You’re finally doing it. You’ve seen the memes of All Might, you’ve heard about the "United States of Smash," and now you're ready to actually sit down and see what the fuss is about. But honestly? Figuring out where to watch MHA without getting hit by a million ads or realizing halfway through that you’re missing the movies is a whole ordeal. Streaming rights for anime are a total mess right now, especially with the way Crunchyroll and Funimation merged their catalogs while Hulu still clings to certain seasons.
It's a lot.
If you’re in the United States, your best bet is usually Crunchyroll. They have the whole thing. From Deku’s first crybaby moment to the absolute chaos of the Final War arc, it’s all there in one place. But there's a catch with the dubs and the movies that most people don't realize until they've already started their free trial.
The Crunchyroll Monopoly and Why It Mostly Works
Crunchyroll is basically the "Home of UA High" at this point. After Sony bought Crunchyroll and folded Funimation into it, the library became massive. You can find all seven seasons of the main series here. They offer both the subtitled version (sub) and the English dubbed version (dub).
Sometimes the dub lags behind. Usually, it’s only by two weeks. This is what we call a "Simuldub." If you’re the kind of person who needs to see the episode the literal second it drops in Japan, you’re going the sub route. If you want the English voices, you’ve gotta be patient.
Pricing is the annoying part. Gone are the days when you could watch everything for free with just a few commercials. Now, if you want the latest season, you're looking at a Fan or Mega Fan subscription. It's roughly $8 to $12 a month depending on if you want to download episodes for your commute or share the account with a friend who's also obsessed with Shoto Todoroki.
Is Hulu Actually Any Good for MHA?
A lot of people already have Hulu for The Bear or Shogun and wonder if they can just stay put. You can. Sorta.
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Hulu carries the series, but it’s often a weird experience. For a long time, they only had the dubbed versions for certain seasons while others were sub-only. As of right now, they have a solid chunk of the series, but they are notoriously slow at getting the absolute newest episodes compared to a dedicated anime platform. If you’re a casual fan just catching up on Season 1 through 5, Hulu is fine. If you want to be part of the conversation on Twitter (or X, whatever) the day a new episode drops? You’ll feel left out.
Also, Hulu's interface for anime is kind of a nightmare. It doesn't always remember if you prefer subs or dubs, so you might start an episode and suddenly hear Deku speaking English when you wanted Japanese, or vice versa. It's a small gripe, but it gets old fast.
Netflix is the Wild Card
Netflix is where things get confusing. If you are in the U.S., you might see My Hero Academia listed, but it’s usually just the movies or very specific seasons that come and go. However, if you’re reading this from certain regions in Asia or even parts of Europe, Netflix often has the entire show.
It’s a licensing thing.
Netflix has been pouring money into anime, but Crunchyroll still holds the master key for MHA in North America. Don't rely on Netflix as your primary way to watch the show unless you've checked your local listings first. You don't want to get halfway through the Sports Festival and then have the show vanish from your "Continue Watching" list because a contract expired at midnight.
Don't Forget the Movies
This is where most new fans mess up. They watch the show, they love the show, but they skip the movies because they think they're "filler."
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They aren't. Not really.
While the movies like Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, and World Heroes' Mission aren't strictly mandatory to understand the main plot, they are considered canon by the creator, Kohei Horikoshi. Plus, the animation quality in the movies—especially the final fight in Heroes Rising—is some of the best in the entire industry.
The problem? They aren't always on Crunchyroll.
Sometimes you have to head over to Amazon Prime Video or Apple TV to rent or buy them. It sucks to pay an extra $3.99, but seeing All Might and Deku fight side-by-side in the first movie is worth the price of a cheap latte. The newest film, You're Next, usually follows a theatrical run before hitting streaming platforms, so keep an eye on official announcements from Toho or Bones.
How to Watch My Hero Academia in the Right Order
If you want the full experience, don't just click "Play" on Season 1 and hope for the best. There is a flow to this.
Start with Season 1 and 2.
Then, watch the first movie, Two Heroes. It fits perfectly between the second and third seasons. It gives you a lot of backstory on All Might that makes the events of Season 3 hit way harder.
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After you finish Season 3, go into Season 4.
Somewhere around the middle or end of Season 4, you should watch Heroes Rising. It’s a weird spot in the timeline because of how the manga was written, but it works.
Then move to Season 5, watch World Heroes' Mission, and then buckle up for the absolute emotional destruction of Season 6 and Season 7. Season 6 is essentially a non-stop war. It's heavy. You'll need tissues.
What About the "Free" Options?
Look, everyone knows there are "other" sites. The ones with the weird pop-ups and the 17 different "Server 4" links. Honestly? It's not worth it anymore.
The quality on those sites is hit or miss. One minute you're watching in 1080p, and the next, it looks like it was filmed with a potato. More importantly, those sites are notorious for malware. If you're looking for where to watch MHA, sticking to the official channels like Crunchyroll or Hulu ensures the animators actually get paid and your laptop doesn't explode.
If money is tight, Crunchyroll usually has a 14-day free trial. You can binge a lot of anime in two weeks if you're determined. Just remember to cancel it if you don't want to be billed.
Actionable Steps for Your MHA Binge
- Check your current subscriptions first. If you have Hulu, see if they have the first few seasons available to save some cash.
- Sign up for a Crunchyroll trial specifically when you know you have a long weekend. You can knock out the first three seasons easily if you skip the intros and outros.
- Track the movies separately. Use a site like JustWatch to see which platform currently has the rights to Two Heroes or Heroes Rising in your country, as these move around constantly.
- Download the app. If you're watching on Crunchyroll, the mobile app is actually pretty decent for offline viewing, which is great for flights or long car rides where signal is spotty.
- Switch to the Manga if you catch up. If you finish Season 7 and literally cannot wait to see how the story ends, the Shonen Jump app is like $2 a month and has every single chapter. The art in the final arcs is breathtaking.
By sticking to these platforms, you're getting the best possible bitrates and the most accurate translations. MHA is a visual spectacle, and watching a low-res rip is doing a disservice to the incredible work put in by Studio Bones. Get your setup ready, grab some snacks, and prepare to go Plus Ultra. It’s a long ride, but it’s one of the best journeys in modern Shonen.