What does 'third Impostor' mean in Among Us?

Play Among Us for any amount of time and you’re bound to encounter the term “third impostor”. For a lot of players, they may assume this literally means one more impostor, bringing the total to three. This isn’t always the case, in fact, it’s a little more meta and a bit of a cheeky dig at players.

What does it mean when someone says “third impostor”?

When playing Among Us, it’s not uncommon to see someone throw out an accusation of someone being a “third impostor”. This might make some players think that their crewmates are legitimately suggesting there are three impostors, but that is not so.

The term “third impostor” is often used as a dig at a player that is acting suspicious, but is otherwise definitely not the impostor. This player may be failing to complete their tasks, accusing the wrong people, or not voting in line with the majority. Though they are not necessarily killing anyone or trying to lose, the chaotic playstyle makes them seem like a mini-impostor, or if you will, a “third impostor”.

"Third Impostor" is used as a subtle dig at someone who is not being a very good crewmate, one that might as well be a third impostor.

Basically, it’s a way of suggesting a player is performing in their duties as a crewmate to such a terrible degree that they might as well be another impostor. It’s a cheeky dig, but one that can certainly be helpful if you are the impostor.

Given that there is the option to have three impostors in a match, this term can occasionally mean there are actually three impostors, but it's rare. The reason for this is that many people limit the number of impostors to two, as this seems to make for more balanced gameplay.

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of what people mean when they announce a third impostor, you’ll be able to either join in on the fun or try and divert their suspicions. Swing by the Shacknews Among Us page for other tips for all those crewmates and impostors out there.