30 Best Anime Like My Hero Academia
Join us on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!
A highly-rated anime known as Boku no Hīrō Akademia, also known as My Hero Academia, has no need to provide evidence of its popularity and success. It has become one of the most popular anime of all time. My Hero Academia is undoubtedly a perfect choice for anyone looking for a comedy that contains real-world issues. Still, if you have already watched it, and can’t wait for the next anime fix, check out our list of the best anime like My Hero Academia below. You won’t be disappointed.
My Hero Academia fans will definitely enjoy these 30 anime series that belong to the Shonen genre. There’s no doubt that anime has become more popular than ever, and Shonen continues to expand. We’ll see some anime that rival My Hero Academia in terms of quality.
List of Best Anime Like My Hero Academia
In contrast to My Hero Academia, there are a number of anime that also feature superheroes as primary characters. A few series don’t feature superheroes but instead focus on schools where the protagonists are trained in different fields. Other stories have protagonists who share the same personalities and priorities. Still, they are all pretty similar to My Hero Academia and that is why we have included them on our list of anime like My Hero Academia. So let’s get started.
Tiger And Bunny
The anime series Tiger & Bunny was produced by Sunrise under the direction of Keiichi Satou in 2011. Masakazu Katsura designed the characters for the screenplay written by Masafumi Nishida. After airing on Tokyo MX on April 3, 2011, it was rebroadcast on MBS and BS11 from April 13 to September 17, 2011.
Taking place in a futuristic city where heroes fight crime, the show follows the adventures of two superheroes: Kotetsu T “Wild Tiger” Kaburagi and Barnaby Brooks Jr., as both are forced to work together by their employers.
Little Witch Academia
A Japanese anime franchise created and produced by Yoh Yoshinari, Little Witch Academia is based on a manga book series of the same name. Director Yoshinari and writer Masahiko Otsuka created the short film for Anime Mirai 2013, released in theaters in March 2013. The film was later screened with English subtitles on YouTube in April 2013. In October 2015, the short film Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade was released partially funded by Kickstarter. From June 2017 to January 2018, an anime television series aired in Japan.
Over the course of that time, 13 episodes have been released on Netflix worldwide. In August 2017, the remaining 12 episodes of the show’s first season were made available on the platform as its second season. Shueisha has published two manga series. Little Witch Academia even made it onto our list of best witch anime.
Young witches are trained at Luna Nova Magical Academy, a prestigious school where Little Witch Academia takes place. Shiny Chariot inspires a young girl named Atsuko “Akko” Kagari to attend Luna Nova Magical Academy in order to become a witch, but she struggles due to her lack of magic. Her life changes when she finds the Shiny Rod, a magical relic left behind by Chariot.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is a Japanese animated series from the late 1980s. It is an adaptation of the manga comic book of the same name by Akira Toriyama. The series consists of 153 episodes lasting twenty-four minutes, which aired in Japan from February 26, 1986 to April 12, 1989. Unlike Japan, in the US the original Dragon Ball series did not experience much viewership but that is why its successor Dragon Ball Z became very popular on Cartoon Network.
The plot of the series is set in an imaginary world and follows the adventures of the main character Goku and his friends. The plot is mainly based on the search for Dragon Balls. There are seven Dragon Balls, when all seven of them are gathered in the same place, a dragon appears that fulfills one wish. After fulfilling the wish, the dragon disappears and the balls are scattered around the planet. The first 365 days after the appearance of the dragon balls are usually stones, after which they turn into Dragon Balls again.
Naruto
On October 3, 2002, Hayato Date directed the Naruto anime, a TV Tokyo production created by Studio Pierrot. The anime was broadcast for 220 episodes until February 8, 2007 on TV Tokyo. There are 135 episodes in all, 85 are original episodes and use elements that aren’t in the manga; the first 135 episodes are adapted from part I of the manga. During the anime adaptation of Naruto, Tetsuya Nishio was assigned the role of character designer; Kishimoto had requested the role of a character to be given to Nishio.
In addition to the original Naruto anime, Shippuden is the sequel to the manga Part II set when the anime was originally produced. It was produced by Studio Pierrot under the direction of Hayato Date. This series aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between February 15, 2007, and March 23, 2017. Subscribers to TV Tokyo began watching new episodes via internet streaming on January 8, 2009. Streaming episodes were available online within an hour of their release in Japan, along with English subtitles.
