My Hero Academia is one of the easiest major anime series to get into, but it’s a little tricky to watch correctly. The main seasons are straightforward, but the movies, OVAs, and MHA: Vigilantes create a lot of confusion in the fandom.
The short answer: for most viewers, the best My Hero Academia watch order is mostly release order, with the movies placed where they work best narratively.
Watch the seasons in order, include all four movies, skip the OVAs on a first watch, and treat Vigilantes as optional prequel material rather than part of the main path.
Use the interactive watch order tool below to build your own watch list. Start with Best Order if this is your first time, switch to Release Order if you want the original airing experience, or use Canon Order if you are rewatching and want the in-universe timeline. After the tool, this guide breaks down every season, movie, OVA, and Vigilantes placement so you know exactly why each item goes where.
What is release order versus canon order?
You may see some guides recommend strict "canon order" (the order that events occur in the MHA universe), but that approach requires pausing mid-season and sometimes mid-episode to switch to a movie or OVA. It's designed for rewatches, not first-time viewers.
On the other hand, release order means watching everything in the order it originally came out. This guide recommends neither one exactly. The Best Order option in the widget above uses release order as the backbone but moves the movies to the points where they will give the most emotional payoff. It's the smoothest first-time experience and what most experienced fans would actually recommend to someone starting fresh. Canon order (with OVAs added) is worth trying on a rewatch once you already know the story, but it's not a good first-time experience.
The Best My Hero Academia Watch Order
Season 1 (2016) — 13 episodes
The first season introduces Izuku Midoriya, All Might, and the world of Quirks. It's shorter than the seasons that follow and moves quickly. The show has a different energy here than it will later. It’s lighter, more optimistic, and still finding its footing.
- Entrance Exam Arc (Episodes 1–4): Deku meets All Might, learns his secret, and inherits One For All.
- Quirk Apprehension Test Arc (Episodes 5–6): Class 1-A assembles. Deku meets Bakugo as a rival and Aizawa as a teacher who would rather be sleeping.
- Battle Trial Arc (Episodes 7–8): First classroom combat exercise. Deku and Bakugo face off directly for the first time.
- USJ Arc (Episodes 9–13): The League of Villains attacks during a training exercise. Class 1-A faces real danger for the first time.
Season 2 (2017) — 25 episodes
The series finds its voice in season 2. Character dynamics that were sketched out in season 1 become more complex, and Bakugo starts to make sense as something more than a rival.
- UA Sports Festival Arc (Episodes 1–12): One of the best tournament arcs in modern shonen. One-on-one fights that double as character reveals, with Todoroki's backstory landing particularly hard.
- Vs. Hero Killer Arc (Episodes 13–20): Iida's revenge storyline begs the question of what heroism actually means. Stain is the series' first villain who makes a real philosophical argument.
- Final Exams Arc (Episodes 21–25): Students face their own teachers. Closes with the first real glimpse of Shigaraki developing into something more than a petulant antagonist.
Season 3 (2018) — 25 episodes
The season opens with the Forest Training Camp arc, where the League of Villains kidnaps Bakugo, followed by the Hideout Raid arc, which ends with All Might's retirement.
- Forest Training Camp Arc (Episodes 1–7): The League of Villains kidnaps Bakugo. New members Dabi and Toga finally have something to do.
- Hideout Raid Arc (Episodes 8–12): The heroes mount a rescue. Ends with All Might's retirement.
- Provisional License Exam Arc (Episodes 13–23): Students earn their hero licenses. Closes with Bakugo confronting Deku about One For All and the first real hint at what the Quirk contains beneath the surface.
- Start of the Shie Hassaikai Arc (Episodes 21–25): Introduces the Big Three and sets up season 4.
🎬 Movie 1: Two Heroes (2018)
This movie gives us a lot of time with All Might and Deku, and it shows some of All Might’s time in America. It’s the only time we ever get to see All Might at full power working alongside Deku. Also, if you want to know more about the thematic connections between these two characters and other One For All users, read the Complete Lore Explainer Guide to OFA vs AFO.
