My Hero Academia Season 5: What to Expect

Season four of My Hero Academia wrapped up almost exactly a year ago and ever since fans have been anxious to see how the anime series follows up their biggest and most mature season yet. My Hero Academia’s core premise remains the same each year, but it’s genuinely impressive how Izuku “Deku” Midoriya and the rest of his classmates at U.A. High have gradually grown into the very types of professional heroes that they idolized in reverence when the series first began. 

My Hero Academia season 5 promises more kinetic action sequences, thoughtful character work, and terrifying villains, yet the anime can come across as slightly intimidating to newcomers now that it has four seasons and 88 episodes under its belt. Despite heavy serialization, My Hero Academia is fairly accessible and even caters towards new viewers. Nevertheless, there are still some important details and background information that will help make season five easier to understand.

What’s The Fallout From Season 4?

My Hero Academia season 4 was one of the anime’s busiest and most impressive years. The heroes started their work study programs, found new mentors, and faced a dangerous caliber of villains with Overhaul and his Shie Hassaikai organization as well as the resilient duo of Gentle Criminal and La Brava. These dangers have added a new level of tragedy to the series and it’s left heroes like Izuku Midoriya and Mirio Togata more alert than ever. 

The darkness of season four still hangs over many characters and Togata remains Quirk-less, but the success of the School Festival and Eri’s growth into a better adjusted, normal child help season five of My Hero Academia begin on an optimistic note. Characters are ready to do good and improve the world rather than cower in fear over the next villain attack.

What’s The Main Story Arc For Season 5?

My Hero Academia’s previous season was easily its heaviest and with villains that were legitimately disturbing, but season five kicks things off on a considerably lighter note. The second half of season five should bring the villains back in a big way, but the beginning adapts the manga’s Joint Training Arc. This storyline pits the students of Class 1-A against Class 1-B in a sanctioned battle scenario that’s designed to bring out the best in the U.A. High students. My Hero Academia is no stranger to training and tournament arcs, but none have operated with a roster of this size before.

Who Are Class 1-B?

Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and the majority of My Hero Academia’s central characters are students in Class 1-A at U.A. High. The prestigious superhero school has several matriculating classes and Class 1-B have occasionally appeared, typically as a source of friendly conflict for their sister class, 1-A. Various 1-B students such as Neito Monoma, Itsuka Kendo, and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu have previously been given small opportunities to shine during the past seasons’ arcs that are centered around U.A. High-set challenges. 

It’s helpful that none of these individuals are complete strangers, even if some have only been in the background of scenes or helped flesh out crowds. My Hero Academia has done some of the necessary work to lay a proper foundation so that it’s not overwhelming to have nearly two dozen characters join the cast.

There’s been an inherent competitive instinct between the students of Class 1-A and 1-B in the past, but season five takes that tension and makes it its driving force. Previous episodes have teased many of Class 1-B’s students, but this new season digs deep to explicitly compare and contrast these budding heroes. It’s very possible that this season could end with someone from Class 1-B that rises up as Midoriya’s equal or even turns into a new partner.

What Is The Significance Of One For All?

The One For All Quirk has always represented hope and a bright future, but this title becomes a more loaded responsibility for Midoriya. Deku suddenly feels like he has something to prove after he learns in season four that Mirio Togata nearly inherited All Might’s Quirk and became his successor. Deku has proven on multiple occasions that he’s worthy to carry on All Might’s legacy, but this pressure is bound to accumulate in season five, especially now that Togata is currently Quirk-less. 

Season four looked at Midoriya convincing those around him that he deserves to wield One For All and it seems like season five continues in this direction as Midoriya strives to prove to himself that he’s worthy of this responsibility. This new season will cement Midoriya’s position as the rightful bearer of One For All, but it’s also ready to unpack the Quirk’s roots and the mysterious rules that surround it.

What’s Going On With Deku’s Weird Dream From Season 4’s Finale?

My Hero Academia’s fourth season neatly concludes its biggest arcs, only to tease the anime’s future via a cryptic dream that Midoriya experiences. Midoriya is confronted with eight strange figures in his subconscious and it seems as if this dream is more than just a premonition since Midoriya’s Quirk is responsive when he awakens. It’s not hard to connect the dots that these important individuals from Midoriya’s dream are the previous bearers of One For All. 

It appears that a major aspect of My Hero Academia season 5 will involve Deku’s interaction with these past relics in order to better understand his Quirk’s secrets and how to help it evolve into something even more powerful. It’s currently unclear if the past One For All recipients have come to Midoriya at this specific moment because he needs to prepare for imminent danger. Whatever the reason is it’s still exciting that the anime is ready to extensively explore the source of Midoriya’s power and the very essence that makes him a hero. Midoriya has had some important mentors over the course of the series, but season five will likely contain the hero’s biggest lessons yet.

How Many Episodes Will It Be?

Every season of My Hero Academia, barring its premiere season, has consisted of 25 episodes and now that the anime’s popularity is at its peak it’s unlikely to see that number decrease anytime soon. Season five should have 25 episodes, which will give the anime a grand total of 113 installments when the season ends. Funimation has also confirmed that an English dub for the season is on the way, which should also air on Adult Swim’s Toonami at a later date, just like the previous seasons.

Is The Upcoming Movie Required Watching?

My Hero Academia has released two feature films, Two Heroes and Heroes Rising, but the series’ creator Kohei Horikoshi indicated that the second movie would be the final one. A third movie, My Hero Academia The Movie: World Heroes’ Mission is set to drop on August 6th in Japan, which will still be during the middle of season five. 

The two previous movies have both been canon to the series, but feature relatively standalone adventures that can be enjoyed and aren’t mandatory viewing to understand the series. There’s no reason to doubt that this will be any different for the third movie, which seems like it will have a more global scope, but not be a necessary component to season five’s larger story.