If You Like My Hero Academia, Then You Should Already Love the Anime's Upcoming Prequel
My Hero Academia Vigilantes will be dropping soon, and even fans who haven't read the manga have every reason to be excited. My Hero Academia Vigilantes isn't just good; it's arguably better than the original series.
My Hero Academia Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, a college-age kid who dreamed of being a hero, but wasn't good enough for UA. Koichi has a rather unimpressive Quirk, Slide and Glide, and takes to the streets at night in an All Might hoodie, performing acts of vigilantism which range from helping people cross the street to getting into fights with toughs and gangsters. When he crosses paths with a real vigilante, Knuckleduster, Koichi begins training, and starts on the path towards becoming a real hero.
Vigilantes Tells a Darker, More Grounded Story
Koichi is a More Average, Relatable Guy Than Even Deku
Koichi's relatively weak Quirk, which has limited battle applications, automatically puts him in a completely different league from Deku and One for All, which is one of the strongest Quirks in existence. That fact alone changes the tone of the story a lot, as Koichi is often struggling to keep up with the power level his opponents put on display. There's also the lack of a hero license at play; Koichi doesn't just have to avoid villains, but sometimes heroes as well, as not everyone is as willing to look the other way as Aizawa is. Even knowing the risk, though, Koichi isn't afraid to call for heroes when he's in over his head.
Vigilantes takes a much more street-level view of heroics than My Hero Academia proper does. Koichi really just monitors one small neighborhood, Naruhata, and he deals largely with purse-snatchers and other minor problems. Koichi does gradually get wrapped up in events much larger than himself, and even manages to catch the attention of All for One, if only for a moment. Koichi's mentor Knuckleduster also strongly contributes to this vibe, as he's a Batman-like figure with no Quirk, who uses tools and brute force to defeat even the most powerful Quirk users.
My Hero Academia Vigilantes is a Series for the Underdog
Koichi and Friends Are Often at a Disadvantage
While Deku has a powerful Quirk and the guidance of the world's Number One Hero, All Might, Koichi doesn't have these benefits. It takes great wit and cleverness to come out on top in fights when at a disadvantage, and Koichi manages to do so again and again. This gives the series a scrappy underdog feeling to it, as Koichi really needs to work for his victory; he doesn't have the luxury of just unleashing a cataclysmic smash, even at the cost of his bones.
The street-level, underdog feeling of My Hero Academia Vigilantes gives the entire series a different vibe that greatly sets it apart from My Hero Academia, while still maintaining the charm of the world. It's easy to root for the underdog, after all, and My Hero Academia Vigilantes' Koichi is the ultimate example in the franchise.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
- Release Date
- April 7, 2025
- Network
- Tokyo MX, BS Nippon TV
Cast
Shuichiro UmedaKoichi Haimawari / The Crawler (voice)- Ikumi HasegawaKazuho Haneyama / Pop☆Step (voice)
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