My Hero Academia's biggest "what if" has nothing to do with Shigaraki

Modified Feb 15, 2025 15:30 GMT

My Hero Academia has tackled many "what if" situations, mostly around the main antagonist of the story, Tomura Shigaraki. However, one of its biggest has nothing to do with Shigaraki. Instead, it focuses on Yuga Aoyama, the unsuspecting U.A. traitor.

Aoyama was discovered in season 7 episode 3 by Invisible Girl and Deku when he was sneaking away from his bedroom to secretly converse with his parents. But if they had not discovered him, the possible fallout from his continued leaks of information to All For One might have altered the fate of the war.

Would the bad guys have undermined the hero plan, cut off evacuations, or even released Shigaraki prematurely? The ramifications of Aoyama's treachery not being discovered might have altered My Hero Academia's final fight completely.

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

What if Yuga Aoyama was never caught in My Hero Academia? Explained

Yuga and Deku as seen in anime (Image via Studio Bones)

If Yuga Aoyama had never been caught in My Hero Academia, the heroes would have had very less chances against the forces of All For One. Aoyama's double agent status was central to the heroes' end-game strategy, and if he had not been exposed, then the villains would have completely dominated the situation.

The first thing to happen would be a lack of a proper plan. Prior to Aoyama being exposed as the traitor, the heroes were desperate, training and mobilizing without a specific plan to deal with AFO.

His capture enabled them to lay a trap, bringing the villains together in one location for a final confrontation. Without that crucial factor, the strategy of divide and conquer would never materialize, and the heroes would have been left scrambling.

Further, AFO's existing spies within U.A. would also make the most of the situation. Despite Uraraka's speech, a lot of civilians were still not confident in the heroes' leadership. AFO's spies would be able to take advantage of this by creating paranoia, and further chaos, coercing the heroes into taking difficult decisions.

Yuga as seen in anime (Image via Studio Bones)

Their first major mistake would be to take Deku out of U.A. by force and place him in an even worse position. With Aoyama remaining secretly on the side of AFO, he could influence Deku to get farther away from backup, perhaps by simulating an emergency mission or begging for assistance. Once separated, Deku would be attacked by the forces of AFO.

Deku fighting in isolation against AFO and Shigaraki would have been an automatic loss. Even with his strength, he could not deal with the two of them simultaneously, with their combined powers.

AFO's ultimate dream was to steal One For All, and this would be his ideal moment. Without any backup to help Deku, AFO would eventually surpass him, taking the Quirk by force and gaining complete victory. Without One For All, the resistance of the heroes would collapse.

All For One as seen in anime (Image via Studio Bones)

Even worse, if Aoyama revealed important information to AFO, the villains would be able to pre-emptively sabotage any hero backup plans. AFO had already started to communicate with Aoyama in person. So, he could have gotten intel on important details such as U.A.'s evacuation system or the floating "Coffin" designed to seal off Shigaraki.

With this information, the antagonists could disable these protections or turn them against the heroes. The U.A. shield could be broken, putting civilians in an even more difficult situation. If the prison of Shigaraki were destroyed earlier, he would be at his full strength much sooner, with the villains being at an advantage.

By then, AFO's triumph would be inevitable. Without a plan for separation, a vulnerable Deku, and compromised hero operations, the fight would be lopsided.

The Paranormal Liberation War already demonstrated the destructiveness of an uncoordinated hero endeavor, and without the revelation of Aoyama's betrayal, history would have repeated itself on a greater scale. The heroes would not have merely lost—their whole resistance would be have been destroyed before the battle even properly commenced.

Final thoughts

If Yuga Aoyama had never been caught in My Hero Academia, the villains would have achieved a smooth win. His undiscovered betrayal would have resulted in a chaotic hero resistance, a breakdown of strategic thinking, and the eventual defeat of Deku and One For All.

With AFO having important information, the heroes' final stand would have been in vain, resulting in an entirely one-sided war.

Related links:

Edited by Arunava Dutta