Every Story Arc in 'My Hero Academia,' Ranked

Image via Studio Bones Updated Oct 13, 2026, 8:14 AM EDT Eddie Possehl is a dynamic and driven writer/director with a passion for the written word and all things film, television, comics, and games. His passion for storytelling led him to establish his own production company in hopes of achieving his dreams. His dedication to his craft has attracted renowned talent like Yuri Lowenthal to collaborate with him on his projects. As he grows and improves, Eddie is a shining example of a self-starter. Sign in to your Collider account My Hero Academia took the entertainment world by storm on May 5th, 2018. Since then, it has spawned a wildly successful franchise, including a beloved anime adaptation. My Hero Academia's many compelling characters have quickly become pop culture mainstays, further aiding the title's global popularity and cementing it as arguably the most widely recognized anime adaptation of the 2010s. These heroes' stories moved viewers with their messages about heroism, hope, society's treatment of others, the dangers of burnout, and much more. My Hero Academia's creator, Kohei Horikoshi, is a master of pacing and keeping viewers engaged with whatever he decides to throw on screen, amplifying their characters' traits while progressing the overall story. The best story arcs in My Hero Academia are acclaimed thanks to their relevance, memorability, and overall quality. 21 The U.A. Traitor Arc Season 7, Episodes 3–5 Image via Studio Bones Early in the series, it was said there was more likely than not a mole—a traitor, really—within the walls of U.A. High School. For quite some time, many people thought that Kohei Horikoshi forgot about the plotline altogether. However, it was directly before the final arc of the series that he revealed he'd been building toward something big for all this time. At the top of Season 7, it was finally revealed that Class 1-A student, Yuga Aoyama (Kosuke Kuwano and Joel McDonald) himself, was the traitor all this time. In his childhood, he was given his power by All For One (Akio Ōtsuka and John Swasey)—the second main antagonist of the series—and in return, he was forced to join U.A. to become an inside source for him. This means that, from the very second Deku was in U.A., Aoyama was a traitor. However, the young man decides to give his friend the benefit of the doubt and, rather than arresting Aoyama, he convinces everyone to turn this into an opportunity to draw out All For One and make the final fight happen on their terms. Season 4, Episodes 15–17 Image via Crunchyroll A major event in the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc is the fact that fan favorites Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto and Clifford Chapin) and Shoto Todoroki (Yuki Kaji and David Matranga) both failed the second phase of said exam and were sent to go through an additional course to make up for it. It's in this arc—The Remedial Course Arc—that they must go through said special course, and it results in a hilarious chain of events. Bakugo, Todoroki, and two other students from Shiketsu High must win over the likes of a group of rowdy elementary school kids who weaponize their quirks against the older kids. Seeing the two extremely different personalities in Bakugo and Todoroki deal with seemingly uncontrollable children is hilarious, and a boatload of fun to watch play out. 19 The Joint Training Arc Season 5, Episodes 3–12 Image via Studio Bones Many consider Season 5 to be the weakest of the series. However, even the weakest season has very strong moments, and The Joint Training Arc (most of it) is one of them. When this arc isn't feeling like filler, there's a plethora of character moments for almost every major character that get them to a new, strong place by the end of it than they'd been before. It's an arc that really is there to show how far the students have come, and how strong they're going to be moving into The Paranormal Liberation War Arc. The biggest character moments come from the likes of both Bakugo and Deku. The former shows how much Bakugo has grown as a person, finally becoming a full-fledged team player for the first time... well, ever. He backs away from stealing the limelight—like he typically does—and focuses on supporting his team to make sure they can complete the challenge in the smartest way possible, realizing he's not going to be the one who can do that. Deku also discovers a new ability in his massive power, One For All. The emergence of the power known as Black Whip unlocks a new arc for the One For All Power, revealing that he'll be continuing to unlock new powers moving forward. A huge scene not just for Deku, but for the plot as a whole. 18 The Quirk Apprehension Test Arc Season 1, Episodes 5–6 Image via Studio Bones Sure, in the great anime series, getting into U.A. was one thing, but it was not all fun and games for Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner) once he got into the school of his dreams. After being accepted into Class 1-A, he finds that his new teacher, Shota Aizawa (Junichi Suwabe, Christopher Wehkamp, and Alex Organ), is out for him and trying to get him expelled from the school. The teacher, also known as the Pro Hero Eraser Head, develops a series of physical challenges for his students to go through. These tests are put in place to see what his students can do, how they handle themselves, and how their quirks can adapt. The stakes are raised, however, when he says that whoever comes in last place will be immediately expelled. This tests the young hero unlike anything from the challenges before, because he's come all this way, and if he were to fail now, it all would have been for nothing. Thankfully, he manages to prove himself and move forward in school. 17 The Star and Stripe Arc Season 7, Episodes 1–2 Image via Studio Bones With the Final War coming sooner than the heroes in Japan could have predicted, mangaka Kohei Horikoshi brought forth the Star and Stripe Arc to do two major things. The first is to show how much stronger Tomura Shigaraki (KōkiUchiyama and Eric Vale) had become since the last time audiences saw him in Season 6, as he faces off with America's greatest hero, Star and Stripe (Romi Park and Natalie Van Sistine). The second was to use this absurdly powerful hero—who was even mentored by the one and only All Might (Kenta Miyake and Christopher Sabat)—to handicap Shigaraki. This forced him to need more time before he and the villains launched their planned attack on the heroes, buying said heroes some extremely vital time to prepare for the war to come. The fight between these two is filled with spectacle and a great use of power scaling. 