Why Dabi is My Hero Academia's Joker

Dabi has become My Hero Academia's version of The Joker, through and through. In fact, he's arguably more compelling than Joker now that we know his full origin and motivation. Dabi started out as a sadistic and psychotic boogeyman who was a standout of the League of Villains squad; during the First War Arc, that psycho firebug persona evolved into something much more complex and malevolent. Now, with the Final War Arc Dabi has fully embraced the Joker view of life (and death)

(WARNING: My Hero Academia Manga SPOILERS Follow!) 

As stated, Dabi started out in My Hero Academia as a psycho killer type – although he was positioned as something of a secondary character into the series. He showed up, burned people (and things) and did so purely for the joy of carnage, despite the cost to his own body. SImple and interesting enough. Dabi's implied connections to fan-favorite character Shoto Todoroki also made him a focus of intrigue. That intirgue only grew as we learned more about the larger Todoroki family, and their "dead" member, Toya Todoroki. 

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When My Hero Academia finally answered the mystery of Dabi's origin, we indeed got the long-theorized reveal that he used to be Toya Todoroki. What we didn't expect, however, was Dabi using the truth about his own origin to springboard to Joker-level malevolence! By announcing his truth to the entire world via broadcast, Dabi shamed his no. 1 hero father, Endeavor, and ostensibly broke Japan's entire pro hero system. The psychological terrorizing hasn't ended there, as Dabi has provoked his entire family into an ultimate showdown, which will be fought by him and Shoto on in infernos battlefield. 

My Hero Academia creator Kohei Horikoshi is an unabashed fan of American geek culture lore, as his manga is stuffed with Easter egg references to Marvel and DC Comics, Star Wars, and so much more. Horikoshi made Dabi's moment of triumph during the First War Arc into a clear Joker ode, as the firebug villain danced proudly to the fear and chaos he unleashed in the style of Joaquin Phoenix's Joker movie. Well, in My Hero Academia manga chapter 350, Horikoshi double-down on his Dabi/Joker connection, with this little panel of artwork during Dabi's final fiery declaration of war on Shoto

The final piece of Dabi's backstory indeed spins him into a full-fledged Joker, as we learn in Chapter 350 how Toya realized he was just a failed endeavor of his father (Endeavor) who All For One and Dr. Garaki saved form death and transformed into a Nomu-style monster. It's revealed that the only thing even keeping Dabi alive is his insane grudge against his family – it's the death he's been waiting for, all along. 

That famous Joker quote from The Dark Knight goes "Some men just want to watch the world burn." In the case of My Hero Academia's Dabi, it's all too literal in meaning. 

My Hero Academia releases new manga chapters free online. 

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