5 anime and manga that My Hero Academia outlived (and 5 that outlived it)

After starting on July 7, 2014, and running for over a decade, My Hero Academia's manga ended on December 4, 2024, with the release of chapter 431. The shonen superhero story of Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo, and the others of Class 1-A will live on for a long time in fans' minds, with discussions continuing for months afterward.

My Hero Academia outlived other top-tier series like Demon Slayer and Attack on Titan. But other series released simultaneously or after will outlive it, like Black Clover and Spy x Family. It's interesting to see what series shared the timeframe and what will outlive My Hero Academia.

Disclaimer: All opinions are exclusive to the author. The timeframe represented is when My Hero Academia's manga ended, and likewise when the specific manga being contrasted ended, as some anime is still ongoing. Spoilers warning for all the anime and manga involved in this list.

5 anime and manga that My Hero Academia outlived

1) Attack on Titan (Manga: September 9, 2009 – April 9, 2021, Anime: April 7, 2013 – November 5, 2023)

Attack on Titan (Image via Wit Studio/MAPPA)

Attack on Titan, a literal titan of an anime series that rivaled My Hero Academia, made waves when its highly anticipated anime began in 2013. The darker survival horror of the Titans, combined with the struggle to survive action in the story, drew audiences in and didn't let go.

Attack on Titan is remembered as Game of Thrones is: the series' story, characters, and general tone are remembered fondly— but the ending isn't. Though the anime corrected some of the manga's problems (the ending, in particular, is better in the anime), the ending still hurts some people. Eren turning evil is still considered out of nowhere, and Sasha's death via Gabi Braun still brings out the rage in fans.

Attack on Titan followed a wave of darker anime hitting the airwaves in the late 2000s and 2010s, with titles like Hellsing, Death Note, and Elfen Lied. Attack on Titan lasted the same amount of time My Hero Academia did, and is still popular enough to warrant a theatrical compilation of the final episodes in February 2025.

2) Jujutsu Kaisen (Manga: March 5, 2018 – September 30, 2024, Anime: October 3, 2020 - Present)

Sometimes a strong start is enough to guarantee the hype train will continue, even when you're not on the air. Even before the anime adaptation started, Jujutsu Kaisen was considered a runaway success, though the anime got the series in the spotlight.

Jujutsu Kaisen was inspired by My Hero Academia, with Akutami and Horikoshi greatly respecting each other's work. Although Jujutsu Kaisen is considered a more mature shonen than My Hero Academia, especially regarding its twists, turns, and darker story arcs like The Shibuya Incident, both stories hit on the similar themes of hope and not giving in to despair.

As of September 30, 2024, Jujutsu Kaisen ended with chapter 271. Though debates as to which had the better ending were sparked, as they often do when a long-running and popular competing manga reaches its end, many fans were just finally happy to be rid of Sukuna, see Nobara return, and see the series end after what felt like an eternity fighting Kenjaku and Sukuna.

3) Digimon Adventure Tri (Anime: November 21, 2015 - May 5, 2018)

Most casual Digimon fans stopped paying real attention to Digimon around Frontier when it ended in 2003. Compared to Pokémon becoming a pop culture juggernaut, or Yu-Gi-Oh! enduring thanks to its card game, Digimon faded into the background. Most fans considered Tamers the peak version of Digimon for them, and a lot of fans dropped off after Frontiers.

Everyone hoping for a continuation of the first two seasons cast's story got their wish with Digimon Adventure Tri, a series of movies released between 2015 and 2018. The films focused on the first series' Digidestined struggling to maintain their bonds of friendship, whilst growing up, and also with infected Digimon turning the public against Digimon.

As seen with such examples as Boruto and Yashahime, Digimon Adventure Tri had an overall sour reception amongst nostalgic fans after a while. Though initially positively received due to the animation and music, fans stated the writing felt like it completely ignored, or otherwise did a disservice, to the Digimon Adventure 02 cast (turning Ken into the Digimon emperor again is just one example), and the original Digidestined came off less like heroes and more like dysfunctional people.

4) Sailor Moon Crystal (Anime: July 5, 2014 - June 30, 2023)

Sailor Moon Crystal (Image via Toei Animation)

Although Sailor Moon's original manga ended in 1997, and the original anime adaptation ended in 1997, the series was revived with a manga-accurate reboot titled Sailor Moon Crystal in 2014. This series officially concluded with the two-part Sailor Moon Cosmos movie in 2023.

Sailor Moon Crystal's first season proved divisive, as many liked the direction and the cleaner animation. However, the 3D transformation animation was just one point of contention for many. While it recovered from the rocky start, many older fans contrasted the 1990s Sailor Moon anime to Crystal as it went on.

Despite the mixed opinions that always followed the show, including the lack of filler episodes, Sailor Moon Crystal's reception only blossomed with the second and third seasons and the Eternal movie.

Whatever criticisms they had of the first season, Cosmos and Eternal's takes on the fight against Nehelenia and Galaxia, and both the Dream Arc and Stars Arc, are considered far superior to the original series for many Sailor Moon fans.

5) Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga: February 15, 2016 – May 18, 2020, Anime: April 6, 2019 - present)

Considered one of the new generations of Shonen, and a contender for the spot in the "New Big Three," alongside My Hero Academia and Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is one of the more popular Shonen Jump titles in recent memory. With the manga having concluded in 2020, My Hero Academia has surpassed it.

The anime usually gets people owing to its stellar animation by the famous animation studio Ufotable, the voice acting, and additional content. This includes instances like flashbacks and emotional music when Nezuko was getting fried by the sun in the climax of the Swordsmith Village arc.

