Ahead of the last season of My Hero Academia, Japanese and English voice actors for main character Izuku Midoriya, also known as Deku, took a trip down memory lane together at Anime Expo 2025. Daiki Yamashita and Justin Briner have both been with the character since Season 1, making the upcoming conclusion all the more meaningful to the duo. “I have been running with Deku for 10 years, so he’s been a comrade in this part of my life. I want to perform this final season with Deku with all the strength I have left,” Yamashita shared. Recalling some of the most pivotal moments in their young character’s life, the two agreed on a few key moments. The first time Deku fought classmate and friend Bakugo during combat training at UA was when Deku truly learned how to train and fight. When he fought Shoto at the UA School Sports Festival, the way how he encouraged his peer to see his Quirks as strengths rather than weaknesses demonstrated his selflessness. Even original manga creator Kohei Horikoshi has a soft spot for this scene. “Though every scene was memorable, seeing Shoto use his left side in Season 2 was very memorable. I was deeply impressed by how much better than the original it became, and it inspired me to raise my own standards. I really am grateful to the voice actors for bringing these characters to life.”
During Deku’s fight against Muscular during Class 1A’s training camp, it became the first time he felt like a true hero who was fighting to protect someone. In that moment, he gave it his all to protect young Kota, and it helped him understand why he wanted to become a hero in a new way. Of the existing episodes and moments, the VAs’ last pivotal memory was Deku’s fight with All For One, who was in the form of Shigaraki, during the most recent battle. “I recall how different it was compared to how we recorded in the beginning,” Yamashita began. “Because he inherited different so many Quirks, Deku began to approach battle differently.” In agreement, Briner also mentioned how meaningful that was to see. “A lot of us grew up with Deku, so to see him become stronger is really amazing.”
On the upcoming final season, both agreed that there’s a lot to look forward to. “The season starts in full throttle from the very beginning,” Yamashita began. “All Might’s battle against All For One is really cinematic, and it felt so emotional to see All Might fighting in his new armored suit.” All Might’s armored suit was created using each of the Quirks from the students of Class 1A, reflecting just how much each one means to their mentor. “Even though he was already a pro hero, we could see All Might growing with his students, so it was such an easy story to fall in love with.”
When recording the voice acting for the season, the Japanese voice actors complete their job first before it’s passed over to the English voice cast. For the Japanese team, they all also record as a collective. “We all record together, so it’s about 20 people in the room at once. Citizens, non-pro heroes, and students alike are all in the room screaming at the top of their lungs. The supporting actors are also all putting it all on the line, and in the last season, the voice recording sessions became like real battles,” Yamashita revealed. For Briner who is waiting on the final Japanese project to record his parts in English, these comments were a bit intimidating. However, in true Deku fashion, he responded confidently: “Yamashita’s voice has never let me down, so I will do my best to follow his lead.”
Another special treat for the final season is Horikoshi’s increased involvement in the production. “Up until now, I could only answer when the anime team had questions, but now that I have a bit more time, I’m contributing more directly,” he shared. “I have had the chance to suggest extra scenes and more emotional layers to the performance, and could even make rough sketches for scenes for the animation team.”
Wrapping things up, the manga’s creator shared some final thoughts. “It makes me so happy to think that every character resonated with someone out there,” Horikoshi began. “I always made sure to make My Hero Academia something everyone could be proud to be part of, to make sure no one feels like they wasted the last 10 years of their lives. Now that the manga is over, I have become more involved than usual in the production of this last season. I remember Justin sharing on stage how deeply he cares about Deku as a character, because Yamashita would not shut up about it. So, with everyone giving it their best, let’s give it our all once more together!”
The final season of My Hero Academia will begin streaming in October 2025.
