Understanding Canon, Filler, and Mixed Episodes

Before diving into the watch order, it’s important to understand how the anime community defines each category. Canon episodes are those that adapt material directly from Kohei Horikoshi’s original manga. They move the main story forward, introduce critical character development, and establish the stakes that ripple through the series. A filler episode, conversely, is an anime‑original story created to give the manga time to progress. Filler doesn’t appear in the source material and, as a result, has no lasting impact on the overarching narrative. Between these two extremes sits a small category of mixed‑canon or side‑story episodes: segments that might pull from bonus chapters, light novels, or volume extras, often providing legitimate backstory but remaining skippable for those only chasing the main plot.

My Hero Academia is famous for its exceptional adherence to the manga, which keeps filler to an absolute minimum. Across six seasons and over 130 episodes, only a handful qualify as true filler. The series does include several recap episodes and a few anime‑original OVAs, which fans may choose to watch or skip depending on their interest. This guide will break down every canon, filler, and mixed episode season by season, so you can craft the perfect viewing experience.

Complete Episode Guide by Season

Season 1 (Episodes 1‑13)

The first season covers the Entrance Exam Arc, the Battle Trial Arc, the U.S.J. Arc, and the opening touches of the Sports Festival preparation. Every single episode adapts manga chapters without deviation.

  • Episode 1: “Izuku Midoriya: Origin” – Canon
  • Episode 2: “What It Takes to Be a Hero” – Canon
  • Episode 3: “Roaring Muscles” – Canon
  • Episode 4: “Start Line” – Canon
  • Episode 5: “What I Can Do for Now” – Canon
  • Episode 6: “Rage, You Damned Nerd” – Canon
  • Episode 7: “Deku vs. Kacchan” – Canon
  • Episode 8: “Bakugo’s Start Line” – Canon
  • Episode 9: “Yeah, Just Do Your Best, Iida!” – Canon
  • Episode 10: “Encounter with the Unknown” – Canon
  • Episode 11: “Game Over” – Canon
  • Episode 12: “All Might” – Canon
  • Episode 13: “In Each of Our Hearts” – Canon

Season 1 contains no filler or recap episodes.

Season 2 (Episodes 14‑38)

Season 2 adapts the U.A. Sports Festival Arc, the Hero Killer Stain Arc, the Final Exams Arc, and the Forest Training Camp Arc opener. The bulk of the season is direct manga adaptation. However, two recaps and one side‑story episode appear.

  • Episode 14: “That’s the Idea, Ochaco” – Canon
  • Episode 15: “Roaring Sports Festival” – Canon
  • Episode 16: “In Their Own Quirky Ways” – Canon
  • Episode 17: “Strategy, Strategy, Strategy” – Canon
  • Episode 18: “Cavalry Battle Finale” – Canon
  • Episode 19: “The Boy Born with Everything” – Canon
  • Episode 20: “Victory or Defeat” – Canon
  • Episode 21: “Battle on, Challengers!” – Canon
  • Episode 22: “Bakugo vs. Uraraka” – Canon
  • Episode 23: “Shoto Todoroki: Origin” – Canon
  • Episode 24: “Fight on, Iida” – Canon
  • Episode 25: “Todoroki vs. Bakugo” – Canon
  • Episode 13.5 (OVA/Recap): “Hero Notebook” – Recap (skippable)
  • Episode 26: “Time to Pick Some Names” – Canon
  • Episode 27: “Bizarre! Gran Torino Appears” – Canon
  • Episode 28: “Midoriya and Shigaraki” – Canon
  • Episode 29: “Hero Killer: Stain vs U.A. Students” – Canon
  • Episode 30: “Iida’s Final Break” – Canon
  • Episode 31: “The Aftermath of Hero Killer: Stain” – Canon
  • Episode 32: “Everyone’s Internships” – Canon
  • Episode 19.5 (OVA/Recap): “Training of the Dead” recap special – Recap (skippable)
  • Episode 33: “Listen Up!! A Tale from the Past” – Mixed‑canon (adapts the “All Might: Rising” bonus chapter; expands All Might’s origin)
  • Episode 34: “Gear Up for Final Exams” – Canon
  • Episode 35: “Yaoyorozu: Rising” – Canon
  • Episode 36: “Stripping the Varnish” – Canon
  • Episode 37: “Katsuki Bakugo: Origin” – Canon
  • Episode 38: “Encounter” – Canon

True filler episode: none. The recaps can be ignored, and Episode 33 is a worthwhile side story but optional.

