My Hero Academia has etched itself into the hearts of anime fans worldwide, balancing explosive Quirk battles with a deeply emotional coming-of-age story. Yet, like almost every long-running shonen adaptation, the series occasionally steps away from Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga to air episodes that don’t directly push the central plot forward. For viewers trying to navigate the climb to U.A. High’s top hero course, understanding what these filler episodes are—and are not—makes a genuine difference in how fluidly the story lands. This guide breaks down every diversionary episode, explains why they exist, and offers a thoughtful approach to watching them without losing narrative momentum.

What Exactly Is a Filler Episode?

In anime, a filler episode describes any installment that contains content not found in the source material—usually a manga. Studios introduce filler for practical reasons: an anime catches up to the manga too quickly, a season needs padding to end at a specific narrative beat, or production schedules demand a creative breather. Whatever the cause, the result is an episode that sits outside the official canon. For a series like My Hero Academia, which broadly follows Horikoshi’s chapters with remarkable fidelity, filler is rare but not entirely absent. Some episodes serve as pure recaps, while others are fully original stories that focus on side characters, comedic escapades, or slice-of-life interactions that the manga’s breakneck pacing often skips.

The term “filler” can carry a negative stigma, but that reaction frequently misses the broader craft at play. A well-constructed filler segment can deepen our understanding of a character’s inner world, build out a corner of the setting that the main plot neglects, or simply give the audience a chance to breathe between harrowing arcs. My Hero Academia benefits from a passionate staff at Bones studio, who often treat filler not as a burden but as an opportunity to add texture to an already vibrant world.

Complete List of Filler Episodes in My Hero Academia

Pinpointing filler in My Hero Academia requires care, because the series rarely dedicates entire episodes to non-canon material. Instead, it frequently blends canon scenes with anime-original extensions. Below is the most accurate breakdown of episodes predominantly considered filler, based on widely referenced anime filler guides and cross-referenced with the manga volumes.

Recap & Special Episodes

  • Episode 13.5 – “Hero Notebook” (Season 2): A recap special that revisits the events of Season 1 and the early U.A. Sports Festival. Framed as Midoriya jotting down observations, it adds no new canon material but effectively reframes character motivations for newer viewers.
  • Episode 25.5 – “Hero Notebook” (Season 2 Special): A second recap, this time covering the Stain Arc and the Final Exams. Again, entirely skippable for story purposes, though useful as a refresher.
  • Episode 39 – “Game Start” (Season 3): While the internship with Gran Torino is canon, the anime includes an extended rescue drill at a waterpark that does not appear in the manga. Roughly half the episode counts as original animation, making it a mixed-canon entry rather than pure filler.
  • Episode 40 – “Wild, Wild Pussycats” (Season 3): The road trip and the stop at the Beast’s Forest feature original dialogue and comedic beats not found in Horikoshi’s panels. Like Episode 39, it’s mostly canon but padded with anime-original character moments.
  • Episode 58 – “Save the World with Love!” (Season 3): The only entirely anime-original episode in the early part of the series. A licensing exam for aspiring hero merchandise designers turns into a bizarre yet hilarious investigation. It’s pure filler with no bearing on the main story, featuring Aoyama as the absurd spotlight character.
  • Episode 64 – “The Exam” (Season 4): The Remedial Course arc is canon, but the anime significantly expands the children’s backstories and the babysitting challenges. While the core narrative stands, a sizable chunk is anime-original padding that some fans group with filler content.
  • Episode 76 – “Infinite 100%” (Season 4): The episode itself is a climatic fight, but it includes an anime-only flashback to Nana Shimura’s past that was not in the manga at that point. This kind of expansion blurs the line between canon enrichment and filler.
  • Episode 86 – “Let It Flow! School Festival!” (Season 5): The musical performance receives a dramatic, anime-original montage that emphasizes Class 1-A’s unity far beyond what the manga depicted. It remains faithful to the spirit of the arc, yet the execution is unique to Bones.
  • Episode 101 – “A Quiet Beginning” (Season 5): Scenes showing Hawks and Endeavor’s agency in additional detail are anime-original. Similarly, the episode “Have a Merry Christmas!” (Episode 103) contains slice-of-life moments between the My Villain Academia arc that never appeared in print.

Beyond the numbered list, My Hero Academia has produced several OVAs (Original Video Animations) that are explicitly non-canon, such as “Training of the Dead,” “Survival Training of the Dead,” and the “Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training.” These short films are often comedic and designed as standalone side stories. While not TV episodes, they function identically to filler content and can be watched entirely guilt-free.

Why My Hero Academia Uses Filler So Sparingly

Many shonen titans—Naruto, Bleach, One Piece—have been forced into entire filler arcs spanning dozens of episodes because their anime outpaced the manga. My Hero Academia, however, follows a seasonal release model, typically adapting 2-3 manga volumes per 25-episode cour before going on hiatus. This schedule gives Horikoshi ample time to stay ahead, so the production team rarely needs to invent whole plotlines from scratch. The result is an anime that remains about 85% canon across its six completed seasons, a statistic far above the industry average.

