To Be Hero X is an incredible addition to the superhero genre. The world-building rivals the likes of DC and Marvel with a history as rich as it is complicated. In 24 episodes, this series managed to explore 10 main characters while also establishing an engaging narrative through-line spanning decades. As the domino effect reaches its conclusion, let’s look back and untangle the wonderfully messy timeline of To Be Hero X.
Below is a convenient visual with dates and corresponding episode numbers of major events from the series. Finer details will be discussed further down.
MAJOR SPOILER WARNING for To Be Hero X
Now, here are some key terms and concepts to better understand the world of To Be Hero X.
Terms in To Be Hero X
Trust and Fear –
the power system that grants ordinary people superhuman powers based on their public perception. Trust is often tied to the power of belief, while Fear manifests from darker emotions like jealousy and rage.The Heroes Affairs Commission (HAC) –
the most powerful authority in this world. This group of elites leverages the benefits of the hero society to provide for the people. Their true agenda is to control and manipulate heroes so no one individual gains too much Trust.The Heroes Tournament –
a biennial event that pits the top 10-ranked heroes against each other. The winner receives the title of X, who stands atop the hero world. These top-ranked heroes are also required to live in Hero Tower, another measure by the Commission to keep tabs on them.Hero Agencies –
responsible for scouting and managing the myriad of heroes. The four main agencies in the series are:- Might Glory (MG): previously owned by Shand and bought out by Rock, raises heroes who follow orders without question.
- DOS: run by CEO Mickey, uses promotional material and media coverage to create interpersonal narratives among their heroes.
- FO-MO: a social media platform turned agency, the CEO Zac keeps viewers entertained with live coverage of heroes.
- Treeman Corporation: a new agency created by Shand, demands a perfect public image from their heroes and values results above all else.
Glimmer Laboratory –
a research facility headed by Professor Luo to investigate the properties and applications of Fear.Key Events
The Dawnfall Incident (Ep 20, 22, 24)
A man named Zero became the world’s first hero, garnering an unprecedented amount of Trust from the people. That Trust turned into Fear when he started killing other heroes who defied him. He became a near omnipotent god. An elite team of heroes managed to defeat him, and old E-Soul dealt the killing blow.
Ah Sheng’s Assassination (Ep 15)
When Ah Sheng retired from being a hero, he took Little and Big Johnny away to live in seclusion. He was framed for creating a monster and Ghostblade was ordered to kill him. Ghostblade knew nothing of Little Johnny, who would mistakenly blame Vortex for his father’s death.
The Mysterious Plane Crash (Ep 8)
A tragedy that claimed the lives of everyone aboard, including the hero Vortex. Miraculously, the only survivor was a young Cyan, rescued by a reporter named Liu Zheng, Queen’s father. This sparked much speculation as to why no heroes were able to prevent this disaster. This would also deeply affect Little Johnny, who lost the only connection remaining to his father’s murder.
Liu Yuwei’s/Queen’s Graduation Speech (Ep 11)
Her powerful words and declaration to revolutionize the hero world would send shockwaves through the people. Cyan and Loli would be inspired by her words, while Mickey from DOS would seize the opportunity to invest in the renewed interest in female heroes. Not only did Queen’s trust value rise, but so did her rival’s, Bowa, much to the latter’s chagrin.
The Fear Outbreak of District 70 (Ep 10)
After leaving the orphanage and becoming a hero, Cyan’s power over luck came into scrutiny. Many of her so-called miracles began backfiring and people took their anger out on the orphanage. The dean and staff succumbed to their negative emotions, transforming into violent monsters. In the wake of the outbreak, the HAC would authorize research into the properties of Fear led by Professor Luo.
The New E-Soul (Ep 5-7)
College student Yang Cheng, an E-Soul stunt performer, rescues his crush’s little brother. His Trust value jumps and he gains powers similar to old E-Soul’s. Shang Chao, Shand’s son, helps foster Yang Cheng’s path to herodom, but gets killed in a case of mistaken identity. Yang Cheng eventually challenges old E-Soul and emerges victorious as the true E-Soul. It’s revealed that Rock, disguised as a drink vendor, had been manipulating everything from the start. This sparks Shand’s grudge against him and he begins his own Fear experiments.
Attack on the Glimmer Lab (Ep 14)
The former hero Shindig attacks the lab with orders to steal their research on Fear. Loli, Professor Luo’s daughter, and Nuonuo, Ghostblade’s daughter, fend him off with their enhanced combat mech suit. At this point, Professor Luo discovers Loli’s suit is unaffected by Fear or Trust. He requests permission to survey the source of the alloy she used, an alien crash site.
The Ruins Incident (Ep 19-20)
Professor Luo and Nuonuo form a survey team accompanied by the Johnnies, Ghostblade, and Loli. Ghostblade receives orders to eliminate the Johnnies, but suddenly E-Soul appears to take out all three of them. Meanwhile, Nice ambushes the professor and Nuonuo to destroy their research. Loli does her best to fight back, but her father and friend are caught in the crossfire. Queen and Lucky Cyan appear while on “vacation” after Little Johnny calls for help and quells the fighting. In the end, Professor Luo is dead, Nuonuo is in a coma, Loli signs with FO-MO, Ghostblade leaves MG, a rivalry between the Johnnies and E-Soul brews, Nice’s management is handed to Miss J, and X maintains his title for a third time.
The Four-way Brawl (Ep 21-22)
Rock orders Dragon Boy to take down the hero Smile and claim his rank. Smile fights back, but in the shadows, Nice has orders to take them both out. He injects Smile with a Fear serum, turning him into a monster. Dragon Boy kills the corrupted Smile, so Nice tries to take him out, too. X steps in and immediately ends the fight, leaving Nice to wallow in doubt and despair.
Nice’s Suicide and Lin Ling’s Rise (Ep 1-4)
Unable to bear the weight of rejection and his own actions, Nice takes his own life in front of an advertisement intern, Lin Ling. Miss J, Nice’s manager, uses Lin Ling as a lookalike and trains him to be just like Nice. Lin Ling falls in love with Moon, Nice’s pretend girlfriend, fights off his nemesis, Wreck, takes Firm-Man’s rank, and defeats God Eye, where he’s exposed as an imposter. Yet his courage and heroic heart gain him his own Trust value, making him the hero called the Commoner. Unfortunately, when he goes to rescue Moon, she’s killed by E-Soul.
Eve of the 21st Heroes Tournament (Ep 24)
The HAC cannot risk X winning the tournament for a fourth time, so they work with the hero agencies to ambush and eliminate him. Ahu, the newly ranked dog hero, tries to convince X to drop out, but X reveals to him the whole truth about the world and the HAC, dating back to the Dawnfall Incident. He shows how every event up till now, no matter how small, had a domino effect that brought all these characters together in one place. On the day of the tournament, X makes his choice to “defy the hand of fate.”
The story of To Be Hero X seems simple at first, but peeling back the layers reveals an engaging narrative about heroes, their origins, and how they face adversity. The timeline is just the tip of understanding this iceberg. Dig deeper and you’ll find connections between characters and events that shed light on every aspect of the story. There is also plenty of supplementary material like info cards from the creators, character and cinematic trailers, and more. It was an ambitious project, but finally seeing the full picture is a reward in and of itself.
You can watch all 24 episodes of To Be Hero X on Crunchyroll in both dubbed and subtitled formats.
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