For nearly a decade, My Hero Academia has been the gold standard of superhero anime as a global phenomenon that redefined how shōnen stories blend heart, heroism, and action. But with the manga concluded and the anime’s final season wrapping up, the era of Deku and Class 1-A is finally coming to an end. Fans mourning its finale may not need to wait long for a worthy successor.
Here comes To Be Hero X, a new superhero series that is quietly becoming the next major force in anime. This stunning Chinese donghua (animation) has captivated viewers with its dynamic storytelling, jaw-dropping animation, and fresh approach to heroism. As My Hero Academia bows out, To Be Hero X is already standing tall as the contender to inherit, and maybe even surpass, its throne.
A New Hero Rises as My Hero Academia’s Journey Ends
Few series have maintained cultural dominance like My Hero Academia. Its story of underdogs, dreams, and moral grayness reimagined the superhero lore for a new generation. With My Hero Academia Season 8 marking its grand finale, the anime world is preparing to say goodbye to one of its most beloved shōnen pillars. Yet endings often make room for new beginnings.
That is where To Be Hero X shines. Debuting in 2025, the series exploded in popularity almost overnight. Its world revolves around a brutal competition where heroes battle every two years to determine their global rankings, a concept that transforms status and strength into a high-stakes spectacle. The idea is deceptively simple but brilliantly executed, balancing humor, heart, and tension.
Visually, To Be Hero X is on another level. Its fight choreography and animation quality rival even top-tier Japanese studios, offering fluid, cinematic action sequences that demand attention. Combined with its satirical edge and character-driven storytelling, the series feels both familiar and groundbreaking in a bold remix of everything that made My Hero Academia great.
The Future of Superhero Anime Belongs to To Be Hero X
What truly separates To Be Hero X from other challengers is its confidence. It does not try to mimic My Hero Academia, instead it reinvents the superhero formula entirely. The show’s heroes are not just paragons of justice; they are flawed, competitive, and often self-serving. Their strengths and powers fluctuate based on their tournament rankings, adding a layer of strategy and psychological warfare rarely seen in the genre.
The anime’s first season was such a hit that a second season was quickly greenlit. With My Hero Academia concluding and its spin-offs like Vigilantes being less prominent, To Be Hero X has a prime opportunity to dominate the superhero anime space. Its mix of satire, action, and emotion taps directly into what fans crave post-My Hero Academia: complexity, spectacle, and characters who evolve through chaos.
Meanwhile, My Hero Academia will live on through spin-offs and Netflix’s long-awaited live-action adaptation. Creator Kohei Horikoshi has even teased plans for a new manga that explores ideas he could not tackle in My Hero Academia. But as that future unfolds, the spotlight has already begun shifting toward To Be Hero X, a series that feels like the natural evolution of the superhero genre in anime.
If My Hero Academia was the story of learning to become a hero, To Be Hero X asks what it truly costs to stay one. And in a world hungry for new legends, that question might be exactly what propels it to the top.
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- Movie(s)
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My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018), My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising (2019), My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission (2021)
- First Film
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My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
- Cast
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Daiki Yamashita, Kenta Miyake, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Ayane Sakura, Yûki Kaji, Aoi Yuki, Kaito Ishikawa, Toshiki Masuda, Marina Inoue, Yoshimasa Hosoya
- TV Show(s)
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My Hero Academia
- Character(s)
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Izuku Midoriya, All Might, Katsuki Bakugo, Ochaco Uraraka, Shoto Todoroki, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, Eijiro Kirishima, Momo Yaoyorozu, Fumikage Tokoyami
- Video Game(s)
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My Hero Academia: Battle for All, My Hero One’s Justice, My Hero One’s Justice 2
My Hero Academia is a multimedia franchise that follows a young boy named Izuku Midoriya, who dreams of becoming a hero despite being born without superpowers. These superpowers, known as “Quirks” are found in most people after birth, but Izuku wasn’t so lucky – until a fateful encounter with All Might, Japan’s greatest hero, Izuku inherits his Quirk and enrolls in U.A. High School to learn the true meaning of heroism. Alongside his classmates, each endowed with unique abilities, Izuku faces rigorous training and lethal threats from villainous forces.
