Source plot synopsis — published story coverage
Coverage is limited to the scope described in this write-up. Recording changes, further installments or an unwritten ending may remain outside it.
=== Setting ===
My Hero Academia is set in a world where about 80% of the human population has gained superpowers called "Quirks" (個性, Kosei) as a result of recent human evolution. Quirks vary widely and have the possibility of being genetically inherited. Quirks range from being small in scale to being god-like abilities. Most Quirks have some drawback when using it, such as a usage limit or self-injury, or manifest as permanent physical mutations to a person's body. Quirks will generally manifest in an individual just after their toddler years. As Quirks became dominant among the population, and newer Quirks became more powerful, society melded around their existence and largely commodified around them.
Initially, many people were inspired by old comics to use their Quirks to deal with crime on their own were recognized as Vigilantes (ヴィジランテ, Vijirante). The Hero Public Safety Commission (ヒーロー公安委員会, Hīrō Kōan Iinkai) was later formed and enlisted vigilantes to deal with criminals who abuse their Quirks, commonly known as Villains, until the Commission became more organized and instead focused on recruiting Pro Heroes (プロヒーロー, Puro Hīrō), who cooperate with authorities in rescue operations and apprehending villains. Vigilantes still exist in the present, but are considered illegal despite the help they give.
Heroes work out of Hero Agencies, which serves as their base of operations and a means for them to operate a business. Heroes can either lead their organization with lower-level sidekicks, or work equally as a team. In addition, Heroes who excel in their duties gain celebrity status and are ranked in popularity via the Hero Billboard Charts, with higher ranking heroes receiving public appeal. Pro Heroes exist around the world, with the first reported Quirk being in China, and the United States being referred to as the birthplace of Heroes.
Pro Heroes begin their initial training in high school, of which U.A. High School in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, is considered one of the most prestigious. Hero Courses offer both regular schooling and Hero-specific courses such as combat and rescue operations, as well as how to meld their individual skills and overcome their drawbacks. Companies sponsor the students, mainly by designing and remodeling superhero suits and support gear for them, and Pro Heroes often scout students for internships with them. interns with a Provisional Hero License and graduates start off as sidekicks, but can go independent to form their own offices.
Plot
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is a Quirkless boy who dreams of becoming a Hero by attending the Hero Course at U.A. High School, idolizing Japan's No. 1 Hero All Might. One day, Midoriya attempts to save Katsuki Bakugo, his childhood friend who bullies him for lacking powers, from a Sludge Villain. All Might, who was seriously injured years earlier, witnesses this and chooses Midoriya to inherit his Quirk "One For All", which grants the ability to stockpile raw power and pass it on to others. After nearly a year of physical training, Midoriya becomes the ninth holder of One For All and passes U.A.'s Entrance Exam by saving Ochaco Uraraka. Ochaco spins Midoriya's "Deku" nickname - originally an insult from Bakugo - into a positive definition, convincing Midoriya to choose "Deku" as his hero name. Deku, Bakugo, and Ochaco are among the twenty students placed in Class 1-A, taught by Shota Aizawa, and All Might joins the U.A. faculty. During one of their classes, Class 1-A and All Might are attacked by the League of Villains led by Tomura Shigaraki and his caretaker Kurogiri.
During a televised Sports Festival, Deku helps his classmate Shoto Todoroki move on from his resentment of his father – the No. 2 Hero Endeavor – for abusing him and his family in pursuit of the No. 1 spot. After Bakugo wins the Sports Festival, the U.A. students go on their Hero Agency internships; Deku trains under All Might's teacher Gran Torino to stop hurting his body when using One For All. Class 1-A's Representative Tenya Ida tries to get revenge against Stain, a villain who believes All Might is the only true Hero while the rest are fake, for crippling his older brother. Deku and Shoto help Ida defeat Stain, but Stain's ideology spreads. Shigaraki takes advantage of a failed partnership with Stain to recruit several of his believers, including Himiko Toga, Dabi, and Twice. All Might learns that Shigaraki is the apprentice of All For One, an ancient villain whose Quirk allows him to steal and transfer other Quirks, who wounded All Might and killed the seventh One For All user Nana Shimura, Shigaraki's grandmother.
