Twice has always been one of My Hero Academia’s most fascinating and frightening characters because of the frayed state of his mind and how the use of his Quirk appears to only make him progressively more unstable. The series has never necessarily made previous comparisons between the character and DC’s Clown Prince of Crime, but in terms of karmic mayhem it’s apt. “Sad Man’s Parade” pulls the trigger of removing Twice’s mask, but then sends the character into a dangerous tailspin when he confuses Skeptic’s puppets with himself and believes that he’s the one that’s hurting Toga. This difficult realization makes Twice even more erratic than normal. He’s a character who’s always stuck in some level of an identity crisis, but “Sad Man’s Parade” depicts him at his very worst. And then he reaches peak performance.
This glimpse of the villain’s rock bottom is only fitting since the episode largely fills in the blanks surrounding Twice’s origins. This information is satisfying and helpful regarding Twice’s future, but it feels even more appropriate following the looks into Shigaraki and Toga’s backstories that have been provided in the previous installments. This “My Villain Academia” arc continues to unpack the layers on My Hero Academia’s deadliest characters and “Sad Man’s Parade” results in another disturbing, emotional home run for the anime.
There’s a compelling juxtaposition in play through “Sad Man’s Parade” between Skeptic’s control over his puppets and Twice’s own duplications and how these comparable abilities contrast in slight, yet vital ways. Ideally, Skeptic wishes to absorb Twice’s Quirk and have a replication and puppet Quirk that’s even more advantageous than what he currently wields. This sinister master plan involves eradicating what’s left of Twice’s fractured mind so that his Quirk can be used to proliferate Re-Destro and make a whole team of copies for this volatile villain. So you know, it’s basically Multiplicity, but with a whole lot more genocide.
Every detail that’s provided on Twice’s past is fitting and succeeds in its mission to humanize this hyperbolized wild card from the series. Twice only started to clone himself in the first place because he suffered from crippling loneliness, not because he possessed any malevolent intentions to improve his Quirk. It’s such a simple, human piece of backstory that does more for the character than what a verbose monologue would provide. Twice is currently stuck in an incredibly dangerous situation, but the initial desires that push him down this path to villainy are highly relatable.
Much like with what’s learned about Himiko Toga in the previous installment, “Sad Man’s Parade” presents Twice not so much as an evil mastermind whose purpose is revenge as it paints him as a scared, hurt victim of circumstance. He finds comfort in the League of Villains because he’s vulnerable and without confidence, just like Himiko Toga, not because he’s fueled by a bottomless pit of rage. What’s just as moving as the circumstances behind the genesis of Twice’s Quirk is him finally regaining his confidence in the department. Twice has been paralyzed in fear over his Quirk after he witnessed some of his clones eliminate each other, planting seeds of doubt in his mind if he’s actually the original version of himself or just another clone.
This is some of My Hero Academia’s deepest material and “Sad Man’s Parade” provides Twice some closure in this area that’s incredibly cathartic and also allows him to passionately embrace his powers again as he gets his groove back. It manages to be just as inspirational as the moment when Shoto Todoroki takes ownership of the fire side of his Quirk and he moves out of the shadow of his father’s trauma, which is saying something for a secondary villain. It’s so satisfying when Twice’s clones are able to overpower Skeptic’s puppets and he can take solace in his powerful Quirk rather than allow it to control him through fear and doubt.
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