Best manga cover in My Hero Academia

My Hero Academia has a very distinct art style, incorporating plenty of color and vibrancy to help it stand out from its glossy competition, but nowhere can writer Horikoshi's artistic talents be seen more clearly than on the manga covers. These illustrations tend to give readers a sneak peek at the current events and characters involved in the story before they open up to the first page.

But at other times, these covers are simply Horikoshi having a little fun by placing the series' iconic characters in all sorts of weird and wacky scenarios. One thing's for sure though, Horikoshi knows exactly how to make a cover pop off a page with his skills as an artist, and now that the story is done, it's time to take a look at which of My hero covers rank as the most eye-catching and memorable of them all.

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Volume 21

A cover that showcases the subtle differences between Hawks and Endeavour

While Endeavor is introduced fairly early in the story watching Todoroki from afar in the tournament, he plays a much bigger role later down the line where his character is built upon and expanded upon a bit more. One character who has always admired Endeavor is Hawks, another Pro-Hero who looked up to Endeavor from a young age, with the two appearing on this cover back to back.

Through just this single image, fans can instantly discern what makes these two so different. While Endeavor burns with rage as his flames surround his entire body, Hawks looks cool and calculated as his wings are enhanced by his comrade's flames. All this results in a true feast for the eyes that also manages to feed into the characters and their personalities.

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Volume 35

The series' hero and main villain come into close contact

Simple but effective, Volume 35 features Deku and Shigaraki seemingly reaching for each other, while still being completely separate, both physically and emotionally. Considering this duo have been two of the biggest players in the My hero story since it began, seeing them come together for one of the final volumes in the series was a real treat for longtime fans.

There's also just tons of little details here to admire, including the yellow and red swirls that surround Deku and Shigaraki respectively, along with the shocked facial expressions and multi-colored title. This cover feels like both a love letter to the fans and an artistic vision of the protagonist and villain in one.

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Volume 33

A horrible cover that fits the darker tone of the Final Arcs

Over time, Horikoshi's designs began to become a little more realistic and atmospheric, and with this came a darker tone for the series. This is reflected in the cover of Volume 33, which shows Deku, who by this point has gone rogue, wearing his worn and dirty vigilante outfit, while Uraraka and Ida can be shown with faces full of emotion. The way these two are merged into Deku's costume is a clever way to highlight how much they mean to Deku at a time when he was fully prepared to let go of many of his friends.

The small streaks of rain covering the illustration also add to the darker aesthetic, especially when paired with Deku's glowing green eye, which glares lifelessly at the reader. It's one of the most horrible covers in the My herobut one that is so captivating to watch, and a real showcase of Horikoshi's amazing character and costume designs.

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Volume 8

A vibrant and colorful tribute to classic comic book covers

Arguably Horikoshi's biggest homage to Marvel Comics is the cover of Volume 8, with several characters all separated in their own colorful strips while Momo can be seen in the middle. The first semester final exams, covered in this volume of chapters, are quite a stressful affair for many of the students, especially Momo, who begins to question her own usefulness after teaming up with Todoroki.

On the other hand, Deku and Bakugo have quite a hard time trying to work together when going up against All Might, which is very clear on this cover where the two ignore each other while All Might stands tall and mighty in the background. Being able to capture the emotions of so many characters with a single flashy cover is a testament to how great an artist Horikoshi truly is.

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Volume 24

This cover manages to say so much about each League Of Villains member

The League of Villains take center stage in this cover to kick off their respective story arcs, and it's honestly remarkable how much you can glean about this ragtag group just by looking at them. Whether it's the quiet and reserved Dabi sitting in the corner, the humorous Twice rubbing her head, or even just Toga coldly looking at the reader, there's a ton of charm in this cover that comes from the various the expressions of each of the main villains.

Another nice little touch that takes this cover to the next level is the “Villain” sign that is put up to cover the original title, almost like a fourth wall break where the characters play against Horikoshi's rules. Shigaraki may already be featured on multiple covers, but seeing him and the gang in their natural environment is still a memorable image that effortlessly conveys exactly who each of them are and what sets them apart.

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Volume 25

An eerie illustration expressing Shigaraki's sadistic personality

Shigaraki is one of the scariest characters in the entire series, especially when his hand mask is removed, revealing his twisted smile and expression. Despite being very brash and sometimes hot-headed, Shigaraki is still incredibly powerful and takes great joy in tearing down the society of heroes, which is expressed through his face on this iconic cover.

While the purple hue covering the entire page certainly helps make it unique, it's the sadistic look on Shigaraki's face, along with his shaggy white hair and wry smile, that makes this cover stand out so much. Hirakoshi also decided to make it look like Shigaraki's clothes were starting to decay, probably as a subtle nod to his Quirk, and how it fits into his tragic background.

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Volume 1

An All-Timer that even non-My Hero Academia fans can recognize

Volume 1's cover has become one of the most iconic covers in all of manga. The image of Deku striding forward while All Might grins ear to ear in the background is an illustration that has become synonymous with the series, but it also sets the stage for what's to come. Not only does it convey the lively and happy tone of the early seasons, but showcasing several Pro-Heroes in the background also showcases Horikoshi's character designs, getting readers pumped for the adventure ahead and the characters they'll meet along the way.

This cover would become so legendary that it would even be referenced in the final volume, which replaces All Might with an older Deku. However, this volume cover still stands as one of the best in the series' history, to the point that it has even convinced non-My hero fans to pick it up just for the picture.

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Volume 11

Horikoshi showcases his incredible character designs in full through a minimalist cover

This intense cover features a rare image of All Might without his signature smile. Instead, he can be seen with a terrifying look on his face as he gears up for one of his incredibly powerful attacks, clearly battered and bruised from his fight with a certain someone. This volume begins with All Might confronting All For One, which is arguably one of the most exciting parts of the entire series, so it seems fitting that this cover would be as epic as it is.

The choice to completely remove the background also makes Horikoshi's character design really stand out, especially the color coordination which makes All Might look even more captivating. Overall, it's a dazzling illustration that does a perfect job of highlighting just how high the stakes were for this epic duel between two arch-enemies.