Ichiban Kuji My Hero Academia Greatest Hero (2026): Every Prize and the MASTERLISE Figures to Chase
Bandai Spirits has locked in one of the most sentimental Ichiban Kuji My Hero Academia sets yet. Ichiban Kuji My Hero Academia -The Story of How He Became the Greatest Hero- (一番くじ 僕のヒーローアカデミア -最高のヒーローになるまでの物語-) goes on sale in Japan on September 12, 2026, and it leans hard into the series epilogue and the franchise's 10th anniversary. This guide breaks down every confirmed prize, which figures are MASTERLISE, what the Last One Prize is, whether the set is worth chasing, and how to collect it from outside Japan.
Quick answer: what is the Greatest Hero Ichiban Kuji?
Ichiban Kuji is a paid lottery: you buy a ticket and are guaranteed a prize, with no blanks. This set, The Story of How He Became the Greatest Hero, is a My Hero Academia lottery from Bandai Spirits built around Izuku Midoriya's journey from Quirkless kid to the symbol of a new generation, timed to the 10th anniversary of the anime.
- Set name: Ichiban Kuji My Hero Academia -The Story of How He Became the Greatest Hero-
- Maker: Bandai Spirits
- In-store date (Japan): September 12, 2026
- Price: 790 yen per draw
- Headline prizes: five MASTERLISE figures (A-E), an articulated All Might, and a 10th-anniversary Izuku as the Last One Prize
If you are building a Deku or All Might shelf, Akibato ships My Hero Academia figures worldwide from Japan, so you can chase this line without a proxy or an auction bid.
Every confirmed prize (A through I)
The upper tiers are almost entirely MASTERLISE, Bandai's premium prize-figure grade. Prizes A through E are static MASTERLISE statues, Prize F is a poseable All Might, and G through I are goods. Here is the confirmed lineup at reveal:
| Prize | What it is | Line |
|---|---|---|
| A | Izuku Midoriya & All Might | MASTERLISE PLUS |
| B | Katsuki Bakugo | MASTERLISE |
| C | Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head) | MASTERLISE |
| D | Principal Nezu | MASTERLISE |
| E | Izuku: Origin | MASTERLISE |
| F | All Might (poseable figure) | MASTERLISE COLLECTION |
| G | Class 1-A group acrylic stand "This is Our Hero Academia" | Goods |
| H | Notebook / badge | Goods |
| I | Stationery collection | Goods |
| Last One | Izuku Midoriya 10th Anniversary (about 21 cm) | MASTERLISE |
A Double Chance campaign runs alongside the in-store draw, the standard Ichiban Kuji mail-in raffle that gives buyers a second shot at a bonus figure. Retailer listings for Prize F vary between "MASTERLISE COLLECTION" and Bandai's articulated grade, so treat it as a poseable All Might rather than a static statue.
Prize B: Katsuki Bakugo
Bakugo anchors the mid-tier as a MASTERLISE figure, the natural rival piece to sit next to any Izuku statue. He is usually the second-most requested character in MHA lotteries after Deku, so expect his ticket to clear early.
Prize C: Shota Aizawa (Eraser Head)
Aizawa, the homeroom teacher of Class 1-A, is a rarer subject for a premium prize figure, which makes his MASTERLISE a draw for fans who already own the students and want the faculty side of U.A. High.
Prize D: Principal Nezu
Nezu is the wildcard of the set: small, character-driven, and the kind of piece that rounds out a shelf rather than headlines it. Because he is niche, his figure often lingers longer at stores than the marquee prizes.
The MASTERLISE figures to chase
MASTERLISE is Bandai's higher-end prize tier: sharper sculpts, better paint, and dynamic posing compared with a standard prize figure. If you want the full explainer, see our guide to what MASTERLISE means and whether the figures are worth it. In this set, the pieces most collectors will target are:
Prize A: Izuku & All Might (MASTERLISE PLUS)
The narrative centerpiece pairs Izuku with All Might in a single MASTERLISE PLUS diorama. PLUS pieces are larger, multi-figure sculpts, so this is the display anchor of the set and the hardest ticket to pull.
Prize E: Izuku "Origin"
Prize E captures Izuku in his earliest hero look, a direct nod to where the "Greatest Hero" story begins. It reads as a bookend to the Last One figure and is the prize most tied to the 10th-anniversary theme.
Last One Prize: Izuku 10th Anniversary MASTERLISE
The Last One Prize goes to whoever pulls the final ticket at a given store. Here it is an Izuku Midoriya 10th Anniversary MASTERLISE figure standing roughly 21 cm, which makes late tickets at a well-stocked store genuinely worth watching.
Is the Greatest Hero Ichiban Kuji worth it?
