My Hero Academia’s anime is ending later this year but the manga’s story has already reached its grand finale thanks to creator Kohei Horikoshi. Recently, the superhero shonen series released a brand new exhibit to honor the works of the mangaka, with Horikoshi revealing not just exclusive art for the property. In a startling new revelation, Kohei revealed that the villainous son of Endeavor, Dabi, was originally supposed to have a major tie-in with Marvel’s resident Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider. With My Hero Academia’s creator stating in the past that he is in love with North American comic books, it makes sense that he was well aware of Johnny Blaze’s superhero tenure.
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Considering My Hero Academia’s Dabi looked almost like a flaming skeleton in his final fight against his younger brother Shoto, it makes sense that Horikoshi would pay tribute to Marvel’s flaming skulled hero. At the recent UA Academy exhibit, Kohei spilled the beans on the original planned homage, “I originally intended for Dabi’s final form to be an homage to Ghost Rider and have him riding something. I had this loose image of ‘He has a giant patron and…” in my head and the line about him getting motion sickness easily when they attacked the convoy carrying Overhaul was a reference, or life a leftover, of that idea.”
Horikoshi continued, “I still planned to have him ride something at this point [at the end of the Overhaul Arc], but I dropped it after Endeavor flew later.” While Dabi wasn’t doling out any penance stares in his grand finale on the battlefield, the League of Villains member certainly was just as scary as the Ghost Rider.
My Hero Academia’s Future Past The Finale
Earlier this month, My Hero Academia’s spin-off, Vigilantes, brought its first season to an end. While a second season has yet to be confirmed, the manga had plenty more adventures focusing on Crawler, Pop Step, and Knuckleduster that were a part of the printed story. With My Hero Academia’s eighth season billed as its finale, anime fans are left wondering if Deku and Class 1-A might return via a feature-length film. The latest movie, My Hero Academia: You’re Next, wasn’t billed as the final move of the franchise, meaning it’s possible a new film might continue the tale.
While the final anime season is arriving this October, BONES has yet to confirm the exact date when the premiere episode will arrive. With villains like Dabi, Toga, and Spinner already defeated, the heroes can’t quite take a victory lap as of yet. Shigaraki and All For One are still fighting on, leaving Deku and All Might with the unenviable task of fighting for Hero Society against these nefarious villains.
Want to see what other elements Kohei Horikoshi left on the cutting room floor? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on My Hero Academia and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime or hit us up in the comments.
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Image courtesy of Warner
