WARNING: The following contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 5, Episode 22 "Sad Man's Parade," now streaming on Funimation, Crunchyroll and Hulu.
With the "My Villain Academia" arc now in full swing in the My Hero Academia anime, the League of Villains takes center stage in their fight against the Meta Liberation Army. Being thrust into the spotlight means mysterious characters we've known for several seasons are finally being fleshed out, which really gives us the chance to root for them -- even if they are villains.
My Hero Academia is no stranger to making heroes out of underdogs and Season 5, Episode 22 shows this in Twice, especially, who proves to be the hero of his own story and to his comrades. Moreover, after unleashing his full power at last, Twice demonstrates that he may have been the League's trump card all along.
In the latest episode of My Hero Academia, the battle in Deika city worsens as the League grapples with their disadvantages. As the MLA advances with a literal army of followers and Himiko Toga out of commission from the previous episode's gruesome fight, the League are certainly given a run for their money as they wait for their secret weapon, Gigantomachia, to awaken and inadvertently come to aid them. Twice hurries to Toga's rescue, but gets caught and is attacked by the MLA's Skeptic's puppets. It's beaten and bloody with two broken arms that Twice suddenly has an important revelation pertaining to his Quirk, Double.
Double allows Twice to create duplicates of anything living or non-living, as long as he knows the exact measurements and characteristics of whatever he wants to duplicate. Most notably, he can create clones of himself and then duplicate those clones. Whatever he duplicates is less durable than the original and disappears after taking a certain amount of damage.
The episode also delves into the psychological damage having such a Quirk has inflicted on him. Since his parents' deaths when he was in middle school, Twice, or Jin Bubaigawara, always found himself alone. After losing his job, he took to criminal activities and made clones of himself in an attempt to fill that void. Eventually, his clones turned against him, unsatisfied with his leadership and questioning who the real Jin was. A slaughter ensued and Twice was nearly killed by himself.
As the last one remaining, and still unsure if he is the true Jin or merely a clone, Twice suffered intense psychological trauma that manifests as clashing personalities fighting to take control of his identity. Wearing a mask combats this and helps him to feel whole, as he avoids taking damage in fear that he, too, will disappear like the rest of his clones.
But when his arms are broken by Skeptic's puppets, Twice realizes that he isn't disappearing. Therefore, he is the real Jin. This gives him the breakthrough he needs to overcome his trauma and unveil his true potential in the episode. In a desperate attempt to save Toga's life, Twice breaks free from the puppets and unleashes his own army -- thousands of his own clones, his "Sad Man's Parade." This comes as a shock to both the League and MLA and completely turns the tide of the battle in the League's favor.
Twice's clones rush to aid the other members of the League and to fight on the frontlines. He even clones Tomura Shigaraki, Dabi and Mr. Compress, allowing the real Shigaraki to gain the upper hand and drag the MLA's leader, Re-Destro, out of hiding as they rescue Giran, who the MLA had kidnapped and tortured for information on the League.
Twice's role in this battle in My Hero Academia is massive, unexpected and undoubtedly a real game-changer for the League. But what makes him even stronger is his intense loyalty to his friends -- his motivation. Twice has already made it clear that he would do anything for the League because they gave him a place to belong. When Giran was captured, it was Twice who insisted on rescuing him because Giran was the first person to extend a helping hand and introduce him to the League. He even shares a special bond with Toga after a Season 4 episode when she wrapped up his torn mask to help him feel whole and safe again. After years of being broken and alone, Twice finally has what he's always wanted.
Having been the League's most valuable asset all along -- with only his debilitating mental health issues holding him back -- Twice shows in Season 5's Episode 22 that his role as a comic relief character does not limit his true capabilities. With this recent breakthrough, the League poses a much larger threat to their adversaries, while Twice proves that he is one of the last characters in My Hero Academia to be underestimated, especially if his comrades' lives are on the line.
