After season 5 of My Hero Academia reordered some of the manga arcs, confusion about My Hero Academia Arcs is very high.
Here is the order of and guide to My Hero Academia arcs in season 5, with a recap of previous seasons and what we can expect from season 6.
My Hero Academia Anime Arcs Guide: Order, recap, breakdown.
Structure
My Hero Academia is separated into 3 official acts, the U.A. Beginning Saga, the Rise of Villains Saga, and the Final Act Saga. Each act is further divided into 9 unofficial but unanimously agreed upon arcs.
So far, the manga has published 19 full arcs and one ongoing arc in 32 volumes and 333 chapters, and the anime has animated 17 full arcs in five seasons and 113 episodes.
Recap: Seasons 1-4
Act 1: U.A. beginning saga
Season 1
Season 1 covers 4 My Hero Academia arcs in 13 episodes, in proper manga order.
- Arc 1 Entrance Exam Arc (4 chapters, 1-4; Season 1, 4 episodes, 1-4.): This arc covers Deku getting into UA with the help of All Might and One for All (OFA)
- Arc 2 Quirk Apprehension Test Arc (3 chapters, 5-7; 2 episodes, 5-6): Class 1-A get their quirks evaluated by their homeroom teacher Aizawa Shota or Eraserhead.
- Arc 3 Battle Trial Arc (4 chapters, 8-11; 3 episodes, 6-8.): Class 1-A receives their costumes, and participates in a hero vs villain style exercise.
- Arc 4 Unforeseen Simulation Joint or U. S. J. Arc (10 chapters, 12-21; 5 episodes, 9-13.): Class 1-A goes to USJ to train in rescue, but the League of Villains attack, but are defeated by U.A. students and teachers.
Season 2
Season 2 covers 3 My Hero Academia arcs in 25 episodes in manga order. The arcs get progressively longer as My Hero Academia manga goes on.
- Arc 5 U. A. Sports Festival Arc (23 chapters, 22-44. Season 2, 12 episodes, 14-25.): In the annual sports festival, every main character from Class 1-A shows their fighting style, along with class 1-B, and Shinsou Hitoshi.
- Arc 6 Hero Killer Arc (15 chapters, 45-59. 8 episodes, 26-33.): During their first internship period, Deku and Todoroki help an impulsive Iida Tenya battle the Hero-killer Stain.
- Arc 7 Final Exams Arc (10 chapters, 60-69. 5 episodes, 34-38.): The students face off against their teachers in pairs during the practical portion of their final exams for the term.
Season 3
Season 3 covers 3 My Hero Academia arcs in 25 episodes in manga order.
- Arc 8 Forest Training Arc (14 chapters, 70-83. Season 3, 7 episodes, 39-45.): Classes 1-A and 1-B go to a forest training camp, But the League of Villains attacks the students and kidnaps Bakugou.
- Arc 9 The Hide-Out Raid Arc (14 chapters, 84-97. 5 episodes, 46-50.): Bakugou is rescued, but All Might wears out OFA in his battle against All for One (AFO), and retires.
Act 2: Rise of the Villains Saga
- Arc 10 Provisional Hero Licence Exam Arc (24 chapters, 98-121. 12 episodes, 51-62.): After the students move into the dorm, and amidst villain attacks, everyone passes their Provisional Hero License Exam except Bakugou and Todoroki.
Season 4
Season 4 fully Covers 3 My Hero Academia arcs and partially covers 1 arc in manga order.
- Arc 11 Shie Hassaikai Arc (41 chapters, 122-162. Season 3-4, 17 episodes, 62-78.): The second longest arc. Along with the pro heroes and U.A.’s big 3, Deku, Kirishima, Ochako, and Tsuyu fight the Shie Hassaikai led by Chisaki Kai aka Overhaul, and rescue Chisaki’s young daughter Eri.
- Arc 12 Remedial Course Arc (6 chapters, 163-168. Season 4, 3 episodes, 78-80.): Bakugou and Todoroki take the Remedial Hero Course to make up for their failures at the Provisional License Exam.
- Arc 13 U.A School Festival Arc (15 chapters, 169-183. Season 4, 6 episodes, 81-86.): Class 1-A work hard to improve their image at the UA school festival.
- Arc 14 Pro-Hero Arc (10 chapters, 184-193. Season 4-5, 4 episodes, 87-90.): Endeavor fights and wins against a high-end nomu with the help of the no. 2 hero Hawks.
Season 5
Season 5 is where the anime reorders the arcs. It covers the end of the previous arc, 3 full My Hero Academia arcs, and the first 3 chapters of the next arc, i.e. the Paranormal Liberation War Arc. The last manga chapter of the Pro-Hero Arc containing Dabi’s appearance is animated in the second episode, followed by manga arc 15.
Arc 15: Joint Training Arc (24 chapters, 194-217. Season 5, 10 episodes, 91-100.)
The first complete arc of season 5, animated in accordance with the manga chapters. Class 1-A and 1-B train together and Shinsou is admitted to the hero course. Deku Unlocks more secrets about OFA.
This is where things get confusing. In order to end the season with one of the more interesting My Hero Academia arcs, the Meta Liberation Army (MLA) Arc, the anime covers the less intense but informative Endeavor Agency Arc first.
After Bakugou and Todoroki get their licenses in My Hero Academia episode 100, the anime sets up the MLA Arc, just like in the manga chapter, but then immediately moves onto the central trio’s internship at the Endeavor agency.
Arc 16: Endeavor Agency Arc (12 chapters, 241-252. Season 5, 6 episodes, 101-106.)
This is the 16th arc in the anime, but the 17th arc in the manga. The protagonist trio do their second work study under Endeavor. The Todoroki family dynamic is shown, along with Endeavor’s regret regarding his treatment of his children including the death of Shouto’s eldest brother, Touya.
Episode 107 then continues into the 18th My Hero Academia arc, Paranormal Liberation War Arc. Eraserhead and Present Mic meet Kurogiri, who is revealed to be their classmate Shirakumo. Then, through the connection that is hawks, the anime finally arrives at the ALA arc, or the My Villain Academia Arc.
Arc 17. Meta Liberation Army Arc (23 chapters, 218-240. Season 5, 6 episodes, 101, 108-112.)
The 16th arc in the manga, but the 17th arc in the Anime. There is a fight between league of villains and Gigantomachia and the meta liberation Army. The backstories of many of the villains, especially Shigaraki, are revealed. Shigaraki awakens his true powers and destroys Deika city.
Episode 113 then moves back into the Paranormal Liberation War Arc, showing the formation of the paranormal liberation front, and the students of U.A. and the pro heroes gearing up for the war.
My Hero Academia anime presumably reorders the arcs to make it more attention-grabbing for the viewers, while making it more fluid. They succeed in the first task, their success with the second is up for debate, especially with the inclusion of episode 104, which is an anime original episode meant to promote the My Hero Academia: World heroes movie.
What to expect from Season 6
While the manga arcs show incredible potential, especially the MLA arc, My Hero Academia Season 5 fails to live up to it. However, the longest and most gruesome My Hero Academia manga arc, the paranormal liberation war Arc, or simply War Arc, is slated to begin in season 6.
This arc takes up 54 chapters in the My Hero Academia manga, and will probably require most, if not all, of My Hero Academia season 6.