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Discover how Horikoshi sidelined Shoto Todoroki’s powerful journey of overcoming past trauma in favor of Dabi and Endeavor’s arcs.
Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia series has had a monumental impact on the modern anime and manga industry. From a diverse cast of entertaining characters to heartfelt representations of societal flaws, childhood trauma, and the indomitable human spirit, there are several factors that contributed to the series’ overwhelming success.
However, upon revisiting the series and its character arcs, fans have pointed out one glaring critique of the series—the handling of Shoto Todoroki’s character arc, who is undeniably one of the most popular and beloved characters of My Hero Academia. Shoto’s journey throughout the series, which is marked by overcoming his childhood trauma and redefining his identity, was unfortunately not given enough attention due to the drama between his father, Endeavor, and his brother, Toya Todoroki, aka Dabi.
Shoto’s Character Arc
Shoto Todoroki started off the series as a detached and unemotional individual with a cold and reserved personality. It stemmed from years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, the Pro Hero Endeavor. The duality of his Half-Cold Half-Hot Quirk symbolized the fractured nature of his upbringing—one side represented the cruelty of his abusive father, whereas the other side represented his loving mother, who was driven to the brink of emotional instability by that abuse.
For years, Shoto harbored a deep resentment for his fire abilities, since it represented his father’s wickedness towards him and his mother. It was also a painful reminder of the reason behind his birth—he was a mere tool for surpassing All Might, which was all that Endeavor considered him to be throughout his childhood. As such, Shoto initially rejected his fire powers and preferred his ice powers, which he inherited from his mother, even in situations where fire would have been more useful. However, after his monumental fight against Izuku Midoriya in the U.A. High Festival, Shoto started using his fire powers once again.
After having a brief talk with his mother following the fight, Shoto realized that it was his Quirk, and not his father’s. As such, he became more willing to train his fire abilities. He also became more open and social with others following the U.A. High Festival, which marked the beginning of his journey of overcoming his childhood trauma.
How Dabi and Endeavor Overtook Shoto’s Story
The Todoroki Family storyline is one of My Hero Academia’s most important storylines. However, as the story went on, the spotlight shifted to Endeavor’s redemption arc and Dabi’s quest for revenge against his abusive father. While a certain amount of focus on the two characters was certainly necessary, it came at the cost of sidelining Shoto, who is the one character who had the most to gain or lose from these developments.
Endeavor’s abusive past loomed largely over each and every member of his family. As such, seeing him struggle with guilt and remorse for his past actions added a new layer to his character. Although Endeavor didn’t expect anyone to forgive him for his past actions, he claimed that he wouldn’t stop making amends for his past sins. Similarly, Dabi’s reveal as Toya Todoroki, Endeavor’s eldest son who was presumed to be dead, was a masterstroke that deepened the tragedy of the Todoroki family.
That said, this development heavily favored Dabi and Endeavor, leaving Shoto on the sidelines for the most part when he should have been front and center. What’s more, even during the climactic showdown between Shoto and Dabi in the Final War arc, the narrative mostly felt like a platform for Dabi’s monologues and a setup for the final confrontation between the Todoroki family. As such, his role as the tritagonist felt severely diminished, as it reduced him to a mere supporting player in his own family conflict.
Why Shoto’s Story Is So Inspiring in My Hero Academia
Shoto Todoroki’s character arc in My Hero Academia deeply resonated with fans for its raw portrayal of child abuse and trauma. His story wasn’t simply about becoming a great hero. Instead, it was about surviving, healing, overcoming past trauma, and learning to forgive his father for his past sins. It was undeniably a character arc worth a decent amount of focus, as it could highlight Shoto’s journey of finding his own purpose despite being born into a broken environment in more detail. Many people saw themselves in Shoto—not as heroes, but as people grappling with the weight of family expectations, childhood trauma, emotional scars, and their desire to break free and move on from their tragic past.
Another thing to note about Shoto’s character—he initially detested the fire abilities of his Quirk, since it was a stark reminder of his father’s abuse. However, his eventual reconciliation with his fire powers isn’t just a simple power-up. It was a sign of his self-acceptance and rejection of his father’s control, as he realized that both the fire and ice powers are a part of his own Quirk—not his father’s. In a world where people often overlook serious issues like child abuse, Shoto’s story amplifies the voices of those silenced by their environment. This is why a major portion of the fanbase wanted Shoto to get the narrative spotlight that he deserved.
Why Shoto Needed a Bigger Spotlight
As the tritagonist of the series, Shoto is one of the narrative’s core pillars. However, his treatment in the narrative often felt underwhelming compared to other prominent characters. In several pivotal moments of the series, it seemed as if Shoto’s character took a backseat to give room for other characters to shine. In fact, his character growth was often overshadowed by the Todoroki family drama, especially during his monumental battle against Dabi where he was treated as more of a side character instead of receiving central focus.
This was his chance to confront his brother, assert his identity, and showcase that he was able to break free from his abusive upbringing instead of being consumed by it. Instead, much of the focus remained on Endeavor’s guilt and Dabi’s thirst for revenge. As such, many feel that the sidelining of his character did a huge disservice to his role as the tritagonist.
Instead of being bound by his past, Shoto managed to rise above his hatred for his father. He is living proof that anybody is capable of change if they are given a proper chance to do so. As such, the lack of spotlight on his character development felt more like a betrayal to his fans. His struggles and triumphs are certainly deserving of being showcased on the same level as Deku’s relentless drive or Bakugo’s growth as a person.
Shoto’s Final Fate in My Hero Academia Epilogue
After stopping Dabi in the Final War arc, Shoto expressed some sentiment towards his older brother, saying that he wanted to learn more about him. Despite everything Dabi has done, Shoto didn’t want to abandon his brother and wanted to save him instead. He had also forgiven his father for his past sins and was willing to keep in touch with him after the war. At this point, he embraced his growth as a person. He was thankful to his friends in Class 1-A for helping him move on from his abusive upbringing and for reminding him that he wasn’t alone.
The My Hero Academia epilogue also featured an 8-year time skip after the war. After graduating from U.A. High, Shoto was able to achieve his goal of becoming a successful and hardworking Hero, who treated his fans equally and with respect. As time went on, people began to think less of him as Endeavor’s son and recognized him as his own Hero, which marked a major milestone in his character arc.
Conclusion
Shoto Todoroki is undoubtedly one of My Hero Academia’s most emotionally resonant characters. His journey from a broken child filled with hate to a determined and beloved Hero who was finally able to grow out of his father’s shadow has been nothing short of a spectacle. Even though Kohei Horikoshi sidelines a major part of his character development for the sake of Dabi and Endeavor’s storyline, Shoto Todoroki remains one of the series’ most inspiring and beloved characters.
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