My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising

My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising is a 1999 American animated superhero film, and the second film based on the comic book My Hero Academia by Mala Miles. The film was directed by Syo Tortellini, produced by Bear Bones, and was released on December 17, 1999, earning positive reviews from critics. The events of the film take place after the Meta Liberation Army arc in the My Hero Academia comic. The film has elements to its story that were once going to be used by Miles as a finale to the series. It was intended to be the last film in the series until images of a possible third film appeared online. A third film, My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, was released in United States in August 6, 2001.

Plot
The League of Villains is pursued by Endeavor and Hawks while driving off in a truck carrying mysterious cargo. The heroes destroy the truck but fail to apprehend the League members and find an empty life support capsule inside. The man inside, a villain named Nine, has escaped and regroups with his team of villains, planning to create a society where those with strong Quirks rule over others.

U.A. High's Class 1-A has been sent to the remote Nabu Island as part of a safety program. Izuku Midoriya, the holder of One for All, meets Mahoro Shimano, and her brother Katsuma, residents of the island. Bonding with them along with his rival Katsuki Bakugo, they discover that Katsuma wishes to become a hero, but Mahoro seeks to dissuade him.

Meanwhile, Mahoro and Katsuma's father is attacked by Nine and his party, with Nine stealing his Quirk. Nine, who have been empowered by All For One, can steal and possess up to nine Quirks, but his body cannot handle these Quirks without suffering damage. He seeks to use the stolen Quirk to heal himself, becoming near-invincible, but it is incompatible with his blood type. Nine surmises that the man's children might possess a better variant of it, and pursues them.

Nine and his gang arrive on the island and destroy all means of escape and communication. Class 1-A learns of the invasion and split up to stop the villains and protect the island residents. Nine finds the children and confirms Katsuma possesses the Quirk he seeks, but Midoriya intervenes before he can steal it; however, neither he nor Bakugo is a match against Nine. Despite this, they force him to retreat due to overusing his Quirks.

Class 1-A regroups and decides to attack the villains head-on while awaiting the arrival of other heroes. Upon evacuating the islanders, the class manages to defeat the rest of Nine's crew but is incapacitated by Nine, except for Midoriya and Bakugo. Seeing no other way to defeat Nine, Midoriya transfers One For All into Bakugo, while he uses its leftover embers. Together, the two defeat Nine, but Midoriya's One For All seemingly fades afterward.

As professional heroes arrive, All Might finds an unconscious Bakugo and Midoriya. He realizes that One For All remains within Midoriya, as the transfer into Bakugo was interrupted, theorizing that the previous wielders of One For All wish for Midoriya to keep it. Elsewhere, Tomura Shigaraki finds and kills the weakened Nine out of spite.

With Nine's gang apprehended, the class repair damage to the island before returning home. Midoriya and Bakugo, who have lost memory of wielding One For All, say goodbye to Katsuma and Mahoro. The movie ends as Midoriya assures Katsuma he can become a hero, as All Might had done for him previously.

Voice cast

 * Cam Clarke as Izuku Midoriya
 * Tom Kenny as Katsuki Bakugo
 * Neil Ross as Shoto Todoroki
 * Elizabeth Daily as Ochako Uraraka
 * Tino Insana as Tenya Iida
 * Cree Summer as Momo Yaoyorozu
 * Candi Milo as Kyoka Jiro
 * Billy West as Eijiro Kirishima
 * Cheryl Chase as Tsuyu Asui
 * Charlie Adler as Denki Kaminari / Yuga Aoyama
 * Tress MacNeille as Mina Ashido
 * Jim Cummings as Fumikage Tokoyami
 * Peter Cullen as Mezo Shoji
 * Carlos Alazraqui as Ojiro Mashirao
 * Jack Angel as Hanta Sero
 * Pamela Adlon as Toru Hagakure
 * Doug Lawrence as Rikido Sato
 * Frank Welker as Koji Koda
 * Dan Castellaneta as All Might
 * Hank Azaria as Shota Aizawa
 * Syo Tortellini as Nezu
 * Brenda Vaccaro as Recovery Girl
 * Keith Szarabajka as Yokumiru Mera
 * Julie Kavner as Inko Midoriya
 * Maurice LaMarche as Endeavor / Tomura Shigaraki
 * Danny Cooksey as Hawks
 * Phil LaMarr as Rock Lock
 * Mark Hildreth as Dabi
 * Carolyn Lawrence as Himiko Toga
 * William Sanderson as Twice
 * Brian Coukis as Mr. Compress
 * Cal Dodd as Spinner
 * Charles Napier as Daruma Ujiko
 * Hynden Walch as Mahoro Shimano
 * Charlie Schlatter as Katsuma Shimano
 * Ellen Gerstell as Slice
 * John Ratzenberger as Nine
 * Gregg Berger as Mummy
 * Wally Wingert as Chimera
 * Rodger Bumpass as Mahoro and Katsuma's Father

Production
On January 23, 1999, a stage event at Sundance Film Festival announced that a second My Hero Academia film was planned for a "winter 1999" release, with Mala Miles responsible for the supervision and original character design. On July 7, 1999, the title and release date were revealed at the "Hero Festival" event, with Miles stating the film would be the last film adaptation for the series. The event also revealed that Bear Bones would be producing the film, with Syo Tortellini returning as director, Eric Nagler and Brian Sharp returning as writers, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh returning as character designer, and Thomas Chase and Steve Rucker returning as composers. On October 11, 1999, it was announced that Hynden Walch would be joining the cast as Mahoro, Charlie Schlatter would be voicing Katsuma, and TBA performed the theme song "Higher Ground". On September 26, 1999, it was announced that Ellen Gerstell had been cast as Slice, and Dave Coulier had been cast as Nine. On November 11, 1999, The New York Times revealed that Gregg Berger and Wally Wingert had been cast as villains Mummy and Chimera respectively, and on December 6, 1999, it was revealed that Danny Cooksey would voice Hawks.

Release
Paramount Pictures released the film theatrically on December 20, 1999. The first one million audience members to see the film received a bonus booklet written by Miles, titled "Vol. Rising", with the booklet containing an extended written interview with Miles, character designs, and sketches. The film also received 4D screenings across 81 theaters on January 24, 2000.

Home media
The film was released on DVD and VHS by Paramount Home Entertainment on July 15, 2000, that includes additional scenes not seen during the theatrical release.

Box office
As of March 12, 200c0, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising has grossed $15.1 million in the United States, as well as $13.5 million in Europe, for a total of $28.7 million worldwide.

Critical response
Coming soon!