Class 1-A finishes their final exams of fighting their teachers - during which Ochaco develops feelings for Deku - and continues their training at a summer training camp with Class 1-B. Both classes are ambushed by the League's recruits, who kidnap Bakugo in the hopes of recruiting him. All Might leads several Pro Heroes in locating the League's hideout, where All For One reveals himself and helps the villains escape before battling All Might. Bakugo refuses to join the villains and is rescued by Deku, Shoto, Ida, Eijiro Kirishima, and Momo Yaoyorozu. All Might defeats All For One and imprisons him, but exhausts the last of his embers of One For All and retires. Suspecting a traitor, U.A. moves the students into dorms. Class 1-A partakes in their Provisional Hero License Exam, which is infiltrated by Toga in disguise; Shoto and Bakugo fail, later taking remedial courses as a make-up. Bakugo, blaming himself for All Might's retirement, deduces the transferrable nature of One For All, but Deku and All Might convince him to keep it secret.
U.A.'s top three third years, The Big Three select Deku, Kirishima, and a pair of Ochaco and Tsuyu Asui to join them as interns; Mirio Togata, who chose Deku, is interning under All Might's former sidekick Sir Nighteye. Both Nighteye's team and the League come into conflict with the Shie Hassaikai, a yakuza group who are experimenting on their boss' granddaughter Eri to produce Quirk-Destroying Drugs. Nighteye's team leads the Big Three's agencies and Aizawa in a raid on the Shie Hassaikai's base to save Eri, during which Nighteye is killed, Mirio is de-powered, and the remaining drugs are stolen by the League. Eri is adopted by the U.A. staff, and she trains her "Rewind" Quirk to eventually restore Mirio's Quirk; Class 1-A performs a rock concert at a school culture festival to help her overcome her trauma. The Hero rankings are updated, including a top 5 consisting sequentially of Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, and Mirko. Endeavor, humbled by his No. 1 ranking, tries to make amends with his family. Hawks spies on the League, gaining their trust by seemingly killing Best Jeanist.
During a battle exercise of Class 1-A versus 1-B, Deku awakens One For All mid-fight against Neito Monoma, gaining the ability to communicate with the vestiges of the previous users of One For All and slowly acquire all of their Quirks. The League battles another villain group, the Meta Liberation Army; Twice, Toga, and Shigaraki awaken their Quirks, leading to the two groups merging to become the Paranormal Liberation Front. Shigaraki regains his memories of accidentally killing his family during the manifestation of his Quirk "Decay", and undergoes a procedure to obtain All For One's Quirk. Gran Torino arrests Kurogiri, discovering him to be Aizawa's deceased school friend resurrected and modified by All For One; Kurogiri reveals the location of the villains' new base. Internships resume in anticipation for a war; Deku and Bakugo join Shoto to intern under Endeavor, where they learn about Shoto's late eldest brother Toya.
The war starts just as the students finish their first year, with hundreds of villains arrested but dozens of Heroes killed. Hawks reluctantly kills Twice. Mirko interrupts Shigaraki's procedure, but he awakes and goes on a massive destruction spree. Ochaco and Deku become sympathetic when Toga interrogates Ochaco about whether villains deserve death and Deku sees Shigaraki possessed by All For One's vestige. Dabi reveals his identity as Toya Todoroki, and destroys public trust in Heroes by broadcasting Endeavor's abusive past and Twice's death. Although Best Jeanist and Mirio both recover and arrive as reinforcements, a few Paranormal Liberation Front commanders escape and break thousands of villains out of prison, including All For One. Deku and All Might reveal the truth about One For All and leave U.A. to hunt the escapees with Japan's top Heroes. This leads Deku to physical and emotional ruin, so Class 1-A intervenes to bring him back to U.A., which is now a refugee camp. Bakugo apologizes for his bullying, and Ochaco pleads to refugees protesting Deku's return that Heroes need saving too.
