Summary
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My Hero Academia: Vigilantesis still in its first episodes, but the series has already shown what it is made of.Vigilantesis proving to be a refreshing addition to theMy Hero Academiauniverse, focusing on “heroes” who act regardless of the law.
Vigilantesis really grounded when it comes to the plot, and it has a somewhat darker tone. However, some fans have been paying attention to the “Spider-Man vibe” they get, especially from the main character, Koichi Haimawari. Could the creators really have been inspired by Spider-Man to create this protagonist?
Were The Authors Inspired By Spider-Man?
Anyone who watches or reads My Hero Academia: Vigilantes will soon find themselves thinking aboutthe parallels between Koichi Haimawari and Spider-Man. Not only does his Quirk remind fans of Spider-Man’s abilities, but he also acts like “your friendly neighborhood The Crawler”.
Even before Koichi joined Knuckleduster as a Vigilante, he used to help people with everyday tasks, calling himself “Nice Guy”. Koichi has the soul of a superhero, but his attitude seems more like Peter Parker than All Might. Furthermore, he is just a young guy living an ordinary lifebefore embarking on his journey as a Vigilante.
Of course,Koichi is not a knockoff of Spider-Man; he is an original character with his own traits, desires and dreams. Plot-wise, he follows a different journey than Peter Parker, but he does have that “Spider-Man vibe” that many people enjoy.
In aninterview at Naples Comicon 2019, creator Hideyuki Furuhashi actually admitted that he is based on Spider-Man:
Alan Moore’s Watchmen and Frank Miller’s Batman: The Dark Knight from DC certainly influenced the setting of Vigilantes. Our protagonist, on the other hand, is obviously inspired by Spider-Man.
— Hideyuki Furuhashi inan interview with MangaForever
So, for those who were wondering if there was any inspiration:yes, Koichi is based on Spider-Man, and that is probably one of the reasons why fans find him so charismatic. It’s also interesting that there is another character inMy Hero Academiawho is commonly associated with Spider-Man, Froppy.
Even Marvel May Have Seen Similarities
It wasn’t just fans who noticed the similarities between Koichi Haimawari and everyone’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man; Marvel noticed as well - and apparently they liked it.
My Hero Academia: Vigilantesopened up a huge opportunity for Furuhashi and Betten Court, and togetherthey wroteSpider-Man: Octo-Girl, an officialSpider-Manmanga, from 2023 to 2025, after they had already finished serializingVigilantes.
Octo-Girlrecently concluded, and the authors haven’t announced yet if they are working on a new series — they couldwrite moreVigilantesstuffdue to the anime adaptation.
Where to Watch My Hero Academia Vigilantes?
My Hero Academia: Vigilantesis streaming on Crunchyroll in most regions of the world. The series is also available on Netflix in select Asian territories, as Netflix Asia typically airs most major anime releases in a few countries.
The series may also be available on other streaming services in many countries around the world. However, Crunchyroll is probably the only one that streams it with simultaneousdubbing in some languages(including English).
Is My Hero Academia Vigilantes Canon?
SinceVigilantesdebuted, many fans have wondered if this story is canon to the main series. Vigilantes is set five years before Chapter 1 ofMy Hero Academia, and, even though it wasn’t written by Kohei Horikoshi, it is considered canon.
Good evidence for this is thatKoichi actually appears in the final arc ofMy Hero Academia, leaving no doubt that Horikoshi considers the events of Vigilantes to have truly happened in the universe he created. So those who are enjoying the series will probably like to see Koichi briefly at the end of the year whenMy Hero Academia Final Seasonfinally airs.
My Hero Academia Final Seasonwillbe released in Octoberand some major characters fromVigilantesshould appear in the season.
