Aizawa Takes the Spotlight in My Hero Academia’s New Anime!

If you're a fan of My Hero Academia and especially love Shota Aizawa (aka Eraserhead), then My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is something you don’t want to miss this spring. While the main series is set to return with its final season this fall, this new spinoff anime focuses on characters and stories that didn’t get enough time in the spotlight—especially Aizawa.

In the main anime, Aizawa plays an important role as a teacher and fighter, but we don’t get to learn much about his past. Vigilantes changes that. Set years before the events of My Hero Academia, the new anime introduces us to a Japan that doesn’t yet have enough Pro Heroes to protect everyone. That's when a small-time hero named Koichi Haimawari steps up to help out in his neighborhood. He soon joins forces with a tough vigilante named Knuckleduster, and they uncover a dangerous drug that boosts people’s quirks and turns them violent.

That’s when Aizawa makes his first appearance—and from there, he becomes a key part of the story.

In this earlier timeline, Aizawa is already active on the streets. He’s more than just a teacher—he’s a serious Pro Hero who isn’t afraid to bend the rules if it means saving people. And because Vigilantes focuses on street-level action, we get to see Aizawa operate in ways we never did in the main series.

More importantly, Vigilantes dives deep into his backstory. It explores how Aizawa thinks, how he became the hero we know, and even connects to major events in the final arc of the main series. For example, the connection between Aizawa and Kurogiri—something hinted at before—is finally explained in full detail here.

So if you’ve always wanted to learn more about Eraserhead or just want a fresh take on the My Hero Academia universe, this is the perfect anime to check out. Not only does it feature great action and new characters, but it also fills in important story gaps that fans will appreciate.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is more than just a side story—it’s a deeper look into one of the series’ most mysterious and beloved characters.