‘My Hero Academia’ Spin-off Reveals its Own Batman

The My Hero Academia universe has long had its own version of Superman, thanks to the world’s top hero and ultimate source of positive energy, All Might. However, every Superman needs a Batman, right? Well, My Hero Academia finally got its own version of the Caped Crusader in the form of the hard-hitting vigilante of the night, Knuckleduster.

For those who aren’t familiar, Knuckleduster is one of the main characters in the MHA spin-off manga, Vigilantes. He is a rugged, older guy who fights lower level crime in the back alleys and side streets, though he isn’t an officially licensed hero. Like Batman, Knuckleduster doesn’t have any special quirk or super-power, he’s just a dude who really knows how to throw a punch.

The big difference between Batman and Knuckleduster is the amount of money the two men have behind them. As far as we know now (31 chapters into My Hero Academia Vigilantes), Knuckleduster isn’t a rich man, just one that likes to fight and wants to do good. Batman, on the other hand, is incredibly wealthy, and has the ability to pay for the most high-tech gadgets and weapons.

Despite the difference in income, the costumes between the two strike quite the resemblance. Knuckleduster covers the top half of his face with a black mask, and dons a dark outfit from head-to-toe. instead of a cape, Knuckleduster wears a long trench coat.

Not only does Knuckleduster seem like the MHA version of Batman, but Vigilantes writer Hideyuki Furuhashi confirmed that his character was designed off of the DC Comics icon.

In the first volume of My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Furuhashi talked about his inspiration for the character.

“The concepts at play here are ‘if All Might = Superman, then this guy is more like Batman’ and ‘societal justice vs. personal justice,’” Furuhashi said. “He’s not actually a bad guy once you get to know him, but I never let myself forget that he’s also fundamentally a weirdo.”

So, My Hero Academia officially has its own version of Batman. If you want to see just how similar the two characters are, start reading MHA Vigilantes on VIZ today. As of this now, 32 chapters of the series have been published, and they are all canon to the original My Hero Academia story. For a little more info on Vigilantes, you can check out our series primer here.

What do you think about MHA‘s brand of vigilante justice? Is Knuckleduster the dark and gritty character that the series has been missing? Let us know your thoughts by dropping a comment below!