More and more shows that involve superheroes are digging into the nuance of what it means to be one or subverting the genre by making them evil. With anime, it was My Hero Academia taking the spotlight since it focused entirely on the hero ranking system and schools.
In 2025, however, To Be Hero X has risen through the ranks. It has outshone the spin-off series for My Hero Academia, titled Vigilantes, for how unique its plotline is. Fans are tuning in every week, thanks to its nuanced perspective and numerous plot twists.
What makes To Be Hero X stand out is also the interesting characters, especially since it has numerous protagonists, too. Their powers are directly linked to what makes them suffer, despite how heroic their stories are.
The protagonists in To Be Hero X are always doomed by their powers and stories
We’re not sure what we expected from the series, but it certainly wasn’t this. It loves keeping us on our toes with the next hero they introduce. At first, it was Nice, whose personality remains unknown and a mystery. However, from Wreck’s perspective, he was kind-hearted. This, however, led to his suicide after the mysterious incident left him depressed.
Then came Lin Ling, who took his place, an ordinary man with a normal job. His ad campaign promoted how ordinary people like him can become heroes, but he had to pretend to be someone else to achieve it.
So, his wish did come true, but not in the way he wanted it. It was just the world’s perception of Nice that got him there. Lin Ling then became The Commoner.
The second arc is where things get even darker, and the lore of To Be Hero X starts to unravel. Yang Cheng and E-Soul’s story is one of manipulation and control. The young boy wanted to be brave and bring justice like his hero, but had to resort to defeating him to get it. Meanwhile, he was being puppeteered by his uncle and got corrupted instead.
Lucky Cyan’s arc was next, and if we thought Yang Cheng’s was dark, this one will send shivers down your spine. It’s not a young adult being manipulated, Cyan was just a child. Everyone around her used her powers to bring luck to themselves, but there was none left for her. Not one person was looking out for her, not even the dean.
Other heroes follow the same patterns in To Be Hero X
It’s not just the protagonists in the anthology series that are doomed by their powers. In Nice or Lin Ling’s arc, we were introduced to Firm-Man, who always stands tall, and his powers are to be the strongest. Ever since he held up that concrete, he hasn’t been able to bend or sit. It brought him enough pain that the girl he saved went through lengths to get him to retire.
Moon is another character who was doomed by her own powers, although her fate might’ve been worse than most. She had to be tied down to Nice instead of traveling everywhere she wished because of the wishes of the public. She’s overshadowed by the sun, represented by the former hero, giving her the ironic name Moon.
We don’t know exactly how this pattern will play into the rest of the heroes’ narratives that are yet to be introduced. However, what we can expect is for their stories to be tragic and full of suffering if the first three protagonists and other heroes are anything to go by.
To Be Hero X can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
