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My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is a spin-off manga series written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court. It is a prequel to mangaka Kohei Horikoshi's popular superhero series, My Hero Academia. It was first released in Shonen Jump GIGA and then later moved on to the Shonen Jump+ app.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has been questioned about its canonical status ever since its inception, as it has a different writer, illustrator, and protagonist than the main series. Still, it is widely considered to be canon, and that too for very good reason.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia overall series.
Why My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is considered to be canon
The debate about canonicity surrounding Kohei Horikoshi's My Hero Academia franchise has deviated from the typical pattern. Major shonen series such as One Piece and Naruto have spin-off content that are often not regarded as canon for a number of reasons. However, when it comes to My Hero Academia, the majority of the material related to the series, such as films and spin-off manga, is actually considered to be canon.
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Horikoshi's has stated that My Hero Academia: Vigilantes takes place within his My Hero Academia universe. As already stated, the series is a prequel, meaning it takes place a couple of years before main story. Also, the mangaka has given his approval of the storyline.
This affirmation alone should be enough to deem the manga as canon. Moreover, several characters and elements appear in both My Hero Academia and My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. The character Oboro Shirakumo and the Quirk enhancing drug called Trigger are two such examples. Readers also get to know the backstory of Stain in this prequel.
Regarding other content related to My Hero Academia, such as the films, they are all deemed canon. This is not solely based on the mangaka's statements but also on the inclusion of characters introduced in the films, such as Melissa Shield, the Rody siblings, and Mahoro, Katsuma, in chapter 384 of the manga.
However, there are instances in the films that contradict certain aspects of the main storyline. For example, Bakugo acquiring One For All in My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising is an event that should not have taken place, as it would have led to his death.
Similarly, the spin-off series My Hero Academia: Team Up Missions largely adheres to the main story, with only a few minor inconsistencies. The exception to this trend is My Hero Academia: Smash!, created by Hirofumi Neda, which is a gag manga and is regarded as completely non-canonical.
What is My Hero Academia: Vigilantes about?
My Hero Academia: Vigilantes follows Koichi Haimawari, who uses his Quirk to protect others despite possessing a relatively weak Quirk. When he and Kazuho Haneyama are harassed by a gang of thugs, they seek help from the vigilante known as Knuckleduster who then convinces them to become vigilantes. Then through sheer hardwork, Koichi becomes one of the best vigilantes out there.
