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Discover why Endeavor is one of the best-written characters in My Hero Academia, and what makes his character arc so captivating.
When it comes to character writing in My Hero Academia, it can be a hit or miss – there’s no in-between. That being said, there’s one character in particular who, despite his glaring flaws – or rather because of them – stands out as one of the best-written characters in My Hero Academia.
The character in question is none other than Enji Todoroki, better known by his hero alias – the Flame Hero: Endeavor. Hailing Endeavor in any sense is certainly a hot take. In fact, his character has often caused some heated debates among fans on social media, who largely remain divided over their opinions on him. Some appreciate his journey and redemption in the series, while others continue to detest him with all their being.
When it comes to Endeavor, there’s hardly anything to like. He was a terrible father and an even worse husband, who was driven by his toxic obsession with surpassing All Might. He certainly isn’t someone anyone would even want to root for. However, this very aspect is what makes his character arc so fascinating.
This is because Endeavor was never written to be someone you could forgive immediately after noticing the change within him. Rather, his redemption arc was realistic, messy, and brutally honest in its portrayal. With that in mind, let us further explore what makes Endeavor such a well-written character in My Hero Academia.
Who Is Endeavor in My Hero Academia?
Enji Todoroki, better known as the Flame Hero: Endeavor, was a professional Hero with the largest number of resolved cases in My Hero Academia. Despite this, he was the No. 2 Hero for a long time, with All Might having the top spot. Following All Might’s retirement, Endeavor officially became the No. 1 Hero.
However, this achievement didn’t feel as rewarding to Endeavor, especially since his main goal was to surpass All Might with his own capabilities. Following the aftermath of the Final War arc in My Hero Academia, Endeavor officially retired from being a Hero due to his injuries. As a changed man, he decided to spend the rest of his life post-retirement making amends for his past sins.
How Endeavor’s Obsession With the Number One Spot Caused His Downfall
At his core, Endeavor is a man consumed by his own inferiority complex. He developed an unhealthy obsession with becoming the No.1 Pro Hero and spent the better part of his career trying to surpass All Might. Deep down, however, Endeavor always knew that there was a considerable gap between him and All Might and that the latter was someone he could never measure up to.
Therefore, instead of accepting the reality of his situation and focusing on becoming a great Hero, Endeavor decided to weaponize his desperation. Driven by his obsession, Endeavor tried to craft the perfect successor, or rather, a tool he could use to complete the mission he never could. Eventually, he got the perfect child that he was so desperate for – in the form of Shoto Todoroki, whom he considered to be his masterpiece. From there on, Endeavor placed all his hopes on Shoto and subjected him to a harsh training regimen from the moment he was born.
He isolated Shoto from the rest of his siblings, labelling them as failures and becoming an even worse influence on his family. His actions eventually resulted in the death of his eldest son, Toya Todoroki, shortly after which his wife suffered a mental breakdown and injured Shoto by pouring boiling water on his face.
This is the part where most people are right to hate Endeavor. He wasn’t a villain in a traditional sense, but in many ways, he was worse. His abuse didn’t extend to world domination – it took place behind closed doors, that too, on his own family. All in all, Endeavor is a man who destroyed his family simply because of his inflated ego and unrealistic goals.
Endeavor’s Path to Redemption in My Hero Academia
Given the severity of his past crimes, it seemed nearly impossible to redeem Endeavor. After all, how do you forgive a person who tortured his own family just for the sake of his twisted goals? To answer it simply – you don’t. In fact, Endeavor himself stated that he didn’t expect anyone to forgive him for his past sins.
If we look at most redemption arcs in the history of anime, they usually go something like this – the character reflects on their actions and admits their mistake, they do something heroic, everyone forgives them, and their past sins are mostly swept under the rug. However, this isn’t the formula that My Hero Academia‘s mangaka, Kohei Horikoshi, followed with Endeavor.
Instead of giving Endeavor the easy way out, Horikoshi made him work for his redemption. Endeavor didn’t get to just apologize and expect everything to be okay. Instead, he had to confront the consequences of his actions and bear full accountability for the trauma he subjected his family to. As mentioned earlier, Endeavor admitted that he didn’t expect anyone to forgive him or forget whatever he did to them. He simply tells them that he’s trying to be better and would spend his whole life trying to atone for his past sins.
This is the part where Endeavor’s character writing shines – not because he simply redeems himself, but because he tries despite knowing that no one may ever fully forgive him. Moreover, Endeavor’s battle against the High-End Nomu was a major turning point for his character. After all, he nearly died trying to prove that he can be the No.1 Hero. He also realized that being the No.1 Hero was never about surpassing All Might; it was about becoming someone worth looking up to.
What Makes Endeavor One of the Best-Written Characters in My Hero Academia
All in all, what makes Endeavor one of My Hero Academia‘s best-written characters is how brutally honest and realistic his character writing was. Despite his actions, he isn’t a complete villain, and he certainly isn’t an inspiring Hero like All Might. He’s simply a man – a man who made horrible mistakes in the past and is now trying his level best to atone for them.
His redemption arc wasn’t about erasing his past sins or even becoming likeable. It was about being better than who he once was. It was to prove that although your past crimes may never be fully forgiven, it’s never too late to make the right choice and try to atone for them.
Conclusion
Without a doubt, Endeavor’s character arc in My Hero Academia is one of the best-written and well-executed redemption arcs in anime history. He is living proof that redemption isn’t entirely about being forgiven – it’s about making the effort to be better, even if you don’t really deserve a second chance to correct yourself.
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