Summary
When Koichi decides that he’s going to become a vigilante, he could never have expected the crazy and chaotic adventure he would be embarking on.My Hero Academia: Vigilantesfeatures a plethora of fun and memorable story arcs full of flashy fights, intriguing lore drops, and, of course, plenty of incredible heroes and villains who receive some great development over the course of the story.
Because of the significant length of the originalMy Hero Academiastory, there are many more story arcs that vary in quality.Vigilantes, however, is shorter and much more focused in comparison, resulting in manyfantastic story arcsthat are an absolute joy to read, as there’s never any time wasted. However, there are a select few that stand above the rest for their own unique reasons, so with that being said, it’s time to seehow theMy Hero Academia: Vigilantesarcs stack upwhen looking at overall quality, relevance, and memorability.
Spoilers Ahead for the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes manga and anime
8School Days Arc
Aizawa’s Mysterious Backstory Is Finally Revealed In The Emotional School Days Arc
Despite already having a lot of screen time in the main series, Aizawa ends up getting just as much attention inVigilantes, even having an entire story arc dedicated to him, and more specifically, his time as a student. As someone who possesses a Quirk that isdifficult to use andlacksoffensive power, Aizawa had many self-esteem issues, but he was able to gradually escape his bleak mindset thanks to his fun-loving and bubbly best friend, Oboro.
In fact, Oboro would even be the one to give Aizawa his iconic glasses, highlighting just how much he supported him in becoming a hero whom people can depend on. This is why it was such a gut-punch for Aizawa and the reader when Oboro suddenly loses his life in an accident, rounding off a small but memorable arc packed full of interesting lore tidbits and character revelations.
7Vigilantes Beginnings Arc
A Great First Introduction To The Main Cast Of Vigilantes
The very first arc in the serieswastes no time getting into the action. After Koichi and Pop Step find themselves surrounded by a bunch of thugs, they are rescued by their knight in not-so-shining armor, Knuckleduster, who kicks off Koichi’s journey after encouraging him to take up the mantle of a vigilante. Seeing the three unlikely allies bantering with one another makes for some of the best moments in this opening story arc. Still, there are also a lot of seeds planted here that eventually become much more relevant further down the line.
The introduction of the Trigger drug, for example, adds plenty of intrigue, ensuring fans will be sticking around for the next episode or chapter to see how things play out.Though it can struggle with pacing now and again, for the most part,Vigilantes Beginningis a fantastic first arc that does a good job of getting across who each of these characters is and what they’re all about.
6Stendahl Arc
Fans Are Given A Fascinating Glimpse Into The Past Life Of Hero-Killer Stain
At only three chapters long, theStendahlarcis easily the shortest arc in the series, but there’s still some very intriguing lore drops and flashy fight scenes to make it stand out. The arc revolves around Stain, or, as he was once known back in the day, Stendahl, where he acted as a kind of makeshift vigilante. Anyone that Stendahl classed as a villain was mercilessly cut down by the wannabe hero; that is, until Knuckleduster gave him one giant punch to the face.
After being utterly humiliated, Stendahl would embark on a lengthy monologue about how his mindset had changed entirely, allowing fans to witness him slowly descend into the manic “Hero Killer” he would eventually become in the main series. Though the arc is short, Stain’s thought-provoking backstory, paired with the intense showdown between him and Knuckleduster, ensures that it’s still an arc which is enjoyable to read from beginning to end.
5Underground Masquarade Arc
A Gripping Flashback Featuring Plenty Of Action And Some Familiar Faces
The whole idea of a brutal and bloody underground arena based in the world ofMy Hero Academiasounds like something straight out of a fanfiction. As it turns out, these sorts of areas did once actually exist. In this flashback arc, fans get to see Knuckleduster back when he still had Overclock, which he’s more than happy to show off by beating up a horde of goons in glorious fashion.
