My Hero Academia took the entertainment world by storm on May 5th, 2018. Since then, it has spawned a wildly successful franchise, including a beloved anime adaptation. My Hero Academia‘s many compelling characters have quickly become pop culture mainstays, further aiding the title’s global popularity and cementing it as arguably the most widely recognized anime adaptation of the 2010s.
These heroes’ stories moved viewers with their messages about heroism, hope, society’s treatment of others, the dangers of burnout, and much more. My Hero Academia‘s creator, Kohei Horikoshi, is a master of pacing and keeping viewers engaged with whatever he decides to throw on screen, amplifying their characters’ traits while progressing the overall story. The best story arcs in My Hero Academia are acclaimed thanks to their relevance, memorability, and overall quality.
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The U.A. Traitor Arc
Season 7, Episodes 3–5
Image via Studio Bones
Early in the series, it was said there was more likely than not a mole—a traitor, really—within the walls of U.A. High School. For quite some time, many people thought that Kohei Horikoshi forgot about the plotline altogether. However, it was directly before the final arc of the series that he revealed he’d been building toward something big for all this time. At the top of Season 7, it was finally revealed that Class 1-A student, Yuga Aoyama (Kosuke Kuwano and Joel McDonald) himself, was the traitor all this time.
In his childhood, he was given his power by All For One (Akio Ōtsuka and John Swasey)—the second main antagonist of the series—and in return, he was forced to join U.A. to become an inside source for him. This means that, from the very second Deku was in U.A., Aoyama was a traitor. However, the young man decides to give his friend the benefit of the doubt and, rather than arresting Aoyama, he convinces everyone to turn this into an opportunity to draw out All For One and make the final fight happen on their terms.
Season 4, Episodes 15–17
Image via Crunchyroll
A major event in the Provisional Hero License Exam Arc is the fact that fan favorites Katsuki Bakugo (Nobuhiko Okamoto and Clifford Chapin) and Shoto Todoroki (Yuki Kaji and David Matranga) both failed the second phase of said exam and were sent to go through an additional course to make up for it. It’s in this arc—The Remedial Course Arc—that they must go through said special course, and it results in a hilarious chain of events.
Bakugo, Todoroki, and two other students from Shiketsu High must win over the likes of a group of rowdy elementary school kids who weaponize their quirks against the older kids. Seeing the two extremely different personalities in Bakugo and Todoroki deal with seemingly uncontrollable children is hilarious, and a boatload of fun to watch play out.
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The Joint Training Arc
Season 5, Episodes 3–12
Image via Studio Bones
Many consider Season 5 to be the weakest of the series. However, even the weakest season has very strong moments, and The Joint Training Arc (most of it) is one of them. When this arc isn’t feeling like filler, there’s a plethora of character moments for almost every major character that get them to a new, strong place by the end of it than they’d been before. It’s an arc that really is there to show how far the students have come, and how strong they’re going to be moving into The Paranormal Liberation War Arc.
The biggest character moments come from the likes of both Bakugo and Deku. The former shows how much Bakugo has grown as a person, finally becoming a full-fledged team player for the first time… well, ever. He backs away from stealing the limelight—like he typically does—and focuses on supporting his team to make sure they can complete the challenge in the smartest way possible, realizing he’s not going to be the one who can do that. Deku also discovers a new ability in his massive power, One For All. The emergence of the power known as Black Whip unlocks a new arc for the One For All Power, revealing that he’ll be continuing to unlock new powers moving forward. A huge scene not just for Deku, but for the plot as a whole.
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The Quirk Apprehension Test Arc
Season 1, Episodes 5–6
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