My Hero Academia (TV series)
My Hero Academia is a Japanese superhero anime television series produced by Bones and adapted from Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga.
Last updated October 6, 2026
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Overview
My Hero Academia is a Japanese animated television series based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga of the same name. Produced by Bones, the series turns the manga’s superhero society into a long-running television franchise centered on Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without a Quirk in a world where superhuman abilities are widespread. After meeting the legendary hero All Might, Midoriya receives the transferable power One For All and enters U.A. High School, an elite institution that trains future professional heroes. The series combines school drama, action adventure, science-fantasy, and superhero fiction. Its central premise allows the story to examine heroism not simply as the possession of extraordinary powers, but as a social vocation involving rescue work, public trust, professional regulation, teamwork, and personal sacrifice. The principal cast includes Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, Ochaco Uraraka, Tenya Iida, and other students of U.A.’s Class 1-A, alongside professional heroes such as All Might, Endeavor, Hawks, and Eraser Head. Antagonistic forces include the League of Villains and the broader conflict surrounding All For One and the inherited power of One For All. The first season premiered in Japan on April 3, 2016, on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and TBS affiliate network. From the second season onward, the series moved to Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV affiliates. Eight seasons were produced, with the reported television run extending from April 2016 through December 2025. The program was distributed internationally through licensing and streaming arrangements, including Crunchyroll in North America. Its English-language version also received exposure through Adult Swim’s Toonami programming block through the sixth season. The television series became the core screen property of a broader franchise that includes theatrical animated films, original video animations, television specials, games, publishing, merchandise, and live events. The films My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, World Heroes’ Mission, and You’re Next expanded the setting beyond the regular television narrative. The series was recognized by viewers and critics for its animation, music, action choreography, pacing, character performances, and Japanese and English voice acting. Its recognizable character designs, emotionally direct storytelling, and recurring themes of inherited responsibility and the public meaning of heroism helped establish it as an internationally prominent anime title. As a brand, My Hero Academia is positioned between mainstream shōnen entertainment and globally marketable superhero media. Its commercial identity is built around a large ensemble of heroes and villains, visually distinctive Quirks, collectible character merchandise, theatrical extensions, and international localization. The main television story concluded with its eighth season, while related franchise productions continue to support the property’s wider presence.
History
My Hero Academia originated as Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga, which began serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2014. The manga presented a society in which Quirks, or superhuman abilities, had become normal, while professional heroes operated within a regulated public institution. Its protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, initially lacked a Quirk but retained an uncompromising desire to save people. The manga’s mixture of superhero iconography, school competition, ensemble characterization, and serialized action made it a strong candidate for animation. Bones produced the television adaptation, with Yōsuke Kuroda responsible for series composition and Kenji Nagasaki directing the initial episodes. The first season premiered in Japan on April 3, 2016, through the Mainichi Broadcasting System and TBS affiliate network. Its early episodes established Midoriya’s relationship with All Might, his admission to U.A. High School, and the training-centered structure that became one of the series’ defining features. The production emphasized expressive character acting, dramatic impact frames, energetic combat animation, and a distinctive musical identity. The second season continued through Yomiuri TV, Nippon TV, and their associated network affiliates. Directional responsibilities later included Tomo Ōkubo, Masahiro Mukai, and Naomi Nakayama across different portions of the run. The series expanded from classroom trials and tournament-style events into larger conflicts involving professional hero agencies, organized villains, government and institutional failures, and the historical struggle between One For All and All For One. This evolution gave the program a progressively darker tone while preserving its focus on personal growth and mentorship. Eight seasons were produced. The first season aired in 2016, followed by a second season in 2017, a third in 2018, a fourth spanning 2019 and 2020, a fifth in 2021, a sixth spanning 2022 and 2023, a seventh in 2024, and an eighth and final season reported to conclude in December 2025. Episode running time was generally approximately 24 minutes in the first season and approximately 23 minutes in later seasons. The adaptation developed alongside a substantial multimedia program. Four theatrical films—Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, World Heroes’ Mission, and You’re Next—placed original or expanded stories in the franchise’s superhero setting. The television property also received multiple original video animations and a television special based on supplementary manga material. These extensions supported theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, streaming distribution, games, character goods, and international licensing. Crunchyroll handled North American licensing, while the English dub was also shown on Adult Swim’s Toonami block through the sixth season. International localization introduced the characters and terminology to audiences across North America, Europe, Asia, and other markets. The Japanese and English voice casts, led by performers including Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Yūki Kaji, Kenta Miyake, Justin Briner, Clifford Chapin, and David Matranga, became important parts of the property’s identity. The series was generally received positively for its animation, music, action staging, pacing, and voice performances. Its commercial and cultural significance rests less on a single corporate brand owner than on the coordination of the manga publisher, animation studio, broadcasters, licensors, distributors, and production committee. With the main television adaptation ending after eight seasons, My Hero Academia remains a franchise brand supported by films, specials, publishing, games, merchandise, and related productions.
- 2025
Main television series concludes
[1]The reported eighth and final season completes the main television adaptation in December.
- 2018
First theatrical film released
[1]My Hero Academia: Two Heroes extends the property into animated cinema.
- 2017
Second season expands broadcast distribution
[1]The series enters its second season and moves to the Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV network structure in Japan.
- 2016
Television anime premieres
[1]The Bones-produced television adaptation debuts in Japan on April 3.
- 2014
Manga serialization begins
[1]Kōhei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga begins serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump, providing the source material for the later anime.
Products and positioning
An internationally distributed shōnen superhero anime that combines school-based character development with large-scale action, franchise films, and a broad licensing ecosystem.
Anime television series · 2016
My Hero Academia television series
The core Bones-produced adaptation of Horikoshi’s manga. Across eight seasons, it follows Midoriya and his classmates as they train at U.A. High School, confront villains, work with professional heroes, and become involved in the conflict surrounding One For All and All For One.
Animated feature film · 2018
My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
The first theatrical animated film in the franchise, expanding the television series’ superhero world through a feature-length story involving Midoriya, All Might, and a new conflict connected to hero technology.
Animated feature film · 2019
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
The second theatrical film places U.A. students in a high-stakes island crisis and gives the wider student ensemble a central role in defending civilians against a powerful adversary.
Animated feature film · 2021
My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
The third theatrical film broadens the setting into an international emergency, involving heroes and students from multiple countries as they attempt to stop a coordinated threat against Quirk users.
Animated feature film · 2024
My Hero Academia: You’re Next
The fourth theatrical film presents another original feature-length adventure in the established superhero universe, connecting its characters and themes to the larger anime franchise.
Original video animation · 2017
My Hero Academia original video animations
A collection of animated side stories and supplementary episodes that expand character perspectives, provide additional missions, and offer material outside the principal seasonal narrative.
Brand decisions
2018
Move into theatrical animationProduct launchBackground
Following the television series’ establishment, the franchise expanded its storytelling and distribution beyond episodic broadcast television.
Action taken
The first animated theatrical film, Two Heroes, was released, followed by three additional feature films.
Aftermath
The films became a recurring part of the franchise’s release strategy and supported its broader international entertainment profile.
2017
Broadcast network transitionStrategyBackground
The first season aired through MBS and TBS affiliates, while subsequent seasons used Yomiuri TV, Nippon TV, and their affiliated network structure.
Action taken
The production and broadcast arrangement continued the anime under a different Japanese network configuration from the second season onward.
Aftermath
The series continued as a long-running seasonal anime and expanded its international licensing and multimedia footprint.
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