My Hero Academia is one of the hottest anime of this generation, a trailblazer with compelling characters in both its Heroes and Villains. Although its manga has officially come to an end after a ten-year run, there still remains a final eighth season dropping next year that we can look forward to.
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But with that being said, it’s high time to look back at all the seasons of the show thus far. The series has conquered hearts with its intriguing plot lines and diverse array of characters, their stories well-told throughout all seven seasons. Although My Hero Academia does a fantastic job with each season, we’re ranking them all to see which one is the best of the best.
7
Season Five
Unlike other seasons, Season 5 was quite stale in comparison. Although we were treated to amazing moments such as Toga Himiko’s Quirk evolution, Shigaraki’s origins, and Shinso in action, the story felt slow and aimless at times.
Moreover, there was hardly any tension throughout the season, and it felt like the calm before the storm (which is understandable considering the events of Season six). The final episode was also extremely underwhelming in contrast to the finales of other seasons, and instead of ending with a bang, you’re really just left feeling confused.
6
Season One
The show’s first season did an excellent job of introducing us to the world of Quirks, Pro-Heroes, and Villains. We are instantly immersed in the life of our main protagonist, Midoriya Izuku, and his daily struggle with being Quirkless, as well as the life-changing moment of being acknowledged by All Might and receiving One For All.
All in all, this season was a good set-up season, building the foundations for future conflicts in the series. The USJ Arc managed to sustain the tension all the way to its conclusion and the harkening of things to come. Although the first season only had 13 episodes in comparison to the 25 episodes we’re spoiled with after, it did the crucial work of getting you hooked.
5
Season Three
Season three has both its high points and low points. The Training Camp Arc was an enjoyable ride, a lighthearted adventure that quickly turned into a life-or-death situation you can clearly feel. This momentum is sustained through the invasion of the League of Villains’ hideout, Bakugo’s rescue, and the impactful, anticipated rematch between All Might and All For One.
Although we do get character progression and improvement during the Hero Licensing Exam, this arc does feel slow and unnecessarily dragged out, paling in comparison to the high stakes and high adrenaline of the previous arcs. However, the season was still a solid one that was chock-full of unforgettable moments.
4
Season Four
Season Four is a season of epic, intense battles, character complexity, and high stakes. The story demonstrates how much Class 1-A’s students have improved with their handling of the Shie Hassaikai and the growth shown in having Shigaraki Tomura as a leader. Not only do we get a compelling villain in Overhaul, but the highly emotional final fight between Deku, Eri and Overhaul is one for the ages.
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Although the ensuing clash between Gentle Criminal and Deku feels slightly lackluster, the School Festival Arc was a nice, comforting treat amidst all the chaos. But where Season four truly shone in its finale. The high octane and tremendously profound battle between Endeavour and the High-End Nomu spells another turning point for this extremely complex character.
3
Season Two
Season two begins and ends on a high note, with plenty of tasteful, cinematic combat and character progression in store. The Sports Festival Arc is done well, sustaining the feeling of excitement and fun that an intense battle royale-esque competition would incite in real life. Characters like Todoroki Shouto and Uraraka Ochako are explored more and are given an adequate time to shine.
The story this season has a balanced blend of conflict and moments of levity while keeping you on your toes the entire time. The Villains grow bolder, and our hero hopefuls are set against the formidable Stain, whose ideology shook hero society to the core. Ultimately, Season two was an utter delight to watch.
2
Season Six
Season six has no end of shocking twists, turns, defeats, and triumphs as we see the Heroes brought to their lowest point. We see other Heroes take the spotlight, with a truly fantastic and emotional showing of Mirko in action. The Heroes raid Jaku Hospital and capture All For One’s right-hand man, and although it seems they have the upper hand, the Villains turn the tide with Gigantomachia and Shigaraki’s overwhelming power.
The revelation of Dabi’s identity is also a high point of the season, an excellent payoff to what’s been building and hinted at throughout the Todoroki family’s storyline. The season also did a swell job of depicting Deku’s darkest point and the rising hopelessness and anarchy in Quirk-Era Japan.
1
Season Seven
This season of My Hero Academia carries the momentum of its predecessor and starts off with a bang. Although brief, we get an intense, high-octane clash between Shigaraki Tomura/All For One and the American hero, Star and Stripe. What follows is a fantastic never-ending action sequence that hits all the high notes when it comes to payoffs and character development.
The Todoroki family arc gets a bittersweet conclusion with their combined effort to save Dabi, while the Heroes fight tooth and nail to prevail. Toga Himko gets a satisfying end to her arc, while All Might shows that he’s not one to back out of the action by basically turning himself into Iron Man to fight off his age-old nemesis, ending the season with a bang. Season seven is a promising sign of what’s to come in the final season, one we cannot wait to see in full.
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