My Hero Academia is one of the most straightforward big anime to watch in order — it runs as numbered seasons — but three tie-in movies raise the usual question of where everything fits. Here is the complete My Hero Academia watch order, including exactly where to slot the films.
The Short Answer: My Hero Academia Watch Order
The main story is simply the seasons in order:
- Season 1 (13 episodes)
- Season 2 (25 episodes)
- Season 3 (25 episodes)
- Season 4 (25 episodes)
- Season 5 (25 episodes)
- Season 6 (25 episodes)
- Season 7 (21 episodes)
- The Final Season — the concluding arc that adapts the manga's ending
The three movies — Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, and World Heroes' Mission — are canon-adjacent side stories you can watch after the season each lines up with, or skip without losing the main plot.
My Hero Academia Watch Order in Detail
Seasons 1–3: The U.A. Foundations
Season 1 introduces Izuku "Deku" Midoriya, a boy born without a superpower in a world where nearly everyone has one, who inherits the ability of the world's greatest hero. Seasons 2 and 3 build out the U.A. High cast through the Sports Festival, the Hero Killer arc, and the summer-camp assault, escalating the League of Villains threat. Get to know the class in our My Hero Academia character guide.
Seasons 4–5: Rising Stakes
Season 4 covers the Shie Hassaikai arc and Deku's growing control of One For All, while Season 5 delivers the Joint Training arc and the pivotal My Villain Academia storyline told from the villains' side.
Seasons 6–7 and the Finale: War
Season 6 kicks off the all-out Paranormal Liberation War — the series' turning point — and Season 7 carries that conflict forward. The concluding season then adapts the manga's final battle to its end. This is where years of setup pay off.
Where the My Hero Academia Movies Fit
The films are standalone adventures, so precise placement is flexible, but the widely used order is:
- Two Heroes — after Season 2 (or early Season 3)
- Heroes Rising — after Season 4
- World Heroes' Mission — after Season 5
None of the three are required to follow the main story, but they are fun, well-animated side trips if you want more between seasons.
How Long Does It Take to Watch My Hero Academia?
The seven aired seasons total roughly 160 episodes at about 23 minutes each — around 60 hours of viewing, or close to 65 once you add the three films. It is one of the longer commitments on this list, so most people watch it a season at a time rather than in one marathon. If you only have time for the essentials, the main-story seasons alone still deliver the complete arc without the optional movies.
A Quick Map of the Story
My Hero Academia builds in clear stages. The early seasons are a superhero coming-of-age story set at U.A. High, full of tournaments and training. The middle seasons darken as the League of Villains grows and Deku uncovers the history of his power, One For All. The later seasons turn into open war between heroes and villains, paying off dozens of characters introduced along the way. Because it runs as numbered seasons with no flashback-heavy reordering, you simply watch 1 through 7 and into the finale — the only real decision is whether to slot in the three side-story films. New viewers sometimes find the length intimidating, but the season-per-block structure makes it easy to pause between arcs and pick back up later.
Where to Watch My Hero Academia
Every season of My Hero Academia streams on Crunchyroll, subtitled and dubbed. The three movies are available on Crunchyroll and major digital storefronts in most regions. Check your local catalogue, as availability changes over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many seasons of My Hero Academia are there?
Seven seasons have aired since 2016, followed by a final season that adapts the manga's ending — plus three theatrical films and a handful of short OVAs.
Do I need to watch the My Hero Academia movies?
No. Two Heroes, Heroes Rising, and World Heroes' Mission are side stories that do not affect the main plot, so they are optional — enjoyable, but skippable.
Is My Hero Academia finished?
The manga concluded in 2024, and the anime is adapting its final arcs, so the story has a clear, complete ending in sight.
Is there filler in My Hero Academia?
Very little. Aside from a few recap episodes and the standalone movies, the series adapts the manga closely, so you can watch the seasons straight through.
Are the My Hero Academia movies canon?
They sit in a grey area. The films are made by the same studio and feature the main cast, but their events are largely self-contained side stories that the TV series does not depend on. Heroes Rising in particular is a fan favourite, so they are well worth watching even though the plot does not require them.
Which My Hero Academia season is the best?
Opinions vary, but Season 2's Sports Festival and Season 6's Paranormal Liberation War are the two most commonly named high points — one for its tournament energy, the other for its all-out, long-teased payoff.
Do I need to read the manga first?
Not at all. The anime adapts the manga faithfully, so watching the seasons in order gives you the whole story. Manga readers are simply further ahead of where the current season has reached.
How many episodes of My Hero Academia are there?
Counting the seven aired seasons, My Hero Academia has roughly 160 episodes, with the finale season adding the last batch. That makes it one of the meatier modern shonen, though its self-contained, arc-based seasons make it easy to watch in comfortable stages rather than all at once.
What should I watch after My Hero Academia?
If you want another huge shonen with a stacked cast, try Jujutsu Kaisen — here is its watch order. Or jump straight in and test yourself with the My Hero Academia quiz.
Sources & Citations
- Wikipedia — My Hero Academia— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Hero_Academia
- Wikipedia — List of My Hero Academia episodes— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_My_Hero_Academia_episodes
