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Discover the ending that the Todoroki brothers received in My Hero Academia and the reasons why it could have been altered.
My Hero Academia has built its reputation on emotional storytelling centered around character dynamics. Whether it be All Might and All For One or Deku and Bakugo, the series has delivered compelling narratives through these complex relationships.
One particularly tragic yet well-written plot line follows the Todoroki family, in particular, Endeavor and his sons. My Hero Academia excelled at setting up the motivations and character arcs of each member of the bloodline but unfortunately fell short of concluding it satisfactorily.
Here is a closer look at why we believe the Todoroki brothers needed a different ending in My Hero Academia.
The Todoroki Family’s Tragedy
The Todoroki family’s tragedy is a tale of envy, abuse, neglect and vengeance. The man at the center of the tragedy is the Pro Hero Endeavor. Going by the name of Enji Todoroki, Endeavor had built up intense jealousy towards All Might and was obsessed with surpassing him.
For its sake, he forced Rei into a Quirk marriage. Their first child, Toya, inherited fire powers like his father and trained while idolizing him. Unfortunately, an innate condition caused Toya’s body to suffer every time he used his powers. As a result, Endeavor completely abandoned him. He also ignored his other children until Shoto was born.
Carrying the fire powers of his father and the ice abilities of his mother, Shoto was Endeavor’s masterpiece. The birth of this child completely shifted the attention away from Toya. Despite Toya’s pleas to gain Endeavor’s attention, he never received it, even being prevented from training. Consequently, his disappointment boiled over and his intense emotions made him lose control of his flames.
Due to the incineration caused by this, the Todoroki family believed Toya had died. In reality, however, he was taken in by All For One, resulting in the birth of Dabi.
Toya’s loss, paired with her husband’s abuse, broke Rei’s mentality. At her worst, Rei even harmed Shoto by splashing boiling water on his face, leaving him with a burn scar. This made Endeavor isolate her in an institution. On the other hand, Shoto continued being subject to intense training by his father. This led to his growth based on the rejection of his father.
Endeavor’s Controversial Redemption
Endeavor’s redemption arc in My Hero Academia is one of its most divisive aspects. After realizing the weight of his actions, the story spends a great amount of time focusing on Endeavor attempting to make amends.
From putting his body on the line to save his children to breaking down and telling them that they needn’t forgive him immediately, there are many moments where Endeavor’s regret sincerely comes across.
Unfortunately, as a result of this, the perspective of his children and the bonds between them take a backseat. Toya’s reveal as Dabi is one of the most shocking moments of the series, but the rest of the storyline solely focuses on his familial relationship. The series started and ended with Toya and Endeavor’s complex bond, hardly ever stepping outside its restriction.
For a large family, each of whom was affected by Endeavor, the story primarily emphasizes Endeavor’s suffering and regret. This ultimately robs Toya of the agency to resolve his issues on his own terms and sidelines Shoto’s role in the family dynamic.
Shoto’s Limited Character Arc
We focused on Toya and Endeavor’s development, but the one who suffered most from this dynamic was Shoto Todoroki. As one of the most promising characters, Shoto is the tritagonist of My Hero Academia.
He wished to prove his father wrong, stepping outside his shadow and making his name known in the world. Shoto was a source of inspiration, learning to accept his fire and ice powers. He motivated Momo’s growth, supported Deku, and was crucial during battles.
Unfortunately, after a point, Shoto’s character arc hardly moved anywhere past his family. Despite being the first to accept his father’s redemption, Endeavor’s character arc tied Shoto down. Unlike other cast members with personal growth and depth, Shoto remained largely stagnant outside his family conflicts.
Shoto becomes the No.2 Hero after the time skip, but his only major role in the wars was stopping Dabi and Endeavor. His friendships with his classmates were underdeveloped and his main reason for becoming a hero was overshadowed by his father’s story.
