My Hero Academia’s Vigilantes Will Finally Get Their Own Anime

Deku and friends’ story may be over, but Bones ain’t done with My Hero Academia just yet. During this weekend’s Jump Festa, the animation studio revealed a nice little surprise for fans of the superhero manga: its spinoff series, Vigilantes, is getting its own anime in April.

If you haven’t read it, Vigilantes comes from Hideyuki Furuhashi and Betten Court, and also pulls double duty as a prequel set five years before Deku’s story. Its hero is one Koichi Haimawari, a college student with the power to travel on any flat surface. He doesn’t have a Hero license, but that hasn’t stopped him from saving people. Koichi finds his life changed when he and high schooler Kazuho Haneyema get saved by saved by Knuckleduster, a vigilante who decides to take the pair under his wing. The manga concluded back in 2022, but it built up its own fanbase that enjoys it as much as the mothership series, and have been hoping for Vigilantes to get its own adaptation for a while.

With My Hero’s anime ending, it makes sense for Bones to keep Vigilantes so close to the chest until now. Its short teaser shows the spirit of the original series is very much intact, and with some unique energy of its own as we see the three not-quite-heroes show off their powers. The world of My Hero has always been one of its biggest draws, and this show offers a different viewpoint its main series didn’t really provide. How do “unchosen heroes” like Koichi, Kazuho, and Knuckleduster function in a society filled with protectors loved around the country? We’ll see when My Hero Academia: Vigilantes premieres in April 2025, while the main anime’s last season doesn’t have a release window yet.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.