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Anime’s newest heroes are finally here asMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes, the spin-off series of the beloved shounen anime,My Hero Academia, has finally arrived. However,My Hero Academia: Vigilantesfeatures hero wannabes who fight impromptu villains on a daily basis. They are different from pro-heroes like All Might, Eraserhead, or even Endeavor, despite their heroic acts of service to the people.
So far,My Hero Academia: Vigilantescenters on threevigilantes, namely Haimawari Koichi, aka The Crawler; Kazuho Haneyama, aka Pop Step; and Iwao Oguro, aka Knuckleduster. Together, they form the Naruhata Vigilantes, with the mission of stopping the trafficking of a quirk induction drug called Trigger. From day-to-day patrolling to fighting impromptu villains, these vigilantes tackle the tasks that pro-heroes don’t always have the time or resources to address.
Every Hero Was Originally a Vigilante
Without Governing Bodies, All Heroes Are Basically Vigilantes
In the past, no entity or organization was there toregulate individuals with quirks. Everyone simply performed heroic acts according to their will without permission. In other words, all the heroes were originally vigilantes back in the day because there was no governing body to regulate their activities. However, since the organization of the Hero Public Safety Commission in Japan, as well as the World Heroes Association, heroes are finally distinguished from vigilantes.
“They are not chosen and volunteer to operate independently. They are illegal heroes."—Koichi Haimawari
In modern times, the existence of vigilantes is frowned upon by the police and heroes alike. Even if their numbers have dwindled throughout the years, their existence encourages vigilantism, which is treated as a crime. After all, they are unqualified individuals who use their quirks in public spaces and perform misleading deeds. Still,vigilantes have the souls of real heroes, even if they tend to screw up all the time by mistaking heroes for villains, attacking innocent civilians, and more.
The Law Doesn’t Apply to Vigilantes
Vigilantes Operate Outside Legal Procedures
Basically, vigilantes are illegal or unapproved heroes. They operate independently without regard to the law, carrying out operations for the sake of public safety. Thesevigilantes are hero wannabeswho have no place to go except outside the law because their qualifications and credentials aren’t enough to consider them real heroes. And because reality isn’t kind to them, they act like heroes under false pretenses, gallivanting around wearing misleading clothing and performing heroic deeds as if they’re real heroes.
“Under government sanction, heroes utilize their effective quirks to serve society”—Koichi Haimawari
On the contrary, heroes are permitted by governing bodies to unleash their quirks to their heart’s content for the sake of the safety and security of the people and the world. While they are serving under the government’s approval, heroes are required to submit detailed reports about all their activities, unlike vigilantes. It is also imperative for them to follow all the necessary procedures when they wield their powers.
Heroes Are Paid but Vigilantes Are Not
Vigilantes Can’t Make a Living Out of Heroic Acts
Unfortunately, unlike heroes, vigilantes can’t make a living out of their heroic deeds. Since vigilantes don’t have agencies to provide their salaries, they go out of their way to find real jobs to make ends meet. Take for example, Koichi, who must work at a convenience store to support his lifestyle. Even Knuckleduster has a proper day job to cover all of his living expenses, even if he looks like he doesn’t have the patience to work.
Villains Prefer Dealing with Vigilantes
It’s Better to Have Vigilantes Coming After Villains
Shady organizations inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesprefer dealing with vigilantes because they can move freely without having toworry about All Might or Endeavorcoming after them. They can gather data, test their experiments, and plant the seeds of evil behind the scenes with vigilantes monitoring them. They have more chance of success, as vigilantes have fewer problematic quirks and connections.
Besides, while heroes can deal with villains in an instant, vigilantes often take longer to handle their enemies. However, it’s undeniable that vigilantes still pose a problem to villains because they can also thwart their plans and ruin their hard work. Perhaps the worst-case scenario for villains is when the heroes and vigilantes work together against them. In times of emergency, both heroes and vigilantes work hand in hand, combining their strengths to defeat the villains after all.
“Will you take action or not? That’s the only thing that matters."—Knuckleduster to The Crawler
At the end of the day, the only thing that separates the heroes from the vigilantes is the law. Without the law, every hero becomes a vigilante who uses their quirks to fight villains. On the inside, vigilantes are heroes who believe there’s more hero work worth doing than the world acknowledges. They are relevant, as they are doing all the things that heroes can’t do, even though heroes often see them asmisguided inMy Hero Academia: Vigilantes.
