Starting in April 2025, a newMy Hero Academiaanime,My Hero Academia: Vigilanteswill premiere in the waiting period for the eighth and final season. Taking place a few years before the main story, the series follows a trio of vigilantes fighting crime and saving the day in their own way, all while occasionally crossing paths with heroes and villains alike from the original series.
With the premiere of theMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesanimeso close, it invites the obvious question of its exact relation to the original series. While it’s easy enough to label it as a straightforward prequel,Vigilantes’ story is largely removed from the events of the main series, especially with how the main series treats it, and because of that,a common question people have had aboutMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesis whether it’s supposed to be canon toMy Hero Academia. It’s an important question to ask, but fortunately, it’s fairly easy to answer.
How My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Fits Into My Hero Academia’s Canon
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes' Canon Status Explained
WhileMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ canonical status might seem confusing at first, it’s easier to figure out than one might think. Not only do characters from the original series frequently appear in supporting roles, most notably All Might, Ingenium, and Eraserhead, but much ofVigilantes’ story revolves around Trigger, a drug that can boost the power of a person’s Quirk that was featured in the Shie Hassaikai arc andMy Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission. As such,it’s impossible to deny thatMy Hero AcademiaandMy Hero Academia: Vigilanteshave common ground in terms of characters and plot devices.
Another point is the few direct references the main series makes toVigilantes. While the main series is largely devoid of references toVigilantes, especially compared to its references to the movies,Vigilantes' protagonist Koichi cameoed in the series finale, and that, alone, firmly reestablishes it as canon. Overall,My Hero Academia: Vigilanteshas plenty of connections to the main series to establish it as canon, even if there aren’t that many, so the question of its canonicity is ultimately moot.
Why Is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ Canon Status Even A Question?
With how easy it is to reaffirmVigilantesas canon, that begs the question of why it’s considered an issue, to begin with. The two stories, despite being in the same franchise, are largely removed from each other, with one story never having a direct impact on the other and the main series never acknowledgingVigilantesoutside of Koichi’s brief cameo in the final arc. As such,the lack of attentionMy Hero Academiatypically givesMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesis a major part of why some people question its canonicity, even if its canon status should be fairly obvious.
That issue, of course, is a big part of whyMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesgetting an anime is so great. Not only will the anime help better bring the series into the mainstream, but with the manga having ended some time ago,My Hero Academia: Vigilantes’ anime can rework the story to have stronger connections to the main series to further clear up the issue. Whatever the case, the upcomingMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesanime will do wonders with its reception and general perception, and it will be great to see how that all plays out.