There were eleven theatrical films and twelve original video animations (OVAs) based on the series. Three of the films are related to the first anime series and eight to the second series. You can follow our Naruto watch order so you don’t miss anything.
The story revolves around an adolescent ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who struggles to get recognition while dreaming of becoming the Hokage of the village, which is the village’s leader and the strongest ninja.
Samurai Flamenco
Manglobe devised and produced Samurai Flamenco with Fuji TV, Dentsu, Hobibox, Movic, and Dentsu. In addition to Takahiro Omori’s direction, Hideyuki Kurata handled the scripts, and Chinatsu Kurahana designed the characters, Masaki Yamada worked on the animation, and Agehasprings wrote the music. In October 2013, Fuji TV began broadcasting the anime in its noitaminA block. The series has been licensed by Aniplex of America for North America. Also published by Square Enix was a manga from Seiko Takagi and Shō Mizusawa.
Masayoshi Hazama, an aspiring superhero who is without superpowers, aspires to become one. Thus, he is able to meet a lot of supporters of his cause.
Fire Force
Atsushi Kubo is the author and illustrator of the manga series Fire Force. The story has been serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine since September 2015, and will be collected in 29 tankōbon volumes by June 2021. Kodansha USA is licensed to release manga in English in North America.
Tokyo’s Fire Force, which specializes in fighting spontaneous human combustion, fights increasing incidents of human beings turned into living inferno called “Infernals” in the year 198 of Tokyo’s Solar Era. Infernals, with their horned variations known as Demons, are first generation cases of spontaneous human combustion. Later generations, however, possess pyrokinesis without losing their human form. The Fire Force was created by merging members of the Tokyo armed forces, the Holy Sol Temple, and the Fire Defense Agency. It consists of eight independent companies.
InuYasha
Rumiko Takahashi is the author and illustrator of the Japanese manga series Inuyasha.
Kagome Higurashi is fifteen and attends middle school in Tokyo. When she falls into a well in her family shrine, she is transported to the Sengoku period where she meets the half-dog, half-human demon Inuyasha. Kagome accidentally breaks the sacred Shikon Jewel into dozens of fragments after it reemerges from deep within her body.
Kagome and Inuyasha set out to recover Jewel’s fragments, and they are joined by the demon slayer Sango, the lecherous monk Miroku, and the fox demon Shippo as they went on their quest. The pair journey together to protect the Shikon Jewel before Naraku, the evil half-demon, comes into possession of it.
One Punch Man
ONE created the Japanese superhero franchise One-Punch Man. In early 2009, he wrote the original webcomic version.
There is a superhero called Saitama who can defeat any opponent with one punch, but grows bored with the lack of challenge after he grows so powerful that he can defeat any opponent with a single punch.
Charlotte
The television series Charlotte was created by P.A.Works and Aniplex and directed by Yoshiyuki Asai in 2015. From July 5 through September 27, 2015, 13 episodes were aired in Japan. March 2016 brought the release of a video animation episode. There were two manga series serialized in Dengeki G’s Comic from ASCII Media Works.
There is an alternate reality in which a small percentage of children become superhuman when they reach puberty. As the story unfolds, the focus is on Yuu Otosaka, a high school boy who has the ability to occupy others temporarily, which catches the attention of Nao Tomori, the student council president of a school for children with special abilities.
Gatchaman Crowds
The anime television series Gatchaman Crowds was produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Kenji Nakamura in 2013. It belongs to the Gatchaman franchise. A prologue episode aired on Hulu on June 20, 2015, followed by the first episode on July 4, 2015, and ending on September 26, 2015. The first and second seasons, titled Gatchaman Crowds insight, aired between July 12, 2013 and September 27, 2013, respectively.
Tachikawa, Japan, in the early summer of 2015. Tachikawa serves as a “second metropolis” of Tokyo and is protected by the Gatchaman, warriors who suit up with special reinforced suits called NOTE, which are powered by their spiritual power. Gatchaman must tackle Berg Katze, an enigmatic alien creature who has destroyed several planets and now opposes Earth. After introducing their newest member, the cheerful and energetic Hajime Ichinose, the group must talk to him about their new mission.
The Seven Deadly Sins
The Seven Deadly Sins takes place in Tachikawa, Japan, in the early summer of 2015. Tachikawa serves as a “second metropolis” of Tokyo and is protected by the Gatchaman, warriors who suit up with special reinforced suits called NOTE, which are powered by their spiritual power. Gatchaman must tackle Berg Katze, an enigmatic alien creature who has destroyed several planets and now opposes Earth. After introducing their newest member, the cheerful and energetic Hajime Ichinose, the group must talk to him about their new mission.