Season 3 (Episodes 39‑63)

Covering the Forest Training Camp Arc, Hideout Raid Arc, Provisional License Exam Arc, and the start of the Shie Hassaikai Arc, Season 3 is densely packed with canon content. One anime‑original episode appears along with a recap.

  • Episode 39: “Game Start” – Canon
  • Episode 40: “Wild, Wild Pussycats” – Canon
  • Episode 41: “Kota” – Canon
  • Episode 42: “My Hero” – Canon
  • Episode 43: “Drive It Home, Iron Fist!!!” – Canon
  • Episode 44: “Roaring Upheaval” – Canon
  • Episode 45: “What a Twist!” – Canon
  • Episode 46: “From Iida to Midoriya” – Canon
  • Episode 47: “All For One” – Canon
  • Episode 48: “Symbol of Peace” – Canon
  • Episode 49: “One For All” – Canon
  • Episode 50: “End of the Beginning, Beginning of the End” – Canon
  • Episode 13.5 Recap: “To the Top!” – Recap
  • Episode 51: “Moving into Dorms” – Canon
  • Episode 52: “Create Those Ultimate Moves” – Canon
  • Episode 53: “The Test” – Canon
  • Episode 54: “Shiketsu High Lurking” – Canon
  • Episode 55: “Class 1-A” – Canon
  • Episode 56: “Rush!” – Canon
  • Episode 57: “Rescue Exercises” – Canon
  • Episode 58: “Special Episode: Save the World with Love!” – Filler (anime‑original girls’ dorm comedy)
  • Episode 59: “What’s the Big Idea?” – Canon
  • Episode 60: “A Talk About Your Quirk” – Canon
  • Episode 61: “Deku vs. Kacchan, Part 2” – Canon
  • Episode 62: “A Season for Encounters” – Canon
  • Episode 63: “Unrivaled” – Canon

Filler: Episode 58. Skippable for those only interested in main story progression.

Season 4 (Episodes 64‑88)

Season 4 dives into the Shie Hassaikai Arc, the Remedial Course Arc, the U.A. School Festival Arc, and the start of the Pro Hero Arc. A recap episode opens the season, and one mid‑season episode blends anime‑original scenes with canon material.

  • Episode 64 (0): “UA Class 1‑A: The Scoop” – Recap (skippable)
  • Episode 65: “Overhaul” – Canon
  • Episode 66: “Boy Meets…” – Canon
  • Episode 67: “Fighting Fate” – Canon
  • Episode 68: “Let’s Go, Gutsy Red Riot” – Canon
  • Episode 69: “An Unpleasant Talk” – Canon
  • Episode 70: “GO!!” – Canon
  • Episode 71: “Suneater of the Big Three” – Canon
  • Episode 72: “Red Riot” – Canon
  • Episode 73: “Temp Squad” – Canon
  • Episode 74: “Lemillion” – Canon
  • Episode 75: “Unforeseen Hope” – Canon
  • Episode 76: “Infinite 100%” – Canon
  • Episode 77: “Bright Future” – Canon
  • Episode 78: “Smoldering Flames” – Canon
  • Episode 79: “Win Those Kids’ Hearts” – Canon
  • Episode 80: “Relief for License Trainees” – Canon
  • Episode 81: “School Festival” – Canon
  • Episode 82: “Preparing for the School Festival Is the Funnest Part” – Canon
  • Episode 83: “Gold Tips Imperial” – Canon
  • Episode 84: “Deku vs. Gentle Criminal” – Canon
  • Episode 85: “School Festival Start!!” – Canon
  • Episode 86: “Let It Flow! School Festival!” – Canon
  • Episode 87: “Japanese Hero Billboard Chart” – Canon
  • Episode 88: “His Start” – Canon

No standalone filler episodes, though Episode 64 is a pure recap.

