14 Anime Shows To Watch If You Love My Hero Academia
As seen from the ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe, we are a culture obsessed with superheroes. Humans with incredible powers, whether used for good or bad, are a fantastical and entertaining spectacle that delivers a dose of escapism in movie theaters and the comfort of our homes. While Western superheroes have dominated the zeitgeist, there's a show that captures the thrill of super humans through a more positive, wholesome lens: "My Hero Academia."
"My Hero Academia" is an anime series centered on Izuku Midoriya, a young boy who lives in a world where most of the population has a "quirk," or some kind of superpower. Midoriya doesn't have a quirk, but that doesn't stop him from wanting to join the esteemed UA High School, where teenagers train to save the world, and become the world's number one hero. Under extraordinary circumstances, Midoriya inherits the abilities of his favorite hero, All Might, and begins his training. Along the way, he learns about the power of teamwork, develops a series of incredible friendships, and begins to understand the true weight of responsibility that comes with being a hero.
Fans of "My Hero Academia" are attracted to the show's gorgeous style, its huge cast of characters, and its altruistic perspective on the world of superheroes. The 14 other shows on this list all tap into those elements in some way, particularly regarding the power of genuine connection and teamwork. Some are full to the brim with fantastic circumstances. Others are more grounded in reality. Regardless, all of these shows are exactly what any avid watcher of "My Hero Academia" is looking for.
Fire Force
In "Fire Force," firefighters are supernatural heroes with pyrokinetic powers who fight creatures called infernals. Shinra Kusakabe is a third-generation pyrokinetic who can create fire from the bottoms of his feet. He has recently graduated from the Special Fire Force Training Academy and has joined the Special Fire Force Company 8 as a fire soldier. With his new teammates, Kusakabe begins to uncover a massive religious and governmental conspiracy that will lead to the end of society.
Kusakabe and Midoriya are two "Fire Force" characters cut from similar cloth. They are both underdogs; while Kusakabe has always had his powers, he is thought of as a devil due to a tragedy that happened earlier in his life. But the opinions of others don't extinguish Kusakabe's passion or his drive to be the best he can possibly be. Kusakabe delivers plenty of impassioned speeches about how he is a hero, not a devil, and will do anything to prove himself as such. In addition, the fire-filled battles that rage through the streets of Tokyo will quench the thirst of any "My Hero Academia" fans who crave epic fights between heroes and villains.
Haikyu!!
A sports anime about volleyball may seem like the complete opposite of "My Hero Academia," but "Haikyu!!" has an incredible amount of heart, as well as a focus on the power of teamwork and friendship. In "Haikyu!!," Shōyō Hinata wants to be an amazing volleyball player despite his below-average height. But, just like Midoriya doesn't let his lack of powers deter him from his goals, Shōyō refuses to let his stature determine what he's able to accomplish. As he embarks on his journey towards greatness, he joins his high school volleyball club and re-builds the team from the ground up, never losing sight of his goal.
Hinata may not have a quirk, but his passion rouses excitement and support from others. "Haikyu!!" has lower stakes than "My Hero Academia," but still asks for the same amount of emotional investment. It's impossible not to fall in love with every character.
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Midoriya and "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba" lead Tanjiro Kamado are tied for the title of anime's sweetest boy. Tanjiro is a young boy who recently lost his entire family after they were slaughtered by demons. The only survivor is his sister, Nezuko, who was turned into a demon. He vows to take revenge on the creature who destroyed his family and begins training to be a demon hunter. As Tanjiro embarks on this journey, he meets an eclectic group of young demon hunters like himself who, despite their wildly different personalities, become allies and close friends in their battle against demons.
Like Midoriya, Tanjiro will stop at nothing to achieve his goal and save as many people as possible. He is exceptionally selfless and caring, but don't let that fool you: Tanjiro will unleash fury upon those who stand in his path. The battle sequences in "Demon Slayer" are elevated by gorgeous and kinetic animation full of bright colors that, despite the fact that the characters wield swords, seem as if they are being generated from the demon slayers' bodies themselves.
Jujutsu Kaisen
Yuji Itadori is your average high school student who loves to study the occult after school. But a ritual goes awry and a curse threatens the lives of his friends, Yuji swallows a cursed finger to protect them. As a result, Yuji is possessed by a powerful demon, but is still able to control his body. Instead of being exorcised and ultimately killed, Yuji is taken to the Tokyo Prefectural Jujutsu High School to train to be a jujutsu, or sorcerer, to help kill the creature inside of him.
