The popular anime and manga series My Hero Academia (MHA) features some interesting traitor plotlines. In a world full of heroes, there are inevitably those who turn against their own and become villains. This article will dive into the key traitors in MHA and analyze their motivations and impacts on the overall story.
Kurogiri
Kurogiri is a villain with a warp quirk that allows him to create portals. He is a loyal follower of All For One and carries out his orders. However, in the Paranormal Liberation War arc, it is revealed that Kurogiri is actually Shirakumo, a UA student who was presumed dead.
Shirakumo’s body was taken by All For One and his mind was warped to turn him into the villain Kurogiri. This makes Kurogiri a tragic case of someone who was forcibly turned against their own ideals to serve evil. He is less a traitor and more a victim of All For One’s machinations.
Hawks
Hawks is the No. 2 ranked hero who infiltrated the League of Villains as a double agent. He gained the trust of the League’s leader, Dabi, while secretly feeding intel to the heroes.
Hawks had to commit some morally questionable acts to maintain his cover, like killing a small-time villain named Best Jeanist. This led to many questioning his loyalty.
In the end, Hawks proved his loyalty to the heroes by fighting against the League. He almost sacrificed himself protecting Endeavor.
So while Hawks’ methods were controversial, his ultimate aim was taking down the League of Villains from within. He demonstrated strategic intelligence in infiltrating the organization at great personal risk.
Dabi
Dabi is actually Toya Todoroki, the eldest son of Endeavor who was presumed dead. Toya had a fiery quirk that Endeavor pushed too far in abusive “training”, causing the child to apparently burn himself to death.
In actuality, Toya survived and grew to hate his father Endeavor. He took on the name Dabi and joined the League of Villains, intent on destroying the false hero society and his father’s legacy.
As a Todoroki, Dabi could be seen as betraying his heroic family line by becoming a villain. But his hatred of Endeavor makes him feel justified in his actions. Dabi reveals the truth of Endeavor’s abuse, throwing the No. 1 hero’s reputation into question.
Dr. Garaki
Dr. Garaki was a brilliant, renowned quirk researcher who went mad and became allied with All For One. He is the creator of the Nomu and the chief scientist of the Paranormal Liberation Front.
In the past, Dr. Garaki attended UA High School and respected the Symbol of Peace, All Might. But after being shunned and belittled by the hero community, Garaki turned against them and offered his services to All For One.
Garaki’s knowledge and intellect make him a very dangerous foe who enables All For One’s plans. His turn from respected researcher to mad villain scientist makes him an impactful traitor in the series.
Kaminari
There is a popular fan theory that Kaminari, a student of UA’s Class 1-A, is secretly a traitor working for the League of Villains. This is suspected because of his suspiciously weak electric quirk and how he once short-circuited his brain to avoid exposing info to the class.
However, this theory has never been confirmed in the manga and Kaminari has fought against villains on many occasions. So while an intriguing idea, there is little evidence so far that Kaminari has actually betrayed the heroes.
Toru Hagakure
Similar to Kaminari, some fans speculate that the invisible student Toru Hagakure may be a traitor. Her invisibility could make spying easy and she knows the layout of UA.
But again, Toru has not been shown to have suspicious motivations or actions. She has helped Class 1-A against villains multiple times. Until proven otherwise, there is little indication in the manga that Toru has turned traitor.
Traitor Impact on the Story
The traitor characters in MHA, whether revealed traitors like Dabi or theorized ones like Kaminari, add an extra layer of depth and uncertainty to the story. Having characters with shifting loyalties maintains tension and keeps readers guessing who to trust.
Some traitors, like Dr. Garaki, chose to switch sides out of petty or vengeful reasons. Others, like Dabi, did so due to abuse and disillusionment with hero society. Their different motivations lend moral complexity.
MHA traitors often act as catalysts who propel the story forward. Hawks’ infiltration gave heroes intel on the League. Dabi’s reveals about Endeavor’s past shake public trust. Kurogiri aided All For One’s plans as a key member of the League.
By acting as foils to heroic characters, traitors also help define what being a hero truly means in the face of corruption and evil.
Conclusion
My Hero Academia features a compelling look at traitorous characters through those like Kurogiri, Hawks, Dabi, Dr. Garaki and potential suspects like Kaminari. Their betrayals arise from complex motivations and move the overall narrative forward in interesting ways.
Traitors add a sense of unpredictability and suspicion that increases engagement for readers. Seeing heroes respond to deceit and treachery also fleshes out their true heroic qualities. For these reasons, MHA traitors are impactful narrative elements.