After Deku recovers, Class 1-A's Yuga Aoyama is discovered to be the suspected traitor. Aoyama reconciles with his class and lures the villains into a trap for Monoma, copying Kurogiri's Quirk, to scatter them across Japan. Endeavor and Hawks lead one group against All For One, forcing him to use a modified Rewind drug that restores his youth but will eventually kill him. The remaining top 5 Heroes are stationed to fight Shigaraki at a fortified U.A. with Deku, Bakugo, the Big Three, and Monoma copying Aizawa's Quirk; however, Toga drags Deku away upon the initial scattering, and Shigaraki mortally wounds Bakugo. Shoto defeats Dabi, who later gets back up to unleash a suicidal attack against the refugees; a slowly dying Dabi is extinguished by the entire Todoroki family. Toga creates an army of Twice clones and stabs Ochaco, but the two come to an understanding and Toga dies saving Ochaco's life through a fatal blood transfusion. All For One attempts to reach Shigaraki to fuse, but is stalled by many Heroes, including All Might using a powered exoskeleton. Bakugo, who was revived by Edgeshot via cardiac surgery, kills All For One as he Rewinds out of existence.
Deku returns to fight Shigaraki; unable to defeat him physically, Deku forcibly transfers One For All to damage Shigaraki's soul. This brings Deku into Shigaraki's memories, where Deku comforts Shigaraki about his family's deaths. All For One's vestige reveals that he engineered Shigaraki's entire life, including by giving him Decay, allowing All For One to re-possess Shigaraki. Kurogiri brings Hero reinforcements, though he betrays the Heroes upon seeing Shigaraki harmed before Kurogiri is killed by Bakugo. The reinforcements assist Deku in destroying Shigaraki's body, while the vestiges of Shigaraki and the One For All users destroy All For One's vestige. Eight years after the war's conclusion, a once-again Quirkless Deku is a teacher at U.A., while his former classmates are Pro Heroes or Sidekicks. All Might gifts Deku a powered suit that replicates his old Quirks, funded by his former classmates, which he uses to return to hero work. One month later, Deku and Ochaco enter a relationship, and six months later Deku and Bakugo join Mirio and Shoto among the top 5 Heroes.
My Hero Academia is set in a world where about 80% of the human population has gained superpowers called "Quirks" (個性, Kosei) as a result of recent human evolution. Quirks vary widely and have the possibility of being genetically inherited. Quirks range from being small in scale to being god-like abilities. Most Quirks have some drawback when using it, such as a usage limit or self-injury, or manifest as permanent physical mutations to a person's body. Quirks will generally manifest in an individual just after their toddler years. As Quirks became dominant among the population, and newer Quirks became more powerful, society melded around their existence and largely commodified around them.
Initially, many people were inspired by old comics to use their Quirks to deal with crime on their own were recognized as Vigilantes (ヴィジランテ, Vijirante). The Hero Public Safety Commission (ヒーロー公安委員会, Hīrō Kōan Iinkai) was later formed and enlisted vigilantes to deal with criminals who abuse their Quirks, commonly known as Villains, until the Commission became more organized and instead focused on recruiting Pro Heroes (プロヒーロー, Puro Hīrō), who cooperate with authorities in rescue operations and apprehending villains. Vigilantes still exist in the present, but are considered illegal despite the help they give.
Heroes work out of Hero Agencies, which serves as their base of operations and a means for them to operate a business. Heroes can either lead their organization with lower-level sidekicks, or work equally as a team. In addition, Heroes who excel in their duties gain celebrity status and are ranked in popularity via the Hero Billboard Charts, with higher ranking heroes receiving public appeal. Pro Heroes exist around the world, with the first reported Quirk being in China, and the United States being referred to as the birthplace of Heroes.
Pro Heroes begin their initial training in high school, of which U.A. High School in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, is considered one of the most prestigious. Hero Courses offer both regular schooling and Hero-specific courses such as combat and rescue operations, as well as how to meld their individual skills and overcome their drawbacks. Companies sponsor the students, mainly by designing and remodeling superhero suits and support gear for them, and Pro Heroes often scout students for internships with them. interns with a Provisional Hero License and graduates start off as sidekicks, but can go independent to form their own offices.