Season 4 (2019) — 25 episodes
Season 4 is where the series gets darker in a big way for the first time.
- Shie Hassaikai Arc (Episodes 1–15): The Overhaul arc. A yakuza leader is using a young girl named Eri to manufacture Quirk-erasing bullets. This arc is brutal and emotionally demanding. Sir Nighteye's storyline hits especially hard.
- Remedial Course Arc (Episodes 16–17): A lighter arc. Students who failed their license exam take remedial courses.
- UA School Festival Arc (Episodes 18–23): Deku's class forms a band. Genuinely fun, and it’s a welcome break.
- Pro Hero Arc Part 1 (Episodes 24–25): Endeavor steps into the number one spot and faces an upgraded Nomu.
🎬 Movie 2: Heroes Rising (2019)
Explores what the next generation of heroes looks like without All Might, which is exactly what season 5 is also grappling with. The placement makes both the film and the season resonate more.
Season 5 (2021) — 25 episodes
This season features a lot of character growth for Class 1-A as they focus on their training, and it also gives us the My Villain Academia arc, where we see Shigaraki merge the League of Villains with the Meta Liberation Army.
- Pro Hero Arc Part 2 (Episodes 1–2): Endeavor recovers. Hawks begins his undercover work with the villains.
- Joint Training Arc (Episodes 3–13): Class 1-A vs. Class 1-B. Deku discovers new depths to One For All.
- Endeavor Agency Arc (Episodes 14–19): Deku, Bakugo, and Shoto intern under Endeavor. The Todoroki family dynamics are examined up close.
- Meta Liberation Army Arc (Episodes 20–24): The League of Villains faces the Meta Liberation Army. Shigaraki's backstory lands with full force. This arc gives the villains the same depth of development the heroes have been getting all along.
- Endeavor Agency Arc, continued (Episode 25): The final episode of the Endeavor Agency storyline, held back to close out the season.
🎬 Movie 3: World Heroes' Mission (2021)
The lightest of the four films in tone. A good palate cleanser before the war fully escalates.
Season 6 (2022) — 25 episodes
Season 6 is a darker, action-packed turning point in the series, featuring an all-out war between the heroes and villains, exploring the costs of that war and the erosion of public trust in the heroes, and even Deku’s own doubt in the hero system.
- Paranormal Liberation War Arc, Part 1 (Episodes 1–13): The heroes launch a coordinated assault on the villains. The scale is unlike anything the series has attempted before. Lives are lost and major secrets are revealed.
- Dark Hero Arc (Episodes 14–25): Deku leaves UA and works alone. This arc asks the question: is the hero system even worth saving?
Season 7 (2024) — 21 episodes
The beginning of the end. The scale is enormous and the character resolutions that started in season 6 continue here.
- Star and Stripe Arc (Episodes 1–2): America's number one hero arrives in Japan to face Shigaraki.
- UA Traitor Arc (Episodes 3–5): Resolves a thread that has been dangling since season 3.
- Final War Arc, Part 1 (Episodes 6–21): The endgame. Heroes and villains split across simultaneous battles. Shoto vs. Dabi, Bakugo and Mirko vs. Shigaraki, and Ochaco vs. Toga. Everything has been building to this.
🎬 Movie 4: You're Next (2024)
Watch after finishing season 7. Someone is imitating All Might, which lands very differently once you understand what his legacy means to the people around him.
Season 8 (2025) — 11 episodes
The final season. My Hero Academia concluded in 2025 after a decade-long run. Season 8 completes the Final War arc and brings every major character thread to resolution. The manga's ending was divisive in the fandom but the anime adaptation handles the material well.
Are the My Hero Academia movies and OVAs canon?
There is some debate in the fandom, but technically the movies are canon. The reason this gets debated is that there are some key events that occur in the movies that are never mentioned or referenced in the show itself. Some fans argue that the movies must not be canon simply because it would be strange for these events to never be brought up in the show.
That said, the movies are officially canon, and nothing in them contradicts the show itself or vice versa. However, they are not required to understand the show. If you enjoy the show, you’ll enjoy the movies, but you don’t have to watch the movies to get the most out of the show.