Even in the case where My Hero Academia decided to keep the focus on Shoto and his family, Shoto’s relationship with his other family members was not given enough emphasis. The spotlight remained on Endeavor, whereas there was good reason to focus on his sons. This was best shown when Natsuo, another abandoned son of Endeavor, was kidnapped by the villain Ending.
Despite Shoto, Bakugo, and Deku saving him, the subplot ended with Endeavor’s heartfelt talk with his son. This much-needed scene made Shoto a side character in his brother’s tale. It never truly explained his relationship with his siblings.
The Relationship Between Toya and Shoto
One of the biggest missed opportunities in My Hero Academia was the development of Toya and Shoto’s bond. A major reason for Toya’s instability was Shoto’s birth, to the degree that he even tried to kill him as a child.
Shoto, on the other hand, represents a different side of the same coin when compared to his brother. He faced the same pressure and toxic home environment but decided to step out of his father’s commands. Where Toya was consumed due to being cut out by Endeavor, Shoto willingly cut himself off to pursue his own goals.
Due to this, both Toya and Shoto had several shared experiences and could potentially bond and grow together. Unfortunately, despite all the set-up, My Hero Academia didn’t take their relationship anywhere. While the Todoroki brothers fought on multiple occasions, there were very few heart-to-heart conversations between them.
Even during these moments, the central focus was Endeavor, trying to face his own demons and seek forgiveness. When Dabi was revealed to be Toya in the Paranormal Liberation War, the series prioritized Endeavor’s mental breakdown. While Shoto tried motivating his father to fight back, the light kept shining on Endeavor picking himself back up.
For a family that faced unspeakable traumas together, My Hero Academia should have placed greater depth on the victims.
Why Did the Todoroki Brothers Needed a Different Ending in My Hero Academia?
The conclusion of the Todoroki family story follows the entire family reuniting and stopping Dabi. After the Final War Arc, Dabi was captured, and a retired Endeavor and his family went to meet their son.
Endeavor expressed how he would never give up on Toya and praised his flames. Shoto then shared his wish to connect with his brother. He asked him his favorite food, to which an emotional and regretful Toya responded with Soba. These words, though small, could have concluded one of the most emotionally resonant subplots in My Hero Academia. Unfortunately, that wasn’t so, since Endeavor’s redemption took priority over the Todoroki brothers’ dynamic.
The best instance of this was during the final battle, where Dabi and Shoto were having an exhilarating fight. However, before any proper resolution to their confrontation, Dabi used a warp gate to torment his father yet again. In the time when Shoto and Toya finally got their time together, the series went back to Endeavor. While Dabi’s family eventually stopped him, the story offered little explanation of the bonds between any Todoroki that didn’t involve the father.
Endeavor is undeniably one of the best-written My Hero Academia characters, but this hindered the development of his family. After showing how each Todoroki was impacted, Horikoshi focused on their growth through the father’s lens. Their individuality, however, was much needed.
A more satisfying resolution would have featured a stronger emotional confrontation between Toya and Shoto without relying on Endeavor. Instead of focusing on their father, Shoto, who better understood what Toya went through, could have connected with him more. Therefore, whether it be reconciliation, mutual understanding, or a bittersweet parting, it would have been more meaningful.
This would have given both characters a more fulfilling narrative, reinforcing that My Hero Academia is about heroes saving people emotionally, too. Unfortunately, the opportunity was lost, leaving the Todoroki brothers’ resolution incomplete.
Conclusion
The Todoroki brothers deserved a better ending than what My Hero Academia provided. Instead of being treated as tools to further Endeavor’s redemption, their relationship should have been given the depth and attention it warranted.
Shoto’s arc should have followed more than just his father’s mistakes, whereas Toya’s fate should have resulted in more than just Endeavor’s redemption. Both Shoto and Toya, who rejected their father’s experiments, had the potential to be the emotional core of the family’s storyline.
Due to overlooking these chances, My Hero Academia missed the opportunity to elevate its impact to greater heights.
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