Just when you thought My Hero Academia had closed its final chapter for good, Kohei Horikoshi had one last trick up his sleeve. The series may have wrapped its anime run with an emotional epilogue episode, but the hero world is far from over — and this time, it belongs to a little girl with a horn on her head.
Studio BONES has officially announced “I am a hero too”, a canon anime short focused entirely on Eri, the young girl whose Rewind Quirk played a pivotal role in the series’ most intense arcs. Written by Horikoshi himself and premiering at Anime Expo before hitting streaming platforms in August 2026, this is not some cash-grab filler. This is a genuine continuation of the MHA story, and fans are already calling it the most emotionally charged announcement of the year.
What Is “I Am a Hero Too”?
The anime short follows Eri during her high school years — a time period only briefly touched on in the original manga’s epilogue. After everything she endured under Overhaul’s cruel experiments and the trauma of using her Rewind Quirk to save Deku during the Paranormal Liberation War, fans have been desperate to see how this beloved character rebuilds her life.
According to the official announcement, the short is set in the same post-timeskip world as the main series epilogue, where Eri has grown into a teenager navigating school, friendships, and the complicated legacy of a Quirk that can literally rewind time. The title itself — “I am a hero too” — is a direct callback to the series’ core theme that heroism is not just about power, but about the will to protect others.
Studio BONES, the animation powerhouse behind the entire My Hero Academia anime series, is returning to ensure continuity in both art style and emotional weight. This is the same studio that gave us the Deku vs. Muscular fight, the Shie Hassaikai raid, and the Final War arc. If anyone can deliver a satisfying Eri story, it is them.
Why This Announcement Hit So Hard
The timing of this reveal is what makes it truly special. “I am a hero too” was announced almost immediately after the anime’s final farewell special episode aired. Rather than letting fans sit with the grief of saying goodbye to Deku and his classmates, Horikoshi and BONES pivoted to a new beginning — one that honors the legacy of the series while opening a fresh chapter.
Think about it: Eri represents the very heart of what My Hero Academia was always about. She is a child who was abused, stripped of her childhood, and forced to weaponize her own body. Her journey from a frightened girl locked in a cage to someone who can finally say “I am a hero too” is perhaps the most powerful character arc in the entire franchise — even though she was never the protagonist.
Giving her a dedicated anime short is not just fan service. It is a statement: the heroes we save matter just as much as the heroes who fight.
What We Know So Far
- Title: “I am a hero too”
- Writer: Kohei Horikoshi (original creator) — this is canon
- Studio: BONES (same studio as the main anime series)
- Premiere: Anime Expo 2026 in-person screening
- Streaming: August 2026 (exact date TBA)
- Focus: Eri’s high school life in the post-timeskip MHA world
- Status: Confirmed anime short, not a full series — yet
The Anime Expo premiere is especially significant. Anime Expo 2026 is already shaping up to be a massive event with its J-POP SOUND CAPSULE lineup featuring SPYAIR, Yoko Kanno, and Roselia. Adding an exclusive MHA Eri short premiere to that roster makes it a must-attend for any anime fan.
Fan Reactions Are Already Wild
Social media has been absolutely flooded since the announcement. The hashtag #IAmAHeroToo has been trending worldwide, with fans sharing emotional artwork, theories, and personal stories about how Eri’s character impacted them. Many fans have pointed out that Eri’s journey mirrors real-world themes of trauma recovery and finding purpose after suffering — themes that elevate My Hero Academia beyond typical shonen fare.
Some fans are already speculating that this short could be a pilot for a larger Eri-centered series. Given how popular the character is and how much unexplored territory exists in the post-timeskip world, a full spin-off series feels inevitable. Horikoshi has been known to test concepts through shorter formats before committing to longer projects, and this could easily be his way of gauging interest in a broader Eri narrative.
Meanwhile, debates are raging about whether Eri will develop combat abilities using her Rewind Quirk or if the story will focus on her emotional growth and everyday heroism. The title suggests the latter — but this is My Hero Academia. Expect at least one jaw-dropping action sequence.
Where This Fits in the Summer 2026 Anime Landscape
The Summer 2026 anime season is already stacked with heavy hitters, and the Eri short adds a completely different flavor to the lineup. While other shows are delivering massive battle arcs and tournament-style storytelling, “I am a hero too” offers something rarer: intimate, character-driven storytelling in a world fans already love.
This is also happening on the heels of My Hero Academia dominating the Crunchyroll Anime Awards 2026, where the franchise took home multiple trophies. The timing could not be better — MHA’s cultural relevance is at a peak, and this short ensures the momentum carries through the rest of the year.
Why Horikoshi Chose Eri
If there is one thing we know about Kohei Horikoshi, it is that he does not make random creative decisions. Every character he focuses on serves a thematic purpose. By choosing Eri for this spin-off, he is making a statement about who gets to be a hero in the MHA universe.
Eri was never a fighter. She was a victim who was saved by fighters. Her “hero moment” was not throwing a punch — it was trusting someone else to save her and using her power to protect them in return. That is a profoundly different kind of heroism, and exploring it through her teenage perspective could give My Hero Academia its most mature and emotionally resonant story yet.
There is also the practical angle: Horikoshi has clearly been thinking about the world beyond Deku’s graduation. The epilogue gave us glimpses of the next generation, and Eri’s story is the most compelling entry point for exploring what hero society looks like after the dust has settled.
Final Thoughts: The Hero World Continues
My Hero Academia ending its anime run felt like closing a book you did not want to finish. But “I am a hero too” is not an epilogue — it is a prologue to something new. It proves that the world Horikoshi built is rich enough to sustain stories beyond the main cast, and that BONES’ animation legacy with the franchise is far from over.
Whether this remains a standalone short or expands into a full series, one thing is clear: Eri’s story deserves to be told, and there is no better creative team to tell it than Horikoshi and BONES.
What do you think? Is the Eri spin-off enough to fill the MHA-shaped hole in your heart, or are you already demanding a full second series? Drop your theories in the comments — and tell us what you want to see from Eri’s high school years.
