The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime is finally here after years of waiting, much to the excitement of those who have read the Vigilantes manga. 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, April 7, 2025.

Some fans may be unfamiliar with the Vigilantes story, or perhaps even unaware that the prequel spin-off manga even exists, but any My Hero Academia fan would be doing themselves a disservice by not watching Vigilantes. These are ten of the most compelling reasons to check out My 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 of Vigilantes seemed 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. Vigilantes is set five years before the events of My 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, and Koichi 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 in Vigilantes.

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

Vigilantes, with All Might, Shota Aizawa, Midnight, and Present Mic being four of the most famous. Even after My Hero Academia's manga 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, Vigilantes will offer some screentime to these characters who deserve more attention.

Details like Aizawa, Present Mic, and Midnight's student days and All Might's rise to fame show up in Vigilantes, tying the prequel back to the original My Hero Academia story. 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 avid My Hero Academia fans.

Vigilantes Explores a Side of Hero Society That Was Only Hinted at in the Dark Hero Arc

Becoming ed as a Pro Hero Is Not the Only Way to Fight Crime, and Vigilantes Shows This

My Hero Academia mainly 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 called vigilantes rather than official Pro Heroes.

The closest My Hero Academia comes to showing off vigilantes is Deku'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. Vigilantes is 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

In My 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 and official Pro Hero Rankings. Vigilantes takes 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, but Vigilantes proves 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

Some My Hero Academia viewers may be hesitant to grow attached to a new protagonist, since Deku has been such a major figure in the franchise for so long, but Koichi 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.

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 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is that Koichi, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster work as a vigilante team to try to track down the villain distributing the dangerous drug called Trigger. When Trigger is injected into someone, it turns them into a mindless villain by amplifying their Quirk.

Vigilantes is definitely darker than My Hero Academia, and the Trigger storyline contributes to this grim tone. A drug that instantly transforms someone into a villain is absolutely terrifying and makes the stakes of Vigilantes very 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 original My Hero Academia is that the series too often glossed over the problems present in Hero Society. Story arcs like Toga Himiko's and Tomura Shigaraki's revealed cracks in the seemingly perfect exterior of Hero Society, because those with weaker or more unusual Quirks often face mistreatment.

Vigilantes will finally analyze these issues further. Even in the first episode, these problems have already been hinted at, such as when Koichi 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, but he steals the show in Vigilantes. 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-favorite in 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's manga ended on August 5, 2024, 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, but Vigilantes is just what My Hero Academia fans need to watch next.

Although nothing will ever replace My Hero Academia and the legacy it has built, Vigilantes is a continuation of the universe viewers love. Vigilantes even contains a number of familiar characters, which will definitely comfort anyone missing the original My Hero Academia series.

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 in My 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.

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, but their trio is one of anime's best, and fans who have not read the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes manga will finally be able to see this in the anime.