Adaptations of the series were produced by A-1 Pictures, which ran for two seasons between October 2014 and June 2018. In October 2019, Studio Deen released its third season, and in January 2021 the fourth season was launched. The English streaming rights for the anime series were acquired by Netflix, while Funimation owns the home video rights to the first season. August 2018 saw the release of the film The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky. The second film titled The Seven Deadly Sins: Cursed by Light was released in July 2021.
Fairy Tail
Hiro Mashima is a Japanese manga artist who created the series Fairy Tail. From August 2006 to July 2017, chapters were serialized in Kodansha’s Weekly Shōnen Magazine, with the collected chapters being released as 63 tankōbon volumes.
In the story, Natsu Dragneel, who belongs to the popular wizard guild Fairy Tail, finds the dragon Igneel after searching the fictional world of Earth-land for him.
Hamatora
Next anime on our list of best anime like My Hero Academia is Hamatora. Yūki Kodama and Natsu Matsumai have created a Japanese mixed-media project called Hamatora.
A group of people known as Minimum Holders is discovered to possess supernatural abilities in the year 2014. It follows Minimum Holder Nice who starts his own detective agency called “Hamatora” based in Yokohama as he helps to recruit several allies such as his partner Murasaki and assistant Hajime. In the process, he also encounters various criminal enemies.
Bleach
The anime series Bleach is based on Tite Kubo’s manga of the same name. Production was handled by Studio Pierrot, with direction by Noriyuki Abe. Between October 2004 and March 2012, TV Tokyo broadcast 366 episodes of the series. It contains original characters and storylines that aren’t found in the manga, as well as characters that make repeated appearances and appear in multiple stories.
This story follows Ichigo Kurosaki when he receives the powers of a Soul Reaper from Rukia Kuchiki, a fellow Soul Reaper – a personification of death similar to the Grim Reaper. Because of his newly acquired powers, he is now charged with protecting people from evil spirits and guiding their spirits to the afterlife. Other Bleach characters join him along the way.
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Aniplex and Konami co-produced Gurren Lagann, known in Japan as Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, a mecha anime television series animated by Gainax. Between April and September 2007, there were 27 episodes on TV Tokyo. It was directed by Hiroyuki Imaishi and written by veteran playwright Kazuki Nakashima.
In Gurren Lagann, mankind lives in isolated subterranean villages under the rule of Lordgenome, the Spiral King. The plot revolves around Simon and Kamina, two teenagers who live underground and wish to visit the surface. They reach the surface in a mecha known as Lagann, where they start fighting alongside others against Lordgenome’s forces, before fighting the true enemy.
Mob Psycho 100
ONE is the author and illustrator of Mob Psycho 100, a Japanese manga series. It has been adapted into an anime series by Bones. There was a first season, airing between July and September 2016, followed by a second season, airing from January to April 2019. During the months of January through April 2018, a live-action adaptation was broadcast. Shogakukan MangaONE app published a new manga series, titled Reigen, in 2018.
A typical middle schooler, Shigeo Kageyama is known as Mob because of his lack of presence. Though he appears inconspicuous, this esper possesses incredible psychic power. Keeping his control over this power, he continues to live a life under emotional duress. Mob becomes the assistant of a con-man named Reigen Arataka in order to learn how to control his powers. Despite wanting to lead a normal life like everyone else, Mob finds himself constantly in trouble. He eventually meets other espers like the Claws as the suppressed emotions inside him grow gradually stronger.
YU YU Hakusho
Yu Yu Hakusho anime adaptation was directed by Noriyuki Abe and produced by Fuji Television, Yomiko Advertising, and Studio Pierrot. A total of 112 episodes were broadcast on Fuji Television between October 10, 1992, and January 7, 1995.
In the series, a delinquent teenage boy named Yusuke Urameshi is struck and killed by a car while attempting to save a child. Yusuke is revived after a series of trials presented to him by Koenma, the son of the Underworld’s ruler. He now has the title of “Underworld Detective”, and is assigned to investigate various cases involving demons in humans’ lives.
