Everyone is waiting for it. Honestly, it’s the elephant in the room every time a new season of the main show wraps up. People keep asking the same question: where is the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime? You’ve seen the fan posters. You’ve probably seen the "leaks" on Twitter that turn out to be nothing but high-effort fan art. It feels like a missed opportunity that’s just sitting there, gathering dust while the main series sprints toward its grand finale.
It’s frustrating.
The manga ended back in 2022. Written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court, Vigilantes (or Illegals in Japan) ran for 15 volumes. It isn't just a side story. It’s the connective tissue that makes the world of Quirks actually make sense. While Deku is busy fighting world-ending threats, Vigilantes is down in the dirt, showing us what happens when you have a superpower but no license to use it. It's grittier. It’s funnier. And frankly, Koichi is a protagonist that some people—don't kill me—find more relatable than Midoriya.
Why a My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Anime is a Massive Gap in the Franchise
Look at the timeline. Studio Bones has been the powerhouse behind the My Hero Academia machine for years. They’ve handled the main seasons and the movies. But they're busy. They're incredibly busy. Between the main series and other projects like Mob Psycho 100 or Metallic Rouge, their plate is overflowing.
The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime would serve a specific purpose: it bridges the gap.
If you’ve only watched the main anime, you probably noticed a massive shift in tone around Season 6. Things got dark. Characters like Eraser Head (Aizawa) suddenly had these deep, painful backstories involving a friend named Shirakumo. If you were confused about why that hit so hard, it’s because the Vigilantes manga did the heavy lifting for that backstory. It gave us the "Aizawa Past" arc years before the main series touched it. Without an anime adaptation of the prequel, casual viewers are basically missing out on 40% of the emotional weight of Aizawa’s character arc.
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It’s not just about Aizawa, though. The prequel introduces us to the concept of "Instant Villains" and the drug Trigger. These are elements that Kohei Horikoshi eventually pulled into the main story. Seeing them evolve from street-level problems to society-wide disasters adds a layer of world-building that most shonen series dream of.
The Koichi Problem and the Tone Shift
Let’s talk about Koichi Haimawari. He starts as "The Crawler." Or "Gentle-Man," depending on which chapter you’re reading. His quirk is "Slide and Glide." It sounds useless. He literally just slides on the ground at the speed of a bicycle.
But that’s the beauty of it.
The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime would be a breath of fresh air because it isn't about being the "Number One Hero." It’s about a guy who just wants to help people cross the street or pick up trash, but ends up caught in a conspiracy involving All For One's early experiments. It starts as a "monster of the week" comedy and slowly, almost imperceptibly, turns into a high-stakes psychological thriller.
The pacing is different. It’s more "Seinen-lite." You’ve got Knuckleduster, a quirkless Batman-type figure who punches first and asks questions never. You’ve got Pop☆Step, an idol who deals with the very real pressures of public perception. It feels more human. More grounded. It’s the Better Call Saul to My Hero Academia’s Breaking Bad.
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Will Studio Bones Actually Do It?
There is a rumor that pops up every six months. Someone claims a production committee has been formed. Sometimes they point to "leaked" domains. As of early 2026, there is still no official greenlight from Shueisha or Studio Bones.
Why the hold-up?
- The "Main Series" Priority: Shueisha wants all eyes on Deku’s finale. They don't want to split the marketing budget or the audience's attention.
- Animation Resources: Bones is a big studio, but they have sub-studios (A, B, C, D, E). Studio C usually handles MHA. Asking them to take on a 50+ episode prequel series while maintaining the quality of the movies is a tall order.
- The "Wait and See" Approach: Sometimes, prequels are saved for when the main series ends to keep the brand alive. Think about Dragon Ball Super or the various Naruto spin-offs.
There is also the possibility of a different studio taking the reins. We saw this with SPY x FAMILY being a collaboration between Wit and CloverWorks. Could a studio like MAPPA or even Production I.G. handle the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime? It’s unlikely due to licensing, but not impossible. Fans have been vocal about wanting a slightly different art style to match Betten Court's more rounded, "comic-booky" aesthetic anyway.
Key Arcs That Fans are Dying to See Animated
If we ever get this show, there are three specific moments that will absolutely break the internet.
First, the Aizawa and Shirakumo backstory. This is the "Flashback" arc (Chapters 59-65). It’s devastating. It shows us a young, unsure Aizawa and the tragedy that turned him into the "rational" teacher we know. Seeing this animated with the same care as the main series' biggest moments would be a tear-jerker.
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Second, the Captain Celebrity "Sky High" incident. Captain Celebrity is a narcissist American hero who moved to Japan to escape a scandal. His redemption arc is one of the best written sequences in the entire franchise. The scale of the fight in the Tokyo Sky Egg is cinematic. It needs a movie-level budget.
Third, the finale. Koichi vs. Number 6. It’s a fight that lasts for dozens of chapters. It’s fast. It’s inventive. It uses the environment in ways the main series rarely does. Koichi’s evolution from a kid who "slides" to a man who can basically fly through kinetic manipulation is one of the most satisfying power-ups in manga history.
What You Should Do While Waiting
Since we don't have a release date for a My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime, you have a few options. Don't just sit there and refresh Twitter.
Read the Manga (Obviously)
If you haven't read the 126 chapters of the manga, you are doing yourself a disservice. The art by Betten Court is phenomenal. It’s cleaner than Horikoshi’s later, more chaotic work. It’s easy to follow. You can find it on the Shonen Jump app for a few bucks a month.
Watch the "Aizawa Past" Connections
Go back and re-watch My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 19 ("Be an Eraser"), and Season 6. Watch them with the knowledge of what happens in Vigilantes. It changes everything. You’ll see the cameos of characters like Midnight and Fat Gum in a whole new light.
Support the Official Releases
Studios look at numbers. They look at volume sales. They look at digital engagement. If you want the anime, show Shueisha that the Vigilantes IP is profitable. Buy the physical volumes. Rate the chapters on the Manga Plus app.
Actionable Insights for the Dedicated Fan:
- Follow the Right People: Stop following "leak" accounts that post generic "Vigilantes Anime Coming Soon?" tweets every week. Follow official accounts like @MHA_Official and @Bones_Official.
- Contextualize the Story: If you’re a lore nerd, start a "chronological re-read." Start with Vigilantes up until chapter 65, then read the main series' first few chapters, then weave back and forth. It creates a much more cohesive world.
- Check the Credits: Watch the staff lists for the upcoming My Hero Academia movies. Often, when a studio is preparing for a spin-off, you’ll see secondary directors or storyboard artists getting more "lead" time to prep them for their own series.
The My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime isn't a matter of "if," it's a matter of "when." The material is too good to leave on the shelf. With the main series reaching its ultimate conclusion, the hunger for more "Plus Ultra" content is only going to grow. The foundation is already there; we just need the green light.