Where to Pick Up the Manga After the Anime

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 1 ended a few weeks ago, and some might wonder if they should jump into the manga before the next season comes out. And if so, where should they start reading it from?

MHA: Vigilantes is a prequel series to My Hero Academia written by Hideyuki Furuhashi and illustrated by Betten Court. Even though it is a spin-off series, many fans have found it even more interesting than the original story. But anyway, where should you start reading the manga after the anime?

Where Does My Hero Academia: Vigilantes End?

The final episode of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 1 is a transition between the Vs. Queen Bee Arc and the Osaka Arc, covering Chapters 27, 28, 29, and 30. The first two are the last chapters of the Vs. Queen Bee Arc, and the last two are already part of the Osaka Arc. However, in order to make the adaptation smoother, the production team changed the order of the events, blending them in a more natural way.

In any case, fans who have just finished the animation can start reading the manga with Chapter 31. Nonetheless, it might be best to start with the beginning of the Osaka arc (Chapter 29) or even with the beginning of the story, since the anime rushed many events.

In short, these are the main options:

Starting with Chapter 31 (not yet adapted by the anime)

Starting with Chapter 29 (the beginning of the Osaka arc)

Starting with Chapter 1 (to check things the anime left aside)

When Will Season 2 Be Released?

Now that the anime is over, many fans are already eager to know if the series will cover the whole manga. Luckily, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 2 has already been announced. Although an exact date is yet to be revealed, the production team has confirmed it will be released in 2026.

If the next episodes follow a similar pacing to Season 1, then they would need three more cours to adapt the manga (one cour contains around 12 episodes). Additionally, it has been rumored that Studio Bones made a deal to produce a My Hero Academia movie every year, with 10 movies being planned.

If their contract includes all the franchise’s spin-offs, then it’s possible that a few Vigilantes’ arcs, especially the Final Arc, could be adapted into movies instead of seasons. It’s important to note that this kind of contract sometimes works as a safeguard: the studio/companies won’t necessarily produce these 10 movies, but they will hold the exclusive rights to produce movies for some years.

Can You Watch It Without Watching the Original Series?

While Vigilantes was airing, many people who hadn’t watched My Hero Academia wondered if they could jump into this series without any prior knowledge of the franchise. Although Vigilantes makes many references to the original story, it takes place five years before it and, therefore, can be watched by anyone.

MHA: Vigilantes expands the lore of My Hero Academia and explains all the basic concepts of this universe, delving into them even more than the original series does. Thus, it is very friendly to new fans, perhaps even more friendly than starting with the original story.

Is MHA: Vigilantes Canon?

Another common question is related to whether MHA: Vigilantes is canon to the original story. Since Koichi Haimawari does make a brief cameo in the Final War Arc, the series is considered canon. Furthermore, Horikoshi has never written anything that contradicts the events portrayed in Vigilantes, so there is no reason to not consider it canon, even though it was not written by Horikoshi himself.