Awesome Music / My Hero Academia

Hero too
I am a hero too
My heart is set and I won't back down
Hero too
Strength doesn't make a hero
True heroes stand up for what they believe
So wait and see

— Kyoka Jiro, "Hero Too"

My Hero Academia has a lot of good songs.

Awesome Music pages are Spoilers Off. You Have Been Warned.

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OPs and EDs

• Season 1's opening, "The Day" by Porno Graffitti, is a powerful rock song that perfectly encapsulates the struggles Izuku faces in his dream of becoming a Hero as the world around him seems to stand in his way at every turn.
• Season 1's ending "Heroes" by Brian The Sun does a good job describing how Midoriya feels inadequate in a World of Badass but how he will never give up and one day be the Hero he dreamed of becoming.
• Season 2's first opening theme, "Peace Sign" by Kenshi Yonezu, as the opening of the season that gave the anime widespread recognition and one of the manga's most celebrated arcs, the Sports Festival.
• Season 2's second opening theme, "Sora ni Utaeba" by Amazarashi, is just as awesome and adrenaline-pumping as the first two OPs, yet has a slightly more dramatic and intense tone, reflecting the arrival of Hero Killer Stain.
• Season 2's first ending theme, Dakara, Hitori ja Nai by Little Glee Monster, is a very cheerful-sounding J-pop tune about never giving up, with some very cute visuals with the female students of Class 1-A.
• Season 2's second ending theme, "Datte Atashi no Hero", is an incredible ending theme with a rock-inspired ballad, an ending sequence based on the Fantasy AU in the second popularity poll and if one is a fan of Sword Art Online's 1st OP, "Crossing Field", the artist for that OP, LiSA, does this theme as well!
• Season 3's first OP "Odd Future" by UVERworld, has received praise for its music and imagery, specifically the scene depicting the epic final showdown between All Might and All for One.
• Season 3's second OP, fittingly named "Make My Story" by Lenny code fiction. The lyrics definitely go well with the theme of Izuku having to embrace his power he was bestowed with and forge his path as a hero.
• Season 3's second ending theme, "Long Hope Philia" by Masaki Suda, which also plays at the end of My Hero Academia: Two Heroes. Though it encapsulates both the students' determination to pass the license exam and the introspection of their goals through every tribulation they've experienced, it also recognizes how much the immediate aftermath of All Might's retirement affected them and the rest of the world.
• Season 4's first OP, "Polaris" by BLUE ENCOUNT. Never was one of the openings so fitting for the arc it's tied to, with lyrics that express Izuku and Mirio's promise to save and protect Eri at any cost, no matter that they have all the odds against them.
• Season 4's first ending theme, "Koukai no Uta" by Sayuri. Combined with the extended flashbacks to her childhood, the song summarizes Eri's own role in her arc, capturing the feelings of drifting, loneliness, and fear she's felt during her traumatic childhood, and the budding hope that Mirio and Izuku inspire in her when she meets them.
• Season 4's second OP, "Star Marker" by Kana Boon, is both a very needed mood lift for the rest of the season and a poetic set-up for several character arcs (especially for Eri and Endeavor); the lyrics draw metaphors between stars, painting, and the act of connecting to convey the rapid changes hero society faces as it adjusts itself, and the need for hope amidst the uncertainty and adaptations.
• Season 4's second ending theme, "Shout Baby" by Ryokuoshoku Shakai. Though the music seems almost as cheerful as the opening theme, the lyrics and imagery poignantly convey a deeper reflection on the characters' past hardships that defined the paths they chose to take towards heroism or villainy, and hint at coming darker times that will test their shared desire to make a difference.
• Season 5's first opening, "No. 1" by DISH, starts off soft as we see Class A gearing up for the Joint Training between Class 1-A and 1-B, and when the training begins, the music speeds up with it with a fast-paced rock ballad about how the students are aiming for the top and make their own futures. Add onto this the visuals of Izuku vs. Shinso and the predecessors of One For All reaching out to Izuku, and you've got a great way to start off the new season.
• Season 5's first ending theme, "Footprints" by the peggies. What is shown as a simple day of the students going to the supermarket on a day off to get food for a birthday party (possibly for Kirishima) is intersected with shots that show the world is changing fast (like All Might snacks running out and being replaced with Endeavor snacks), and the lyrics about saying goodbye and hoping to meet up again reflect the students' mindsets. And yet shows the kids still having fun and enjoying being together.
• Season 5's second opening theme, "Merry Go-Round" by Man With a Mission is a low-key hard rock number that shows off the harshness of the Endeavor Training Arc, as well as the ominousness of the Meta Liberation Army arc, showing that both sides are quickly gaining power to step out of the shadows of those who came before them, as shown by the glowing All Might being replaced by Endeavor's flames. The lyrics (which are a cool mix of Japanese and English) are all about how these characters aren't living as shells of their inspirations. As the lyrics put it, "and now it's our round."
• Season 5's second ending theme, "Uso Janai/Believe" by Soushi Sakiyama. A soft, somber piece that cuts between Class 1-A at the dorms, Izuku and Bakugo and Shoto at their internships, and Hawks meeting up with the League of Villains with dark clouds on the horizon is all about how someone who experienced kindness after so much sadness can pass it on to others and improve people's lives. While it seems to be about Hawks and Izuku, many have suggested it may be about Izuku and his desire to eventually try to save Shigaraki.

