Koichi Fans Rejoice as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Becomes Canon

My Hero Academia: Vigilantes serves as a prequel to the widely known superhero manga series created by Kohei Horikoshi. The story centers on Koichi Haimawari, a Hero without a license, who possesses a unique Quirk that enables him to glide across flat surfaces by generating a repulsive force with his hands and feet.

After encountering harassment from a gang, Koichi and Kazuho Haneyama, a street performer, are saved by the vigilante known as Knuckleduster. Impressed by Koichi’s abilities, Knuckleduster urges him to join the ranks of vigilantes.

Fans have been debating the canonicity of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes. However, like the previous My Hero Academia movies, this prequel is widely considered to be canonical due to the presence of shared characters. Moreover, the recent appearance of the Vigilantes protagonist in the latest manga chapter solidifies its position as an official part of the storyline.

Please note: This article contains significant spoilers.

How Chapter 424 Incorporates My Hero Academia: Vigilantes into Canon

The highly anticipated chapter 424 of My Hero Academia will be released in Japan on Monday, June 3, 2024. Despite the early release of spoilers and raw scans, it seems that the series is approaching its conclusion, as confirmed by the mangaka himself. The Final War has finally come to an end.

Fans are eagerly anticipating Koichi Haimawari’s return in this chapter. After becoming a Pro-Hero in the final chapter of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, Koichi had moved to America, making this his first visit back to Japan.

Koichi is known to be a member of the Reconstruction Project, alongside numerous other heroes from different parts of the globe who have gathered to aid Japan. The combination of their unique Quirks is anticipated to result in the completion of their task in the near future.

How have fans reacted to Koichi’s appearance in Chapter 424?

Koichi as seen in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes (Image via Shueisha)

Despite only appearing in one panel, the protagonist of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes has already received overwhelmingly positive feedback from fans of the series. This excitement may stem from the potential for Koichi to have a significant role in the upcoming final chapters, although this is not yet confirmed. Here is the reaction of My Hero Academia fans to Koichi’s brief appearance:

“He’s back in Japan 😭😭 my goat returns,” wrote a fan upon seeing the panel that confirms Koichi’s return.

“glad he made an appearance,” wrote another.

The appearance was unexpected for some:

“I DIDN’T *** NOTICE THAT- OH MY GOD I FORGOT HIS BAN TO THE US WAS OVER- oh my god, my boy, the HAULER,” tweeted a fan.

Despite this, there are still others who remain unimpressed by either the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes protagonist’s cameo or the manga’s conclusion to the Final War.

“cant even be happy for the koichi appearance, everything else is so disappointing” commented one underwhelmed fan.

“What the hell is he smiling about, the country is in ruins,” complained another unhappy follower.

However, most of the comments have been positive, with people mentioning various aspects:

“Koichi finally is here. Now he will have to go to UA and teach the students and to meet deku” hoped an X user.

“I find it really funny that Hori redesigned the face visor. My brother in christ, the original was WAY to big 😅 possibly it also looked weird from the side angle if drawn with the OG proportions,” noted another.

It is hoped that Horikoshi will have further developments for the character, but only time will confirm this. Regardless, fans eagerly anticipate the appearance of Koichi, whether in the manga or a potential anime adaptation.