My Hero Academia, Kohei Horikoshi’s global phenomenon, has thrilled millions with its unique blend of superhero action and school-life drama. The narrative is carefully segmented into story arcs that chart the growth of Izuku Midoriya from a Quirkless dreamer into the world’s greatest hero. Each arc not only advances the central conflict between heroes and villains but also meticulously pushes the timeline forward, spanning multiple school years, internships, and eventually a full-scale war that reshapes society. Understanding the major arcs and their chronological sequence is essential to appreciating the series’ depth and emotional payoff.

The Entrance Exam Arc: A Quirkless Beginning

The timeline starts in earnest when middle-schooler Midoriya encounters his idol, All Might, and is chosen to inherit the powerful Quirk One For All. The manga series and its anime adaptation both open with the U.A. High School Entrance Exam. This arc spans the spring of Midoriya’s first year and establishes the high-stakes environment of hero education. We witness Midoriya’s desperate training on Dagobah Beach and his first, explosive use of One For All to save Uraraka. Key introductions—the explosive Bakugo, strict Iida, and supportive Uraraka—set the foundational dynamics that will evolve across the entire series.

The Quirk Apprehension and Battle Trial Arcs: First Trials

Immediately after enrollment, Class 1-A undergoes Shota Aizawa’s physical fitness test in the Quirk Apprehension Test Arc. This short but pivotal sequence reinforces the theme that a Quirk is a tool that must be honed. Days later, the Battle Trial Arc throws students into two-on-two combat scenarios, giving Midoriya and Bakugo their first direct confrontation as rivals. This arc plants the seeds for Bakugo’s complex development, revealing his pride and the emotional weight of Midoriya suddenly possessing a Quirk. Chronologically, these events occupy the first few weeks of the semester, setting the pattern of school-based tests that punctuate the early timeline.

The U.S.J. Incident Arc: The First Villain Assault

Shortly after classes begin, the League of Villains attacks the Unforeseen Simulation Joint (U.S.J.) with the goal of killing All Might. This arc marks the first major escalation of the series timeline, bringing real danger into the students’ lives. The villain Shigaraki Tomura and the bio-engineered Nomu showcase the lurking threat that will eventually erupt into full war. All Might’s weakened state is exposed, and the students are forced to fight for survival. The aftermath leads to a security overhaul at U.A., directly setting up the next major event.

The U.A. Sports Festival Arc: Public Display

To restore faith in hero society, U.A. stages an intense tournament broadcast live across the nation. The U.A. Sports Festival Arc takes place during the first semester and serves as a major public relations move. Beyond showcasing combat prowess, the arc advances personal timelines: Todoroki’s traumatic backstory with Endeavor comes to light, Shinso Hitoshi challenges the unfairness of Quirk-based discrimination, and Midoriya learns to harness One For All without shattering his body. The festival also solidifies the rivalry between Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki, and it acts as a scouting event for hero agencies, which directly transitions into the next phase—internships.

The Hero Killer Stain Arc: Moral Reckoning

Following the Sports Festival, students are assigned to professional hero agencies. Iida Tenya’s quest for vengeance against the Hero Killer Stain in Hosu City drives this arc. Stain’s radical ideology—that only a truly selfless person like All Might deserves the title “hero”—sends shockwaves through the public and the hero community. Midoriya, Iida, and Todoroki’s battle against Stain not only earns them reputations but also introduces the concept that society’s perception of heroism can be weaponized by villains. Chronologically, this arc is set during the first-year workplace experience week, and its influence echoes years later through the League of Villains’ recruitment of followers inspired by Stain’s manifesto.

The Final Exams Arc: Proving Their Worth

Before heading to summer training camp, Class 1-A must pass a unique exam arc where they fight their own teachers in paired scenarios. This mid-first-year milestone pushes characters like Kaminari, Ashido, and Todoroki into new strategic thinking. For the timeline, it is a gatekeeping moment: students must demonstrate growth to advance. The arc also deepens Aizawa’s role as a mentor and gives Midoriya and Bakugo their first forced cooperation against All Might, forcing them to overcome their mutual animosity.

The Forest Training Camp and Hideout Raid Arcs: The Kidnapping Crisis

These two interconnected arcs form the emotional center of the first year at U.A. The Forest Training Camp Arc begins during summer vacation, where Class 1-A undertakes wilderness training to strengthen Quirks. The League of Villains, now led by Shigaraki, attacks the camp, abducting Bakugo. This leads directly into the Hideout Raid Arc, where a coalition of heroes storms the villains’ headquarters to rescue him. The timeline accelerates dramatically: All Might faces his nemesis All For One in a catastrophic broadcast battle, ultimately losing the embers of One For All and retiring. This is the point where the age of All Might ends, and the students realize they must grow up fast. The loss of the Symbol of Peace fractures society’s confidence, and the timeline shifts from school-centric stories to a larger, darker narrative.

