My Hero Academia Ending Overlooks Key Shoto Character Development

The conclusion of My Hero Academia has sparked considerable debate among fans since its release, a sentiment exemplified recently through the character of Shoto Todoroki. An eight-year leap in the storyline illustrated Shoto’s rise as a notable hero, separating himself from his father’s legacy. However, many believe there was ample opportunity to delve deeper into his character development.

On platforms like Reddit and X, discussions have emerged suggesting that Shoto could have taken a stand against Quirk marriage in the My Hero Academia manga—an intriguing path for his character to pursue.

Note: This piece contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia series and represents the views of the author.

Shoto Todoroki: An Activist Against Quirk Marriage?

The Todoroki family as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Bones). — Shoto’s family portrayed in the anime (Image via Studio Bones).

A faction of the fanbase believes the series’ time skip could have presented Shoto as an activist, opposing the tradition of Quirk marriage. Within the narrative, Enji, also recognized as the hero Endeavor, married Rei with the intention of producing a child endowed with fire and ice abilities to rival All Might for the hero supremacy.

While Enji has shown care for his family and made attempts to rectify past wrongs, the arranged marriage significantly damaged his children’s lives. With characters like Ochaco Uraraka and Izuku “Deku”Midoriya striving to reform society through organizations and education, Shoto could have similarly carved out a role for himself.

There’s also potential for deeper exploration of his family’s fate post-eight years and the demise of his brother, Toya Todoroki, more widely known as Dabi. However, this idea highlights a flaw in the final chapter, as the narrative’s eight-year gap left many characters’ destinies undefined.

The Other Side of the Argument

Shoto as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Bones). — Shoto depicted in the anime (Image via Studio Bones).

One major concern regarding the idea of portraying Shoto as an activist is that he has never been characterized as such. While Deku has consistently demonstrated a desire to assist others and Uraraka is noted for her compassion, Shoto has primarily concentrated on typical heroic endeavors and has not been portrayed as particularly sociable among his peers.

There are no significant elements in the storyline that indicate Shoto had any inclination towards activism, making it an unusual direction for his character. Although his familial dynamics and conflict with Endeavor have been pivotal to his development, he has not displayed an interest in advocating for others facing similar struggles due to Quirk marriages.

Conclusion

Author Kohei Horikoshi had many possible trajectories for Shoto Todoroki during the eight-year time skip in My Hero Academia. While some fans express a desire to see him embrace activism, this also reflects a broader disappointment regarding the limited depiction of his journey as a hero.

Source

Images Credit: Sportskeeda.com