However, Knuckleduster, or O’Clock as he was known back then, isn’t the only one who gets his hands dirty. Not only does a younger version of Rappa show up, butMirko, who would go by the alias “Tiger Bunny,” also makes an appearance to wreak havoc across the arena. Even All For One and All Might are thrown in for good measure, making this story arc a real treat for longtime fans and one that stands out for its world-building and epic action scenes.
4Naruhata Lockdown Arc
Koichi Gets A Final Shining Moment In The Series' Final Battle, Showcasing Just How Far He’s Come
The moment Koichi finally steps up to the immensely powerful Number 6 is one of the most epic scenes in the entire series, and the chaotic battle that ensues is by far the most explosive and grandiose when compared to the otherVigilantesfights. Koichi uses his speed and mobility to evade several of Six’s ferocious attacks, and he would even earn a brand-new offensive power-up to aid him in combat: Knuckle Style.
There’s some truly outstanding artwork inthe final arc, along with some very emotional moments once the fight winds down and the gang is ready to go their separate ways. While many felt that the final few chapters were a little underwhelming, this arc still delivers a satisfying sendoff for the quirky cast ofVigilantesafter a stunning final battle.
3Sky Egg Arc
Captain Celebrity’s Farewell Party Is Fondly Remembered For Its Epic Scale And Character Development
What should have been a simple farewell party for Captain Celebrity quickly becomes a chaotic all-out battle once an explosive Bomber flies into the building, putting thousands of people at risk of falling to their deaths. Thankfully, Captain Celebrity, who had previously been presented as very self-centered and lazy, takes it upon himself to single-handedly hold the skyscraper up with his Float Quirk, all while almost being pummeled to death by a dangerous villain.
Celebrity receives a ton of developmentin this arc, and fans even get to see a flashback of how he first met his wife, as well as the pressure put on him by the American media. Koichi also gets some important character moments of his own inSky Egg, such as when he protects Celebrity on the skyscraper while standing upside down, or being able to meet the legendary All Might. Sky Egg packs a ton of content into a single manga volume, making it arguably the best story arc to re-read, and one of the greatest in general when it comes to overall quality and memorability.
2Vs Queen Bee Arc
The Arc Where A Fan Favorite Character And The Series' First Major Villain Are Introduced
While the first few arcs of theVigilantesstory are primarily focused on establishing the idea of a vigilante and introducing members of the cast, it’s when Kuin enters the plot that things really begin to step up in pace. With mysterious killer bees spreading a dangerous Quirk-boosting drug known as Trigger around the city, the stakes feel pretty high as Koichi and Pop are forced to take on a swarm of deadly villains to try and quell the chaos.
Meanwhile, Knuckleduster undergoes some incredible development in this arc, where his relationship with his wife and daughter, whom he ultimately fights, is explored in great depth. This is also where fan-favorite reporter Makoto would make her debut, becoming a key part of the crew and eventually a very relevant character.
1Final Performance
Koichi And Pop Step Seize The Spotlight In The Epic And Memorable Final Performance
The first story arc after thethree-year timeskipbegins by focusing on the relationship between Koichi and Pop Step, which has always been a complicated one since the series began. By this point in the story, Koichi is all grown up, much to the dismay of Pop, who realizes she needs to express her true feelings sooner rather than later before he ends up finding someone else. Seeing Pop struggle with her genuine emotions and showing a much softer side to her personality makes her easy to sympathize with, but things quickly go from bad to worse for her after she runs into a stranger known as Nomura.
After the Queen Bee Quirk possesses Pop, Koichi is forced to do battle with his close friend not once, but twice, putting his new sliding attacks and techniques, which he learned over the timeskip, to good use. Even Endeavor ends up making a cameo to take on Koichi, who barely manages to avoid being incinerated alive by the number 2 Pro Hero. Compelling character arcs, memorable battles, and plenty of twists and turns, there’s a lot to love about the epicFinal Performance arc.
