My Hero Academia's Jason Liebrecht Talks How His Tragedy Fuels Dabi's Voice (Exclusive)

We talked with voice actor Jason Liebrecht about how his personal life reflect that of Endeavor's son.

By Evan Valentine

One of the biggest storylines of My Hero Academia that has resonated with anime fans is the tragic tale of the Todoroki Family. In an effort to create heroes that could compete with All Might, the former number one hero, Endeavor put his family through hell and back. The fruits of his terrible efforts resulted in his eldest son, Toya Todoroki, becoming one of the world's greatest villains. Dabi remains one of the biggest antagonists of the shonen series, especially in the final battle of the anime. At this year's Dragon Con event in Atlanta, Georgia, we had the chance to chat with Dabi's voice actor Jason Liebrecht regarding how his own life fuels the fiery foe.

Liebrecht didn't pull any punches when asked about his portrayal of Dabi, noting that his own abandonment as a child fuels the villain's voice in My Hero Academia, "I feel like the villains in My Hero Academia have more depth and as an actor, it doesn't make it easier to play but there's more ammunition there to work with. I had a somewhat troubled childhood, I was estranged from my mother and gave up at three years old. I have a good relationship with my mother now but she understands the decisions that she made weren't the best decisions. Taking it back to Toya Todoroki, Dabi, these events very much influenced my performance. Having an experience like that, I deal with abandonment. I have a lot to pull from in my life, pain, and rage, that I've channeled into Dabi. That's cathartic in a way."

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(Photo: TOHO Animation)

Becoming Dabi

Ironically enough, Jason received the role thanks to previous My Hero Academia ADR director Colleen Clinkenbeard. If the name sounds familiar, it should be for anime fans as Colleen has played Gohan in Dragon Ball, Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, and Momo Yaoyorozu in My Hero Academia. As Liebrecht explains, Clinkenbeard felt that he was perfect for the role. 

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"Colleen has known me since I was in my early twenties when I was a bit of a wild man. She hit me up and told me 'I've found your guy in My Hero! You're going to like him a lot!' After recording some lines, I told Colleen that 'I like this guy' and she told me, 'I knew you would.'"

Want to stay up to date on Dabi's status in the seventh season of My Hero Academia? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for the latest updates on UA Academy. 

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