The My Hero Academia anime series concluded after 9 years and 8 months, and at the final commemorative event, Nobuhiko Okamoto reflected on how portraying Katsuki Bakugo shaped his career as a voice actor and expressed his hope to remain connected to the franchise for years to come.

The television anime My Hero Academia, commonly known as HeroAca, reached its conclusion with Episode 11 of My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON, the 170th episode overall, titled “My Hero Academia.” The final episode aired on December 13 on the Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV network during its regular Saturday evening broadcast slot.

On the same day, a special marathon screening event titled “My Hero Academia FINAL SEASON ULTRA SCREENING” was held in Tokyo to celebrate the end of the series.

The event was attended by Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya, Nobuhiko Okamoto as Katsuki Bakugo, Ayane Sakura as Ochaco Uraraka, Kaito Ishikawa as Tenya Iida, Marina Inoue as Momo Yaoyorozu, Yuu Hatanaka as Denki Kaminari, Kenta Miyake as All Might, and Koki Uchiyama as Tomura Shigaraki.

Nobuhiko Okamoto on Bakugo and a Career Defining Role

As the cast looked back on recording stories and nearly a decade with the series, Okamoto shared how deeply My Hero Academia had intertwined with the lives of everyone involved.

He remarked that the series was one where the entire cast layered their own lives onto their roles, and joked that he might never encounter another character who required him to shout as much as Bakugo did. Okamoto said he was grateful that he was able to keep shouting for so long, adding that Katsuki Bakugo was the character who ultimately determined the course of his voice acting career. Laughing, he said he hoped Bakugo would take responsibility for that, expressing his wish to maintain a long lasting relationship with the franchise.

A Line That Captured Bakugo’s Growth

Okamoto also spoke passionately about a moment in the final episode in which Bakugo calls out to Izuku with the line, “Come on, Deku.”

He revealed that it was one of his favorite lines in the entire series, admitting with a smile that he almost quote posted it on X simply because he loved it so much. Okamoto reflected on how Bakugo’s way of addressing Midoriya evolved throughout the story, starting with calling him “Deku,” then using his given name “Izuku,” and finally returning to “Deku,” this time as a hero name.

He explained that calling him by his hero name in the final moment made everything come full circle. That realization moved him deeply, prompting him to praise creator Kohei Horikoshi and reaffirm how much he truly loves My Hero Academia.

About My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia is based on the hugely popular manga by Kohei Horikoshi, which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump published by Shueisha from 2014 to 2024. Set in a world where superhuman abilities known as Quirks are commonplace, the story follows Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, as he strives to become a hero who protects society from villains who misuse their powers. He trains alongside his peers at the prestigious U.A. High School, a leading academy for aspiring heroes.

The anime began airing in 2016 and continued through seven seasons, with FINAL SEASON serving as the eighth and final chapter of the long running hero action series.

Source : ORICON NEWS