My Hero Academia Debunked One of its Most Disturbing Theories in a Truly Dark Way

My Hero Academia‘s Twice (Jin Bubaigawara) is one of the few villains to have been directly killed by a hero, and his death proved that he was wrong about something he’d always feared. Twice’s death was tragically the only way to disprove his fears, but at least he could be certain in his dying moments.

Due to a traumatic incident in which his clones teamed up against him, Twice has feared for a long time that the original Jin Bubaigawara died long ago, and that he is little more than a clone that’s taken on a life of his own. This led to his split personality and other problems which prevented him from participating in society, ultimately driving him to join the League of Villains and become a villain.

However, Twice’s death proved that he was wrong about this fear, but never had any way to know that fact.

Twice’s Death Took His Clones With Him

Twice’s ability to create unlimited clones of himself was seen as a huge threat by the heroes, and Hawks was dispatched to put an end to Twice by any means necessary. In season 6, episode 3, “One’s Justice,” Hawks corners Twice and attempts to kill him. Twice has some clones, but hasn’t had a chance to fully unleash his power yet, making it the opportune time to strike. Hawks recognizes that Twice isn’t really a bad person, but has no choice but to kill the villain regardless.

Hawks strikes down Twice, and as he slowly dies, it can be seen that his various clones around the area begin to disintegrate into a goopy substance. Without the original, the clones are unable to exist for long, and rapidly dissolve into puddles. However, this proves that Twice really was the original after all, and that his fears of being little more than a clone were completely unfounded. Unfortunately for him, there was no way to prove this fact without his death, meaning he tragically couldn’t be sure of his own existence.

The League of Villains characters are surprisingly sympathetic overall, and Twice is perhaps the most sympathetic of all, due to his generally good-natured persona, loyalty, and traumatic experiences. While it’s not clear if Twice put this fact together as he was dying, he could at least draw some solace from learning that he wasn’t a clone as he’d feared. Ironically, Twice has to say goodbye to Toga via his last clone, with it disintegrating after saving them from a hero one last time.

If Twice had some other way to prove his existence, it’s possible he may have never become a villain at all, as he’d presumably never have developed his split personality. The fact that his death was the only way to learn what he desired to know most is a particularly cruel twist that makes Twice’s story all the more tragic. While the tragic nature of Twice’s death will vary from individual to individual, this harsh reality surely makes it rank among My Hero Academia‘s saddest.

Watch on Crunchyroll