Spoilers for major season-one events and the finale setup.
To Be Hero X tells its character stories out of chronological order, but its official timeline reveals a longer history of public trust, hero rankings and tournaments. That chronology matters because trust affects both a hero’s powers and position, while tournament outcomes determine who holds the title of X. A chronological reconstruction can make those connections easier to follow—but it is an optional way to revisit the story, not the intended viewing order.
Why the timeline matters in To Be Hero X
The series makes time part of its central system. Its official introduction puts the premise plainly: “In a world of brilliant heroes, it’s the trust of their fans that makes them into superheroes.” The official series introduction explains that public trust gives heroes their powers; losing that trust can take those powers away. Trust Value also informs rankings, and tournament performance updates both values and standings.
That means chronology helps explain more than when a character appears. It can show how a hero’s public standing was earned, what earlier events shaped their choices, and why the next tournament has particular stakes. It also clarifies that X is a title passed between contenders, rather than one person’s unchanging identity.
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The official in-world timeline
The series’ official history dates events relative to the founding of the Hero Commission. These are fictional, in-universe year labels—not real-world dates.
| In-world date | Milestone in the official history |
|---|---|
| Five years before the Commission | Trust Value is discovered. |
| Three years before the Commission | Hero Zero gains limitless trust and is revered as a god. |
| Two years before the Commission | Zero kills a hero who defied him and is ultimately consumed by Fear Value. |
| One year before the Commission | The Downfall: a coalition of heroes led by the old Soul Driven defeats Zero. |
| Commission Year 1 | The Hero Commission is established. |
| Commission Year 2 | The first tournament is held. |
| Commission Year 20 | Yang Cheng is saved by Soul Driven after his parents are killed; Wang Yi debuts as Ghostblade. |
| Commission Year 23 | A plane crash leaves Cyan the sole survivor, and Liu Zhen discovers her. |
| Commission Year 28 | Cyan meets Luo; Liu Yuwei graduates from the national university and begins to be called Queen; five-year-old Loli is inspired by Queen. |
| Commission Year 32 | Boire defeats Smile, the incumbent X, in the 16th tournament and becomes the second woman to hold the title. |
| Commission Year 36 | Yang Cheng acts as a new Soul Driven; the 18th tournament ends with Queen’s defeat and an unnamed dark horse becoming X. |
| Commission Year 37 | Lucky Cyan becomes the No. 7 hero. |
| Commission Year 38 | The 19th tournament takes place; Queen withdraws and the mysterious X wins consecutively. Nice and Xiao Yueqin become a business couple. |
| Commission Year 39 | The ruins incident leads to cancellation of the planned 20th tournament, the first cancellation in the official history. |
| Commission Year 40 | With the 20th tournament canceled, X defends the No. 1 ranking and becomes the first three-time consecutive champion. Later, Smile is attacked, succumbs to Fear particles and dies after losing to Liang Long. |
| Commission Year 41 | Lin Ling replaces Nice, who becomes the No. 10 hero. X evades an attack by the Commission and an agency before entering the tournament as No. 1. |
Broadcast order is not event order
The official English episode guide numbers the season from #01 to #24. The official synopsis for episode 24 places its action on the eve of a tournament. But the arcs in the broadcast presentation span different points in the characters’ histories, rather than unfolding as one continuous chronological sequence.
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Crunchyroll’s chronological viewing guide groups the broadcast arcs as follows:
- Nice/Lin Ling: episodes 1–4
- E-Soul: episodes 5–7
- Lucky Cyan: episodes 8–10
- Queen: episodes 11–12
- Loli: episodes 13–14
- Ghostblade: episodes 15–16
- The Johnnies: episodes 17–19
- Dragon Boy: episodes 21–22
- Ahu: episode 23
- X: episode 24
The guide explicitly cautions that the series is not intended to be watched chronologically. Its proposed sequence is an editorial aid for reconstructing events, not a studio-mandated order.
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A spoiler-heavy chronological viewing sequence
The following is Crunchyroll’s suggested broad sequence, including splits within episodes. It is not a simple list of whole episodes: some chapters contain material from different points in the timeline, so following it means stopping and switching within an episode. Promotional character videos are also part of the guide’s arrangement.
- The first half of The Johnnies, episodes 17–18.
- The first half of Ghostblade, episode 15.
- Lucky Cyan, episodes 8–9.
- E-Soul, episodes 5–7.
- Queen, episode 11.
- Lucky Cyan, episode 10.
- Queen, episode 12.
- Loli, episodes 13–14.
- The remaining Ghostblade material.
- The remaining Johnnies material, followed by episodes 19–21.
- Dragon Boy and Ahu, episodes 22–23.
- Nice/Lin Ling, episodes 1–4.
- X, episode 24.
Because the guide divides episodes into portions, this sequence is best treated as a way to map events, not a frictionless replacement for the original presentation. Watching in broadcast order preserves the series’ intended reveals and pacing; revisiting in chronological order can help viewers trace how the arcs connect.
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How tournaments change the meaning of events
The official history makes the succession of X especially clear. Boire takes the title from Smile at the 16th tournament in Commission Year 32. Queen loses at the 18th in Year 36, when an unnamed dark horse becomes X. At the 19th tournament in Year 38, Queen withdraws and the mysterious X wins again.
Then the calendar itself changes the competitive stakes. The ruins incident cancels the 20th tournament in Year 39; the official history calls it the first cancellation. In Year 40, X nevertheless defends the No. 1 ranking and becomes the first three-time consecutive champion. Episode 24, meanwhile, is framed on the eve of a tournament, with the official synopsis describing the Hero Commission’s attempt to stop X from claiming consecutive victories. Knowing the prior title changes helps make that setup legible without treating X as a fixed person across the entire history.
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- From TO BE HERO X, the mysterious and powerful hero "X" joins S.H.Figuarts
- Includes parts to recreate fight scenes from the action packed last episode of the series, including his iconic finger snapping parts
- [Set Contents] Main body, Optional hand parts (Left x 4 / Right x2), Facial expression parts x 2, Optional thigh parts (L/R)
- The product box will have a Bandai Namco warning label, which is proof that you are purchasing an officially licensed product
Should you watch To Be Hero X in timeline order?
No, not for a first viewing. The nonlinear arrangement is the show’s presentation, and Crunchyroll’s guide says it is not meant to be watched chronologically. The official history is useful for understanding the larger institutional timeline, while the guide can help place character-arc material after the fact. Use chronology if it makes the chain of trust, rankings and tournament success clearer; keep the broadcast order if you want the story’s original sequencing of information.
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