My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Officially Passed the Baton From Deku to Koichi With One Season 2 Change

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has returned for Season 2, and it officially passed the baton from Deku to Koichi with one small change. After eight seasons of My Hero Academia, the main series finally came to a close in 2025 — though there’s still a special episode slated for May 2026, which will adapt the bonus chapter of the manga’s final volume. Outside of that, the franchise will continue with its Vigilantes spinoff, which is already shaping up to be one of the most promising Shonen anime of the late 2020s (and certainly of the Winter 2026 anime season).

Set several years before the events of My Hero Academia, Vigilantes follows a group of Quirk users operating outside the law to be heroes — precisely as the anime’s title suggests. Its main character, Koichi Haimawari, isn’t Quirkless like Deku, and he’s a bit older. However, he has the same earnest desire to help others and a similar admiration for Pro Heroes. It makes him an easy lead to get behind, which is for the best, as he’ll become the face of the franchise going forward. And one Vigilantes Season 2 change highlights that shift, passing the mantle to the series’ main character.

My Hero Academia Season 2’s Opening Monologue Is From Koichi, Not Deku

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Season 1 opens with a monologue from Izuku Midoriya, much like the openings of the original anime. This narration is a fun way to work a Deku cameo into the spinoff, and it connects the two series when Vigilantes needs it most: at the beginning, when it’s still trying to win viewers over. For those unfamiliar with the manga, it’s a clear reminder that the two stories are intertwined. It also honors Vigilantes‘ roots, as the series wouldn’t exist without the success of Deku’s story.

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However, Vigilantes is able to pave its own path forward in Season 2, and its opening feels representative of that. The premiere doesn’t continue the trend of Midoriya introducing the story, opting to have Koichi narrate instead. It’s a small detail, but it feels representative of a greater shift. Koichi is taking the reins of his own narrative, just as he’s taking it upon himself to pursue the life he wants — a more active stance than where he starts off. With Deku’s story over and done with, it’s also fitting on a larger scale to center Koichi instead.

Vigilantes Season 2’s Opening Change Highlights the Future of the Franchise

It’s difficult to imagine anyone but Deku being the face of My Hero Academia‘s franchise. However, with Vigilantes set to be the main continuation of it, this change seems inevitable. As My Hero Academia gets further in the rearview mirror, Vigilantes will be what keeps the attention on the property as a whole. This means Koichi and his companions will become the characters at the forefront of advertising, and thus, people’s minds. With Koichi kicking off Season 2’s narrative right after My Hero Academia Season 8 wrapped Deku’s, it feels like the mantle has officially been passed. Fortunately, both characters are worthy of it.

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