My Hero Academia manga's final arc might not be the end of the series

The fan-favorite manga My Hero Academia is currently in its Final Saga arc. In the current story, things look pretty bleak for the heroes, as Izuku Midoriya and Katsuki Bakugo are the only heroes left standing against All For One. Although the manga is nearing its end with each passing chapter, a popular theory on social media suggests that the ongoing Final Saga may not end the series.

On the other hand, anime fans can rest assured that the series won't end anytime soon for them. Given that the anime is yet to air its 7th season, it's likely that the series will continue for a few more years at best for the anime-only fans.

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Can My Hero Academia manga continue even after its Final Saga?

Vigilante Deku as seen in My Hero Academia season 6(image via Studio Bones)

My Hero Academia is undoubtedly one of the last decade's most popular anime and manga series. Throughout six seasons and 400+ chapters, the series has generated quite a large following and a dedicated fanbase. Although the 7th season of the anime is yet to air, the manga is nearing its end.

Series creator Kohei Horikoshi had initially wanted to end the manga in 2023. With the date being pushed back due to complexities regarding his health, the story is expected to wrap up by 2024 or even 2025. That said, some fans on social media seem to think otherwise.

A popular theory on social media speculated the possibility of My Hero Academia continuing after the end of the Final Saga in the manga. According to the theory, Horikoshi might do something similar to how Naruto continued after the end of its classical series by rebranding to Naruto: Shippuden. Many fans criticized the mangaka's choice to have the series' events occur within one school year.

This theory could play out by having a timeskip after All For One is eventually defeated for good, which could explore the lives of the students of Class 1-A after they have turned into full-fledged heroes or even as third-year students. This could allow the story to continue even after its Final Saga in the manga.

The theory further added how the series could rebrand itself into something other than 'Academia' if it were to explore the post-school life of Class 1-A. However, no other character has been teased as the next antagonist of the series other than All For One/Tomura Shigaraki. Furthermore, it would be hard to top their threat to the heroes, considering how they left the entire hero society in shambles.

It's easy to see why going this route might not be popular among the fanbase. With the story progressing toward its end, it is visibly apparent that Horikoshi is giving it his all to create a memorable ending for the epic story. However, it was clear that he prioritized it over his health, which caused several fans to beg him to either go on a break or end the story early.

Dragging on the series despite struggling with significant health issues has never proven to be a wise choice for mangakas, and it's certainly not something that fans of the series would want.

Judging by the current narrative of the story, it's clear that Horikoshi wants to end the series with a bang and not drag it out endlessly. He has stated that he doesn't wish My Hero Academia to go on for as long as One Piece. Although the theory of the series continuing after the Final Saga makes for an exciting topic of discussion, it's doubtful it will happen at this point.

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Final Thoughts

In conclusion, it can be said with absolute certainty that My Hero Academia will end in the manga. That said, Horikoshi can always pick up the series years after it has finished or release a spin-off based on the story.