One Piece
Eiichiro Oda is the creator of One Piece, a Japanese manga series. From July 1997 to June 2021, its individual chapters have been collected into 99 tankōbon volumes in Shueisha’s shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Once upon a time there lived a pirate named Gol D. Roger. With his wealth, fame and power, he earned the title of King of Pirates. After he was caught, and before his execution, he discovered that the treasure called One Piece was hidden somewhere in the Grand Line area. All the people set out in search of the treasure but no one ever found it. Twenty-two years after the death of Gol D. Roger, a young man named Monkey D. Luffy decides to become a pirate and sets off in search of Gol D. Roger’s treasure, to become the new Pirate King. Along the way, he meets a lot of One Piece characters that help him on his journey, and some that stand in his way.
There are almost 1000 episodes of One Piece and 14 movies, that is why we have decided to make the complete One Piece order of watching. In case you decide to watch this show after My Hero Academia, take a read of our article so you can know where to start.
Hunter X Hunter
Next anime on our list of best anime like My Hero Academia is Hunter X Hunter. From October 1999 to March 2001, Nippon Animation produced a 62-episode anime television series based on Hunter X Hunter manga, directing it by Kazuhiro Furuhashi. Nippon Animation produced and released in Japan, from 2002 to 2004, three original video animations (OVA) totaling 30 episodes. From October 2011 to September 2014, Madhouse aired a second anime television series on Nippon Television with 148 episodes, as well as two animated films in 2013. Other media based on Hunter X Hunter include audio albums, video games, musicals, and more.
The story revolves around a young boy named Gon Freecss who discovers that his father, who left him at a young age, is actually a world-renowned Hunter who finds unusual species of animals, finds hidden treasure, or hunts down lawless individuals. He embarks on a quest to become a Hunter and ultimately find his father. Throughout the journey, Gon encounters the paranormal and a variety of other Hunter characters.
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
From 1993 to 2002, A.P.P.P. produced an original 13-episode video animation series based on the manga’s third part, Stardust Crusaders. A film adaptation was later released in Japan in 2007 called Phantom Blood, which was based on the first part. Since October 2012, David Production has produced four seasons of an anime based on Phantom Blood and Battle Tendency, adapting up to the fifth part of the manga. Diamond Is Unbreakable, a live-action film based on part four, was released in Japan in 2017.
The story of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure centers on the Joestar family, a family whose members uncover that they possess supernatural powers that can help them conquer supernatural foes. Several parts tell the story of the Joestar family, each following a member whose name can be abbreviated as “JoJo”.
Demon Slayer
On June 4, 2018, studio Ufotable announced that it would adapt an anime television series for the 27th issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. Hikaru Kondo produced the anime under the direction of Haruo Sotozaki. The Demon Slayer character designer for the film was Akira Matsushima. Tokyo MX, GTV, GYT, BS11, and other channels broadcast 26 episodes of the series between April 6 and September 28, 2019. During the 62nd Japan Record Awards in 2020, the series was one of five winners in the Special Achievement Award category.
Tanjiro and his sister Nezuko survive after their family is attacked by demons, being slowly transformed into demons as they go. To avenge his family and heal his sister, Tanjiro makes an attempt to become a demon slayer.
Assassination Classroom
The manga was adapted into an anime television series that premiered on Fuji TV on January 9, 2015. Director Seiji Kishi, character designer Kazuki Morita, and scriptwriter Makoto Uezu are all of Lerche and worked together to create the anime television series.
Students are recruited to assassinate the titular character in order to prevent Earth from being destroyed by an extremely powerful octopus-like being. They are considered “misfits” in the school, and are housed in a separate building. He teaches a class called 3-E to the students.
Soul Eater
Next anime on our list of best anime like My Hero Academia is Soul Eater. Takuya Igarashi directed the 51-episode anime adaptation, which was produced by Bones, Aniplex, Dentsu, Media Factory, and TV Tokyo; Bones and Aniplex provided animation and music, respectively. Akatsuki Yamatoya wrote the scenario for the anime, which was based on Ansushi Kubo’s idea. Yoshiyuki Ito was in charge of character design, and Norifumi Nakamura was in charge of overall art direction. Shinji Aramaki designed the anime’s concept.
It is set at the Death Weapon Meister Academy, a place where three teams compete for coveted positions – each with a weapon meister and (at least one) weapon that can transform into a humanoid. They must collect 99 evil humans and one witch to make the latter a “death scythe” and thus fit for use by the academy’s headmaster, Shinigami, the personification of death, otherwise, they will have to start from scratch.