For the price of one 790-yen draw you are guaranteed a prize, and five of the top slots are MASTERLISE figures rather than goods, so the figure-to-junk ratio is stronger than in a typical lottery. The value case depends on what you are after:
- Chasing one specific figure: buying that exact prize outright is cheaper and less stressful than drawing repeatedly. The gamble only pays off if you enjoy the pull itself.
- Building a broad MHA shelf: the set delivers Izuku, Bakugo, Aizawa, Nezu, and All Might across a single run, which is efficient if you want variety.
- Investing: the Prize A PLUS diorama and the Last One Izuku tend to hold value best after a run sells out, because both are low-stock.
Why the 10th-anniversary framing matters
My Hero Academia's manga finished its run and the anime reached its final season, so 2026 sits right on the franchise's commemorative window. Bandai is using that moment to revisit Izuku's arc from Quirkless origin to full-fledged hero, which is why the lineup skews toward Izuku and All Might rather than a wide Class 1-A spread.
If you would rather collect the whole classroom, the roster-focused releases are a better fit. We cover those in our My Hero Academia Class 1-A figure set guide, which tracks the student-by-student and All Might releases separately from this epilogue lottery.
How to get the Greatest Hero Ichiban Kuji outside Japan
Ichiban Kuji is a Japan in-store lottery, so overseas collectors cannot pull tickets directly. There are three realistic routes, in order of reliability:
- Buy the specific prize you want from a Japan-based store that ships worldwide. You skip the gamble and pay a fixed price for the exact figure, which is how most overseas collectors land the A prize or Last One.
- Use a proxy or forwarding service to bid on individual prizes from Japanese marketplaces. This works for sold-out figures but adds fees and bidding risk.
- Pull tickets in person if you happen to be in Japan on or shortly after September 12, 2026.
We walk through every method, the typical costs, and what to expect in our full guide to how to buy Ichiban Kuji outside Japan. For this set specifically, buying the exact MASTERLISE prize direct is usually the least stressful path.
How an Ichiban Kuji draw works
If you have never played, the mechanics are simple and identical at every store:
- Pay per draw. Each ticket costs 790 yen and you draw it on the spot.
- Every ticket wins. The ticket you pull is marked with a prize letter, and you take that exact prize home immediately. There are no blanks.
- Prizes are finite per box. A store receives a set number of tickets, so once the A or B figures are drawn, they are gone at that location.
- The Last One Prize goes to whoever draws the final ticket in a box, on top of that ticket's normal prize.
- Double Chance is a separate mail-in raffle: you register a ticket for a shot at a bonus figure after the run.
Because prizes deplete as tickets are drawn, the marquee MASTERLISE figures in this set are easiest to win on release day at a store with fresh stock, and hardest to pull late in a run.
Collector tips for the Greatest Hero set
A few practical notes if you plan to chase this lottery:
- Decide early whether you want the gamble. If you only want the Prize A diorama or the Last One Izuku, buying that single figure outright is almost always cheaper than repeat draws.
- Watch box condition for resale. MASTERLISE prize figures hold value best boxed and unopened, so keep the outer box if you plan to trade later.
- Move on the anchors first. Prize A and Bakugo tend to sell out fastest, while Nezu and the goods tiers linger, so there is less rush on those.
- Compare total cost, not sticker price. An overseas fixed-price listing that already includes shipping is often better value than several 790-yen draws plus forwarding fees.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Greatest Hero Ichiban Kuji release?
It goes on in-store sale in Japan on September 12, 2026. Overseas restocks through import stores typically follow within days to weeks.
How much is one draw?
Each draw is 790 yen (tax included) at Japanese retailers. Prices from import stores and proxies will be higher because they include shipping and handling.
How many prizes are there?
Prizes run A through I, plus a Last One Prize and a Double Chance campaign. Prizes A through E and the Last One are MASTERLISE figures.
What is the rarest figure in the set?
The Prize A Izuku & All Might MASTERLISE PLUS diorama is the largest and lowest-stock ticket, while the Izuku 10th Anniversary MASTERLISE is limited to Last One winners, so both trade at a premium after the run sells out.
Is this the same as the Class 1-A anniversary figures?
No. This lottery focuses on Izuku, All Might, and the epilogue. The Class 1-A student roster figures are a separate release, covered in our Class 1-A figure set guide.
Where to collect My Hero Academia figures
If this set has you wanting to build a My Hero Academia shelf, Akibato ships official MHA figures from Japan, including MASTERLISE prize figures and larger scale statues. At the time of writing the My Hero Academia collection includes an Ichiban Kuji Himiko Toga Prize B MASTERLISE figure and a Shigaraki, Dabi & Himiko Toga 1/4 scale statue, both in stock. Stock on prize figures moves quickly once a run ends, so it is worth checking before the Greatest Hero pieces hit the secondary market.