'My Hero Academia Vigilantes': What You Need to Know About the Spinoff Series

Over the last couple of years, fans around the world have fallen in love the characters and world of My Hero Academia, thanks to the success of the anime series. Now, much to the celebration of its followers, there is a new MHA spinoff series to enjoy.

My Hero Academia Vigilantes is an ongoing manga series that coincides with the main storyline, but it takes a different angle on the life of superheroes, and it's an absolute blast to read.

The series follows a trio of new characters that don't have powerful quirks like the professional heroes, or even the students of UA. For example, the main character, Koichi Haimawari, has a quirk that allows him to slide on the ground at sort-of quick speeds. It's useful at times, but not enough to make him a pro hero, no matter how badly he wants to.

In Vigilantes, Koichi is a 19-year-old college student who has long been a fan of big heroes like All Might, but was never able to make the cut. Instead, he lives his life as a convenience store clerk, wishing he could be more. Koichi and a popular online singer named Pop-Step, are recruited by an older, rugged masked man named Knuckleduster. Unlike the career heroes, Knuckleduster fights in the shadows and gets his hands dirty, taking care of lower level crime before it gets out of hand.

These three characters act as vigilantes, working outside of the law to try and be the heroes that they were never allowed to be. This sort of story works extremely well as a counter to the main My Hero Academia series, as it allows us to see what happens to those that don't make it as pro heroes.

As of now, Shonen Jump has published 31 chapters of the Vigilantes saga. The first complete volume (ch. 1-5) is being printed in the U.S. and goes on sale on July 3. The rest of the series (ch. 6-31) is available to read for free on Viz.com or Shonen Jump's manga app. The chapters may not stay available long however, as the printed volumes will continue to be released here in the states.

If you're a fan of My Hero Academia, you've got to check out Vigilantes. Not only do the stories compliment each other nicely, but you'll see plenty of your favorite characters from MHA pop up from time to time.

Have you already had a chance to read My Hero Academia Vigilantes? If so, let us know what you think in the comments below!