Dragon Ball Unveils Official Crossover With My Hero Academia

Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, is teaming up with Dragon Ball.

By Megan Peters

Dragon Ball is gearing up for a rather busy month. If you did not realize, the franchise will soon return to television thanks to Dragon Ball Daima. Son Goku will lead the charge as he ushers in the anime's next big series, and of course, fans are hyped about the drop. The premiere comes in time for Dragon Ball's 40th anniversary, and in order to celebrate the milestone, the franchise just dropped a big collaboration with My Hero Academia.

Oh yeah, you read that right. Dragon Ball has come together with My Hero Academia all thanks to Kohei Horikoshi. The artist is the latest person to join the Dragon Ball Super Gallery initiative, so you can peek his work below.

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(Photo: Shueisha)

Dragon Ball Meets My Hero Academia

After joining the Dragon Ball Super Galley project, Horikoshi asked to ink a new cover for Dragon Ball volume 13. Akira Toriyama created the original cover back in 1988, and it still stands the test of time. The volume, which features Kid Goku front and center, takes place during the hero's younger years. Following Piccolo's hunt for the dragon balls, Goku is forced to work with his friends to stop the demon king, but not even Roshi can stop the inevitable from happening.

Volume 13 of Dragon Ball is a definite classic, and Horikoshi wanted to try his own hand at the piece. He did not do anything drastic to the cover's composition except to add his own style. Kid Goku looks great under Horikoshi's hand, of course. When it comes to artistry, few creators hold up next to Horikoshi, and this latest Dragon Ball Super Gallery piece proves as much.

The Future of Dragon Ball

This special crossover is just the latest to join Dragon Ball for its 40th anniversary. Back in 2021, the Dragon Ball Super Gallery initiative kicked off with a crossover from Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto. Since then, a number of top-tier creators have taken part in the celebration. From Bleach to Chainsaw Man and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a number of creators have given Goku a go, and there are still more tributes to come.

While Dragon Ball focuses on its 40th anniversary, the anime is buckling down in the short term. Dragon Ball Daima is just days out from its release, after all. The much-anticipated anime is set to hit Crunchyroll on October 11, and it will mark Goku's return to television after Dragon Ball Super. It has been more than six years since the TV anime gave us anything new to watch, so expectations for this series are high. So if you want to show Dragon Ball some love, be sure to check out its new anime next Friday!

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And as for Horikoshi? Well, the man is enjoying a well-deserved vacation. The artist brought My Hero Academia to an end earlier this summer after a decade-long run. At this time, no word has been given on what Horikoshi will publish next, but fans are eager to see where the future takes the My Hero Academia creator. And if they really miss Deku, the My Hero Academia anime is still alive and well with more arcs to adapt. 

What do you think about this latest Dragon Ball crossover? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.

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