My Hero Academia burst onto the scene at the ideal moment, arriving just as superhero stories were dominating pop culture. While Hollywood blockbusters delivered universe-ending stakes, the charm and focused scope of My Hero Academia offered a fresh perspective. This captivating battle shonen series delivers all the genre’s hallmarks: unforgettable characters, inspiring themes of friendship and self-improvement, escalating action, and breathtaking animation.
Crucially, the series presents a fascinating world of heroes where superpowers, known as Quirks, influence every facet of society. Like many shonen, it’s complemented by a wealth of additional content, including movies, original video animations (OVAs), and even spin-off series that enrich its universe. Whether you’re a newcomer eager to start your journey or a seasoned fan wanting to catch up on everything, this guide will show you how to watch My Hero Academia, including all the movies and OVAs, in the perfect order.
How Long Is My Hero Academia?
Based on Kōhei Horikoshi’s manga, My Hero Academia has spanned seven seasons over nearly a decade. The highly anticipated eighth and final season has just begun airing, bringing the main story to its epic conclusion. Beyond the core series, there are nine OVAs (Original Video Animations) that offer fun side stories or manga one-shot adaptations, plus four exciting movies. There’s also one anime spin-off, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which provides additional lore.
Regarding canon, it’s generally accepted that content not directly adapting the manga, like the movies and most OVAs, isn’t strictly part of the main storyline. While they are enjoyable and often hint at future developments, they aren’t essential for understanding the core narrative.
How to Watch My Hero Academia Online
Almost all My Hero Academia content, including every season of the show (with Season 8 currently airing), most OVAs, and all four movies, is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. As a top anime streaming service, Crunchyroll offers both an ad-supported free tier and a seven-day free trial for its Premium membership, which begins at $7.99/month. In the U.S., you can stream all seven seasons of My Hero Academia on Hulu, and the first four seasons are on Netflix. The My Hero Academia movies are also available for purchase as physical releases.
How to Watch My Hero Academia in Chronological Order
1. Spin-Off: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes
Absolutely not where anyone should start their My Hero Academia viewing experience, but the recent anime adaptation of Hideyuki Furuhashi’s prequel manga technically takes place before the events of the main My Hero Academia story. Following the emergence of underground ‘vigilantes,’ this season offers background details on several main characters and key plotlines.
2. My Hero Academia Season 1 (Episodes 1-13)
- Entrance Exam Arc
- Quirk Apprehension Test Arc
- Battle Trial Arc
- U.S.J. Arc
3. OVA: My Hero Academia: Save! Rescue Training!
The first My Hero Academia OVA feels like a delightful throwback, focusing entirely on Class 1A students and teachers recovering from the USJ Incident in the first season. The students are finally ready to resume training, forming groups for rescue practice before unexpectedly facing a villain.
Originally released in Japan at the annual Jump Festa fan convention, this OVA is packed with humorous fourth-wall breaks and playful nods to the audience.
4. My Hero Academia Season 2 (Episodes 14-38)
- U.A. Sports Festival Arc
- Vs. Hero Killer Arc
- Final Exam Arc
5. OVA: My Hero Academia: Training of the Dead
Teacher Aizawa’s methods can be unconventional. In this second OVA, he throws his students into a training exercise with students from Isamu Academy High School. Things quickly escalate when one student’s Quirk turns many people into zombies – a touching tribute to the father of modern zombies, Romero. What began as a simple survival exercise transforms into a full-blown zombie apocalypse! The OVA includes hilarious moments, like Deku’s panic upon seeing All Might in his weakened state, only for everyone to mistake him for a zombie.
6. OVA: My Hero Academia: All Might Rising
While this OVA could technically start the timeline, it’s best enjoyed as a prelude to the ‘Two Heroes’ movie it accompanied. This is the closest we get to a proper All Might prequel, and it’s a joy to witness All Might’s journey from a grieving student to the ever-smiling Symbol of Peace we admire.
7. My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
The first My Hero Academia movie established the successful formula seen in every subsequent film in the franchise. What begins as a relaxing vacation for Deku, accompanying All Might to visit an old friend, evolves into a major challenge for Deku when a villain takes a floating island hostage. This film is a must-watch for All Might fans, offering more insight into his origins and his time in America.
8. My Hero Academia Season 3 (Episodes 39-63)
- Forest Training Camp Arc
- Hideout Raid Arc
- Provisional License Exam Arc
9. OVA: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training
Why do Class 1-A’s training exercises always end in chaos? This time, the abandoned mall chosen by the teacher for their training begins to collapse, transforming the exercise into a desperate fight for survival. These episodes cater to those who felt the main story moved too quickly away from the school setting, delivering the kind of lighthearted, Saturday morning cartoon-esque school antics found in the earlier seasons.
