5 Class 1-A students who're better choices than Aoyama for My Hero Academia's traitor (& 5 who're worse)

My Hero Academia surprised everyone when it was revealed that Yuga Aoyama was the traitor at U.A. His nervous nature made him an unlikely choice, but some still thought it was a strange decision. There are a few Class 1-A students who would have been more appropriate. Their actions, histories, or quirks would have made the reveal more believable.

Meanwhile, some other members of the class are even less convincing than Aoyama. Their loyalty, personality, or sheer absence of motive would have rendered the twist unsatisfying. This combination of better and worse alternatives illustrates how difficult this twist really was. Here are the 5 Class 1-A students who are better choices than Aoyama for My Hero Academia's traitor, and the 5 who are worse.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinion and includes spoilers from the anime/manga.

Denki Kaminari and 4 other Class 1-A students who're better choices than Aoyama for My Hero Academia's traitor

1) Denki Kaminari

Denki Kaminari as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Denki Kaminari is approachable and has a playful, silly side. But that could have been the perfect cover. His easygoing nature makes him seem harmless. He also has moments where he acts clueless, which could be fake. His quirk is useful for both offense and disabling communication.

That fits a traitor's role well. Kaminari’s strange behavior during the Provisional License arc also raised questions. If he were the traitor, it would have been more believable than Aoyama. He's one of the stronger options for the traitor's role in My Hero Academia.

2) Shoto Todoroki

Shoto Todoroki as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Shoto Todoroki is the son of Endeavor and one of Class 1-A's strongest students. His past is filled with trauma and darkness. That only creates room for a believable betrayal. He has motives to despise heroes, particularly due to how his father manipulated him. His cold nature in the early arcs made him distant from others.

That emotional distance could have concealed a secret allegiance. If he had been the traitor, it would have surprised readers, along with being narratively logical. This makes Shoto a more fitting candidate than Aoyama as the U.A. traitor in My Hero Academia.

3) Mina Ashido

Mina Ashido as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Mina Ashido is energetic, social, and always smiling. But that's what makes her a better traitor material than Aoyama. Her friendly demeanor could easily conceal secrets. She is close to nearly everyone, so she can get information without anyone suspecting anything. Her acid quirk provides covert destruction without leaving obvious evidence.

She doesn't get nervous or distant like Aoyama, so her betrayal is more difficult to suspect. If she were the traitor, the emotional shock would be greater. Mina Ashido is one of the Class 1-A students who is a better option than Aoyama for My Hero Academia's villain.

4) Toru Hagakure

Toru Hagakure as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Toru Hagakure is the invisible girl in Class 1-A. Her quirk allows her to remain invisible constantly. She is thus an excellent spy. She would be able to get information easily or steal into a prohibited area unnoticed. Her happy and innocent nature also makes her less suspicious.

The fact that her face is never shown is an added layer of mystery to the character. Fans even thought she was the traitor in the past. Toru Hagakure is one of the Class 1-A students who could have been a better traitor in My Hero Academia.

5) Minoru Mineta

Minoru Mineta as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Minoru Mineta is another Class 1-A student who'd be a better candidate than Aoyama as My Hero Academia's traitor. He's already suspicious in his behavior, with a tendency of acting up for selfish reasons.

Mineta's fixation on girls and his willingness to do whatever it takes in order to fulfill his ambitions might make him an easy target for manipulation. His perpetual disregard for authority would be consistent with a character who would betray his friends.

Tsuyu Asui and 4 other Class 1-A students who're worse choices than Aoyama for My Hero Academia's traitor

1) Tsuyu Asui

Tsuyu Asui as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Tsuyu Asui is shown to be calm throughout the storyline. She is always dependable throughout the series, caring for others even more than herself. Her responsible and humble nature makes it difficult to see her betraying her friends.

The tight relationships that she shares with her classmates and her inclination to protect them would have made it uncomfortable to expect a betrayal from her compared to Aoyama's suspicious nature. She is among the My Hero Academia characters who would have been a bad pick for the traitor role.

2) Ochaco Uraraka

Ochaco Uraraka as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Ochaco Uraraka is a Class 1-A student who's a poorer choice than Aoyama as My Hero Academia's traitor. She is kind and one of the most reliable students, because she has a selfless personality. She always thinks about her friends and always has a strong sense of justice.

She has no motives—she wishes to help her family and to be a hero. Considering her friendly nature and absolute commitment to her friends, it's difficult to imagine her betraying anyone. Aoyama's secretive nature made him a better candidate for playing the role of the traitor than Ochaco.

3) Eijiro Kirishima

Eijiro Kirishima as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Eijiro Kirishima's strong sense of loyalty and unwavering courage make him an unlikely traitor. He cares about his friendships and would never risk betraying his classmates, especially given his ambition to be a dependable hero. Kirishima's honest, reliable nature makes him appear almost too sincere to play the role of a traitor.

His relationships with his classmates are profound, and his constant willingness to assist others speaks to his integrity. With these characteristics, a betrayal on the part of Kirishima would have been inconsistant with his personality.

4) Kyoka Jiro

Kyoka Jiro as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Kyoka Jiro is openly honest and cheerful. Her good sense of morals and dislike of deceit make disloyalty impossible. She is straightforward but with care, and she never blinks at confronting her friends. Her uniqueness relies on hearing, making sneaky betrayal baseless. Jiro's fidelity is constantly tested and reinforced, particularly on decisive battles.

In contrast with Aoyama, she neither hides anything nor becomes unstable. Her straightforwardness is incompatible with lying. Betrayal would be in contradiction to her development as a team-oriented hero. Jiro's honesty makes her a much worse traitor choice than Aoyama's questionable behavior ever was in My Hero Academia.

5) Tenya Iida

Tenya Iida as seen in anime (Image via Bones)

Tenya Iida follows the hero code to the letter and has high ethical standards for himself. Iida values justice first, above anything else. Even at emotional moments, he always ends up reverting to sense and duty. Duty always drives him, never secrecy or dishonesty.

A character like his betraying U.A. would sound forced and unnatural. He does not have the emotional vulnerability or internal conflict required to create a believable betrayal in My Hero Academia.

Final thoughts

My Hero Academia's traitor twist was difficult to pull off. Yuga Aoyama was a shock, but not a completely satisfying one. Characters such as Denki Kaminari or Shoto Todoroki had more solid setups for betrayal. Their quirks, actions, and histories made them more believable suspects.

Similarly, My Hero Academia characters such as Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, and Kyoka Jiro were too loyal to make the twist believable. The plot would have landed more effectively with a different traitor, but numerous options would have been less logical.