Summary

Some battles in the MHA anime fall short of the manga due to lackluster animation and rushed storytelling.
Disappointing adaptations include clashes such as Mirio vs. Overhaul, Deku vs. Gentle Criminal, and Shigaraki vs. Re-Destro.
Some battles, like Deku vs. Shigaraki and Endeavor & Hawks vs. All For One, were hindered by their lackluster animation and bright colors.

The animation studio Bones managed to adapt Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia manga into one of the most amazing and influential anime series of the last decade. While it’s evident that a lot of work went into its production — especially when it comes to the battles — sometimes it doesn’t even come close to the original manga.

A collage of fights in My Hero Academia that are better in the anime than in the manga: All Might vs. All For One, Endeavor vs. Hood, Shigaraki vs. Star and Stripe and Toga vs Ochaco Uraraka.

My Hero Academia: 8 Fights That Are Better In The Anime

Several of My Hero Academia's iconic fights turned out much better in the animated show than how they were depicted in the manga.

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By Julián Jorge Fernández Loyarte

While most of the time, MHA is a high-quality anime, it has also featured some fights that are nowhere near as good as their manga iterations, and, as a result, they left fans feeling disappointed. Whether it’s because of lackluster animation, disappointing voice acting, or rushed storytelling, the following six battles are some of the most egregious examples of this practice.

6 Mirio Togata Vs. Overhaul

An Emotional Clash That Should Have Had Better Animation

Mirio punches Overhaul after losing his quirk.

Chapters 150 to 152 (Manga) Episode 74 (Anime)

There’s no denying that Mirio Togata is one of the most endearing characters in the series, and, during the Shie Hassaikai Arc, he proved how much of a hero he was when he sacrificed his own quirk in order to save Eri. Even after losing his superpower, he kept fighting the villainous Overhaul and his sidekick, Chronostasis, with his sheer strength and willpower. This was one of the most emotional and inspiring moments in the manga, as Horikoshi’s beautiful art and intricate paneling made the readers feel how strong Mirio felt during this crucial moment.

Unfortunately, the anime version left a lot to be desired, since this same fight has little to no animation and is presented in the form of a collection of slideshows instead. While in reality, this is not too different from the manga, this was such a popular scene that most fans were expecting Bones to flesh it out more in the anime, but this didn't happen. At the end of the day, the beautiful music was the only good part of the animated adaptation of this fight.

5 Izuku Midoriya Vs. Gentle Criminal

The Climax Of The School Festival Arc Left Much To Be Desired

Gentle Criminal tries to crush Deku in the manga.

Chapters 176 to 180 (Manga) Episodes 84 and 85 (Anime)

Every arc of the My Hero Academia anime often features an exciting battle with incredible animation, especially if the series’ protagonist Izuku Midoriya is involved. Because of this, Deku’s conflicting encounter with Gentle Criminal was gearing up to be the best fight in the second half of season 4. It started off quite well, seeing as the animation did a solid job at conveying Gentle’s fun elastic powers, but the rest of the fight didn’t live up to the hype, since it was nowhere near as good as other battles in the series.

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By Mirza Aaqib Beg

The original version felt quicker, more dynamic, and even more tragic than the animated adaptation and thus, what felt like the climactic resolution to an emotional conflict in the manga was more of a run-of-the-mill mindless brawl in the anime. The season later concluded with the incredible encounter between Endeavor and Hood, so it’s clear that the animator’s focus went more into that fight.

4 Tomura Shigaraki Vs. Re-Destro

The Result Of A Poorly Adapted (But Important) Story Arc

Re-Destro tries to escape after Shigaraki awakens his quirk.

Chapters 233 to 239 (Manga) Episodes 111 and 112 (Anime)

The Meta Liberation Army Arc, better known as My Villain Academia, is infamous among avid manga readers due to its lackluster adaptation that omitted crucial scenes and had rushed pacing, factors that completely lessened the impact of the original material. As a result of these flaws, the climactic fight between Tomura Shigaraki and Re-Destro was extremely disappointing.

Without all the scenes that were cut and due to the brief duration of the arc, it was almost impossible to convey to the audience how tragic and empathetic the League of Villains was, and thus, Shigaraki’s crucial development did not feel as intense as it did in the manga. The final moment, in which he awakens his quirk and completely decays everything around him (including Re-Destro’s armor), looked great in the anime, but Horikoshi’s art made it look much more intimidating and dangerous in the original manga.

3 Izuku Midoriya Vs. Tomura Shigaraki

This Long-Awaited Rematch Was So Disappointing In The Anime

An enraged Deku bites Shigaraki's finger.

Chapters 233 to 239 (Manga) Episodes 111 and 112 (Anime)

After so much buildup across many different episodes and story arcs, the monumental Paranormal Liberation War Arc was finally going to give audiences the long-awaited rematch between Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki, especially after both of them had gotten so much stronger in recent episodes. To make things even more intense, Deku became completely enraged after the villain fatally stabbed his friend, Katsuki Bakugo.

Unfortunately, the animated version of this fight didn’t live up to the hype. In the manga, the angered Deku looked like an intimidating and unhinged beast who couldn’t be stopped and was doing anything he could to defeat Shigaraki. He didn’t look nearly as threatening in the animated version, mostly due to censorship and the unsuitable use of bright colors. The animation was also choppy and slow, which was very disappointing for what was supposed to be the climactic battle of the entire arc. Overall, this is a fight that is definitely better enjoyed in manga form.

2 Mezo Shoji Vs. Spinner

The Anime Lacked A Lot Of Crucial Context

Shoji attacks Spinner with a flurry of punches.

Chapters 369 to 374 (Manga) Episodes 151 to 153 (Anime)

The concept of discrimination against people with Mutant Type quirks — also known as Heteromorphs — was introduced fairly late into the plot, with it being most prominent during the Final War Arc when Spinner and his army of extremists tried to raid the Central Hospital. This led to him clashing against the young hero Mezo Shoji in a fascinating encounter.

My Hero Academia: 5 Best All For One Episodes, Ranked

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By Mirza Aaqib Beg

While both the manga and the anime didn’t really tackle this topic as well as they should have, the original manga at least properly set it up a few years prior with some important scenes that showed Spinner’s suffering and gave him a lot of much-needed character development. As previously mentioned, most of these scenes were completely omitted from the anime and thus, this fight lost a lot of its emotional impact. The animated version is far from bad, but it felt like it came out of nowhere in comparison.

1 Endeavor And Hawks Vs. All For One

The Choppy Animation And The Bright Colors Made It Look A Lot Less Intense

An injured Endeavor uses his flames to attack All For One.

Chapters 353 to 364 (Manga) Episodes 144 to 150 (Anime)

When all the heroes were divided into different teams at the beginning of the Final War Arc, the Pro Heroes Endeavor and Hawks were assigned the most challenging task: trying to take down All For One. This led to a ruthless and intricate fight in which the Symbol of Evil made full use of some of his strongest stolen quirks, while the two heroes pushed their respective powers to their limits.

However, the animated adaptation of this team-up was hindered by a lot of questionable directing decisions, like the use of bright colors and some rough animation that ruined the dark mood. It doesn’t look bad per se, but most fans were expecting an encounter this important to look way better. In comparison, Horikoshi’s art really shined in the original version, especially when Endeavor lost an arm and made a new one out of his own fire. This was one of the most epic heroic moments in the manga, while it looked just okay in the anime.

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