The highly anticipated Episode 20 of To Be Hero X, titled “The Ruins Incident,” delivered a cascade of shocking revelations, profoundly impacting the series’ ongoing narrative. Released on Sunday, August 17, 2025, in Japan (and a day earlier for international viewers on Crunchyroll), this installment peeled back layers of deception, exposing the true intentions behind key characters and the Hero Agency itself.
Episode 20 Release and Accessibility
To Be Hero X Episode 20 premiered on August 17, 2025, in Japan, and was available to international audiences on Crunchyroll from August 16, 2025. New episodes of To Be Hero X typically release every Saturday for international viewers, corresponding to Sundays in Japan due to time zone differences. The series is accessible on Crunchyroll, which provides a wide range of anime and offers a free trial for new users.
Key Plot Developments in “The Ruins Incident”
Episode 20 of To Be Hero X was pivotal for several narrative reasons, significantly advancing the series’ central mysteries:
- Hero Agency’s True Face: The episode revealed the sinister side of the Hero Agency, exposing its manipulative practices. It was confirmed that characters like Nice and Ghostblade were merely “puppets” operated by their respective agencies for a larger, hidden agenda.
- Mr. Rock’s Actual Goal: A major reveal in “The Ruins Incident” was the true objective of Mr. Rock, who was shown to have a deep connection with Zero.
- Facts About Zero: Critical information about Zero, the world’s first hero and the only individual to have achieved “Godhood,” was officially brought to light. Zero, created by Rock’s father, Yan Feng, was once revered as the pinnacle of humanity until an accidental killing of another hero led to public fear and condemnation.
- Shifting Alliances and Suspicions: The episode opened with Hero Nice and Mr. Shand at the Hero Tower, where Mr. Shand, CEO of the Treeman Agency, announced that Miss J would handle Nice’s affairs, stating Nice’s “hero play” was nearing its end. Nice questioned this, pointing to his growing popularity, but Mr. Shand revealed Nice’s “Perfect Persona” was an illusion based on Fear, and the Commission had found a new lead on Fear-suppression research. A conversation between Mickey and Mr. Shand further deepened the intrigue, with Mickey revealing shocking facts about Zero.
Context within the To Be Hero X Series
To Be Hero X is a Chinese original donghua series, the third installment in the To Be Hero anthology franchise. It premiered on April 6, 2025, and is a co-production between BeDream, Bilibili, and Aniplex, animated by BeDream in collaboration with Pb Animation Co. Ltd., Studio LAN, and Paper Plane Animation Studio.
The series is set in a world where a hero’s powers are intrinsically linked to the public’s “trust.” If people believe a hero can fly, they gain that ability; conversely, a loss of trust results in a loss of powers. This “Trust Value” is quantified and displayed on heroes’ wrists, determining their ranking. Every two years, top heroes compete in a tournament to reassess their trust values and rankings, with the highest-ranked individual earning the title of “X.”
To Be Hero X is noted for its non-linear storytelling, presenting its narrative through 11 distinct arcs that are told out of chronological order. This structure means that each episode or arc provides context to previous events, gradually unveiling the full picture of this intricate world. The series is slated to have a total of 24 episodes, running through September 2025.
Episode 20 served as a critical turning point, not only for its immediate plot reveals but also for its broader implications on the themes of public perception, corporate manipulation, and the true nature of heroism within the To Be Hero X universe.
