Though the age-old saying warns against judging a book by its’ cover, some of the manga covers from the My Hero Academia series are too enticing to pass up. Kohei Horikoshi did an excellent job illustrating the covers of each volume of the manga. These illustrations are vivid and detailed, giving potential readers an idea of each volume’s focal point.
When illustrating a manga cover, mangakas tend to go for bold colors and images that evoke emotions out of whoever stumbles across it. The cover of a manga, ideally, tells a fascinating and robust story in and of itself. My Hero Academia is no exception.
WARNING: Spoilers ahead for My Hero Academia by Kohei Horikoshi.
10 Volume 30 Showcases Dabi’s Dance
Volume 30 of My Hero Academia takes place during the climax of the Paranormal Liberation War arc. Just as things can’t get any worse for the heroes, Dabi exposes his past and the reality of being one of Endeavor’s sons. He enters the scene laughing as he announces that his actual name is Toya Todoroki and he promises to tango with Endeavor and Shoto in hell.
The cover of this My Hero Academia Volume 30 reflects this scene in a literal sense. It depicts Dabi dancing amidst his blue flames on a pitch-black background. Dabi looks unhinged as he dances among the blue flames, but ironically, he appears liberated.
9 Volume 2 Depicts The Rivalry Between Bakugo & Midoriya
Volume 2 of My Hero Academia focuses on the Battle Trial Arc. This is when Bakugo and Midoriya are paired against each other for the first time at U.A. Before this, there had already been a lot of resentment, anger, and overall complicated feelings between the two of them that had been bubbling beneath the surface. Everything boiled over during this fight.
The cover of My Hero Academia Volume 2 perfectly depicts Bakugo and Midoriya’s rivalry. Upon a crimson red background are Bakugo and Midoriya. Bakugo dons his usual irritated facial expression, while Midoriya looks up at him with determination. A thick black rift divides them. This cover not only depicts the divide between the two of them quite literally, but it also showcases the years and years of volatility between the two.
8 Volume 10 Shows The Dueling Forces Surrounding Bakugo
My Hero Academia Volume 10 takes place after Bakugo gets kidnapped by the League of Villains. They took an interest in Bakugo because of his volatile temper that resulted in him getting restrained on the podium after winning the Sports Festival. Upon being kidnapped, Bakugo’s heroism was tested. He refused to join the League of Villains, outright insulting them and mocking them for being so stupid as to believe he’d actually join their side.
The cover of My Hero Academia Volume 10 is just as chaotic as the chapters within. Upon a red background are two hands, encapsulating Shigaraki, Bakugo, and Midoriya. Darkness splashes out in between the hands. Bakugo’s fears can be felt just by looking at the cover. He’s stuck between the dichotomy of Shigaraki and Midoriya, who are direct parallels of each other.
7 Volume 16 Shows Kirishima’s Courage & Bravery
My Hero Academia Volume 16 shows the beginning of the Shie Hassaikai raid. The heroes had to infiltrate the yakuza’s headquarters to save Eri and stop the manufacturing of quirk-enhancing injectables. A few characters stood out during this arc, but Kirishima undoubtedly exceeded expectations.
The cover of My Hero Academia Volume 16 includes Kirishima, Tamaki, and Fat Gum. These three characters had standout moments during this arc. Tamaki, for example, held his own against three of the Eight Bullets. Kirishima and Fat Gum, meanwhile, had to deal with Rappa and Hekiji after being separated from the rest of the group. Kirishima, however, is at the forefront of the cover in his extremely sharpened form. He’s in the front because he’s protecting the other two, but also because Volume 16 covers his backstory and the way he grew to embrace his quirk to become a strong hero.
6 Volume 27 Depicts A Battle Between Hawks & Twice
My Hero Academia Volume 27 is when the Paranormal Liberation Troops face off against the heroes for the first time. Hawks continues acting as a double agent to get intel on the villains. Ultimately, he gets into a fight with Twice, leading to the villain’s death at Hawks’ hands.
The cover of My Hero Academia Volume 27 depicts the fight well. Hawks is flying above a mountain of Twice’s clones. One of his red feathers is in hand and he appears ready to stab the real Twice, who is reaching up for him. It’s a literal depiction of the fight, but it’s beautifully illustrated.
5 Volume 25 Shows Tomura Shigaraki Basking In His Liberation
My Hero Academia Volume 25 was one of the most popular volumes of My Hero Academia upon release. For a while, it was hard for bookstores to keep it on shelves and even trying to order it online wasn’t easy. This is because the cover of this volume is one of the most dynamic in the entire series.
My Hero Academia Volume 25 covers Shigaraki’s backstory and his journey to becoming the leader of the Paranormal Liberation Front. The cover depicts a bloodied Shigaraki atop a black background, cackling maniacally. He dons his new stark white hair. Anyone who looks at the cover can tell that Shigaraki is now a fully-fledged, liberated villain who demands that the heroes kneel to him.
4 Volume 28 Shows Aizawa Drowning In Shigaraki’s Chaos
My Hero Academia Volume 28 shows the heat of the Paranormal Liberation War. This is another chaotic volume because of how many pivotal events occur throughout the chapters. Dabi is on the warpath for Hawks, while Mirko faces off against High-End Nomus to destroy the stasis tank that’s powering Shigaraki. Things keep getting worse and worse for the heroes at this point.
The manga cover for My Hero Academia Volume 28 encapsulates this chaos as Aizawa is depicted atop a blood-red scarf, reaching out for something while activating his quirk. The red scarf symbolizes the chaos Shigaraki manufactured across society, as his red eyes and white hair peer out above the horizon of red.
3 Volume 26 Shows The Main Trio & Endeavor In Front Of A Cityscape
Volume 26 of My Hero Academia feels like the calm before a very long storm. It encapsulates the entire Endeavor Agency arc into one volume, so the main focus is the main trio and Endeavor. Volume 26 shows Bakugo, Midoriya, and Todoroki as they train under Endeavor while receiving top-secret intel about the villains’ nefarious goals for the near future.
On the cover of My Hero Academia Volume 26, the main trio looks ahead towards the future while Endeavor stands behind them. The three boys wear pieces of their hero uniforms with their school outfits while Endeavor’s dress shirt slowly burns away to reveal his hero suit.
2 Volume 24 Introduces My Villain Academia
My Hero Academia Volume 24 puts the League of Villains in the spotlight. This volume covers everything from their test against Gigantomachia all the way through their war with the Meta Liberation Army. It also touches on almost every member’s backstory — most notably, Himiko Toga’s.
The manga cover of My Hero Academia Volume 24 shows the entire League of Villains posing on a bunch of wreckage, almost as though it were a stage production. Spinner holds up a wooden sign that says “villain” in large, red letters on top of the word “hero” in Japanese.
1 Volume 33 Shows Deku’s Madness As His Friends Panic
Though My Hero Academia Volume 33 hasn’t been released outside of Japan yet, this is one of the best covers in the entire series. In the aftermath of the Paranormal Liberation War, Midoriya left U.A. High because he had a duty to be society’s last line of defense against All For One. He took on a new, darker look and became a vigilante of sorts. His friends decided to try and force him to snap out of it and come back.
The manga cover for My Hero Academia Volume 33 reflects the mental turmoil Deku is going through as he looks directly at the viewer, one green eye glowing slightly. Uraraka and Iida are in the background panicking, clearly upset, and Uraraka is crying.
About The Author