10. My Hero Academia Season 4 (Episodes 64-88)
- The Shie Hassaikai Arc
- Remedial Course Arc
- U.A. School Festival Arc
- Start of Pro Hero Arc
11. My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
This is arguably the best My Hero Academia movie to date. ‘Heroes Rising’ beautifully illustrates Class 1-A’s capabilities as true heroes working together without constant reliance on a mentor. It features a fantastic setting and even a cameo from the formidable hero, Godzillo. Most importantly, it’s a treasure for Bakugo and Deku fans, deepening their relationship and dynamic. The movie culminates in an incredible climax where Deku and Bakugo combine their efforts for a phenomenal joint attack.
12. My Hero Academia Season 5 (Episodes 88-106)
- Rest of Pro Hero Arc
- Joint Training Arc
- Endeavor Agency Arc
13. OVA: Departure
This short OVA, an adaptation of a manga one-shot, serves mostly as a comedic sketch about Hawks that connects to the next movie. Its stunning animation, however, truly makes it stand out.
14. My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
This movie raises the stakes significantly and boasts a striking visual style. What truly makes ‘World Heroes’ Mission’ special, however, is the introduction of the fan-favorite character, Rody. He quickly becomes one of the franchise’s best characters, and his dynamic with Deku is simply fantastic. Chronologically, this is where My Hero Academia’s anime narrative slightly diverges from the manga.
15. My Hero Academia Season 5 (Episodes 107-113)
- Meta Liberation Army Arc
16. OVA: Laugh! As If You Are in Hell
Imagine if our favorite heroes had to stop a villain whose power forced everyone around him into uncontrollable laughter! That’s the wonderfully simple yet sweet premise of this OVA, which is one of My Hero Academia’s funniest episodes. The villain, reminiscent of a Joker-type character, is a delight to watch, even if the episode itself doesn’t offer much in terms of new narrative ground.
17. OVA: HLB
A classic anime trope: the baseball episode! My Hero Academia executes it spectacularly. While it offers few surprises, the sheer fun comes from watching the wild display of Quirks used for something as ordinary as a sports match.
18. My Hero Academia Season 6 (Episodes 114-138)
- Paranormal Liberation War Arc
- Dark Hero Arc
19. OVA: U.A. Heroes Battle
What if My Hero Academia crossed over with Yu-Gi-Oh? During Winter Break, bored and cooped up in their dorms, the 1-A students pass the time by playing a new hero-themed card game. It’s essentially a fun excuse to see the characters battle (through a VR simulation of their card counterparts), offering fantastic ‘what if’ scenarios – like All Might fighting a dog!
20. My Hero Academia Season 7 (Episodes 139-159)
- Star and Stripe Arc
- U.A. Traitor Arc
- Final War Arc
21. OVA: A Piece of Cake
Deku’s deep passion for heroes has been evident from the start, but sometimes the anime seems to momentarily forget this trait. ‘A Piece of Cake’ rectifies this, adapting a manga one-shot that revolves around the Class 1-A students discovering Deku’s meticulously detailed journal filled with notes on their Quirks. Their reactions to his observations, suggestions, and adorable drawings are priceless. It’s a charming break in what might otherwise be a more somber period in the story, a delightful side adventure where the kids can truly be kids (perhaps for the last time).
22. My Hero Academia: You’re Next
The most recent My Hero Academia movie boasts breathtaking visuals and a thrilling final battle. Its story introduces captivating new characters, including an intriguing anti-All Might villain and a new protagonist who shares excellent chemistry with our main heroes.
23. My Hero Academia Season 8 (Now Airing)
My Hero Academia has officially begun its final season, preparing to conclude the epic confrontation between All For One and One For All. Season 8 will consist of 11 episodes, airing from now until the series finale in mid-December.
My Hero Academia in Release Order
- Season 1 (2016)
- OVA: Save! Rescue Training! (2016)
- Season 2 (2017)
- OVA: Training of the Dead (2017)
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
- Season 3 (2018)
- OVA: All Might Rising (2019)
- My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019)
- Season 4 (2020)
- OVA: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training (2020)
- Season 5 (2021)
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes Mission (2021)
- OVA: Departure (2022)
- OVA: Hero League Baseball (2022)
- OVA: Laugh! As If You Are in Hell (2022)
- Season 6 (2022-2023)
- OVA: U.A. Heroes Battle (2023)
- Season 7 (2024)
- My Hero Academia: You’re Next (2024)
- OVA: A Piece of Cake (2025)
- Season 8 (2025)
What’s Next for My Hero Academia?
The My Hero Academia anime is drawing to a close. The eighth and final season of the show has just started as part of the fall anime season. However, for those not ready to bid farewell to this incredible universe, don’t worry! More OVAs or movies are very likely to be released in the future.