16 The Entrance Exams Arc Season 1, Episodes 1–4 Image via Crunchyroll Every story needs a solid beginning that brings viewers in and keeps them long enough to become invested in the characters. The Entrance Exams arc does exactly this, and then some. The first two episodes introduce audiences to Izuku Midoriya and his struggle with being a quirkless child in a society where 80% of the population has quirks. The next episodes introduce audiences to the supporting Class 1-A, which will become Izuku's main environment. In just four episodes, The Entrance Exams Arc introduces the main character, his conflict, the inciting incident, and the new world he'll be entering. The first two episodes hook audiences emotionally to Izuku, while the final two secure their initial impression with the exciting worldbuilding of the new school, U-A. The Entrance Exams Arc is an almost perfect introduction and a definite high point of the series. 15 The Endeavor Agency Arc Season 5, Episodes 13–18 Image via Crunchyroll Deku, Todoroki, and Bakugo enter the Endeavor Agency in their next round of Hero Work-Studies. While doing so, Izuku and Bakugo get a closer look at the inner workings of the Todoroki family. Endeavor begins his redemption arc with his family after all the horrible things he did to them in the past, but most of them are unsure of how to feel, even considering outright rejecting his attempts. The Endeavor Agency arc is so compelling because of the empathy it builds for the seemingly cold-hearted and despicable Endeavor (Tetsu Inadaand Patrick Seitz). Fans had already warmed up to the new Number 1 Hero after his fight with the High End Nomu known as Hood (Tsuguo Mogami and Daman Mills), but this arc does wonders in building Endeavor as a three-dimensional character. Thus, audiences can grow to genuinely care about him before the events of the Paranormal Liberation War, setting the stage for his character growth. 14 The Final Exam Arc Season 2, Episodes 21–25 Image via Crunchyroll A good My Hero Academia arc doesn't have to feature impossible-strength villains or bombastic spectacle to be good. Some of the best story arcs come in the form of plots that instead focus on character development. A great example is the Final Exam Arc. What this collection of episodes does is team up pairs of Class A students to fight the Pro Hero teachers working at the school for their exams. Not only does this show off how far the students have come, but it also offers some great smaller-scale action. The highlight of this arc is, without a doubt, when Deku and Bakugo come together to face off against their shared hero, All Might. Seeing them face off with someone they look up to so much is so interesting. It also amplifies the contrast between the two young heroes. Not to mention, seeing All Might whoop the absolute crap out of these two is wildly entertaining. 13 The U.S.J. Arc Season 1, Episodes 9–13 Image via Studio Bones The final arc of My Hero Academia Season 1 is quite easily the most important in said season. It completes the arc for most of the characters that were established from the beginning of the show, and evolves them further to open up more for the rest of the series. Izuku really got a chance to hone the small things he'd learned regarding his powers to help save his classmates. The highlight of this arc, however, is quite easily the big All Might vs. Nomu battle, which pushes the Number One Hero to his limits, but also is a gigantic spectacle. The kids of Class 1-A get involved, too, arriving to help All Might not face the Nomu, but providing support where it's needed. 12 The U.A. School Festival Arc Season 4, Episodes 18–23 (2020) Image via Crunchyroll After the incredibly dark story that was The Shie Hassaiaki Arc earlier in Season 4, My Hero Academia was due to have a big, more of a lighthearted shift to end off the season. This new tone shift, however, did not kill the momentum built up from the darker arc that came prior. The U.A. School Festival Arc still expertly deals with the fallout from the horrific story, and what happens with the young Eri (Seiran Kobayashi and Emily Neves) afterward. With the students of Class 1-A agreeing with the plot that the school needed some light, they decide to put together a band and put on a show for the U.A. School Festival. Meanwhile, Deku — literally in the middle of running an errand to help make Eri smile — comes across two villains known as Gentle Criminal (Koichi YamaderaandJohn Gremillion) and La Brava (Yui Horie and Megan Shipman), who want to make a mark with an attack on the U.A. Festival. This big performance they give is beyond smile-inducing, yes, but the highlight of the arc is the story behind Gentle Criminal, which actually makes quite an impact on Deku and his mindset regarding the Hero system — an important development for what would come later in the show. Also, who can deny they didn't grin and even tear up when they finally saw Eri smile for the first time? Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz Which Action Hero Would BeYour Perfect Partner? Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back. 🎖️Rambo 🍸James Bond 🏺Indiana Jones 🔧John McClane 🎭Ethan Hunt FIND YOUR PARTNER → 01 You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you. ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged. NEXT QUESTION → 02 You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission. AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method. NEXT QUESTION → 03 You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of. ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead. NEXT QUESTION → 04 The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are. AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week. NEXT QUESTION → 05 How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability. APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently. NEXT QUESTION → 06 Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership. AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it. NEXT QUESTION → 07 Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters. ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it. NEXT QUESTION → 08 What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had. ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up. NEXT QUESTION → 09 Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together. AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked. NEXT QUESTION → 10 It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one. AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been. REVEAL MY PARTNER → Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse. RamboYour partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know. James BondYour partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing. Indiana JonesYour partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them. John McClaneYour partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay. Ethan HuntYour partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway. ↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