instantly transforms someone into a villain is absolutely terrifying andmakes the stakes ofVigilantesvery high, making for a thrilling watch.
Pivotal Issues Within Hero Society Are Finally Unpacked in Vigilantes
People With Weaker or Dangerous Quirks Were Often Treated Poorly in My Hero Academia
A common complaint people make against the originalMy Hero Academiais thatthe series too often glossed over the problems present in Hero Society.Story arcs like Toga Himiko’sand Tomura Shigaraki’s revealed cracks in the seemingly perfect exterior of Hero Society, because those with weaker or more unusual Quirks often face mistreatment.
My Hero Academia Quietly Unpacked Society’s Worst Flaw Way Back in Chapter One
Even in the very first chapter, the problems with My Hero Academia’s Hero Society were already very apparent, foreshadowing its eventual fall.
Vigilanteswill finally analyze these issues further. Even in the first episode, these problems have already been hinted at, such as whenKoichi felt disappointed that he would never be accepted into a Hero Course due to his less powerful Quirk.
Knuckleduster is One of the Strongest Characters in Any My Hero Academia Series
Knuckleduster’s Physical and Mental Strength Are Absolutely Exceptional
Knuckleduster may not be the main character, buthe steals the show inVigilantes.His surprise entrance into the battle scene in episode one, leaping down into a pile of trash and defeating a horde of enemies with just a few punches, already showed audiences how epic of a hero he is in just a few minutes.
Although All For One stole Knuckleduster’s Quirk, even that could not stop someone as headstrong as him.Knuckleduster’s brazen demeanor and hulking muscles are sure to make him a fan-favoritein the anime, and manga readers already love him.
Vigilantes Continues the Beloved Story Since the Manga is Now Over
My Hero Academia’s Anime May Be Almost Over, but Vigilantes Is Just Beginning
My Hero Academia’smanga ended on June 08, 2025, and the original anime is set to end this year. Fans of the series are devastated that the franchise is finally drawing to a close after over a decade, butVigilantesis just whatMy Hero Academiafans need to watch next.
Although nothing will ever replaceMy Hero Academiaand the legacy it has built,Vigilantesis a continuation of the universe viewers love.Vigilanteseven contains a number of familiar characters, which will definitely comfort anyone missing the originalMy Hero Academiaseries.
The Bond Between Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster’s Vigilante Team is Entertaining
This Unlikely Trio is One of Anime’s Best Teams Ever
There are some spectacular hero teams inMy Hero Academia,such as Bakugo, Deku, and Todoroki, for example. However,Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster’s vigilante team is one of the most hilarious yet effective team-ups in anime.
Thanks to My Hero Academia’s New Anime, the Manga Is Eyeing a Special Comeback
To celebrate the debut of its anime adaptation, My Hero Academia Vigilantes will be releasing its first new chapter in years.
These three individuals are very different from one another, in both their perspectives on life and their ways of communicating with each other. Their interactions are often hysterical, and even when they butt heads or argue, they always wind up working together well in the end to defeat their enemies and move closer to their shared goal. Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster may be an unlikely team, buttheir trio is one of anime’s best, and fans who have not read theMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesmangawill finally be able to see this in the anime.
