Don't Be Fooled, My Hero Academia Fans! The Manga's Controversial Epilogue Is a Bonafide Hit

My Hero Academia’s epilogue was harshly criticized, since many readers considered that the ending only delivered a superficial closure to the characters while leaving open the destinies of many beloved heroes. Nonetheless, this change came after the release of volume #42, which included a new chapter #431 that managed to redeem the finale and also proved that My Hero Academia's epilogue wasn’t a failure but rather successfully closed the series at its peak.

My Hero Academia volume #42 included dozens of pages of extra content that gave an emotional ending to the story and a glimpse into the characters' futures but still had mixed reviews due to Deku’s fate as a teacher. However, the sales of the final volume show that, contrary to what many haters expected, the ending was a resounding success and My Hero Academia finished its run at its highest point.

My Hero Academia’s Manga Ended With its Best-Selling Volume

The Epilogue Gave MHA Volume #42 a Significant Boost in Sales

My Hero Academia's volume #42 went on sale on December 4, 2024, confirming that it would have reprints just one week later, reaching one million copies in circulation. This milestone was only achieved so far by hit series like Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, and One Piece.

Furthermore, a recent global sales chart of My Hero Academia compiled by the X user @Josu_ke has confirmed that volume #42 is the best-selling volume of the franchise, almost doubling the sales of volume #41 in the first week. Even though many readers expected a massive drop in sales following the controversial epilogue, with haters pointing out Horikoshi's work as a failure, the fact that the series surpassed the 800,000 mark of volumes sold in December demonstrated the overwhelming reception of My Hero Academia's ending in Japan.

Although the marketing strategies helped boost sales, like the illustrated postcards of Izuku, Bakugo, and Todoroki, the gap between the other volumes and #42 proved My Hero Academia's ending lives up to fans' expectations. The extra chapter addressed the loose ends of the manga by confirming Deku’s canon ship, revealing the Hero Ranking after the time skip and the new designs of the heroes, which gave a fresh approach to the end of the series.

My Hero Academia Makes History as One of Weekly Shōnen Jump’s Most Popular Mangas

MHA Fans Still Have Plenty to Wait For Even After the Manga Ending

In April 2024, My Hero Academia’s manga set its place in history after surpassing the 100 million copies in circulation, becoming one of the few shōnen mangas reaching that major milestone, which proves how the series is one of the best that has come out of the WSJ magazine. Additionally, with the confirmation of My Hero Academia’s Final Season and the adaptation of its spin-off manga series, Vigilantes, the sales could still increase even after the end of the manga.

Moreover, the author Kohei Horikoshi teased more to come for the anime, which could serve to complement the story of My Hero Academia. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that Horikoshi's work has become the blueprint to make a great shōnen manga, teaching what it means to be a hero, and captivating fans, which makes My Hero Academia's ending meaningful to all the fans of the series and that is reflected in the sales.

Source: @Josu_ke