Plot
Izuku "Deku" Midoriya is a Quirkless boy who dreams of becoming a Hero by attending the Hero Course at U.A. High School, idolizing Japan's No. 1 Hero All Might. One day, Midoriya attempts to save Katsuki Bakugo, his childhood friend who bullies him for lacking powers, from a Sludge Villain. All Might, who was seriously injured years earlier, witnesses this and chooses Midoriya to inherit his Quirk "One For All", which grants the ability to stockpile raw power and pass it on to others. After nearly a year of physical training, Midoriya becomes the ninth holder of One For All and passes U.A.'s Entrance Exam by saving Ochaco Uraraka. Ochaco spins Midoriya's "Deku" nickname - originally an insult from Bakugo - into a positive definition, convincing Midoriya to choose "Deku" as his hero name. Deku, Bakugo, and Ochaco are among the twenty students placed in Class 1-A, taught by Shota Aizawa, and All Might joins the U.A. faculty. During one of their classes, Class 1-A and All Might are attacked by the League of Villains led by Tomura Shigaraki and his caretaker Kurogiri.
During a televised Sports Festival, Deku helps his classmate Shoto Todoroki move on from his resentment of his father – the No. 2 Hero Endeavor – for abusing him and his family in pursuit of the No. 1 spot. After Bakugo wins the Sports Festival, the U.A. students go on their Hero Agency internships; Deku trains under All Might's teacher Gran Torino to stop hurting his body when using One For All. Class 1-A's Representative Tenya Ida tries to get revenge against Stain, a villain who believes All Might is the only true Hero while the rest are fake, for crippling his older brother. Deku and Shoto help Ida defeat Stain, but Stain's ideology spreads. Shigaraki takes advantage of a failed partnership with Stain to recruit several of his believers, including Himiko Toga, Dabi, and Twice. All Might learns that Shigaraki is the apprentice of All For One, an ancient villain whose Quirk allows him to steal and transfer other Quirks, who wounded All Might and killed the seventh One For All user Nana Shimura, Shigaraki's grandmother.
Class 1-A finishes their final exams of fighting their teachers - during which Ochaco develops feelings for Deku - and continues their training at a summer training camp with Class 1-B. Both classes are ambushed by the League's recruits, who kidnap Bakugo in the hopes of recruiting him. All Might leads several Pro Heroes in locating the League's hideout, where All For One reveals himself and helps the villains escape before battling All Might. Bakugo refuses to join the villains and is rescued by Deku, Shoto, Ida, Eijiro Kirishima, and Momo Yaoyorozu. All Might defeats All For One and imprisons him, but exhausts the last of his embers of One For All and retires. Suspecting a traitor, U.A. moves the students into dorms. Class 1-A partakes in their Provisional Hero License Exam, which is infiltrated by Toga in disguise; Shoto and Bakugo fail, later taking remedial courses as a make-up. Bakugo, blaming himself for All Might's retirement, deduces the transferrable nature of One For All, but Deku and All Might convince him to keep it secret.
U.A.'s top three third years, The Big Three select Deku, Kirishima, and a pair of Ochaco and Tsuyu Asui to join them as interns; Mirio Togata, who chose Deku, is interning under All Might's former sidekick Sir Nighteye. Both Nighteye's team and the League come into conflict with the Shie Hassaikai, a yakuza group who are experimenting on their boss' granddaughter Eri to produce Quirk-Destroying Drugs. Nighteye's team leads the Big Three's agencies and Aizawa in a raid on the Shie Hassaikai's base to save Eri, during which Nighteye is killed, Mirio is de-powered, and the remaining drugs are stolen by the League. Eri is adopted by the U.A. staff, and she trains her "Rewind" Quirk to eventually restore Mirio's Quirk; Class 1-A performs a rock concert at a school culture festival to help her overcome her trauma. The Hero rankings are updated, including a top 5 consisting sequentially of Endeavor, Hawks, Best Jeanist, Edgeshot, and Mirko. Endeavor, humbled by his No. 1 ranking, tries to make amends with his family. Hawks spies on the League, gaining their trust by seemingly killing Best Jeanist.
