Every Clue That Hinted at My Hero Academia's Traitor (2024)

Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 7, Episodes 3 & 4

My Hero Academia has finally unveiled the identity of the UA traitor, first mentioned literally over a hundred episodes ago, and that traitor is none other than Yuga Aoyama, AKA "Can't Stop Twinkling." The reveal came as a shock to many fans, and some feel that the reveal wasn't well hinted at beforehand, making it feel as if it comes out of nowhere. However, were there actually clues pointing to Aoyama all along?

As it turns out, there were actually quite a few hints towards Aoyama's identity as the traitor, although all of them were very subtle moments that fans could easily have missed. These clues go all the way back to the first season, suggesting that series creator Kohei Horikoshi had the idea of the traitor in mind from the very beginning.

The UA traitor plot fell into the background for a long time, but recently came to a head in season 7 as Tohru Hagakure caught Aoyama relaying information to his parents for All for One's use and finally unmasking the traitor's identity, even if there are mitigating circ*mstances.

There Were Many Scenes Which Hinted at Aoyama Being the Traitor

The first time that Aoyama becomes suspicious is actually the first time that Shigaraki appears: the USJ incident. Throughout the battle with Shigaraki and his thugs, almost every student was seen battling against the villains--except for Aoyama, almost as if he had some foreknowledge of this attack. There's also the fact that Aoyama's Quirk is shown to be incompatible with his body, much like Deku's; while this didn't necessarily mean he got his Quirk secondhand (Dabi has a similar problem), it is something that would likely result from receiving a Quirk from All for One.

During the assault on the Forest Training Camp, Aoyama also managed to hide and avoid the action. While one could simply chalk this up to being cowardly, it's more likely in retrospect that Aoyama knew he'd revealed the camp's location and that All for One must be planning some sort of attack, prompting him to hide immediately once things went awry. Then, of course, there's the infamous "cheese" moment, where Aoyama leaves a message on Midoriya's doorstep ominously hinting at knowing his secret. This was made to deflect suspicion away from Aoyama by making it look like a fake-out, when actually it was the truth.

Finally, there's the season 6 episode where Class 1-A goes all-out to retrieve Deku and bring him back to UA during the Dark Hero arc. While almost every other student has a heartfelt message for Midoriya, Aoyama instead remains behind to hold the villain, which ultimately tipped off Hagakure (who also stayed behind) to keep an eye on him.

Most of these scenes are extremely subtle, revolving around what Aoyama doesn't do instead of what he does, making it easy for fans to miss the signs. However, looking back now, it's clear that Aoyama's identity as the traitor really was foreshadowed well ahead of time. The traitor arc may feel like too little, too late at this point, but My Hero Academia really did do its best to lay the groundwork for this reveal.

My Hero Academia (2016)

Action

Superhero

Animation

In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.

Cast

Aoi Yuki , Ayane Sakura , Christopher R. Sabat , Yûki Kaji , Nobuhiko Okamoto , Luci Christian , David Matranga , Justin Briner , Kenta Miyake , Clifford Chapin , Daiki Yamash*ta

Release Date

April 3, 2016

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Crunchyroll

Website

https://www.funimation.com/shows/my-hero-academia/

Franchise

My Hero Academia

Production Company

Bones