Season 5 (Episodes 89‑113)

Season 5 adapts the Joint Training Arc, Meta Liberation Army Arc, Endeavor Agency Arc, and the opening of the Paranormal Liberation War Arc. It contains no filler, only one recap special.

  • Episode 89 (0): “Make It Happen, Shinso!” – Recap (skippable)
  • Episode 90: “All Hands on Deck! Class 1‑A” – Canon
  • Episode 91: “Clash! Class A vs. Class B!” – Canon
  • Episode 92: “Make It Happen, Shinso!” – Canon
  • Episode 93: “Operation New Improv Moves” – Canon
  • Episode 94: “Foresight” – Canon
  • Episode 95: “Match 3” – Canon
  • Episode 96: “Match 3 Conclusion” – Canon
  • Episode 97: “Early Bird!” – Canon
  • Episode 98: “That Which Is Inherited” – Canon
  • Episode 99: “Our Brawl” – Canon
  • Episode 100: “The New Power and All For One” – Canon
  • Episode 101: “Have a Merry Christmas!” – Canon
  • Episode 102: “Off to Endeavor’s Agency!” – Canon
  • Episode 103: “One Thing at a Time” – Canon
  • Episode 104: “Long Time No See, Selkie” – Canon
  • Episode 105: “The Hellish Todoroki Family” – Canon
  • Episode 106: “The Unforgiven” – Canon
  • Episode 107: “More of a Hero Than Anyone” – Canon
  • Episode 108: “My Villain Academia” – Canon
  • Episode 109: “Revival Party” – Canon
  • Episode 110: “Sad Man’s Parade” – Canon
  • Episode 111: “Tenko Shimura: Origin” – Canon
  • Episode 112: “Tomura Shigaraki: Origin” – Canon
  • Episode 113: “The High, Deep Blue Sky” – Canon

No filler episodes.

Season 6 (Episodes 114‑138)

The sixth season plunges into the Paranormal Liberation War Arc and the Dark Hero Arc. It is entirely canon, with no recaps or filler.

  • Episode 114: “A Quiet Beginning” – Canon
  • Episode 115: “Mirko, the No. 5 Hero” – Canon
  • Episode 116: “One’s Justice” – Canon
  • Episode 117: “Inheritance” – Canon
  • Episode 118: “The Thrill of a Lifetime” – Canon
  • Episode 119: “Encounter, Part 2” – Canon
  • Episode 120: “Disaster Walker” – Canon
  • Episode 121: “League of Villains vs. U.A. Students” – Canon
  • Episode 122: “Katsuki Bakugo: Rising” – Canon
  • Episode 123: “The Ones Within Us” – Canon
  • Episode 124: “Dabi’s Dance” – Canon
  • Episode 125: “Threads of Hope” – Canon
  • Episode 126: “Final Performance” – Canon
  • Episode 127: “Hellish Hell” – Canon
  • Episode 128: “Tartarus” – Canon
  • Episode 129: “The Hellish Todoroki Family, Part 2” – Canon
  • Episode 130: “The Wrong Way to Put Out a Fire” – Canon
  • Episode 131: “Izuku Midoriya and Tomura Shigaraki” – Canon
  • Episode 132: “Full Power!!” – Canon
  • Episode 133: “Hired Gun” – Canon
  • Episode 134: “The Lovely Lady Nagant” – Canon
  • Episode 135: “Friend” – Canon
  • Episode 136: “Deku vs. Class 1‑A” – Canon
  • Episode 137: “A Young Woman’s Declaration” – Canon
  • Episode 138: “No Man Is an Island” – Canon

Season 6 is a straight adaptation; no filler or recaps exist.

