The following article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia Season 6.
The starry-eyed perspective of aspirant students preparing to become professional heroes served as the series' opening scene in the smash anime My Hero Academia. Early on, the categories of "hero" and "villain" were established, clearly defining the boundaries between particular characters. Over time, both heroes and villains would challenge the status quo; the two best examples of this are the characters Hawks and Twice.
The League of Villains member Twice and the Number 2 Hero Hawks, who gained popularity quickly, find themselves collaborating closely in Season 5. The scenes between Hawks and Twice before Hawks' true alliance is revealed are doubly wholesome because of how friendly and funny both of their personalities are. Sadly, their endearing dynamic is fleeting. The core of a significant theme that has been developing in the series is Hawk's horrifying betrayal followed by Twice's selfless sacrifice, which fits with how the anime has been gradually changing since the beginning.
Heroes and Villains in My Hero Academia: The Changing Roles
The idea that there is a thin line between heroes and villains is present throughout Season 2, even though a small amount of the villain's perspective is mixed with a very small group of dubious heroes (such as Bakugo and Endeavor). The term "villain" loses significance as more antagonists are introduced in the series, including characters like Stain, Magne, and Gentle Criminal. It becomes obvious that the label of "villain" doesn't entirely fit each character when the latter half of Season 5 focuses primarily on the League of Villains and humanizes each of them. Each member of the League of Villains has a different motivation for doing what they do, some of which are more understandable than others. At this point in the series, the question "what is good versus what is evil?" replaces the previous theme of "good versus evil."
In order to handle a more intricate plot, My Hero Academia creates the most likable villains, with Twice being the most likable of them all. Twice has a kind and endearing personality and goes above and beyond for the benefit of his closest friends, providing more than just comic relief for the bad guys. Twice may possess many heroic traits at his core, but in addition to the fact that he commits crimes, this lack of other options for survival is the main reason he is categorized as a villain. The only people in his life who made the effort to support him when his life was in shambles were other villains, primarily the members of the League of Villains. The anime does a great job of challenging the notion of what constitutes a villain, but on the other side of the conflict, the heroes are frequently unbalanced in their poses so as to appear a little too good.
The heroes are glamorized for the most part of the series, with the exception of professional hero Endeavor and student Bakugo. The heroes of the series appear to fall roughly around the same place; they want to save people because it is the right thing to do. While there have been many villains with a variety of motivations and morals, there has also been a variety of heroes. The heroes' stories have largely been one-dimensional, at least until Season 6 when the hero Hawks commits the anime's biggest betrayal, despite the fact that the series' villains uphold the captivating theme of "what is a hero versus what is a villain?"
Hawks' Heroic Mission Exposes His Most Villainous Characteristics
Hawks is first introduced during the Hero Billboard Chart JP event as the #2 hero, but he quickly demonstrates that he is more concerned with carrying out his heroic duties than enjoying the rewards. Despite how difficult and rude he may come across, Hawks only wants what's best for everyone. He will finish every job that is given to him, even with a level of alarming cynicism that is covered by humor. Within a few minutes of his debut, fans began to adore Hawks for his sense of humor, his adaptable quirk, and his commitment to spreading kindness. Ironically, his commitment to his work is where his morality is the most ambiguous.
Hawks is tasked with infiltrating the organization as a spy to provide the heroes with information so they can respond with the fewest casualties in light of the Liberation Army's covert rise. He plays the part with a chilling coolness, displaying his innate capacity for deceit and manipulation. Hawk's closest associate among the bad guys, Twice, poses as an ally and welcomes the Hero with open arms. The fact that these two characters grow close is not a trivial matter.
Despite Their Opposite Labels, Hawks and Twice Are Equally Adorable
On one side, there is the hero Hawks, who does everything in his power to uphold peace by helping other heroes defend it as well as save those who are in danger. The antagonist Twice is on the other side, doing everything in his power to give the friends who saved his life as much happiness and strength as possible. Hawks and Twice, despite being on different sides, are cordial and helpful, and they have the power to instantly uplift a room with their positive attitudes. Without their circumstances, the two could have maintained a wonderful friendship, but because they are unable to work out their differences, their relationship ends tragically.
Hawks reveals that his true allegiance was with the heroes all along when the war is about to break out, forcing Twice to choose between betraying his friends and facing death. Twice battles Hawks out of loyalty to his closest friends, but is killed by the pro hero's surprisingly savage methods. With an emphasis on Twice's heroic sacrifice and Hawks' murderous villainy, the hero and villain roles are reversed in this scene thanks to the way it is set up and performed. The series' developing debate over heroic vs. villainous actions hinges on this one particular instance.
The noblest villain dying a hero's death at the hands of a once thought-to-be-pure hero carries such significance not only because it blurs morality, but also because it continues the series' theme of true human morality and how imperfect it can be. So-called "villains" are capable of heroic work like anyone else, as Twice does in his final moments, and even the greatest of heroes can make decisions that scathe the title of "hero," like Hawks. Oddly enough, this hypocrisy of labels is exactly what the so-called villains are fighting against, which begs the question: who is the real villain of My Hero Academia?
