Summary
Shoto Todoroki fromMy Hero Academiais a complex character with a traumatic past who braves his inner conflicts to become one of the most promising future Pro Heroes. As Endeavor’s son, he has had the challenge of living up to his father’s expectations from a young age and despite the abuse he endured, he has turned into a kind person with a strong sense of justice.
Todoroki hasfought many dangerous battles alongside his friendsfrom U.A. High and has never hesitated to put his life on the line for the greater good. There have been several episodes that demonstrate his courage and never-give-up attitude in the face of insurmountable odds, but the following five truly stand out among the rest. These episodes not only cement his legacy but also give a glimpse of the kind of person he is and the hero he is fated to become.
5Season 5, Episode 8: “Match 3 Conclusion”
Shoto Todoroki Pushes Himself to the Limits
In the Joint Training arc, students of Class A and Class B have joined combat training to test their skills.Shoto Todoroki is teamed up with Tenya Ida, Mashirao Ojiro, and Mezo Shoji as they together take on Pony Tsunotori, Juzo Honenuki, Sen Kaibara and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu. Once the match commences, Todoroki locks horns with Tetsutesu. Although Shoto is confident initially, it soon becomes evident that his power is not as effective against Tetsutetsu’s steel quirk.
Todoroki tries to use ice to slow down his adversary but it does not have the desired effect. He then tries to stop Tetsutetsu with fire. Shoto is shocked to learn that the steel quirk allows him to withstand the heat. Tetsutestu then walks up to Todoroki and starts to beat him up. Despite the onslaught, Shoto remains resilient and activates his fire quirk to its extreme limits. Both opponents refuse to give up despite the extreme pressure and the fight becomes a ruthless test of endurance.
4Season 2, Episode 12: “Todoroki vs. Bakugo”
The U.A. Sports Festival Battle Tournament Final
Following hisvictory over Izuku Midoriyain the battle tournament, Todoroki once again starts having second thoughts about using his full potential. As a mark of protest against Endeavor, he refused to activate his fire until he fought Deku. But despite the victory, Shoto sat in the waiting room pondering over his actions when Bakugo barged into the room. The classmates had a brief conversation in whichKatsuki motivated his opponentto use his full potential in the fight.
Soon, Bakugo and Todoroki found themselves on the battlefield up against one another in the U.A. Sports Festival Battle Tournament Final. But like in his fight with Izuku Midoriya, Shoto appeared reluctant to use activate fire. Although Bakugo like Deku tried to motivate him to do so, Todoroki could not overcome his inner conflict this time and opened himself up for a direct attack from his opponent that ended the battle prematurely. With Todoroki’s fight with Midoriya as the background, Todoroki vs. Bakugo highlights the far-reaching impact of childhood abuse and trauma on Shoto. The episode offers fans a chance to subtly witness Todoroki’s inner storm and the complex history associated with it.
3Season 7, Episode 8: “Two Flashfires”
The Todoroki Siblings Face Each Other in a High-Stakes Battle
Endeavor’s desire for power and influencein the Hero world drove him to make reckless decisions as a father and husband that destroyed the Todoroki family. The abuse endured by those close to the pro-hero resulted in his son Toya’s disillusionment with the heroes and later recruitment by the forces of evil. Two Flashfires focuses on the dramatic incident when Dabi takes on his younger brother Shoto Todoroki.
Naturally, the battle is an emotionally charged one as the siblings finally get to exchange words.Dabi reveals how he survived the dangerous fireat Sekoto Peak and the events that fueled his transformation into a villain. Shoto has been preparing for the inevitable battle for a while and has prepared clever strategies to deal with his villain brother. The fight is emotional, exciting, and intense as the clash carries the underlying shared childhood trauma and abuse that the brothers have endured.
2Season 2, Episode 16: “Hero Killer: Stain vs U.A. Students”
Todoroki’s Heroism In the Face of Insurmountable Odds
In the aftermath of Hero Killer: Stainseverely injuring Tensei Ida and pushing him into retirement, Tenya is overcome by his desire for revenge and confronts the villain in Hosu City. This sets the stage for his battle with U.A. students- Deku, Shoto, and Tenya. In a one-on-one battle, Stain easily overwhelms Ida and is about to kill him when Izuku arrives at the scene and starts fighting back against the villain. Tenya and Pro Hero Native are already incapacitated at this point so their lives completely depend on Izuku.
Although Midoriya shows exemplary courage and fights with his life on the line, Stain eventually manages to immobilize him using his quirk. Just when the Hero Killer prepares to kill Tenya and Native, Shoto attacks the villain. His timely arrival dramatically shifts the battle although Ida pleads with Todoroki not to get involved. Shoto demonstrates remarkable bravery and maturity in the face of a serious threat to his life and manages to push Hero Killer on the back foot.
Todoroki is frequently misunderstoodas a cold person, but the incident proves otherwise. It turns out that Shoto had been worrying about Tenya since his brother got severely injured as he knew that pent-up resentment would eventually push him to make bad decisions. He not only fights for Tenya but also motivates him to be a better hero. The intense battle with Hero Killer and Shoto’s selfless actions make the entire incident a memorable step in Todoroki’s evolution as a future hero.
1Season 2, Episode 10: “Shoto Todoroki: Origin”
Izuku Pushes Shoto To Unleash His Full Potential
Before the Todoroki versus Bakugo U.A. Sports Festival Battle Tournament final, Shotofought a perfervid battle against IzukuMidoriya. In the quarterfinal match, Deku arrived on the battlefield with the added uncertainty of not being in full control of One for All. As the two classmates locked horns, Izuku pushed his body through fractures and injuries to defend himself from Shoto’s ruthless attacks. His exemplary courage and defiance set the tone of the fight but what made it truly special was Shoto’s triumph over his inner conflicts as Deku pushed him to embrace his quirk.
The episode goes into Shoto’s childhood traumaand reveals that Endeavor abused his wife. In his pursuit of excellence, he neglected his family and pushed Rei into a mental breakdown following which she had to be put in a psychiatric ward. As if this was not bad enough, he separated Shoto from his siblings and forced him to religiously follow a ruthless training regimen that was no less than torture. Because of the trauma he endured in his childhood, Shoto refused to activate fire and only relied on ice to fight.
Izuku despite being unable to control One for All had already noticed that Todoroki was not fighting on his full potential. During the battle, he pushed his classmate to the extreme and motivated him to embrace his powers. Recalling his mother’s advice to remain true to himself, Shoto eventually activates fire and fights with his full potential at the end of the intense battle. His triumph over his childhood trauma and subsequent victory over a strong competitor like Izuku Midoriya makes the episode a memorable one. Furthermore, the fight is packed with ruthless attacks and emotional intensity that makes it an awe-inspiring spectacle that resonates with the audiences and the characters alike.
