In April 2025, the popular anime series “My Hero Academia” launched a spinoff titled “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes” as part of the Spring anime lineup. The debut episode has brought the franchise’s unique interpretation of DC Comics’ Batman to life. This fresh anime run provides fans with a never-before-seen perspective on the hero universe depicted in the main series, focusing instead on ordinary citizens who must step up and handle hero affairs themselves. Set years prior to the events of “My Hero Academia”, this spinoff showcases the struggles faced by individuals long before the rise of professional heroes.
Since the storyline of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes” unfolds far into the past of the hero world, it results in fewer active heroes in Japan. With a multitude of criminals slipping through the system’s grasp, ordinary citizens step up to take on the role as unlicensed vigilantes. This marks the beginning of the franchise’s grittier adaptation of Batman, Knuckleduster, who is seen brutally confronting criminals in broad daylight as he pursues the origin of a perplexing drug circulating within the community.
Who Is Knuckleduster?
In the debut episode of “My Hero Academia: Vigilantes,” viewers meet Koichi Haimawari, a college student who’s quite different from characters like Izuku Midoriya. However, his peaceful life is disrupted when Pop Step, a popular underground idol, finds herself in danger at the hands of local thugs. Initially hesitant to intervene, Koichi eventually does, only to be rescued himself by an enigmatic figure who goes by Knuckleduster. Wielding brass knuckles, this unidentified savior swiftly takes down the three criminals, ensuring the safety of both Koichi and Pop Step. But his actions don’t stop there; he also… (continue with the rest of the original text)
Following a fistfight with all three individuals, he yanks out their tongues to look for any unusual coloring that might suggest they were using an illicit drug amplifying their peculiarities. He confides in Koichi later that this substance is what he’s been seeking, as it drives criminals into a frenzy and intensifies their Quirks to villainous levels. However, since anyone could potentially be affected at any moment, he felt compelled to act immediately because even the heroes might not arrive in time to effectively intervene during these new assaults. Thus, Knuckleduster assumes his vigilante identity.
How Is He Like Batman?
Similar to Batman in DC Comics, Knuckleduster functions independently from the authorized hero system established within the timeline of My Hero Academia. At this stage in the series, heroes and villains aren’t as clearly defined as they are later on. Although there is a procedure for becoming a fully licensed hero, like Shota Aizawa demonstrates, the system doesn’t appear to be robust enough to cater to every small community’s needs. This gap in protection is why Knuckleduster chooses to take action independently.
Characters akin to All Might are often tackling major threats throughout Japan, but there’s an ominous underworld of crime that seems destined to escalate with the advent of this experimental drug. This is the reason Knuckleduster has swiftly brought Koichi into his fold (even though Koichi himself prefers to stay out), and it’s why these two characters will soon find themselves in precarious situations as the storyline unfolds further into the Spring.
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2025-04-12 18:10