During Jump Festa 2025, it was announced that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, also known as Vigilantes: My Hero Academia ILLEGALS, is set to receive an anime adaptation premiering in April 2025.
The announcement brings a renewed focus to the spin-off series, which has long been a favorite among fans for its darker and more nuanced take on hero society.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes was penned by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court, rather than the main series creator, Kohei Horikoshi. Serialized on Shonen Jump+ between 2017 and 2022, the spin-off ran for 15 volumes.
The series is set several years before the events of My Hero Academia, providing context to the world of unlicensed heroes operating outside the law.
The story follows Koichi Haimawari, a Quirk user who adopts the mantle of the vigilante “The Crawler” to help others, despite lacking official recognition.
Unlike the main series’ focus on sanctioned heroes and structured hero academies, Vigilantes explores a grittier, more grounded perspective. It even offers compelling backstories for familiar characters like Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head), adding depth to the main series’ lore.
Teaser Visual and PV
The Super Teaser Visual for the Vigilantes anime showcases the protagonist overlooking a city from a rooftop, encapsulating the series’ underground vibe.
A Super Teaser PV has also been released, featuring Vigilante characters alongside familiar heroes from My Hero Academia. The PV is narrated by Daiki Yamashita, the voice of Izuku Midoriya (Deku), bridging the two series visually and thematically.
Staff and Production
The adaptation boasts an experienced staff, including many who worked on My Hero Academia:
- Director: Kenichi Suzuki (Drifters, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure)
- Series Composition & Script: Yousuke Kuroda (My Hero Academia, Trigun)
- Character Design: Takahiko Yoshida (Overlord)
- Music: Yuki Hayashi, Shogo Yamashiro, Yuuki Furuhashi (all veterans of My Hero Academia)
- Studio: BONES, continuing their association with the franchise
The timing of this adaptation is notable as the main series, My Hero Academia, approaches its conclusion.
The final season of the original anime is set to air in Fall 2025, marking the end of an era for one of the most popular shonen franchises of the 2010s. While Vigilantes does not directly tie into the main series’ story, its release will likely fill the gap for fans eager to explore more of the universe as the main story reaches its climax.
