The story and preview stills for Episode 9 of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, which begins airing on June 2, have been released.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes Introduction

They couldn't become heroes... but they still want to save people!
A grounded coming-of-age story about Illegals—unlicensed heroes trying to make a difference!

Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia, serialized for over ten years in Weekly Shonen Jump, has become a global phenomenon.
Now, the official spinoff series My Hero Academia: Vigilantes – ILLEGALS is finally getting an anime adaptation!

Originally serialized on Shonen Jump+, with a story by Hideyuki Furuhashi and art by Betten Court, Vigilantes takes place a few years before the events of My Hero Academia.

In this world, around 80% of the global population possesses supernatural powers known as “Quirks.”
In such a chaotic superhuman society, a select few are licensed as professional heroes who protect civilians from accidents, disasters, and villains who exploit their powers.
But not everyone chosen to be a hero can ignore someone in need.
This is the story of the unlicensed heroes—Vigilantes—who act outside the law to protect the people in front of them.

Episode 9: “Ferocious Mother Strikes!”

Koichi’s greatest fear—his mother, Shoko—shows up unannounced! Panicking, Koichi begs Makoto to pretend to be his girlfriend, but Shoko sees through the ruse immediately. With Koichi floundering, Makoto suggests a sightseeing tour in Asakusa to smooth things over. However, the tour bus they're on suddenly goes out of control! Ingenium and his team rush to the rescue, but Makoto is left trapped inside the vehicle...

Official Interview with Sayaka Senbongi (Voice of Kuin Hachisuka)

—What was your impression upon first encountering the story?
Since the focus is on vigilantes, I found its underground tone quite fascinating—it’s a refreshing contrast to “My Hero Academia.” Their actions may be smaller in scale compared to professional hero work, but that makes it feel more relatable, more grounded in our everyday reality. It struck me as a story one can enjoy while reflecting on their own life.

—Tell us your impression of the character you play, Kuin Hachisuka.
The setup that she’s a high school girl moonlighting as a villain really intrigued me. But when it came time to act, I found her to be a very difficult character. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Kuin carries a “major secret.” I approached the role by reconciling my own interpretation with the vision of our sound director, Mr. Miwa, during the recording sessions.

—What specific direction did Mr. Miwa give you?
One line that stuck with me was, “I want you to be more excited.” Kuin is carrying out a particular plan, and he wanted me to express her excitement as she watches the city descend into chaos. He also directed me to bring out her curiosity—her wonder at how things would unfold.

—As a character who causes chaos in the city, what did you find interesting about playing Kuin?
Even though I’m in the same studio as the rest of the cast, I’m always seated slightly apart. It unintentionally mirrors how Kuin observes Koichi and the others from afar as they struggle with her schemes. That physical distance in the studio felt quite natural and fitting for the role, which I thought was really interesting.

—Despite being a villain, Kuin is very popular among the cast and staff. What do you think makes her appealing?
She may be a villain, but her goal isn’t to do “bad things.” She’s simply curious and acts on that curiosity by carrying out her plan, genuinely enjoying the process. That pure motivation might be what makes her so likable.

—Episode 9 features intense action as Koichi and Ingenium work together to stop a runaway bus and save the passengers. What stood out to you in this episode?
That sequence was definitely a highlight. During the voice recording, the visuals were still just line art and had no sound, but seeing it fully animated with music made it feel completely different. There’s a thrilling sense of urgency, yet it’s also exhilarating.

Also, the cat villain is super cute! While it’s problematic that it hijacks a bus, its design is so adorable that I kind of wanted to ride it myself (laughs). There's also a scene where Enigma rescues passengers, saying “Hoi-sa, hoi-sa” as he lifts them. I was directed to act that part in a more relaxed, easygoing tone, which created a fun contrast to the tense situation. I hope everyone enjoys that moment too.

—Looking back, what scene has left the strongest impression on you so far?
The episodes featuring Captain Celebrity really stood out. His presence lights up the atmosphere, and in the studio, (voice actor) Toshiyuki Morikawa brought that same energy. I sometimes voiced the female fans in crowd scenes, and I found myself genuinely squealing, “Kyaa! Celebrity!” It was so fun to record.

There was a day when Morikawa-san had to leave early due to scheduling. He wrapped up his scenes quickly and left the studio with such style that I thought, “Wow, so celebrity-like! So cool!”

—Many unique characters appear in this series. Which ones are you particularly interested in or fond of?
I really like Soga Kugisaki. That trio—Soga, Moyuru Tōchi, and Raputo Tōkage—seemed like classic villains in Episodes 1 and 2. But as the story progresses, they start to feel less like bad guys, and more like endearing misfits. That transformation is something I really enjoy.

One of the core strengths of “Vigilante” is how each character—Koichi, Pop, Knuckleduster—has some sort of “flaw,” and they help fill in each other’s gaps. I feel like that applies to the delinquent trio as well.

—If you could have any Quirk, what would you choose?
I’d love to have Koichi’s “Slide and Glide.” It’s about as fast as a bicycle, right? If it usually takes 10 minutes to walk to the station, I could get there in five! It would be super convenient. Although crawling on all fours might be tough (laughs), saving time means I could sleep in longer or take more time getting ready in the morning—totally worth it.

🔗 Full interview available at the official site: http://vigilante-anime.com/

Cast

Koichi Haimawari / The Crawler: Shūichirō Umeda
Kazuho Haneyama / Pop☆Step: Ikumi Hasegawa
Iwao Oguro / Knuckleduster: Yasuhiro Mamiya
Shota Aizawa / Eraser Head: Junichi Suwabe
Tenya Ida / Ingenium: Kaito Ishikawa
Soga Kugisaki: Kōsuke Toriumi
Kuin Hachisuka: Saika Senbongi

Staff

Original Work: My Hero Academia: Vigilantes by Hideyuki Furuhashi, Betten Court, and Kōhei Horikoshi (Shueisha Jump Comics)
Director: Kenichi Suzuki
Series Composition & Script: Yōsuke Kuroda
Character Design: Takahiko Yoshida
Art Director: Yukihiro Watanabe
Color Design: Haruko Nobori
Director of Photography: Yingying Zhang
3DCG Director: Mizuki Sasaki
Editor: Kiyoshi Hirose
Music: Yuki Hayashi, Shogo Yamashiro, Yūki Furuhashi
Sound Director: Masafumi Mima
Animation Production: BONES FILM
Opening Theme: "Kekka Orai" by Kocchi no Kento
Ending Theme: "Speed" by yutori

My Hero Academia Vigilantes Story

Koichi Haimawari is a mediocre college student who once dreamed of becoming a hero—but gave up on that path long ago.

His secret hobby? Dressing up like All Might and roaming the streets, pretending to be a hero while helping those in need.
Koichi’s ordinary life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters Pop☆Step, a self-proclaimed idol who performs unauthorized guerrilla concerts, and Knuckleduster, a mysterious masked man calling himself a “cleaner of scum.”

Drawn into their world, Koichi finds himself involved in underground hero activities.
Are they criminals disturbing public order? Or vigilantes fighting for justice?
The story of the Illegals—unlicensed heroes—begins now!

Global Streaming Details

Premiered on April 7, 2025, in Japan, with international streaming on Crunchyroll.

United States & Canada: Crunchyroll – Mondays, 8:15 AM (PDT) / 11:15 AM (EDT)
India: Crunchyroll – Mondays, 8:45 PM (IST)
Other Regions: Crunchyroll – Mondays

Check the official website for up-to-date release schedules.

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Opening Theme: "Kekka Orai" by Kocchi no Kento

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Trailer

Source : My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Official