Leitmotifs

• Izuku's themes:
  • What's the song that comes to mind every time you clench your buttocks and yell out the word "Smash!" from deep inside your heart? That would be "You Say Run", the resident Super Hero theme for modern anime of course. And then it got updated for Season 2. Meet "Jet Set Run".
  • "Worthy Rival, Written and Read as Friend", the theme that plays when Izuku figures out how to use One For All: Full Cowl, is an uplifting theme that celebrates another huge step forward for him in his path to becoming the world's greatest Hero. It also underlines his resolve to protect Kota from Muscular despite having two grievously broken arms and being beaten into near unconsciousness as he unleashes his strongest Smash ever up to that point.
  • Might+U, which plays during the climax of My Hero Academia: Heroes: Rising, and when Deku catches Eri before fighting Overhaul, is a vocal version of the theme, by America's Got Talent winner Makayla Phillips. It replaces the high energy of the original "You Say Run" with a heartfelt, emotional version of the theme, almost as if to say Deku is going to become the greatest hero ever, like he dreams to be.
  • Izuku's leitmotif is by far the most common song in the anime, whether the scene is a regular battle scene or a major developmental plot point, and even plays in several scenes where Izuku is not battling, such as Kamui Woods vs. an unnamed villain in the first episode and All Might vs. Nomu in the USJ.
  • The climax of My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission has another updated version of "You Say Run", called "Go Straight!", which adds a few violin notes at the start to build up tension, before breaking into the main theme. No better theme to accompany the "United States of World Smash" that Izuku uses to turn around the battle and defeat Flect Turn once and for all.
• "I Am Here!", All Might's theme, is everything one would expect the theme of the world's greatest hero to be: a sweeping, epic orchestral piece that is the musical equivalent of the phrase "It's all right now, because I am here!"
• The song most people associate with Endeavor,^note His actual leitmotif is "Endeavor's Power". "Just Another Hero", is a Dark Reprise of My Hero Academia with lyrics giving insight into Endeavor's character; despite the fact that he's the #2 (later #1) Ranked Hero, people only see him in shadow of All-Might, as 'just another hero', but he keeps fighting despite that.
• Bakugo gets his own awesome theme in season 2, appropriately titled "Bombing King!!", as bombastic as the man himself.
• "Can't Look in the Eyes of Serenity" is an Uraraka theme that plays when she explains why she wants to be a hero and during her emotional phone call with her dad after her match in the sports festival. It's also used briefly in Season 3 subversively during the hero license exam until it's revealed the Uraraka that Deku saved wasn't really her.
• "Shougaibutsu Kyousou", Mei Hatsume's theme, is a wacky, upbeat ska piece that fits her manic self-promoting personality.
• "Your Power", Todoroki's theme, is powerful and emotional and very much befitting to the character.
• "Ingenium", Iida's melancholic and beautiful theme for his breakdown in late Season 2.
• The collective theme of the League of Villains, "Enemy Strike", combines the hard-hitting beats of dubstep with an Ethereal Choir and a strong violin accompaniment to create a uniquely foreboding theme. Listen for the drop at 33 seconds.
• "Vanguard Action Squad - All Out Attack", for when the League's elite villains debut in the training camp arc - or when Dabi shows up. Nothing's better than having this electro-dubstep and metal track (with a brief lull 40 seconds in) accompany you when you're attacking a training camp full of heroes in training - and scaring them shitless.
• The two themes of All for One are just as absolutely terrifying as the character itself.
• "Yuga Aoyama", the theme for Aoyama, is a much more chilled out remix of "Just Another Hero", which really goes along with his Hidden Depths.
• "Momo Yaoyorozu", is a soft, sweet and sophisticated piece with a violin in the forefront, befitting of the class' Ojou.
• "Inasa Yoarashi" is a Hot-Blooded rock heavy song that mixes in with Japanese sounds to showcase one of the most intense characters of the manga.
• "Mirio" is a fun electro song that befits Mirio's quirky and upbeat personality perfectly.
• "Overhaul" is a terrifying yet slow-paced piece using Japanese instruments and 808s for a Japanese trap-music fusion feel that really transmits that you are dealing with a dangerous Yakuza.

