Summary
My Hero Academiais a beloved franchise with many memorable openings across seven anime seasons. Known for its large cast of detailed and complex characters, many of whomundergo significant forms of character growth, the series explores the superhuman society and many of those it calls heroes, as well as making the stories of its villains rich and intricate and therefore more tragic.
The series' openings are often beloved by fans for how iconic, colorful and catchy they are, and the same can be said of many of its endings, too. Whether it’s pure nostalgia, a bright and catchy song or memorable animation, theseMHAendingsstand out for many reasons, with the top ones being especially memorable and fun to watch.
15“HEROES” (Season 1)
Iconic and Nostalgic
The very first ending in the series has a strong air of nostalgia for the long-time fans. The visuals aren’t overall that interesting, and all viewers watch is Deku running as the night sky gradually turns to morning. This reflects the ten-month intense training he underwent, with early mornings and late nights, to get his body strong enough to inherit One For All. The final shot is of the beach he so meticulously cleared of rubbish over this period. As such, the whole opening revolves around this important moment in Deku’s life, which ultimately set him on the path to becoming a hero.
There are some brief scenes of Deku as a child showing his admiration for All Might, which motivates him to keep working hard so someday he can become like him and fulfill his dream. The song ‘Heroes’ is bright and upbeat and instantly memorable. There isn’t much going on here, but it hearkens back to Deku’s roots and the journey he’s only just begun to embark on after being selected by All Might as the inheritor of One For All.
14"Tsubomi" (Season 7, Ending 1)
Dark, Yet Dramatic
This ending is emotional, gloomy and much darker, showing shots of the villains' tragic pasts but also key defining moments from the lives of the four main heroes of Class 1-A, and how this has impacted them to this day. The visuals may not depict much action, but it serves to hit hard, showing just how each of these key members on both sides in the war are fighting for what they believe to be right and their own personal journeys.
As fitting with the song’s title, the visuals focus on blossom buds opening, reflecting a sense of hope and new life. Notably, the fact it starts greyscale and unsaturated, with color gradually coming in, subtly shows the light at the end of the tunnel during this difficult war.
13"SKETCH" (Season 6, Ending 1)
More Dramatic And Detailed Visuals
By this point in the story, the Paranormal Liberation War has begun and, as such, this ending paints a different sort of picture by predominately featuring both heroes and villains, and showing their two different perspectives on what it means to fight this war. This marks the start of the visual style changing to be a bit darker in line with the series' tone, with a more dramatic and realistic color palette.
There are a few different versions with subtle minor differences,reflecting major events in the series. After Dabi reveals himself as Toya Todoroki, the visuals change to show him as a young boy and then when he’s older. The same is true of the episodeKatsuki Bakugo: Risingwhich reflects his change in character as he accepts his own weaknesses, and also ofOne’s Justiceshowing Toga and Twice, who shared a close bond. The former two are also based off the manga volumes 29 and 30, which is a nice touch.
12"Long Hope Philia" (Season 3, Ending 2)
Calm, Reflective And Peaceful
This ending comes after the tremendous events of Season 3’s first half and marks the end of the era of All Might, after he gave up his power in the fight against All For One. Thus, this ending is calm and reflective with a gentle slower song and thus animation to accompany it.
The visuals don’t show much action at all, but this fits with All Might’s retirement and the burden Deku now has on his shoulders, yet overall, it’s optimistic as Deku realizes he has friends waiting for him. It also shows a shot of the beach clean-up again, which first set Deku on his path to inheriting One For All, which is a nice throwback to the bond shared between mentor and pupil.
11"Dakara, Hitori Ja Nai" (Season 2, Ending 1)
Commemorates The Girls Of Class 1-A
This ending animation focuses entirely on the six girls of Class 1-A, Uraraka, Asui, Yaoyorozu, Jiro, Ashido and Hagakure. This unique angle shows the deep friendship these girls have all formed with each otheras they each train to become heroes. It depicts their training and even some of the personal struggles they are trying to overcome in their respective missions to each become great heroes. A brief scene of Uraraka crying reminds viewers of her family’s financial issues and how she so wants to help her parents out by becoming a hero and making loads of money so they can live easier lives.
This ending segment is heartwarming and the uplifting song by Little Glee Monster is sure to stay with viewers. Even though MHA is a shōnen anime, that doesn’t mean Class 1-A’s girls should be overlooked, and this ending shows how they can be heroes too.
10"Believe" (Season 5, Ending 2)
Showcases The Calm Before The Storm
This is the ending sequence for the Endeavor Work Study arc, and, as such, U.A’s next ‘Big Three’, Deku, Katsuki and Shoto, are the main focus alongside Endeavor and Hawks. The song is reflective and solemn, possiblymimicking Endeavor’s slowly changing views and attitudetowards his family and being the new number one hero.
Seeing as the pacing is slower in Season 5 as the villains begin the build up to the first war, the reflective and solemn vibe is fitting, especially as the number one and two heroes are dealing with the mystery of the Meta Liberation Front and trying to discern what the villains are up to.
9"Rokutosei" (Season 7, Ending 2)
Stunning Visuals And Music
This second ending has some beautiful and multi-colored visuals and shows a vast number of characters, showing how the war dragging on is affecting so many, and that each member has a part to play. Like “Sketch,” the ending has multiple versions depicting different characters’ relationships with each other, that being Shoto and Toya and Ochaco and Himiko, reflecting how the heroes are trying to redeem the villains.
The bubble visuals could evenreference the first opening of Season 7, “Tagatame"which has lyrics about how the light of rainbows are reflected in bubbles as a metaphor for hope, something this ending also shows. This is a beautiful song and a visually pleasing sequence to watch which gives many characters the spotlight.
8"Kokai no Uta” (Season 4, Ending 1)
Depicts Eri’s Childhood And Tragic Turn Of Events
This ending is much more aggressive than its others, and is quite dark, focusing entirely on Eri. It shows scenes from her childhood in a vignette style and the trauma she eventually faced when she fell into Overhaul’s hands. This ending hits hard because of how tragic Eri’s character is.
This ending has a much more aggressive song to match the visuals and story at this point, but it shows the hope this girl has when she meets Lemillion and Deku and thus foreshadows how they’ll save her. This different ending really ties into the events of the series at this point and is memorable for its much darker angle.
6"Footprints" (Season 5, Ending 1)
Lighthearted And Extremely Upbeat
Season 5 opens with quite low stakes and this is reflected in this lighthearted ending sequence depicting dorm life at U.A. It shows each member of Class 1-A going about their social lives, including going to the supermarket.
This ending does a fun and good job of highlighting subtle traits that define each character, from Iida’s sensibility to Bakugo’s rebellious nature and even Tokoyami’s favorite food: apples. The fact Deku buys a hero trading card reflects an important and happy childhood memory when he and Katsuki each got an All Might one at the same time. This ending is a fun, upbeat way to end a lighthearted arc and is an enjoyable sequence to watch, depicting how close the members of Class 1-A are.
