Hello, I’m Ocha. I am a Japanese person who absolutely loves soundtracks.
Today, I will be introducing some of the best tracks from the My Hero Academia soundtrack.
This article is not a detailed analysis of the music or a discussion of behind-the-scenes stories. Instead, I am simply sharing my favorite tracks as a fan and introducing the songs that I believe truly stand out.
There are over 200 pieces of background music (OST tracks) in My Hero Academia, and from that massive collection, I have carefully selected the 11 tracks that left the strongest impression on me.
At the beginning of each section, I have included a link to the song, so I highly recommend listening to the track while reading.
Before we begin, please note that this article includes songs used in the later parts of the story. Therefore, there is a possibility that this article contains spoilers.
For that reason, I recommend watching the entire My Hero Academia anime before reading this article.
※The audio links included in this article are from official YouTube channels published by the composers themselves. All copyrights for the audio belong to their respective copyright holders. This article uses these links solely for the purpose of introduction and commentary.
1. You Say Run
When it comes to My Hero Academia, this is the song that immediately comes to mind. Without a doubt, it is one of the most iconic tracks from the series.
Even if you do not know the title, many fans may recognize the melody the moment they hear it.
According to composer Yuki Hayashi, this track was created with the scene from the first chapter of the manga in mind, where Deku jumps forward to save Bakugo.
The title “You Say Run” also has an interesting origin. It is said to be a play on the Japanese word “Yuuseiran” (fertile egg), which was used in the series and inspired the name of the song.
As a side note, most of the music in My Hero Academia was created through a process called pre-scoring — a method where the music is composed before the animation is completed.
In other words, Yuki Hayashi created many of these incredible tracks based only on the original manga and his own imagination, before seeing the finished scenes.
The fact that he was able to create music that fits the world and emotions of My Hero Academia so perfectly is truly amazing.
2. 私が来た!!（ I Am Here!! ）
This is the theme song of All Might, the strongest hero in My Hero Academia.
With its overwhelming sense of confidence and security, this track perfectly represents the Symbol of Peace and the greatest hero in the series.
Along with “You Say Run,” this song was one of the two test tracks that composer Yuki Hayashi submitted for My Hero Academia. It is said that both tracks received immediate approval.
(And honestly, with songs this incredible, it is easy to understand why.)
3. My Hero Academia
When it comes to My Hero Academia, this is another song that immediately comes to mind.
While I believe “You Say Run” is the song that best represents My Hero Academia, when it comes to the main theme of the entire series, I think this track is the perfect choice.
From its bright and powerful melody that perfectly captures the spirit of an action fantasy series, to its calmer and more serious sections filled with emotional depth, this song expresses everything that makes My Hero Academia special.
Personally, I think the key change around the 2:22 mark is absolutely beautiful.
Yuki Hayashi has an incredible talent for creating melodies that somehow make listeners feel like they are about to cry. This track is a perfect example of that ability.
4. All Might with U.A. Students
This track was released as part of the My Hero Academia Season 3 soundtrack.
Since it is an arrangement of “I Am Here”, fans can probably guess who this song is connected to. However, I will not mention exactly when it appears in the story. Let me just say that it was used at the absolutely perfect moment.
The introduction and the buildup in the middle sections are both fantastic, but when the melody of “I Am Here” appears during the chorus, it was a moment that nearly brought me to tears.
This is definitely a track that I recommend listening to while watching the anime scene it accompanies. The combination of the music and the visuals makes the emotional impact even stronger.
5. Revengers
This track comes from Season 6 of My Hero Academia.
As a battle theme, I honestly think it surpasses even “You Say Run.”
Originally, this song was based on “Revenger” from Season 2 and was supposed to be the theme for Tenya Iida. However, it was eventually taken over by the main character and became associated with Deku instead.
But in the spin-off series My Hero Academia: Vigilantes, an arranged version titled “Top Runner” was used as the theme for Tenya Iida’s older brother.
Congratulations on reclaiming your theme song, Iida!
Personally, I would love to see the arrangement version that played during Deku’s 6th Quirk activation released officially someday, but unfortunately, that wish may never come true.
6. The spirit to succeed
This track is from Season 6 of My Hero Academia.
Technically speaking, it first appeared in one of the movies, and its anime debut was actually in Season 7. However, since it was included in the Season 6 soundtrack release, I decided to feature it here.
The song is primarily an arrangement of “My Hero Academia”, but around the 3:30 mark, the melody of “You Say Run” begins to appear.
And that moment is absolutely incredible.
It is a relatively long and slower-paced track compared to many of the other battle themes, but I highly recommend listening to it all the way to the end.
7. The Story of How We All Became Heroes
This track is from Season 7 of My Hero Academia.
It feels like a song that contains everything My Hero Academia has built up over the years.
(I feel like I just wrote something similar about “My Hero Academia” a moment ago, but let’s just go with it.)
Although it was not used during Season 7, the track was featured in the video celebrating the completion of the manga series.
（Update: It was also played during the final episode of Season 8! Absolutely perfect!）
The way the melody of “You Say Run” serves as the foundation while various layers of sound gradually build on top of it is simply breathtaking.
It is a truly incredible track that reveals something new every time you listen to it.
After watching the final episode, listening to this song brings out a powerful wave of emotions.
8. At the Limit
This track is from the Final Season of My Hero Academia.
It is one of the songs that represents Season 8, and it is almost entirely a brand-new composition with very little use of previous melodies.
When I first heard it, I was honestly amazed and thought,
“I can’t believe there were still so many My Hero Academia-like melodies left to discover!”
I say “almost” entirely new because the ending features an arrangement of that iconic track.
Those who are familiar with the series may realize what this means, so this could potentially be a slight spoiler. I recommend watching the anime before listening to this song.
(It may not be a significant spoiler, but I wanted to give a spoiler warning just in case.)
9. You Can Do It!
This track is from the Final Season of My Hero Academia.
It is a song that brings together many of the themes introduced throughout this article: “You Say Run,” “The Spirit to Succeed,” “My Hero Academia,” and even “Might⁺U,” which I will introduce later.
In other words, this song is simply a masterpiece.
Unfortunately, because “You Say Run” is such an iconic and powerful theme, this track was never used in the anime itself.
However, this song can be considered a grand culmination of My Hero Academia‘s music, bringing together the emotions and melodies that have defined the series over the years.
I highly recommend giving it a listen.
10. ヒーロー活動推奨プロジェクト（ Hero Activity Encouragement Project ）
From this point onward, I will be introducing tracks from the My Hero Academia movies.
This song is the instrumental version of “HERO A” from Season 1, without the vocals.
The original “HERO A” is also an amazing track, but I personally prefer this version, which is why I decided to include it here.
(When the vocals are too strong, the song can sometimes feel more like a standalone song rather than a piece of background music.)
I had a feeling this track would fit perfectly with a training scene, and sure enough, it was used during the training sequence in Episode 3 of the anime.
Called it.
11. Might⁺U
I honestly think you would lose about 20% of your life experience by never listening to this song.
It is like not knowing Kenshi Yonezu exists — that is how much you would be missing out.
For this track, the composer himself has provided a detailed explanation on the page below, so I highly recommend checking that out instead of reading my own explanation.
Conclusion
I have written quite a lot, but what do you think?
Has this article made you more interested in the music of My Hero Academia?
There are still many incredible tracks that I have not covered yet, such as “Jet Set Run,” “Hero too,” and “United Three.”
At the very least, when I gathered all the songs that I personally enjoyed into a YouTube playlist, the total came to 143 tracks.
I plan to introduce more of these songs in future articles.
Thank you very much for reading all the way to the end!
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