Kohei Horikoshi is a Japanese manga artist born on November 20, 1986, in Aichi Prefecture. He is a graduate of Toho High School and Nagoya University of Arts. Horikoshi began his career as an assistant to Yasuki Tanaka, the creator of Summer Time Rendering. His early work included several one-shot chapters published in Akamaru Jump, such as Tenko in 2007, My Hero in 2008, and Shinka Rhapsody in 2008.

Horikoshi's first serialized manga in Weekly Shonen Jump was Oumagadoki Zoo, which ran from 2010 to 2011. This was followed by Barrage in 2012. He achieved worldwide fame with his third serialized work, My Hero Academia, which was published in Weekly Shonen Jump from July 2014 to August 2024. The series was collected into 42 volumes and had over 100 million copies in circulation by April 2024, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.

Beyond the original manga, Horikoshi has been directly involved in the broader media franchise adaptations of his work. He served as supervisor and original character designer for the animated film My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, which was released in December 2019. Horikoshi contributed an original story for a manga titled A Piece of Cake, which was later adapted into an anime as a bonus feature. The anime series My Hero Academia, produced by Bones, began airing in 2016 and continued for multiple seasons. Horikoshi has also been credited for his involvement with other anime titles in the franchise, including All Might: Rising The Animation and My Hero Academia Memories.

Horikoshi has cited manga series such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, and Naruto as major influences from his childhood, along with American superhero comic books, particularly those from Marvel Comics. His artistic identity is defined by dynamic character designs and action sequences that blend Japanese manga traditions with Western comic book aesthetics. Thematically, My Hero Academia explores concepts of heroism, mentorship, and the nature of innate talent versus hard work, which have resonated with a global audience.

My Hero Academia has received numerous accolades, including the first Next Manga Award in 2015, the Sugoi Japan Award for Best Manga in 2017, and the Harvey Award for Best Manga in 2019. Horikoshi personally received the Manga Creator Award at the Seoul Media Comics in 2018. The series has been adapted into multiple anime seasons, films, video games, and spin-off manga, solidifying Horikoshi's significance as a leading creator in contemporary shonen manga.