A prominent fan reportedly confirmed Shonen Jump's spinoff prequel manga series My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will receive an anime adaptation.
Twitter user and My Hero Academia megafan Ever (@DabisPoleDance) claimed an anime adaptation for My Hero Academia: Vigilantes -- the standalone prequel series to Shonen Jump's massively popular My Hero Academia -- was currently in the works. Ever did not specify when the Vigilantes adaptation is expected to premiere. She additionally refrained from confirming whether Bones Inc., the animation studio responsible for the original My Hero Academia's anime adaptation, will return to oversee the production of the beloved shonen series' prequel spinoff.
What is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes?
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spinoff prequel series written by author Hideyuki Furuhashi and manga artist Betten Court. The series debuted in August 2016, with the spinoff beginning serialization under Jump Giga magazine before later transferring to Shueisha's online publication Shonen Jump+ for the rest of its six-year run. Vigilantes concluded in July 2022 with a final count of 126 chapters, which was since been compiled into 15 standalone volumes. Publisher Viz Media previously announced the complete English translation of Vigilantes' final volume will be released in print on Oct. 10.
Set a few years before the events of the main series, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes follows the story of Koichi Haimawari, a 19-year-old university student who deeply admires the world's heroes like the legendary Symbol of Peace, All Might. However, Koichi's weak quirk "Slide and Glide" leaves him unable to follow in his idol's footsteps, leading to his recruitment by the vigilante Knuckleduster and his pursuit of justice in the seedy underbelly of Tokyo. Regarding the grittier tone of the spinoff, Furuhashi stated that the darker setting portrayed in Vigilantes was heavily influenced by DC's Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns.
Vigilantes also features multiple appearances from several beloved characters of My Hero Academia. Most notably, the prequel series prominently highlights the beginnings of the fan-favorite homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, Shota Aizawa, aka Eraserhead. The grittier tone also allowed a deeper exploration of some of My Hero Academia's most notorious villains, such as the infamous Hero Killer Stain. Several Pro Heroes are also involved with the series' narrative, with icons such as All Might, Endeavor and Mirko making appearances throughout the story.
At the time of writing, the anime adaptation of the spinoff series My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has yet to receive an official release date. The upcoming Season 7 of My Hero Academia is currently in production.
Source: Twitter