Highlights

• All for One's plans continue to unfold as a shocking traitor among Class 1-A is revealed, shifting the hero versus villain dynamic.
• Yuga Aoyama's betrayal throughout the series adds complexity to a character who was previously seen as comic relief, showing the series' strength in character development.
• Aoyama's connection to Deku adds layers to the betrayal, as Class 1-A struggles with the aftermath of the revelation and prepares for the final war.

Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers for My Hero Academia Episode 141, “Villain,” now streaming on Crunchy Roll.

My Hero Academia has never been a difficult story to follow, but when the action dies down and the series relies on politics or interpersonal drama to move the plot forward, it can feel much more contrived. Small details from episodes or even from several previous seasons can converge into major revelations, one example being this week's revelation of a traitor among Class 1-A.

Last week, Star and Stripe lost in their fight against Shigaraki, but not without using their quirk, the New Order, to enforce a rule that would cause their newly stolen quirk to decimate Shigaraki from within. As a result, Shigaraki and All for One are paralyzed, while the heroes have had about a week to train harder than ever in preparation for the final war against the villains.

One of all for many “friends”

Starting the episode with All for One tending to the injured Shigaraki, no less confident in his plans, was a clever way to start the episode. Having him be completely unconcerned speaks not only to his arrogance, but to his unfortunate aptitude for having too many backup plans. Then the hint about the mole inside the school – and the subsequent visual error implying that it’s Hagakure – starts the episode with high tensions before the characters are even shown training.

Even with all the extra time to train, however, it can’t prepare the students for a villain whose actions have been consistently ahead of them throughout the series. There’s All for One’s penchant for avoiding detection, the uncertainty of facing Shigaraki at his full power, and the disadvantage of moving second if provoked by the villains. But this familiar sense of uncertainty gives the following twist and turns it into a unique opportunity.

The Long Betrayal of Yuga Aoyama

One of My Hero Academia Its greatest strength is how easily it can take any of its supporting characters, even those who seem like comic relief, and completely transform them. Some of the best episodes were reserved for previously forgotten secondary characters, such as Episode 72, which delved into Kirishima's backstory, leading to one of its proudest moments.

And now it's Aoyama's turn, in what may be one of the most significant twists in the franchise so far. He's been leaking information to the villains since the beginning, from the attack on the training center in season 1 to the attack on the training ground in season 3. The villains in this story have always been one step ahead of the protagonists, but for me, that was largely because one of the students is a heavyweight, to say the least.

The thread connecting Deku and Aoyama

It’s even more weighty when you consider that Aoyama’s circumstances are like the flip side of Deku’s. They were both Quirkless and received their powers, albeit under different circumstances and for very different motivations. What sells all of this are the performances and character art, which go over the top to portray the deep sense of pain not only of the betrayed, but of Aoyama himself.

He’s always been characterized by the conflict between his outward confidence and his quirk that leaves him feeling a pain in his stomach that he can’t hide with his facial expression. It’s quite fitting; being extremely anxious is often associated with having a pit in your stomach. Aoyama has carried this secret—this burden—for seven whole seasons.

It recontextualizes the scene from episode 80 when Aoyama and Deku bond because their quirks are incompatible with their bodies. In fact, this episode is the culmination of many moments, big and small, that we could have easily forgotten since then. Because of this, the gravity of this revelation feels appropriately devastating for the class.

How Class 1-A reacts to the news

For a character who is invisible, Hagakure certainly stole the spotlight, and not just because the viewer finally got to see what she looked like without her invisibility. Even before that big moment, the awkward shaking of the camera as she struggled with the reveal conveyed her shock without a face to focus on. And when her face was visible, it was the passionate anger in Kaori Nazuka's vocal performance that won the episode.

After such an insane opening, My Hero Academia Season 7 continues to impress, and the only thing more exciting than this week's twist is what could come of it. Aoyama still has a chance to be a hero, and if he can provide One for All with the right information, the heroes could make the first move. Without a mole lurking in the background, this could be the first real advantage the main characters have had since the series began.