Others

• "Katsuki and Izuku" is a very intense piece that mashes parts of "You Say Run" and "Bombing King!" Though it has yet to play during a shared moment between Midoriya and Bakugo, it plays several times to introduce the Big Three, and becomes especially apparent when Amajiki wins a fight between three powerful yakuza mooks on his own during season 4's arc to rescue Eri.
• The painfully emotional "Anguish of the Quirkless" just underscores poor Izuku's anguish over not being able to achieve his dream of becoming a Hero.
• "You Can Become a Hero", an emotional and majestic piece that plays over Midoriya hearing the words he always wanted to hear from his own lifelong idol, no less, adding to what was an already huge Heartwarming Moment.
• "Symbol of Peace" is a simple, joyful song that sounds at happy moments, such as when Ochako begins to realize the depths of her feelings for Izuku.
• "I Don't Need Pretend Friends", a shared theme for Midoriya, Iida and Todoroki as a team when they face off against Stain. It later gets a reprise when Midoriya, Iida and Kirishima launch themselves together through the air to rescue Bakugo.
• "Trinity", the theme associated with Bakugo's rescue. The moment the drums start rolling at the beginning, you know awesomeness is gonna ensue, not to mention it works as the perfect follow-up to the previous one during the scene proper.
• "I Will Break Myself" plays during the climax of Midoriya and Bakugo's exam against All Might.
• "All Might with U.A. Students" plays during the climax of the battle between All Might and All For One, culminating in the music that plays during the UNITED STATES OF SMASH!
• "Light Of Hope" plays during All Might's final fight with All for One and Mirio's battle with Overhaul after being DePowered. It starts off low, but gradually builds as both heroes go beyond their limits to ensure the day is saved, culminating in an uplifting and triumphant climax.
• "I'll Be Your Hero", an action theme that starts out rather calm and slow, then picks up the pace as if to unleash all the power in a single blow. Fitting since it's the theme that plays when Kirishima uses his Unbreakable mode to give Fatgum the opening he needs to deliver his strongest attack, and later when Midoriya fights (and trashes) Overhaul with Eri's help.
• "Hero Too", starring Chrissy Costanza, is sung for UA at the Culture Festival by 1-A, led by Jiro, and Toho released a special music video for it. It exemplifies why the students are there, and is accompanied in the video by brilliant effects and all the training the group has been doing, and Eri's first smile is shown literally breaking out of the darkness her heart had been mired in.
• "I Don't Kill My Friends", an absolutely haunting song that starts out warped and solemn, coinciding with Tenko Shimura losing his sanity as he accidentally begins to kill his entire family, before becoming violently frantic and unstable, culminating in Tenko intentionally killing his abusive father, signifying the creation of Tomura Shigaraki.

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