On the other hand, the OVAs are not canon. Most of them are side stories, comedy episodes, training scenarios, or short bonus chapters. They’re fun if you want more Class 1-A content, but they are not necessary to the main plot.
For a first watch, I recommend including the movies and skipping the OVAs unless you really want to spend extra time with Class 1-A.
Should you watch the OVAs?
First up, the OVAs are not canon, nor are they necessary for you to get the whole plot of My Hero Academia.
The nine OVAs tend be lighthearted extras/filler. If you really enjoy Class 1-A and want more time with them, then absolutely watch the OVAs. But you won’t be missing anything important if you decide to skip them. Here’s a brief, spoiler-free recap of the OVAs:
OVA 1: Save! Rescue Training! (2016): An early bonus episode set just after the USJ attack, fun but lightweight.
OVA 2: Training of the Dead (2017): Joint training between Class 1-A and Isamu High students, with new Quirks and some good Tsuyu moments.
OVA 3: All Might: Rising (2019): A two-minute short adapting the All Might prequel manga. More of a companion piece than a real episode, but worth it for All Might fans.
OVA 4 : Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training (2020): Two-part rescue training arc ahead of the Provisional License Exam. One of the most substantive OVAs.
OVA 5: Departure (2022): A short prequel to World Heroes' Mission. Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki navigate an airport with Endeavor before flying overseas. It’s purely comedic.
OVA 6: Hero League Baseball (2022): Pro Heroes play baseball. Present Mic and Aizawa on commentary. Purely comedic, no stakes, exactly what it sounds like.
OVA 7: U.A. Heroes Battle (2023): Class 1-A battles each other in a structured scenario. Solid action, lighter on story.
OVA 8: Laugh! As If You Are in Hell: Features a new character with a laughter-based Quirk. This is a fun one if you like Joker-like villains.
OVA 9: A Piece of Cake: A short adaptation of a bonus manga chapter, bundled exclusively with the Japanese deluxe edition of You're Next. It includes some good interactions between Deku, Todoroki, and Bakugo.
And for anyone wondering what an OVA is, it’s an Original Video Animation. It’s an anime episode that’s released directly to disc/DVD/VHS rather than aired on TV.
Quiz: Now that you know the watch order...
Find out which My Hero Academia character you actually are. The quiz goes deeper than your favorite hero. It matches how you think and operate to the character who reflects that.
Take the MHA character quiz →Where to watch everything
The main series, all movies, and most OVAs are available on Crunchyroll with both subbed and dubbed versions. Hulu has all eight seasons, and Netflix carries seasons 1 through 6 in most regions. Prime Video also has the main seasons in select regions.
The OVAs are the trickiest to find legally. OVAs 1 through 4 are available on Crunchyroll, but the remainder have limited availability, especially outside the US.
As you watch, refer to the interactive MHA quirk guide to understand how each character's quirk works and what it means for them both mechanically and narratively.
Should you watch MHA subbed or dubbed?
Both the subbed and dubbed versions of MHA are fantastic, so this will come down to preference. If you enjoy anime subs, you’ll enjoy this sub. If you enjoy dubs, the English voice-acting is so high-quality that you won’t feel like you’re missing out.
How long does it take to watch all of MHA
The complete series (including all 8 seasons, 4 movies, and 9 OVAs) runs approximately 76 hours. At a realistic pace of 3 to 4 episodes per sitting, you're looking at six to eight weeks to watch the whole thing. In order to receive the full emotional payoff, I would not recommend watching any faster than that.
When should you watch MHA: Vigilantes?
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a prequel and takes place years before the events of the first season of MHA. There are a few cameos of MHA character in Vigilantes, and you will appreciate those most if you've seen the first 4 seasons of MHA first.
However, the crossover is quite small, and generally you shouldn't be concerned with where MHA: Vigilantes fits in to your MHA lineup. Though if you're interested in Vigilantes, you should definitely check out the MHA: Vigilantes Character Quiz to find out which character from the spinoff shares your personality.
