When Does My Hero Academia Take Place?

When does My Hero Academia take place? Estimating the rough timeline of the events shown in the Animanga series.

Deku as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)
When does My Hero Academia take place? (Image via BONES)

The My Hero Academia manga series has finally ended, and the fanbase thanked the author for his efforts. It was an absolute rollercoaster of a ride that readers embarked on. The anime adaptation hasn’t completed its run yet. However, it has reached the business end of the story. 

Despite the progression, this series continues to reel in new fans every day. It is arguably one of the most popular modern shonen titles. Therefore, newer fans engage in numerous discussions and debates surrounding the series. Based on their interactions, one of the reasons why this series was a hit is due to Kohei Horikoshi’s world-building skills. The setting is a core part of that, and fans seem to love it. 

This prompts an interesting query about when the events of My Hero Academia take place. As per a rough estimation, the events shown in My Hero Academia take place in the mid-to-late 2100s. The series doesn’t give fans an exact timeline, but context clues give us an understanding of when it might have happened. 

Is My Hero Academia Set in the Future?

A still from the My Hero Academia anime series (Image via BONES)

Yes, the My Hero Academia series is set in the future. One can arrive at this conclusion by analyzing the number of One For All users. The manga also mentions how long most of these users lived. Also, the analysis of the setting for the birth of All For One allows us to estimate the rough timeline. 

Another interesting observation is the architecture. It’s clear that the gadgets and the manner in which the buildings are designed are set in the future. Furthermore, the U.A. building can also change into a floating fortress. This was seen in the series’ seventh season when Brava and Gentle saved the flying fortress. 

Another example of the advanced infrastructure was the entrance test Midoriya and other candidates took part in. We could see the heroes take on incredibly high-quality, massive robots. Their technological advancement suggests that they were of military grade. The tools used to surveil and observe the exam also suggest that it was set in the future. 

My Hero Academia’s Timeline

Katsuki Bakugo as seen in My Hero Academia anime
Katsuki Bakugo as seen in My Hero Academia anime series (Image via BONES)

As mentioned, there aren’t any mentions of the timeline. However, the series’ setting and context clues give us a rough estimate of the timeline. It has been established that the series is set in the mid-to-late 2100s. 

The manga gave us some insight into All For One and how he was born with a Meta Ability, which allowed him to steal others’ Meta Abilities. Midoriya is not only the series’s protagonist but also the story’s narrator. He said that the birth of this child was many generations before he was born. Based on how the panels looked, the assumption was that the birth of All For One was during the early 2020s. 

Midoriya happened to be the 9th One For All user, and All Might was the only user who had lived for a long time. This was because he inherited it when he was Quirkless. All previous users only lived 12-15 years. Accounting for all the previous users’ time, it adds up to about 150 years. This is why we believe that My Hero Academia took place in the mid-to-late 2100s, and All For One’s birth was set in the 2020s.

How is the My Hero Academia World Different From the Real World

Nezu as seen in the anime series (Image via BONES)

One of the most obvious differences is the presence of Quirks, a term assigned to a set of abilities that people are born with. Most of these abilities are elemental, and it grants them superhuman abilities. Shoto Todoroki’s fire and ice abilities are the most basic Quirks in the series. While they might be the most common, his power output puts him at the top. Furthermore, these abilities can be passed on in multiple ways. Usually, a child inherits both parents’ Quirks. This is the most definite factor of the series. 

Another difference that one can notice is the infrastructure. As stated, the series is set in the future. Therefore, one can see a massive difference in how the cities and other buildings are designed. The existence of robots is considered normal in these cases. Another difference is the presence of animals who have inherited Quirk. While rare, it still sets the anime’s world apart from the real world. The principal of U.A., Nezu, is an example of this case. 

Conclusion

It is important to note that Kohei Horikoshi has attempted to expand on the world-building aspects. While he has done a great job, he certainly could have provided fans with the timeline. That said, it didn’t impair fans’ perception of the series. It was quite enjoyable, and other context clues allowed us to determine the rough timeline. Fans are excited to see how Midoriya thwarts Tomura Shigaraki and All For One in the coming episodes. 


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