After a year of waiting, fans of *My Hero Academia* can rejoice as the title returns for an eighth and final season on Crunchyroll starting this month. The sci-fi superhero adventure anime series wraps up the story of teen boy Izuku Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita), who aspires to become the number one Hero, despite being one of the 20% of humanity’s population born Quirkless.
In *My Hero Academia: Season 8*, we’ll witness the ultimate clash between Heroes and Villains as Izuku and his mentor, All Might (Kenta Miyake), take on Tomura Shigaraki (Kōki Uchiyama) and All For One (Akio Ōtsuka/Hiroshi Kamiya) to conclude the Final War arc and bid farewell to the characters and storylines that fans have come to know and love over the past nine years.
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### MY HERO ACADEMIA SEASON 8: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
**Opening Shot:**
Petals fall from beautiful, blooming cherry trees as the voice of Izuku “Deku” Midoriya (Daiki Yamashita) narrates:
“The heroes declined, and the villains flourished. The odds of winning in a frontal assault were slim, and it felt like we were attempting to reel in a delicate line of string. That’s why we worked out a plan, split up our opponents, and tried to seize the advantage.”
A wrinkled hand reaches out before pulling back. “A powerful wind was raging,” Deku concludes, before a young, scarred hand catches an errant petal. “A powerful wind.”
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### The Gist
Things aren’t looking too great for our heroes as Season 8 begins. Season 7 ended with America’s number one Hero, Star and Stripe (Romi Park), sacrificing herself in a battle against Tomura Shigaraki (Kōki Uchiyama), and gecko-like Villain Spinner (Ryō Iwasaki) helping Shigaraki regain full control of his body. Additionally, Villain Himiko Toga (Misato Fukuen) sacrificed herself to save young Hero Ochaco “Uravity” Uraraka (Ayane Sakura).
Now, at the start of Season 8, Deku and Shigaraki are deadlocked in a brutal battle. Toga’s many clones of Twice (Daichi Endō) are overpowering and outnumbering the Hero forces while simultaneously weighing down their “Coffin in the Sky.” Meanwhile, the U.A. student duo of Tenya “Ingenium” Ida (Kaito Ishikawa) and Shoto Todoroki (Yūki Kaji) are en route to stop Villain Dabi (Hiro Shimono)—now revealed to be Toya—from causing major destruction as his thermal energy rises to critical levels following a clash with his father, Endeavor (Tetsu Inada).
But the centerpiece in this first episode is one last big fight between longtime enemies: Japan’s former number one Hero, Toshinori Yagi, AKA “All Might” (Kenta Miyake), and the 200+ year old Quirk-stealing Villain who forced him into early retirement, the dastardly All For One (Akio Ōtsuka/Hiroshi Kamiya).
As the last bastion of the Heroes’ defense able to stand against All For One, All Might uses an assistive mechanical suit to overcome his now Quirkless state. He emulates various Quirks and attacks of his students at U.A. to stall and de-age All For One enough to take him out of the fight.
While this intense battle unfolds, another fight occurs hundreds of miles north. U.A. student traitor Yuga Aoyama (Kōsuke Kuwano) stands as the unlikely last hope to defeat Tartarus jailbreaker, mass murderer, and corpse collector Villain Kunieda (Tatsumaru Tachibana). When “Invisible Girl” Toru Hagakure (Kaori Nazuka) comes to his aid, they just might have a chance to save the Heroes from Kunieda’s life-force-stealing evil flowers.
Get ready for plenty of surprises, epic showdowns, and emotional moments as *My Hero Academia* officially comes to an end.
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### What Shows Will It Remind You Of?
*My Hero Academia* calls to mind other fight-filled anime series revolving around the battle between Good vs. Evil (and the grey areas in between), such as *Naruto*, *Jujutsu Kaisen*, *Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba*, *Hunter x Hunter*, and of course, *My Hero Academia: Vigilantes*.
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### Our Take
The first episode of *My Hero Academia: Season 8* is an electrifying beginning-of-the-end that carries the gravitas, energy, and thrills you would hope for—and expect—from a popular show’s final season.
Even with moments of recapping previous events and over-the-top dialogue, this episode flies by and keeps you on the edge of your seat from the start. From smooth animation and eye-catching visuals to moving moments that tug at your heartstrings and humorous lines that break the tension of this sometimes grim, deadly war arc—the across-the-board amazing, evocative voice acting work pulls you in and gives you goosebumps as it honors the characters and story that came before while building toward an unforgettable finish.
There is an earnestness baked into the very DNA of this series that, even in its cornier bits, makes the show ultimately feel winning, charming, and human. It’s an absolute (Detroit) Smash!
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### Sex and Skin
None.
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### Parting Shot
All For One has managed to recover from All Might’s attacks and closes in on the older hero, ready to make his finishing move and erase that ever-present smile for good—when suddenly, the villain is frozen in his tracks, unable to move.
“Blood runs red for everyone,” we hear, before witnessing the return of the big *My Hero Academia: Season 2* villain, Hero Killer: Stain (Gō Inoue), who now fights alongside All Might and the heroes.
Also, a post-credit scene reveals Aoyama planning to work alongside Hagakure to free the heroes from Kunieda’s flesh-eating plants as his last act as a U.A. student.
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### Sleeper Star
Undoubtedly, Kenta Miyake as All Might. Even on death’s door with the stakes impossibly high, All Might retains a positive attitude, belief in humanity, and sense of humor—all conveyed through both the dialogue and Miyake’s masterful vocal performance.
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### Most Pilot-y Line
There are several All Might lines to choose from (it’s just in his nature as a slightly sappy, catchphrase-slinging superhero), but this one, directed to All For One, particularly stands out:
“I heard Shigaraki’s hatred has affected you. Then you can’t ignore me, can you? Why? Because I am here!”
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Get ready to stream *My Hero Academia: Season 8* and experience the thrilling conclusion to a beloved saga. Don’t miss it!
https://decider.com/2025/10/25/my-hero-academia-season-8-crunchyroll-review/
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