My Hero Academia is a pro at making fans emotional. The shonen title may have lots of action, but its superheroes are as likely to land a punch as they are break into tears. So, it should come as little surprise that Shoto Todoroki is back in the spotlight with one heart-wrenching flashback.
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So, if someone who’s not Endeavor wants to give the boy a hug, fans would be happy for the student to get some love.
My Hero Academia put out a new chapter recently, and the update scaled back its action sequences. With Classes 1-A and 1-B taking a breather from their joint training, Shoto finds himself talking with Tokoyami, and it doesn’t take long from him to fall into a rather painful flashback.
As fans read, they can watch as Shoto goes back to his younger years training under Endeavor. His abusive father has become well-known for his horrifying behavior, and this flashback pieces together a tragic day in Shoto’s life. The chapter sees the young boy on the ground crying while Endeavor scolds his son as flames burn around his fists.
“Don’t run away from me,” Endeavor says. “Don’t run away from yourself. Stand up! Quit pretending to be so frail!”
Continuing, Endeavor ignores the brutal scar marring his son’s face and tells the boy his older brother has nothing on Shoto. The younger Todoroki will be the family’s star and fulfill Endeavor’s dream of beating All Might.
“You’re the one, Shoto,” he says. “At long last, to you and only you, I can pass on this technique! With it, you can accomplish my ambition.”
The painful scene shows how little Endeavor cares for Shoto as person, and how much he sees him as a simple tool. The Pro Hero only cares about Shoto’s power, and he isn’t afraid to beat him to the point of tears so long as his son gets stronger. Now, fans can see why Shoto has such a complex when it comes to his father, and this scene makes it all the harder on fans to support Endeavor as the new No. 1 Hero.
Do you think Endeavor can ever redeem himself after abusing his family like this? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
My Hero Academia was created by Kohei Horikoshi and has been running in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump since July 2014. The story follows Izuku Midoriya, who lives in a world where everyone has super powers, even though he was born without them. Dreaming to become a superhero anyway, he’s eventually scouted by the world’s best hero All Might and enrolls in a school for professional heroes. The series has been licensed by Viz Media for an English language release since 2015.