Instead of full-blown filler arcs, Bones tends to insert small, character-focused extensions within canon episodes. A dinner table conversation at the U.A. dorms might run a minute longer, or a training montage might show Quirks used in ways the manga never depicted. These additions rarely feel intrusive because they are woven into the existing story fabric. This technique allows the studio to satisfy broadcasting requirements while maintaining a tight narrative grip.

The scarcity of filler also means that when a completely original episode does appear—like Episode 58—it stands out starkly, often becoming a fan favorite precisely because of its novelty. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, and watchers can approach it as a delightful bonus rather than a narrative hurdle to clear.

The Surprising Narrative Value of Filler Content

Writing off filler entirely can rob a viewer of some of My Hero Academia’s most emotionally resonant or just plain fun moments. Even when the material isn’t penned by Horikoshi, the anime’s staff understands these characters intimately and often uses filler to illuminate sides of them the main plot underserves.

Deeper Character Spotlights

Main arcs naturally center on Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki, leaving less screen time for classmates like Sero, Hagakure, or Sato. Filler episodes and segments routinely pull these background students into the foreground. Episode 58, for instance, transforms Yuga Aoyama from a one-note sparkling gag into a surprisingly desperate, tragically comedic figure who wants to be taken seriously as a hero—and as a designer of hero merchandise. The episode doesn’t alter his canon arc, but it adds a layer of fondness that makes his later, more serious moments in the story land with extra weight.

Similarly, the waterpark rescue drill in Episode 39 gives Tsuyu and Ochaco a chance to shine in a high-stakes simulated mission, reinforcing their brawn and quick thinking in a way that the Provisional License Exam arc otherwise doesn’t highlight until later. These character spotlights strengthen the ensemble cast without disrupting continuity.

Expanding the World of Quirks

Manga panels have spatial limits; anime filler can roam freely. The anime-exclusive flashback to Nana Shimura in Episode 76 offers a haunting glimpse of her final moments with All Might that the printed page hadn’t yet revealed. While Horikoshi later worked that backstory into the manga, the anime’s creative team took the initiative to emotionally prime the audience for All Might’s eventual, long-term struggle with legacy. This kind of expansion isn’t pure filler in the negative sense—it’s a proactive world-building choice that rewards attentive viewers.

Even smaller touches, like the dorm room decorating scenes in Season 5, flesh out the culture of U.A. High. We see how students from different backgrounds personalize their space, what hobbies they pursue, and how they interact when the world isn’t ending. These moments make the school feel like a lived-in institution, not just a battlefield staging ground.

Comedic Relief and Tonal Balance

My Hero Academia’s main arcs are heavy. From All Might’s retirement to the brutal Overhaul and Paranormal Liberation War arcs, the series puts its characters—and its audience—through intense emotional ringer. Filler episodes offer a necessary exhale. “Save the World with Love!” is a pure comedy, complete with over-the-top villain antics, Aoyama’s sparkling narcissism, and a lighthearted investigative plot that never threatens anyone’s life. Even within heavily canon episodes, anime-original gags (like Mineta’s extra pervy commentary or Kaminari’s “whey” face) keep the tone from becoming unrelentingly grim.

This tonal balancing act is a hallmark of Bones’ adaptation. The directors understand that for the tragic beats to hit, the audience needs permission to smile occasionally. Filler provides that permission without undermining the stakes of the canonical narrative.

Fan Perspectives: To Skip or Not to Skip?

Online anime communities are split. Some My Hero Academia purists insist on a manga-faithful experience and use websites like Anime Filler List to surgically avoid any added material. Others embrace filler as part of the full anime package, arguing that even recaps can serve a purpose—especially when binge-watching. The truth lies somewhere in between.

If you’re a first-time viewer racing to catch up before a new season drops, skipping recap episodes (13.5 and 25.5) is logical. They contain no new information. Similarly, if you’re short on time, you can skip Episode 58 without missing any character development that will be referenced later. However, if you’re watching at a leisurely pace, these episodes offer a welcome change of rhythm. Episode 58, in particular, is frequently recommended by the fandom as a hidden gem because it leans into absurdist humor that the main series rarely indulges.

Mixed-canon episodes like 39, 40, 64, and the Season 5 expansions present a trickier choice. Skipping them entirely means jumping past canon content. The better approach is to watch them but be aware that certain conversations or flashbacks are anime-only. For the most dedicated fans, reading the manga alongside the anime reveals exactly where the two diverge, transforming the viewing experience into a comparative study rather than a passive marathon.

How to Watch My Hero Academia with Fillers Strategically

Whether you decide to include filler or dodge it, a little planning makes the journey through U.A. significantly smoother. Here’s a practical watch guide that respects your time and your love for the series.