Katekyo Hitman Reborn
Artland produced Katekyo Hitman Reborn anime series for TV Tokyo that ran between October 2006 and September 2010. Additionally, a range of games, light novels, and other products have been developed based on the series. Streaming rights were licensed to Viz Media for English distribution of the TV series and manga in North America. The first sixteen volumes of the series were published by Viz Media, with the last one being released in July 2010. Subscription-only home video releases of the television series were later licensed by Discotek Media.
It follows Tsunayoshi Sawada, a teenager who finds out he is next in line to become boss of the Vongola family, one of the most powerful groups in Japan. Reborn, a gun-toting infant who is the Vongolas’ most powerful hitman, is sent to teach Tsuna how to be a boss.
Blue Exorcist
On November 27, 2010, Shueisha’s Jump Square website announced that the manga will be adapted into an anime. A-1 Pictures produced the anime, with Hitoshi Okamura serving as the producer. Due to the March 11, 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, broadcast of the series has been delayed until April 17, 2011. The series was originally scheduled to air on MBS on April 10, 2011, replacing Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto. In October of 2011, the anime ended.
The story is about Rin Okumura, a teenaged boy who discovers he and his twin brother Yukio are the sons of Satan. They were born to a human woman, and he has inherited Satan’s abilities. To defeat his father Satan, Rin attends True Cross Academy under Yukio’s tutelage to become an exorcist.
Black Clover
A video animation based on the series, produced by Xebec Zwei, was shown at the 2016 Jump Festa between November 27 and December 18, 2016. Originally, it came bundled with the 11th volume of the manga, published on May 2, 2017. The 2018 Jump Festa featured another original video animation. It was later released on DVD releases alongside My Hero Academia and Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma bundled with the future volumes of their respective manga, as it was announced at Jump Special Anime Festa event.
A young boy named Asta, born with no magic abilities, is the protagonist of the story. Because all Black Clover characters have magic, the world in which he lives is unaware of this. Asta plans to become the next Wizard King with his fellow mages from the Black Bulls.
Fullmetal Alchemist
The original manga series of the same name by Hiromu Arakawa inspired Fullmetal Alchemist, an anime television series. This anime series consisted of 51 episodes and was co-produced by anime studio Bones, Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS), and Aniplex, as well as directed by Seiji Mizushima. Japan aired the show between October 2003 and October 2004 on MBS. In 2005, Conqueror of Shamballa, the direct sequel to the first anime series, was released. In 2009, another anime series, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, adapting the entire manga faithfully, was broadcast. Find out what the difference between Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is.
Following the adventures of brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who were trying to reclaim their bodies after their mother was put to death, the series followed their adventures in search of the Philosopher’s Stone. As a result of Arakawa’s request for an original ending, the series changed direction halfway through and had an original ending.
Food Wars!
Shueisha announced in October 2014 that it would be releasing an anime adaptation. Yoshitomo Yonetani directed the anime, which had Shogo Yasukawa writing the scripts, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as the main character, Sōma Yukihira. As announced on Jump Special Anime Festa, Food Wars was released on DVD alongside Black Clover and My Hero Academia bundled with their respective manga volumes. Food wars made it on to our list of best cooking anime.
The art of cooking is Souma’s passion, and he is constantly experimenting to find the right combination and flavors. In the aftermath of his father closing down the family diner, he lost hope that someday he would own it. But his dad has bigger plans for him. Souma’s dad enrolls him in a ‘cut throat’ culinary school to enable him to prove his worth. Does he have what it takes, or will he fail?
Yowamushi Pedal
Wataru Watanabe is the author and illustrator of Yowamushi Pedal, a Japanese manga series. From October 2013 to July 2014, anime adaptation of the manga series aired on television, followed by a second season from October 2014 to March 2015, a third season from January to June 2017 and a fourth season from January to June 2018. August 2016 saw the broadcast of a live-action adaptation.
High school freshman Sakamichi Onada loves anime and is a wimp. After meeting classmates who are already famous cyclists, he joins the cycling club after he at first wants to join the anime club. Training makes him realize his own hidden talent for cycling, which he discovers through his competitions in grueling races.
Kill la Kill
The last anime like My Hero Academia on our list is Kill la Kill. Produced by Trigger this Japanese anime television series Kill la Kill became a worldwide hit. In the series, Ryuko Matoi, a vagrant schoolgirl who searches for her father’s killer, tumbles into violent confrontation with Satsuki Kiryuin, the president of Honnouji Academy’s student council, and her mother’s fashion empire. Satsuki, Ryuko, and others make their clothes appear to have superpowers as a result of their martial arts training.
Liked this article? Join us on Reddit for the latest Marvel & DC news!