Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia, chapter 424 and My Hero Academia Vigilantes
Summary
Fans ofMy Hero Academia’s spinoff seriesMy Hero Academia Vigilantesrejoiced with the release of chapter 424, as that series' protagonist, Koichi Haimawari, finally made his main series debut. Koichi’s appearance, while brief, has finally cemented once and for all that the events ofVigilantesare indeed canon toMy Hero Academia.
My Hero Academia Vigilantesis a prequel/spinoffwhich is set several years before the main story ofMy Hero Academia. While the main cast is very different, a great number of familiar faces, including All Might, All for One, Endeavor and Eraser Head all have a role to play in the story ofVigilantes, with Eraser Head in particular a fairly major character.
Vigilantesran for 126 chapters and ended in 2022, making it quite successful for a spinoff series. The series was written by Hideyuki Furuhashi, and illustrated by Betten Court.
Koichi’s Cameo Ensures Vigilantes is Treated as Canon
My Hero Academia’s Successful Spinoff Deserves Recognition
Koichi, also known by his hero name Skycrawler, appears on the fourth page of chapter 424, one of the heroes called in from abroad to help with the restoration of Japan following the final battle. Koichi was last seen at the end ofVigilantesbeginning a hero career in the US, working alongside former #1 American hero Captain Celebrity, so it made some sense that he wasn’t able to contribute to the final battle itself.
Despite being so far away, many fans were eagerly hoping for some acknowledgment of the side series inMy Hero Academia’s final chapters. WhileVigilanteshas expanded on events from the main manga, such asAizawa’s past with Shirakumo and Present Mic, no original characters fromVigilanteshad yet appeared in the main story. By including Koichi in the post-war clean-up, even if it’s only one panel, the entirety ofVigilantesis reinforced as being canonical.
My Hero Academia Vigilantes Exposes The Nomu’s Secret
The Nomu are mindless minions, all quirk and muscles. My Hero Academia Vigilantes has offered a reason why they are used over smarter lackeys.
Koichi, of course, wasn’t the only international hero seen; a few characters who primarily appeared in the third movie,World Heroes' Mission, were also seen aiding with the rebuilding process. In these final chapters,My Hero Academiacreator Kohei Horikoshi has made sure to reference each of these side stories, both movie and manga, making it clear what he considers to be canonical to the manga.Vigilantesis widely considered to be an excellent addition to theMy Hero Academiacanon, so there was every reason to ensure it was without a doubt canonical.
WithMy Hero Academiaitself coming to an end very soon, those who haven’t yet readVigilantesnow have a good reason to do so if they’re craving moreMy Herocontent. It explores a very different side of the series' world, one that’s occasionally talked about but never seen in the series proper. It also feels a bit more mature, with a slightly older protagonist who is in many ways like Deku, but is very much his own character. Hopefully, with all the buzz surrounding this little cameo, fans who have yet to readMy Hero AcademiaVigilanteswill be prompted to give it a try.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
