My Hero Academia has a unique premise for an anime show aimed at teenagers. It certainly takes a twist on superheroes by putting a character who initially had no powers in the spotlight, and allows the viewers to watch him become who he truly wished he could be.
With its current season getting tons of attention from viewers across the globe, there's no doubt that fans would love to watch other series with a similar theme. While there are tons of live-action heroes in Hollywood, and anime with superhero and academia tropes, many western animated shows share similar themes as well, so here are some of the most immersive ones.
Young Justice
If one of your favorite aspects of My Hero Academia is the world full of heroes and villains, Young Justice takes place in a very similar world. This show happens to follow some of DC's youngest heroes as they create their own Justice League team of teens.
Since they're all so young, this show also has the concept of heroes in high school and learning how to become a successful hero. It also shares the concept of young heroes trying to be as great as their idols and mentors.
Invincible
Similar to Izuku, Mark Grayson from Invincible is a boy who wishes to become a superhero, except Mark desires to do so in hopes of being like his father. Mark has a huge legacy to live up to, with his father being a famous and powerful hero.
As he comes to terms with learning how to use his own powers, he ends up meeting other teen heroes along the way and has to balance his heroic life with high school.
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is a superhero in high school who also doesn't have any powers, but one major difference is that she has already mastered the art of crime-fighting. Her high school life is a huge part of the show, along with the aspect of saving the world.
While lacking in the hero department, this show has plenty of unique villains like My Hero Academia does. This Disney Channel Original series has tons of comedy, action, and memorable characters that fans of the anime will definitely adore.
X-Men: Evolution
X-Men: Evolution follows the classic X-Men characters in their teenage years when they first discovered they have mutant abilities that give them extraordinary powers.
Just like in My Hero Academia, students with significant powers attend a school where they can learn how to control their abilities. Within the school, the headmaster Charles Xavier forms a group called the X-Men and trains them to defend the world from evil mutants.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender may have a completely different setting from My Hero Academia, but its main character Aang is quite reminiscent of Izuku in the sense that they often overreact and both have hilarious facial expressions at times.
Both characters have to go through the journey of learning how to use their powers. In Avatar, there are very high stakes for Aang, given that the fate of the world depends on him, but the lighthearted feeling of the show never goes away.
Spectacular Spider-Man
In Spectacular Spider-Man, viewers get to watch Peter Parker as a teenager with newly developed powers learning to become the best superhero that he could possibly be. Just like Izuku, Peter starts off as insecure and reserved but later develops into a brave character.
This show has one of the most accurate interpretations of the classic Spider-Man that comic fans love. Peter balances his heroic life, while also attending high school and trying to keep his powers a secret to his friends and family.
Voltron: Legendary Defender
Many fans of anime may recognize Voltron: Legendary Defender, considering the show is actually based on the 1984 anime Voltron: Defender of the Universe. Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra might also enjoy this since the show was developed by the same creators.
Despite being a reboot, this series has even better reviews than the show it was based on. Voltron: Legendary Defender follows a group of teens as they learn to work together in order to save the universe from the evil Galra Empire.
Teen Titans
If there's one thing special about anime, it's definitely the signature art style that's always cutesy and fun. While Teen Titans isn't an anime, it certainly has adorable art and colors on the show, that are clearly heavily influenced by anime.
This show follows a group of teen heroes as they take on new villains in each episode. It has plenty of iconic characters from DC comics in the show, and tons of jokes to keep the viewers laughing.
She-Ra And The Princess Of Power
She-Ra and the Princess of Power is a show that was originally intended for younger audiences but gained many adult viewers due to its interesting storyline. She-Ra follows a princess who has a superhero alter ego.
Despite taking place on a different planet, this show follows a diverse team of teenagers with unique abilities. It also appears to be heavily influenced by anime, based on the design of the show, so fans of anime about superpowered teens would no doubt enjoy She-Ra.
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman: The Animated Series is a bit darker, given that it's inspired by the Tim Burton films, but it definitely shares the hero-in-training vibes that My Hero Academia has.
In this show, we see Batman with his sidekick Robin, and it's clear that Robin looks up to Batman and aspires to be like him one day. Batman is a huge mentor to Robin and it's nice to see their growth over the course of the show. There's also plenty of exciting villains, including Harley Quinn's very first appearance in the DC universe.