How to Have the Perfect ‘My Hero Academia’ Movie Night
Go beyond (and grab popcorn)
With the third My Hero Academia movie set to be released on home video this month, I thought I’d take a look at all of the My Hero Academia movies in order. I’ll only be looking at the big theatrical releases and not any of the OVAs that have been released.
The My Hero Academia movies generally exist outside of the main canon of the series, so you don’t necessarily have to be caught up to watch them—though you’ll be able to hone in on certain character dynamics if you’re up to date with the anime. That said, they are a fun watch if you want an action-packed anime superhero movie, and honestly, they get better with each release. Here’s how to watch the My Hero Academia movies in order.
The one with All Might’s American bestie – My Hero Academia: Two Heroes (2018)
Deku and his friends take on a daring rescue operation when villains hack into I-Expo—the world’s leading hero item exhibition. All Might is trapped by their sinister plan, and his best hope for saving everyone lies in the new generation of heroes.
The very first My Hero Academia movie gave us a chance to see the All Might that the world idolizes. Since the series immediately pulled back the curtain and revealed how hurt All Might was, this movie got to show him in his younger hero days which led to him becoming the booming presence the world knows today. The movie itself is a pretty good time and even gives us a scene that will never be possible in the anime—All Might and Deku fighting together. Not a bad start to the My Hero Academia movies, it only gets better from here.
The one where Class 1-A rose to the occasion – My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising (2019 in Japan, 2020 in the US)
Class 1-A visits Nabu Island where they finally get to do some real hero work. The place is so peaceful that it feels like a vacation—until they’re attacked by a villain with an unfathomable Quirk! With All Might retired and citizens’ lives on the line, there’s no time for questions. Deku and his friends are the next generation of heroes, and they’re the island’s only hope.
Filed under “Class 1-A still can’t have a peaceful school assignment,” the second My Hero Academia movie genuinely felt like the end of the series. The stakes were high, the battles were intense, and characters pulled off moves that felt like something you’d see at the climax of a long-running show. Out of all of My Hero Academia’s movies, this one is probably my favorite (though I do really like the third film, too). Watching everyone work together was so satisfying because we don’t get to see them do that very often, but this film really showed us what Class 1-A can do as a team.
The one with best boy Rody Soul: My Hero Academia: World Heroes’ Mission
When a sinister organization threatens to wipe out all superhuman powers, the fate of the world is on the line. With two hours until the collapse of civilization, Deku, Bakugo, and Todoroki manage to work as a team, but there’s still one problem. Deku’s on the run for murder.
This My Hero Academia movie is an absolute blast to watch and rarely gives you a chance to breathe. Once it gets going it feels like you’re on a rollercoaster until the very end—especially the last act of the film. It also, in my opinion, has the best original movie character out of all of them, so much so that he managed to place 9th in the character popularity poll for the series that year, an incredible achievement for a character who doesn’t even appear in the series itself. This film will be released on home video on August 23, 2022, and it’s definitely worth the watch.
(Featured image: © K. Horikoshi/Shueisha, My Hero Academia Project)
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