In 2025, anime fans lost one of the biggest and most iconic series in the form of My Hero Academiawhich finally aired its final season. The end of My Hero Academia was emotionally packed, and the accumulation of 10 years of great content only made it hit that much harder for fans. With its conclusion, My Hero Academia has cemented itself as a legend, and it's a series that will still be talked about for years to come.
This year's 2026 anime is set to take Solo Leveling's Crown
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But with its end, fans will flock to new series to fill the void, and Crunchyroll may have the perfect replacement that just started airing in winter 2026 it's up to the task. This new series has already proven to be a hit, and like My Hero Academia, it focuses on Heroes. Although the two series tackle the subject of Heroes very differently, they are equally exciting. This new series is none other than Sentenced To Be A Hero. This series is exploding and may soon become one of Crunchyroll's new most popular anime.
My Hero Academia's ending left a big gap behind
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MHA Season 8 ended in 2025
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New series will try to replace it
It's no secret that My Hero Academia just left a huge void to fill after its ending. My Hero Academia started airing in 2016, which is exactly 10 years ago, and since then it has become one of the biggest anime series of all time.
Towards the end of 2025, the series concluded with the Final War Saga, which featured in Season 8. What made season 8 even sadder is the fact that it only had 11 episodes, making it the shortest in the entire franchise.
Clearly, fans didn't get much time to say goodbye to the series last year. Even so, My Hero Academia Season 8 was still a sensation. If anything, many would say that My Hero Academia's final season was by far the best anime of 2025, and fans can clearly see why.
My Hero Academia Season 8 featured incredible animation, direction and production from Studio Bones. It's clear that Bones went all out for this finale, which is why the season was very well received by fans. Throughout its run, My Hero Academia became one of the highest rated anime seasons of 2025, with every single episode rated 9 or higher. This is almost unheard of and shows how amazing this final season was.
My Hero Academia is over, but doomed to be a hero can replace it
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Crunchyroll's new winter hit 2026 is already making waves
With My Hero Academia ending, fans who have been following this anime for a decade are now wondering what else they can turn to.
My Hero Academia's premise is very interesting as it follows the main character, Izuku Midoriya, on his quest to become the greatest hero in a world centered around professional heroes and their fight against villains.
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Interestingly enough, Crunchyroll has a new series that also focuses on Heroes and is none other than Sentenced to be a Hero. This anime just started in January 2026, and without a doubt, it has already proven to be a huge hit. Sentenced to be a Hero had a one-hour special episode premiere and fans are already hooked on this series, especially as Studio Kai has gone all out for it. Many believe that this new series, even with its differences from My Hero Academia, could replace it as the biggest new hero anime.
Doomed to be a hero takes a whole different spin on being a hero
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Becoming a hero is a punishment
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A unique twist on My Hero Academia
While both My Hero Academia and Sentenced to be a Hero focus on Heroes, they both take very different spins on the subject.
In My Hero Academia, being a pro hero is a prestigious honor. Kids dream of attending a hero school in hopes of one day becoming a pro hero themselves. Deku's own dream at the beginning of My Hero Academia was to be a hero despite being born without a quirk.
In Sentenced to be a Hero, however, it is quite the opposite. People don't want to be a hero, but they are forced to, and the hero position is not a prestige, but a punishment. Instead of being executed, the protagonist Xylo Forbartz is forced to become a hero.
Doomed to be a Hero is a must watch on Crunchyroll
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The series will have 12 episodes in total
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Broadcast every Thursday
As for anime winter 2026, Sentenced to be a Hero is a must watch right now and it has been all the rage across the anime community. Fans already know that the anime will have a total of 12 episodes, which means they're in for an exciting run.
Of course, the first episode was longer than average, since it was a one-hour special, but the rest of the episodes will be normal length. Fans can watch new episodes of Sentenced to be a Hero every week on Crunchyroll, every Thursday. With its level of initial success, fans are sure that this anime will be renewed for a second season very soon. It's definitely different from My Hero Academia, but an interesting spin on the Heroes concept that fans should tune into every week.
My Hero Academia still has more in store despite its anime conclusion
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More MHA projects are coming in 2026
As far as My Hero Academia going, fans know that the series officially ended in 2025. However, there is more in store for fans of the story. My Hero Academia has one more episode confirmed to come in May 2026. This episode, titled “More”, will be the true end of the storyand fans are excited to see what that might look like. As manga readers know, this episode will cover the final chapter of the manga, Chapter 431.
It doesn't stop there, because right now a My Hero Academia sequel is actually airing along with Sentenced to be a Hero. This sequel, as fans know, is My Hero Academia Vigilanteswhich is now officially back for its second season. Even though the story wasn't written by the original creator of My Hero Academia, it's still an exciting journey worth checking out.
My Hero Academia is a story about heroes in a world where special powers, called Quirks, are assigned to people at birth. In a world where heroes and villains battle, Deku aims to become the greatest hero of all time like his idol, All Might. The My Hero Academia manga ended with 431 chapters for fans to read. All these chapters are available on Manga Plus. My Hero Academia is also airing its final season, which will consist of 11 episodes in total. The series can be seen on Crunchyroll.