The Provisional Hero License Exam Arc: New Responsibilities

In the aftermath, the fall semester begins with a necessity: students must earn provisional licenses to legally use their Quirks in public. This arc introduces characters from other hero schools like Shiketsu High and the eccentric Inasa Yoarashi. The timeline marks the transition from theoretical training to active duty, and the exam’s philosophy—assessing rescue and judgment under pressure—prepares the students for what is to come. Midoriya struggles with his new shoot style, and Camie’s impersonation hints at deeper infiltrations, foreshadowing the later war arcs.

The Shie Hassaikai Arc: A Rescue Mission

As the students begin their second semester internships, the narrative focuses on the Shie Hassaikai, a yakuza organization led by Overhaul. This arc spans several weeks and involves Midoriya, Togata Mirio, and Nighteye’s agency attempting to rescue a young girl named Eri, whose destructive Quirk is being exploited to produce anti-Quirk bullets. The operation against the Hassaikai compound is one of the most intense and tragic sequences in the series: Nighteye’s death, Mirio’s sacrifice of his Permeation Quirk, and Midoriya’s unwavering resolve to save Eri deepen the emotional stakes. The timeline presses the students into adult-level tragedy, showing that the hero life carries permanent consequences.

The U.A. School Festival and Pro Hero Arcs: Healing and Shifting Paradigms

To lift spirits and restore a sense of normalcy, U.A. holds its cultural festival. The U.A. School Festival Arc takes place in the second semester and focuses on the student-body effort to make Eri smile. While lighter in tone, it underscores the psychological recovery timeline after the Hassaikai horror. In parallel, the Pro Hero Arc shifts perspective to the adult heroes. Endeavor battles the High-End Nomu and assumes the role of the new Number One Hero. The public’s waning trust and the Todoroki family’s buried trauma come to the forefront. This arc serves as a bridge: the younger generation’s timeline begins to merge with the professional world as Endeavor’s atonement arc intersects with the League’s activities.

The Joint Training and Meta Liberation Army Arcs: Internal and External Threats

The third semester of the first year sees Class 1-A volley against Class 1-B in a series of team battles. The Joint Training Arc allows supporting characters to shine and reveals a new quirk—Blackwhip—within One For All. At the same time, the Meta Liberation Army Arc runs concurrently in the villain timeline, giving us Shigaraki’s harrowing past and his ideological fusion with Re-Destro’s army. Both sides are leveling up separately, with the villains consolidating power into the Paranormal Liberation Front. The arcs lay the groundwork for the impending conflict, with the timeline now pointing inexorably toward open war.

The Endeavor Agency and Paranormal Liberation War Arcs: The Turning Point

The first year concludes, and winter internships begin. Midoriya, Bakugo, and Todoroki spend time under Endeavor’s supervision, leading to some of the most significant character growth in the series. But the relative peace shatters when the Paranormal Liberation Front launches a country-wide assault. The Paranormal Liberation War Arc is a multi-day battle that engulfs major cities, kills Midnight and Twice, and disintegrates the heroes’ united front. Shigaraki’s body is transformed into the ultimate vessel for All For One, while countless heroes fall in the line of duty. This is the moment the timeline leaps from school-era storytelling into a society-on-the-brink scenario. The public’s trust in heroes collapses, and Japan descends into chaos, forcing the second-year students into full-time combatants.

The Dark Hero Arc: A Solo Path

A timeskip of a few weeks follows the war, and Midoriya, burdened by the danger he attracts, deserts U.A. to hunt down the villains alone. The Dark Hero Arc shows a battered, exhausted Midoriya operating outside the law, pursued by his classmates who refuse to abandon him. This arc fills in crucial lore about the past users of One For All and finalizes Midoriya’s understanding of the Quirk’s true potential. The timeline here is short but intense, culminating in his rescue and the full reformulation of the heroic alliance for one last stand.

The Final War Arc: The Culmination

The Final War Arc is the chronological endpoint of the series thus far, a globe-spanning confrontation where every hero and villain faces their ultimate test. The battles are split across multiple locations, with Midoriya facing Shigaraki/All For One in a sky-high duel that determines the fate of all Quirks. On the timeline, this arc takes place a few months after the previous war, in the early part of what would be Midoriya’s second year at U.A.—though school has long since ceased to matter. It resolves every lingering thread: Todoroki’s confrontation with Dabi, Ochaco’s appeal to Toga, and Bakugo’s defiant stand against the ultimate evil. The story arcs of My Hero Academia progress a tight, linear timeline from the spring of one school year through the spring of the next, accelerating event by event until everyday hero education is completely replaced by the fight for civilization’s survival.

Understanding the Chronological Progression

One of the most rewarding aspects of My Hero Academia is how each arc builds logically on the previous one. The school calendar provides a natural backbone: entrance exams in spring, internships after the Sports Festival, summer training camp, fall license exam, winter internships, and finally war in the following year. The anime timeline remains largely faithful to the manga, though some arcs are extended with filler or movies that fit organically into the gaps. Recognizing the timeline not only enhances enjoyment but also reveals how elegantly Horikoshi escalates stakes: from class tests to the collapse of hero society, each step is earned. The arcs collectively explore the question of what it means to be a true hero, from Stain’s radical judgment to Midoriya’s ultimate self-sacrifice, making the series a deeply resonant journey through a world where anyone can be a hero as long as they have the heart to stand up when it counts.