OVAs, Movies, and Side Content

Beyond the main series, several OVAs (Original Video Animations) and movies expand the MHA universe. None are required for the canon plot, but they can be entertaining diversions. The OVAs include:

  • “Save! Rescue Training!” (set during Season 1) – Fun side story.
  • “Training of the Dead” (set after Season 2) – Zombie training exercise.
  • “All Might: Rising” (Two Heroes Special) – Animated version of All Might’s origin; overlaps with Episode 33.
  • “Make It! Do-or-Die Survival Training” (two‑part OVA) – Post‑license exam survival drill.

The four movies — Two Heroes, Heroes: Rising, World Heroes’ Mission, and You’re Next — are generally considered non‑canon, though they occasionally reference canon events. They can be enjoyed anytime after their respective release points but have no bearing on the main timeline.

My Hero Academia Filler List at a Glance

If you want the leanest possible viewing experience, simply skip the following entries:

  • Season 3 Episode 58 – “Save the World with Love!” (girls’ dorm filler)
  • Season 2 Episode 33 – “Listen Up!! A Tale from the Past” (optional side story, but may be worth watching)
  • All recaps: Season 2 Episodes 13.5 and 19.5, Season 3 Episode 13.5, Season 4 Episode 64, Season 5 Episode 89
  • All OVAs and movies if you only care about main canon arcs

In total, only one truly original filler episode exists in the main series, with another sitting in a grey area. This makes My Hero Academia one of the most faithful long‑running shonen adaptations.

For viewers who want to catch every scrap of Horikoshi’s original story without any extraneous content, the following sequence strips out fillers and recaps entirely. It also places the mixed‑canon Episode 33 as optional.

  1. Season 1: All episodes (1‑13) – Watch all
  2. Season 2: Skip recaps 13.5, 19.5. Episode 33 optional. Watch episodes 14‑25, 26‑32, 34‑38
  3. Season 3: Skip recap 13.5 and filler 58. Watch 39‑50, 51‑57, 59‑63
  4. Season 4: Skip recap 64. Watch 65‑88
  5. Season 5: Skip recap 89. Watch 90‑113
  6. Season 6: Watch 114‑138

This path eliminates roughly 4‑5 hours of non‑essential content while preserving 100% of the core narrative. You can find the complete collection on streaming platforms like Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Should You Skip the Filler Episode?

The sole filler, Episode 58, is a lighthearted diversion where the girls of Class 1‑A compete in a dorm room beauty pageant. It’s a fun breather filled with character gags, but you won’t miss any power‑ups, new relationships, or plot points by skipping it. If you’re binge‑watching, the tonal shift might feel jarring right after the emotional weight of the Provisional License Exam. However, many fans enjoy it as a comedic interlude.

Episode 33, on the other hand, is often mislabeled as filler. It adapts a canon bonus chapter and provides essential backstory for All Might and his mentor, Nana Shimura. This context deepens the tragedy of All For One and enriches later arcs, so it’s recommended even for purists.

Because My Hero Academia follows the manga so faithfully, the main reason to consult a filler guide isn’t to avoid original content—it’s to manage the franchise’s occasional pacing issues. The anime sometimes stretches single chapters into full episodes or reuses flashbacks heavily. If you ever feel the story dragging, you’re safe to increase playback speed during recap episodes or brief flashbacks, but the canon episodes themselves are all structurally necessary.

For those who want a more comprehensive resource, MyAnimeList and the My Hero Academia Wiki provide detailed episode synopses and arc breakdowns.

Conclusion

My Hero Academia stands as a pillar of faithful anime adaptation. With only one genuine filler episode across six seasons and a handful of skippable recaps, the series respects both the source material and the viewer’s time. This guide gives you a clear blueprint to experience Midoriya’s journey from Quirkless dreamer to the world’s greatest hero without any unnecessary detours. Whether you choose to blaze through the essential episodes or savor every bonus side story, you’re in for one of the most emotionally charged and action‑packed shonen adventures of the decade.