Your guide to watching each season and film from the popular anime franchise in the correct order.
Set in a world where superpowers have become the norm, My Hero Academia sees a boy named Izuku Midoriya strive to become a superhero even though he was born without a “Quirk” of his own.
With the help of All Might, Japan’s greatest hero, Midoriya soon enrols in a special school designed to help young superheroes in training.
On the face of it, the anime doesn’t sound too far removed from the X-Men and other Marvel or DC stories that revolve around wannabe superheroes. However, that comparison massively undersells this franchise which has achieved global success with both Kōhei Horikoshi’s original manga and the anime that followed.
Since 2016, the My Hero Academia series has spawned six seasons and three films, as well as numerous OVAs (which stands for original video animation).
These are often shorter specials that are included exclusively in the anime’s home releases. Combined, that’s a lot of story to get through, so where do you start? That’s where we come in.
How to watch My Hero Academia in canon order
The main My Hero Academia anime adapts Horikoshi’s manga closely, but films and OVA specials are also added in occasionally to bulk things out and add something new to the story.
However, anyone who’s pressed for time could theoretically skip these extras and just stick to the main six seasons as they’re separate enough to be enjoyed on their own.
Bearing that in mind, here’s how to watch the whole My Hero Academia saga from the very beginning to where we are now:
- OVA 3: My Hero Academia: All Might: Rising (Two Heroes Special)
- Season 1: My Hero Academia
- OVA 1: (Jump Festa) My Hero Academia: Save! Rescue Training!
- TV Special: Hero Notebook (Recap Episode)
- Season 2: My Hero Academia 2 (Ep 1-20)
- OVA 2: My Hero Academia: Training of the Dead
- Season 2: M hero Academia 2 (Ep 21-25)
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes
- Season 3: My Hero Academia 3 (Ep 1-14)
- ONA: My Hero Academia: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training (2 Parts)
- Season 3: My Hero Academia 3 (Ep 15-25)
- Season 4: My Hero Academia 4
- My Hero Academia the Movie 2: Heroes: Rising
- Season 5: My Hero Academia 5 (Ep 1-18)
- OVA 7: My Hero Academia: Hero League Baseball
- OVA 8: My Hero Academia: Laugh! As if You Are in Hell
- Season 5: My Hero Academia 5 (Ep 19-25)
- OVA 6: My Hero Academia: Departure
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
- Season 6: My Hero Academia 6
However, there is one big caveat to all this. OVA 3: My Hero Academia: All Might Rising is a prequel story that reveals what first drove All Might to become The Symbol of Peace.
It’s placed first here because this chapter takes place before we meet Midoriya, but the emotional impact of the story will hit much harder once you’ve become familiar with All Might’s journey in the first couple of seasons.
Because of that, we’d actually recommend watching OVA 3 after season 2 instead of at the start for a more complete experience.
How to watch My Hero Academia in order of chronological release
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If you want to watch My Hero Academia in the same way long-time fans had to when it first came out, here’s the correct order to dive in according to each official release date.
- Season 1: My Hero Academia (2016)
- My Hero Academia 2: Hero Notebook (2017)
- OVA 1: (Jump Festa) My Hero Academia: Save! Rescue Training! (2017)
- Season 2: My Hero Academia 2 (2017)
- OVA 2: My Hero Academia: Training of the Dead (2017)
- Season 3: My Hero Academia 3 (2018)
- My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
- OVA 3: My Hero Academia: All Might: Rising (Two Heroes Special) (2019)
- Season 4: My Hero Academia 4 (2019)
- My Hero Academia the Movie 2: Heroes: Rising (2019)
- My Hero Academia: Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training (Two-Part Special) (2020)
- Season 5: My Hero Academia 5 (2021)
- My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission (2021)
- OVA 6: My Hero Academia: Departure
- OVA 7: My Hero Academia: Hero League Baseball (2022)
- OVA 8: My Hero Academia: Laugh! As If You Are in Hell (2022)
- Season 6: My Hero Academia 6 (2022)
How to watch My Hero Academia in the UK
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My Hero Academia is available to watch on the streaming service Crunchyroll.
On Netflix, the original 2016 series of My Hero Academia is available, as well as the 2019 film Heroes: Rising.
Elsewhere, the series can be bought or rented on Prime Video.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide or Streaming Guide to find out what else is on.
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