During a battle exercise of Class 1-A versus 1-B, Deku awakens One For All mid-fight against Neito Monoma, gaining the ability to communicate with the vestiges of the previous users of One For All and slowly acquire all of their Quirks. The League battles another villain group, the Meta Liberation Army; Twice, Toga, and Shigaraki awaken their Quirks, leading to the two groups merging to become the Paranormal Liberation Front. Shigaraki regains his memories of accidentally killing his family during the manifestation of his Quirk "Decay", and undergoes a procedure to obtain All For One's Quirk. Gran Torino arrests Kurogiri, discovering him to be Aizawa's deceased school friend resurrected and modified by All For One; Kurogiri reveals the location of the villains' new base. Internships resume in anticipation for a war; Deku and Bakugo join Shoto to intern under Endeavor, where they learn about Shoto's late eldest brother Toya.
The war starts just as the students finish their first year, with hundreds of villains arrested but dozens of Heroes killed. Hawks reluctantly kills Twice. Mirko interrupts Shigaraki's procedure, but he awakes and goes on a massive destruction spree. Ochaco and Deku become sympathetic when Toga interrogates Ochaco about whether villains deserve death and Deku sees Shigaraki possessed by All For One's vestige. Dabi reveals his identity as Toya Todoroki, and destroys public trust in Heroes by broadcasting Endeavor's abusive past and Twice's death. Although Best Jeanist and Mirio both recover and arrive as reinforcements, a few Paranormal Liberation Front commanders escape and break thousands of villains out of prison, including All For One. Deku and All Might reveal the truth about One For All and leave U.A. to hunt the escapees with Japan's top Heroes. This leads Deku to physical and emotional ruin, so Class 1-A intervenes to bring him back to U.A., which is now a refugee camp. Bakugo apologizes for his bullying, and Ochaco pleads to refugees protesting Deku's return that Heroes need saving too.
After Deku recovers, Class 1-A's Yuga Aoyama is discovered to be the suspected traitor. Aoyama reconciles with his class and lures the villains into a trap for Monoma, copying Kurogiri's Quirk, to scatter them across Japan. Endeavor and Hawks lead one group against All For One, forcing him to use a modified Rewind drug that restores his youth but will eventually kill him. The remaining top 5 Heroes are stationed to fight Shigaraki at a fortified U.A. with Deku, Bakugo, the Big Three, and Monoma copying Aizawa's Quirk; however, Toga drags Deku away upon the initial scattering, and Shigaraki mortally wounds Bakugo. Shoto defeats Dabi, who later gets back up to unleash a suicidal attack against the refugees; a slowly dying Dabi is extinguished by the entire Todoroki family. Toga creates an army of Twice clones and stabs Ochaco, but the two come to an understanding and Toga dies saving Ochaco's life through a fatal blood transfusion. All For One attempts to reach Shigaraki to fuse, but is stalled by many Heroes, including All Might using a powered exoskeleton. Bakugo, who was revived by Edgeshot via cardiac surgery, kills All For One as he Rewinds out of existence.
Deku returns to fight Shigaraki; unable to defeat him physically, Deku forcibly transfers One For All to damage Shigaraki's soul. This brings Deku into Shigaraki's memories, where Deku comforts Shigaraki about his family's deaths. All For One's vestige reveals that he engineered Shigaraki's entire life, including by giving him Decay, allowing All For One to re-possess Shigaraki. Kurogiri brings Hero reinforcements, though he betrays the Heroes upon seeing Shigaraki harmed before Kurogiri is killed by Bakugo. The reinforcements assist Deku in destroying Shigaraki's body, while the vestiges of Shigaraki and the One For All users destroy All For One's vestige. Eight years after the war's conclusion, a once-again Quirkless Deku is a teacher at U.A., while his former classmates are Pro Heroes or Sidekicks. All Might gifts Deku a powered suit that replicates his old Quirks, funded by his former classmates, which he uses to return to hero work. One month later, Deku and Ochaco enter a relationship, and six months later Deku and Bakugo join Mirio and Shoto among the top 5 Heroes.
Sources and content license
Source and revision history ↗ · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, My Hero Academia. Section headings and formatting adjusted. · Content license