While "Jujutsu Kaisen" starts off like any other kid-in-high-school drama, it morphs into something much more complex, with horrifyingly high stakes. It is a much darker take on a heroes-in-training anime, bringing in horror elements to create something much spookier than "My Hero Academia." Even with that edge, though, "Jujutsu Kaisen" still captures the mix of engaging spectacle, fantastic circumstances, and genuine connection between characters that makes "My Hero Academia" so endearing.
Little Witch Academia
The word "academia" isn't the only similarity between "Little Witch Academia" and "My Hero Academia." Both shows also revolve around young kids without powers who aspire to help the world however they can, magic or quirks be damned. In "Little Witch Academia," Akko is 16 years old and, despite not possessing any magic herself, is determined to enroll in Luna Nova Magical Academy to learn how to save the world. Like Midoriya, Akko even has an ultra-powerful role model. In "Little Witch Academia," Akko looks up to a famous witch named Shiny Chariot who inspires Akko to follow her dreams.
As she takes her magical journey, Akko meets a score of fellow witches, some of whom become her close friends, and some of whom become enemies. In "Little Witch Academia," the larger stakes and big conflicts are often balanced out by more a more grounded look at life inside of the school. "Little Witch Academia" isn't just about action. It's about the characters' everyday lives, too. "Little Witch Academia" is perhaps the most similar show on this list to "My Hero Academia," as both follow determined children who don't let their lack of power stop them.
Blue Exorcist
Like "My Hero Academia," "Blue Exorcist" takes place at a specialized high school, but one with a slightly different twist: Instead of learning how to be superheroes, all of the students are training to be exorcists so they can fight Satan and his legion of demons. Main character Rin Okumura discovers he and his twin brother are sons of Satan. After the murder of their guardian, Rin vows to defeat Satan using the powers he inherited from the devil himself. He enrolls in an elite exorcism school, True Cross Academy, where his power grows, and where he makes some friends along the way.
"My Hero Academia" fans will dig "Blue Exorcist" because this is not a show just about Rin, but also the other students, all of whom grow as exorcists. While there is a main character, "Blue Exorcist" is really about the entire group's progress, following their adventures as their strength builds.
Black Clover
Both Midoriya and Asta from "Black Clover" have huge ambitions, despite not having any powers in a world where everyone seems to have special abilities. In the Clover Kingdom, almost everyone is able to derive magical powers from mana — everyone, that is, except for Asta. But that doesn't keep Asta from dreaming of being the Wizard King, the second-most powerful being in the kingdom. Nothing can squash Asta's dream, and he begins to train to achieve his ultimate goal, even facing off against his close friend Yuno, who is a magic prodigy.
The relationship between Asta and Yno mirrors that of Midoriya and fellow classmate Katsuki Bakugo. Both grew up together, and are now fighting for the top spot. Asta and Midoriya's dreams run parallel to one another, too, which is why "Black Clover" is the perfect choice for any "My Hero Academia" fans. Swap out superheroes for a fantasy world full of magic, and the similarities should be clear.
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
While "Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood" takes place in a world of mystical powers, its strongest similarity with "My Hero Academia" is its emphasis on brotherhood and friendship in the face of impending doom. Edward and Alphonse Elric are brothers whose worlds have been ripped apart — literally and figuratively — by the power of alchemy. They must use those same powers to fight off evil and gain access to the Philosopher's Stone.
With each conflict, Edward, Alphonse, and their group of allies grow as people as they experience the horrors of war and conflict. Despite their young age, they are no strangers to tragedy; like Midoriya and his classmates, the Elrics are forced to reckon with scenarios well beyond their maturity levels. Edward and Midoriya are also similar characters who, even in the face of the impossible, never lose their resolve to do the right thing. They overcome obstacles using self-confidence, putting their lives on the line whenever necessary.
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!
Similar to "Haikyu!!," "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!" is a slice-of-life anime that doesn't involve superpowers or special schools. Instead, it is a show about three friends working together to create their own manga, with dreams of becoming successful manga artists. Midori Asakusa is an anime lover who daydreams about amazing worlds every day. Her friend Sayaka Kanamori, despite not having that love of anime, sees her friend's passion. So, with the help of new student (and aspiring animator) Tsubame Mizusaki, the girls embark on a journey to create their own work of art.
