Before hero-centered manga lacked the worldwide appeal it currently holds, despite being a longstanding genre in modern manga. Thanks in part to Kohei Horikoshi's groundbreaking series, non-Western superhero stories have become one of the fastest-growing sectors in superhero entertainment. Although the series concluded earlier this year, leaving a gap in the non-Western superhero landscape, it sparked an international renaissance in superhero storytelling. One notable example is the Manhwa Hero Killer, which is highly recommended for any serious My Hero Academia fans.

Kkulbeol and Beolkkul's Hero Killer follows the life of Ihwa, an up-and-coming supervillain with a mysterious past. The story takes place in a My Hero Academia-like world where superheroes and supervillains are a common element of society. Over time, however, this system has become corrupt. Heroes, once entrusted with power to handle crimes in ways that minimize casualties, have become indifferent to the loss of lives. Now, they are willing to kill a few — or even more — victims if it means achieving their goals. This moral decline reflects the growing disregard for life in a system meant to protect it.

Hero Killer Adds A Revenge Twist To Classic Shōnen Like My Hero Academia & Jujutsu Kaisen

Ihwa lives with her sister Yeon, a member of a renowned hero collective. Life is good until Yeon is suddenly killed by another hero. Left with no means of , Ihwa is forced into a life of crime. While she readily adopts this new path, she soon realizes that superheroes are as corrupt — if not more so — than the villains they fight. This leads her to believe that Yeon's death wasn’t an accident but an assassination, setting her on a determined quest to infiltrate her sister's hero team to uncover who killed her sister.

The world of superheroes operates on the bedrock premise that superheroes – for all their quirks and personal issues - are unwaveringly committed to protecting the vulnerable, upholding justice, and combating evil wherever it emerges. Conversely, in the classic superhero tradition, villains are unrepentantly evil, with even repeated imprisonment failing to persuade them to abandon their wicked ways and adopt a law-abiding path.

My Hero Academia embraced both these superhero traditions. Its heroes, though often imperfect, are steadfast in their dedication to protecting and serving the destitute, vulnerable, and wronged. Meanwhile, the series stays true to form by crafting villains who are so deliciously despicable that fans can't help but despise them and eagerly await their eventual just deserts. Hero Killer subverts the classic superhero narrative depicted in My Hero Academia by redefining the roles of heroes and villains.

Initially, Ihwa is the model villain, embodying the archetype that fans typically desire to see brought to justice. However, her perspective shifts when her sister falls victim to a heinous crime committed by a corrupt hero. Recognizing that the traditional justice system will fail to deliver the retribution she deserves, Ihwa resorts to her signature modus operandi: committing crimes to satisfy her needs. Through her actions, she challenges the conventional dichotomy, revealing that, under certain circumstances, even villains can exhibit heroic qualities.

Hero Killer Isn't Just The Next My Hero Academia, It's Much Darker

Hero Killer's Subversive Revenge Plot Takes The Superhero Story Into The Abyss

While My Hero Academia delves into the darker, grittier aspects of superhuman crime and punishment, no matter how deep into the darkness a hero descends, their fundamental goodness always seems to remain. despite Himiko Toga's true deviance, she made perhaps the saga’s most heroic move by saving Ochaco Uraraka.

In Hero Killer, darkness prevails, and it never lets up. The story is filled with corrupt, devious superheroes who kill victims, witnesses, and innocent bystanders just as easily as they kill villains. What’s more, they see nothing wrong with their actions, as they believe they’re keeping most of society safe and secure. Then there's the protagonist, Ihwa — a criminal who eventually chooses to fight for the greater good — yet she doesn't abandon her criminal ways to pursue truth and justice. Her approach to fighting crime with crime creates a superhero narrative unlike anything found in My Hero Academia.