  • Use a Reliable Episode Guide: Sites like MyAnimeList or community-maintained filler lists color-code every episode. Green for manga canon, red for filler, yellow for mixed. This visual cue lets you decide at a glance.
  • Watch the Recaps Only If You Pause Binging: The recap episodes are best used as refresher sessions if you took a long break between seasons. Otherwise, they repeat footage you just saw.
  • Don’t Skip Mixed Episodes Blindly: Episodes like 39, 40, and 64 contain crucial character beats. Instead of skipping, use the fast-forward button during extended flashbacks or original comedy sequences if they feel slow.
  • Embrace the OVAs as Bonus Content: OVAs like “Training of the Dead” are entirely separate from the timeline and can be watched at any point after Season 2. They’re essentially long filler episodes with higher production values.
  • Read Summaries to Decide: If an episode is flagged as filler, read a quick synopsis on a wiki to gauge whether the content interests you. For example, Episode 58’s summary tells you right away if you’re in the mood for a comedic detour.

The Bigger Picture: Filler and the Anime Industry

Understanding My Hero Academia’s filler also requires a broader look at why filler exists in anime at all. Japanese broadcasters often sign contracts for a fixed number of episodes before a manga has enough material to fill them. For weekly, long-running series like One Piece, the solution is glacial pacing within canon episodes. For seasonal shows, the buffer is smaller, but the pressure remains. Bones’ decision to incorporate filler into canon episodes rather than spin off into non-canon arcs is a deliberate artistic choice that respects the source material’s integrity.

This approach has influenced how newer shonen adaptations are designed. Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen follow similar seasonal models, and their filler percentages are equally low. As the industry shifts toward seasonal releases over indefinite runs, the era of 30-episode filler arcs is fading. My Hero Academia stands as a transitional success: it inherited the long-run shonen need for occasional padding but used it to enhance rather than derail its story.

For international fans watching on platforms like Crunchyroll, the entire series is available uncut and in order, making it easy to fast-forward, skip, or revisit any episode. The streaming era has handed control back to the viewer in a way that linear TV never could.

Frequently Mislabeled Episodes: What’s Actually Canon?

A persistent source of confusion comes from online discussions that label emotionally slower or training-heavy episodes as filler, even when they’re direct adaptations of manga chapters. Episodes like “Roaring Upheaval” (Season 4) and many of the internship chapters are entirely canon despite feeling like side content. The difference lies in original authorship. Canon episodes move the narrative forward according to Horikoshi’s design, even if the pace temporarily relaxes. Filler episodes introduce events that either don’t happen in the manga at all or significantly alter the manga’s presentation without adding new official lore.

Another common mistake is categorizing anime-first flashbacks as filler. While they weren’t in the manga at the time of airing, some—like Nana Shimura’s backstory—were later integrated into canon by the author himself. This retroactive canonization blurs lines and demonstrates that the anime team and Horikoshi maintain a collaborative relationship. Such moments are best considered “anime-canon” rather than filler, a distinction that comes with the understanding that the anime occasionally prefigures manga revelations with the author’s blessing.

How Filler Shapes the Romance Subplots

My Hero Academia is not a romance series, but subtle relationships simmer in the background. Filler episodes and anime-original scenes often amplify these dynamics. The waterpark rescue drill adds a charged moment between Midoriya and Uraraka, while the School Festival episodes extend the camaraderie between Class 1-A in ways that gentle shippers adore. Even Episode 58’s absurdity gives Aoyama a vulnerability that humanizes him before his later, more serious scenes with Midoriya. By weaving these small character beats into filler, the anime creates a richer emotional ecosystem that the manga’s tighter pacing sometimes lacks.

For fans who invest in character pairings, skipping filler can mean missing out on the quiet, unspoken exchanges that make the larger payoffs meaningful. It’s a testament to Bones’ writing staff that even non-canon additions rarely contradict the established personalities, instead serving as plausible extensions of what these students might do when the camera isn’t rolling on a life-or-death battle.

Filler and the Dub Experience

English dub viewers encounter filler episodes with the same narrative content but occasionally different vocal performances that add a new layer. The comedic delivery of Aoyama’s lines in Episode 58, for instance, has been praised in the English dub for its over-the-top theatricality. Additionally, the dub scripts for filler episodes sometimes take creative liberties, slipping in cultural references or jokes that the subtitled version handles differently. This variation makes filler episodes worth a re-watch in multiple languages for the sheer entertainment factor. Streaming services like Crunchyroll offer both sub and dub, allowing fans to compare how filler material translates across languages and performance styles.

Conclusion: Embracing the Whole of U.A. High

Filler episodes in My Hero Academia exist not as a weakness but as a measured creative tool. They reflect a studio that refuses to let production constraints compromise the storytelling, instead turning necessity into opportunity. By carefully choosing what to watch, you can enjoy the series as a complete package: the breakneck canon arcs, the character-driven detours, and the moments of pure, joyful irreverence. Whether you watch in strict manga order or allow yourself to roam into anime-original territory, your journey through U.A. High will be richer for understanding exactly what these episodes are—a testament to the passion of everyone involved in bringing Quirk-filled dreams to life.