What makes this similar to "My Hero Academia" is the love and friendship between the trio of young girls who are trying to make their dreams come true. Each character has a very distinct personality; like "My Hero Academia," everyone must learn how to work with one another to achieve their goals. It's not always easy, but "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!" is full of positivity, supported by beautiful artwork that makes a simple anime about three high school students feel just as epic as any action anime.
Assassination Classroom
In "Assassination Classroom," it isn't the students that are extraordinary. It's the teacher. A strange octopus alien with a comical smiley face arrives on Earth and decides to teach a classroom of students how to be assassins. Now, these students are no Midoriyas and Bakugos. They're normal kids just trying to make it through the day. But even without powers of any kind, they learn how to fight in increasingly creative ways.
Their lessons aren't always so straightforward, though. In "Assassination Classroom," the teacher is more empathetic than the typical anime villain. This aligns with the villains on "My Hero Academia"; while some are downright evil, others have much more complex motivations. Both "My Hero Academia" and "Assassination Classroom" examine the grey areas of the heroes-versus-villain narrative, and show how justice is not always black and white while also providing a visual feast during intense action sequences.
Hunter x Hunter
Hunters may not be heroes like All Might, but they still have to go through rigorous testing to get their respective licenses. In "Hunter x Hunter," young Gon Freaks aspires to be one of these Hunters, who travel the world looking for mysterious creatures, strange treasures, and anything else unknown, in hopes of finding his missing father. As Gon signs up and takes the Hunter Exam, he makes a group of friends who also dream of becoming Hunters.
Again, like many shows on this list, "Hunter x Hunter" isn't about just one protagonist, but rather focuses on a network of friends and mentors who all grow together. Like the characters in "My Hero Academia," every member of the "Hunter x Hunter" supporting cast has their own personal motivations and backstories. They are much more than side characters, and play integral parts in the events that unfold. By giving the viewer every character's background and personal history, "Hunter x Hunter" makes us more emotionally invested in their successes and failures. We cheer everyone on, not just Gon.
Tiger & Bunny
While "My Hero Academia" offers a positive perspective on the world of heroes, "Tiger & Bunny" shows what happens when superheroes have to compete for money. In the world of "Tiger & Bunny," heroes, called NEXT, fight villains to earn points on a reality TV show called "Hero TV" while wearing company ads on their suits; they aren't just fighting for good, but for profit. The NEXT with the most points is crowned King of Heroes, and acquires more sponsorship deals.
Aging hero Wild Tiger pairs up with up-comer Barnaby to gain back his lost popularity forming the first hero duo in the process. Like Midoriya and Bakugo, Wild Tiger and Barnaby begrudgingly work together, but their personalities often clash. However, that tumultuous relationship makes their victories all the sweeter. While "My Hero Academia" dips its toes into the darker side of being a hero, "Tiger & Bunny" dives in head first, examining what it means to be on hero-dom's lower rungs.
Charlotte
In the world of "Charlotte," powers are not rare, but they are not incredibly common, either. Select kids manifest their powers at puberty and attend special schools to learn how to control their gifts and use them responsibly. Main character Yuu Otosaka is one of these children, but instead of being thrilled to have powers like Midoriya, he wants to hide his powers so he can live a normal life. However, Yuu can't keep the secret for long, and is forced to attend one of these schools and befriend other gifted students like himself.
Instead of trying to hone and increase their power, these students would rather learn how to control and conceal their abilities as much as possible. It's an interesting inversion to "My Hero Academia," as "Charlotte" depicts powers as a burden rather than a gift. In that way, Yuu is a foil to Midoriya: a young man who doesn't aspire to greatness, but instead craves normalcy.
Soul Eater
At the Death Meister Academy, students train in duos. One member of the pair is a weapons expert, known as a "meister." The other is a "demon weapon," or a human-weapon hybrid who can change forms. Their goal? To make the demon weapon into a "death scythe" by harvesting the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, thereby gaining ultimate power.
While "Soul Eater" has a horror angle, the Death Meister Academy and UA High School are surprisingly similar environments. Students don't just fight, but also attend classes with eccentric teachers. "Soul Eater" isn't just about the action. The actual education that comes with training to be a hero or death meister also plays a huge role. Similar to "My Hero Academia," "Soul Eater" is not interested solely in one character, either, but rather focuses on the connections between the three student groups who train while trying to save the world. Finally, "Soul Eater" is also animated by the same company that does "My Hero Academia," which means the shows share some visual similarities, including unique character designs that keep your eyes glued to the screen.