While many have issues with Demon Slayer, such as the world feeling shallow, the story remains popular enough to achieve 150 million manga volumes in circulation. This means that, as of the time of writing, it is the 9th best-selling manga and above My Hero Academia. It's not hard to see why— as the action, characters, and humor helped elevate it.

5 anime and manga that outlived My Hero Academia

1) Dragon Ball Super (Manga: June 20, 2015 – present, Anime: July 5, 2015 – March 25, 2018)

Dragon Ball Super (Image via Toei Animation/Shueisha)

The canon sequel to Dragon Ball Z was well received when Battle of Gods and Ressurection:F were people's primary experiences with it.

Dragon Ball Super's anime and manga jostle for fans' approval, with the manga coming under fire for changing certain things, like the Tournament of Power, whereas the anime has terrible animation for the Battle of Gods' TV adaptation, and the first two arcs being movie repeats.

Super has recovered in both formats: the manga got better as the Moro and Granolah arcs went on, and the Broly and Super Hero movies were both considered peak Dragon Ball.

Akira Toriyama's passing in March 2024 sent shockwaves through the fandom and the world. The manga has since announced its continuation with Toyotarou at the helm, and a new chapter premiering on February 20, 2025.

Since it's confirmed to continue after the Super Hero saga, Dragon Ball Super will outlive My Hero Academia. The anime is ripe for a comeback since it last ended with the Tournament of Power, and has roughly four arcs between Broly and Super Hero to adapt.

2) Boruto: Naruto Next Generations/Two Blue Vortex (Manga: May 9, 2016 – present, Anime: 5 April 2017 – 26 March 2023)

Boruto (Image via Studio Pierrot/Shueisha)

Next-generation stories are always a gamble. Sometimes the next generation is heralded as better than the old, as in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Other times, whether through writing problems, management issues, or controversial decisions, fans prefer the original and will vehemently protest any changes made.

Such was the case with Boruto: Naruto Next Generations at first. Although the manga did an excellent job of moving the story along briskly, the audience wasn't enthused or impressed by the new characters or problems. Critics attest that the anime peaked at the movie adaptation, and fumbled the pacing by having too much filler too fast.

For all the complaints, Boruto showed its characters could be compelling, and the story got better especially when Kawaki was introduced. Despite some weirdness, especially with the android Delta and everything involving Ada and Daemon, Boruto still has dedicated fans with Two Blue Vortex and the original manga.

3) Black Clover (Manga: February 16, 2015 - present, Anime: October 3, 2017 – March 30, 2021)

Popularity ebbs and flows in many respects, and Black Clover fans feel that as much as anyone else. While Black Clover's manga has continued, the final arc is still being produced through JUMP GIGA. The anime being on almost indefinite haitus since 2021 hasn't helped matters either.

Black Clover does deserve credit since it's been running for over a decade. Although not quite on the level of My Hero Academia's manga success, the adventures of Asta still managed to entertain enough to get an anime in 2017, and a movie in 2023.

With the final arc still ongoing as of January 2025, and chapter 378 showing Yuno and Asta seemingly victorious over Lucius Zogratis, fans are eager to see it done as the final arc has mostly consisted of fighting Lucius over plot or character development.

4) Chainsaw Man (Manga: December 3, 2018 – present, Anime: October 12, 2022 – December 28, 2022)

Like Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man was a runaway success in its manga format. Unlike My Hero Academia or Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man was praised for how quickly it sped through its arcs in just a few chapters. Though the anime came and went up until the Katana Man arc in 2022, a movie titled Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc is set to continue the adaptation in 2025.

Chainsaw Man is also known for being extremely violent and explicit about relationships and manipulation. Denji got a lot of praise for his arc during the first part of the series, as he's a 16-year-old old awkwardly navigating the world, relationships, and Devil Hunting.

It doesn't help that he could barely understand how his powers worked, and having to team up with Aki and Power only made things worse. The post-time skip stories reinforce this, with Denji having to get along with the new protagonist Asa Mitaka, and a whole new pile of mayhem.

5) Spy x Family (Manga: March 25, 2019 – present, Anime: 9 April 2022 – present)

Spy x Family (Image via Wit Studio/Cloverworks)

Although My Hero Academia doesn't strictly focus on romance, Spy x Family proves that a shonen manga can balance action, romance, and comedic hijinks. This story follows the exploits of superspy Loid "Twilight" Forger, expert assassin Yor "Thorn Princess" Forger, and their adopted child psychic Anya Forger, as they each work towards a goal while in a fake relationship.

The appeal of Spy x Family comes from the slice-of-life antics, mixed with the spy intrigue genre blending the series does. Likewise, showcasing three leads, their daily lives, and what each has to do to keep their fake family together while achieving their respective goals.

Spy x Family's humor revolves around Anya's psychic abilities, and the main trio trying to keep their true identities secret. Spy x Family's manga continues to entertain, with recent revelations and suspicious about Donovan Desmond being either an esper or an alien rocking the fandom.

Final thoughts

Although there are more manga and anime that have lasted longer than My Hero Academia, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure and One Piece come to mind. The point of this list was to show that lasting for well over a decade means that media landscapes can change during that time.

Much like the isekai boom started by Sword Art Online and similar anime post-2010 has been on the wane, so has the "typical" shonen battle anime like My Hero Academia been on the wane. Newer anime like Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Dandadan among others like the aforementioned Spy x Family have taken their place.

This doesn't mean My Hero Academia will quickly fade out of collective memory like Game of Thrones, but that popularity waxes and wanes. My Hero Academia isn't likely to fade into irrelevance or obscurity anytime soon, especially with the announced Vigilantes spinoff.