The anime series My Hero Academia is preparing to air its actual ending on May 2, 2026. While the show concluded its eighth season in December 2025, the creative team at studio bones has produced one additional episode titled “More” (Episode 170+1) to adapt the missing epilogue from the original manga. This special episode shows the lives of Izuku Midoriya (Deku) and his classmates eight years after the war against All For One, giving the global fanbase the closure that was not included in the original broadcast finale.
The Story Behind the True Finale
When the My Hero Academia manga finished its run in Weekly Shonen Jump, creator Kohei Horikoshi later added a special 38-page chapter exclusively in the final collected volume (Volume 42). This chapter, numbered 431, acts as an extended epilogue. The eighth season of the anime ended in December 2025 without covering this material, leaving the story at a point where Deku had lost his powers and become a teacher. The upcoming episode fixes this gap by showing the full ending exactly as Horikoshi drew it.
The episode’s title, “More,” refers to the extra content that was not in the weekly serialization. It focuses on the “Great Eight Years Later” time skip, depicting the former students of U.A. High as working adults.
Release Date and Time for Global Audiences
The episode is scheduled for May 2, 2026. It will air first in Japan on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV at 5:30 PM JST. Thanks to simulcast agreements, Crunchyroll will stream the episode for international audiences on the same day.
Here are the expected release times for major regions:
- United States (EDT): May 2, 5:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time)
- United States (PDT): May 2, 2:30 AM (Pacific Daylight Time)
- UK (BST): May 2, 10:30 AM (British Summer Time)
- India (IST): May 2, 3:00 PM (Indian Standard Time)
- Australia (AEST): May 2, 7:30 PM (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
- Canada (EDT): May 2, 5:30 AM (Eastern Daylight Time)
What Happens in More
The episode adapts Chapter 431 of the manga. Eight years have passed since the defeat of All For One and Tomura Shigaraki. Izuku Midoriya (voiced by Daiki Yamashita), having lost the power of One For All, works as a teacher at U.A. High School to train the next generation of heroes. The former Class 1-A members, now fully licensed professional heroes, reunite for a special event.
The promotional trailer released on April 24 shows the adult designs of the characters. Katsuki Bakugo (voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto), Shoto Todoroki (voiced by Yuki Kaji), and Ochaco Uraraka (voiced by Ayane Sakura) appear in their hero costumes, looking significantly older and more experienced. The trailer also hints at a romantic development between Deku and Ochaco, a plot point that Horikoshi left ambiguous in the finale of the manga.
The Return of Himiko Toga
One of the surprises in the preview materials is the appearance of Himiko Toga, a fan-favorite villain who had a strong connection with Ochaco Uraraka. The story explores the aftermath of her fate, adding an emotional layer to the epilogue that was heavily discussed by readers of the manga.
Why This Episode Matters
The original final episode of Season 8 ended on a somewhat open note. Deku had become a teacher, and All Might gave him a prototype armored suit to help him fight again. While that was a hopeful ending, it did not adapt the specific final interactions between the characters that the manga author intended.
Kohei Horikoshi drew Chapter 431 specifically to give a concrete ending to the relationships in the story, particularly focusing on why Deku chose to become a teacher and how society changed after the villain war. Fans who read the manga consider this chapter essential for understanding the full message of the series.
Fan Reactions to the Adult Character Designs
The release of the trailer on April 24, 2026 has caused a positive reaction across social media platforms. Viewers are specifically praising the character designs for the adult versions of Class 1-A. Many online commenters have noted that seeing the characters finally achieve their dreams of becoming professional heroes after watching them as students for ten years provides a satisfying feeling of closure.
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Production Staff and Cast
The special episode brings back the main staff from the final season. Naomi Nakayama is directing the episode, with Kenji Nagasaki serving as chief director. Yosuke Kuroda is handling the series composition, and Yoshihiko Umakoshi is the character designer. The music is composed by Yuki Hayashi, whose orchestral scores have been a defining part of the show’s identity.
The returning voice cast includes:
- Daiki Yamashita as Izuku Midoriya (Deku)
- Nobuhiko Okamoto as Katsuki Bakugo
- Ayane Sakura as Ochaco Uraraka
- Yuki Kaji as Shoto Todoroki
- Kaito Ishikawa as Tenya Iida
10th Anniversary Celebrations
The release of Episode 170+1 is part of the “My Hero Academia: The Animation 10th Anniversary” project. The franchise has several events planned for the rest of 2026 to mark the decade since the anime first aired in April 2016. A concert tour titled “My Hero Academia in Concert” is scheduled to visit Japan in May, the United States in September, and ten major cities across Europe later in the year.
Where to Watch the Series
All previous seasons of My Hero Academia, including the eighth and final season, are available to stream on Crunchyroll. The platform is also the exclusive home for the “More” episode outside of Asian territories. For viewers in Asia, the episode will air on local television networks according to regional schedules.
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