Warning: Spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 7
Summary
The last arc inMy Hero Academiabefore the big final battle, the UA Traitor arc at last revealed the identity of the person who had been feeding the villains intelligence from within UA. The problem, however, is that this reveal doesn’t amount to much in the grand scheme of things, and while there were some clues pointing towards the culprit, many felt that it came out of nowhere.
The UA Traitor arc is one of the shortest arcs in the series, and serves largely as a prelude to the final battle. Much of the content of these episodes and chapters isn’t even directly related to the traitor plot itself, but rather general preparation for the final battle. Even within its own arc,the reveal of the UA traitor (as Yuga Aoyama)doesn’t feel quite as important as it should.
While the arc does have some fine character moments in it, it’s overall rather weak, especially compared to the arcs that came before it.
The UA Traitor arc covers chapters 335-342 of the manga and episodes 141-143 of the anime.
The UA Traitor Reveal is Simply Too Late
The Traitor Reveal Lacks Impact Due to How Long It Was Delayed
It’s fairly well known amongMy Hero Academiafans that the traitor reveal was supposed to come much, much earlier in the story–as early as the Hideout Raid arc, when Bakugo is kidnapped by the villains. That makes for a much more logical point in time for that reveal to come about, as the traitor’s actions had major negative consequences at that point. However, by the time in the manga in which the reveal is actually made, the traitor hadn’t actually delivered much intel to All for One recently, and the plot point had been all but forgotten by characters and readers alike.
Part of the reason that the UA Traitor reveal is so lackluster is that the situation is already about as bad as it can possibly get. It doesn’t really feel like there’s much Aoyama and his parents can do to worsen things. At the very least, it can be said thatAoyama does make logical sense as the traitor, and his backstory for how All for One came to be in control of them is a pretty clever one that was hinted at from the very beginning. It’s clear that the UA Traitor was meant to be a very big moment, and while it’s not without impact, that impact is certainly dulled compared to what it would’ve been like to reveal his identity earlier.
That said, for an idea that was abandoned and repurposed, it works somewhat well at setting up the final battle under conditions that are much more amenable to the heroes. Aoyama and Deku’s scene of feigned betrayal at the end of the arc is pretty good, and it leads to the absolutely epic shot of the heroes arriving throughKurogiri’s portals, having turned one of All for One’s greatest weapons against him. From a writing perspective, it’s a good use of the pieces that were on the table, even if the execution could’ve been cleaner.
The UA Traitor Arc Does Have Its High Points
The Calm Before the Storm Offers Good Character Moments
The other main use of this arc is as preparation for the final battle, putting the last few pieces in place before everything really kicks off. In this regard, it’s a much better arc. It lays out the heroes' plan, which helps keep the audience from getting confused once the battle begins. It checks in withsome characters like Hatsumewho haven’t been seen in a while, but who are playing a crucial role in supporting this final battle. The arc also offers a chance for characters to do some last-minute training, which Class 1-A attempts to take full advantage of.
The real highlights of this arc are surrounding the characters, however. Deku’s scene with Uraraka, for example, is a great moment between the two of them, highlighting what’s on their minds before heading into what they know will be the final battle. The same can be said of the scene with Toga returning to her childhood home, offering the villain’s perspective on the final battle as well. Even much of the actual traitor material works well on a character level, with Deku and Class 1-A’s reactions feeling real and emotional. Aizawa’s conversation with Aoyama is perhaps the best of the traitor material, offering him a shot at redemption.
While the preparations like Deku and Iida acquiring new gear or planning the attack aren’t terribly exciting, they are important moments to check off before the final battle begins. In that sense, this arc performs a necessary function as connective material, tying the final battle to what came before in a logical way.
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A Flawed Arc, Redeemed By Its Characters
The UA Traitor Arc Does What It Needs To Do
Ultimately, despite coming entirely too late in the story to have the impact that it was meant to have, the UA Traitor arc has enough good moments to it that it helps to even out the failings of the arc overall. It works much better when viewed as a pre-war preparations arc rather than one centered on this idea of the UA Traitor. The anime seems to recognize this, cutting out the fake-out which makes Tohru Hagakure look like the traitor to focus smoothly on Aoyama and his role in setting up the final battle.
The UA Traitor arc offers a chance for fans and characters alike to catch their breath for a moment before the final battle begins. A reveal as big as the traitor’s identity should’ve probably hit harder than it did, but considering the extenuating circumstances around delaying the traitor reveal, it uses what it had to work with about as well as it possibly can. AsMy Hero Academia’s penultimate arc, it’s a bit disappointing, but its short length means that fans aren’t facing some slog to get to the final battle, and the good character moments lift the story enough to keep things interesting.
My Hero Academia
Cast
Anime series My Hero Academia follows Izuku Midoriya, a boy born without superpowers in a world where most have them. Despite his lack of abilities, he enrolls in a prestigious hero academy, striving to learn the true essence of heroism and fulfill his dream of becoming a hero.
