Endeavor's redemption might be the most controversial My Hero Academia plot point, and it's clear why

Modified Aug 23, 2024 14:16 GMT

While it has been a few weeks since the end of the My Hero Academia manga, fans still find one thing disturbing about the series, i.e., Endeavor's redemption story. The storyline surrounding Endeavor and his family was always a key plot point in the manga and creator Kohei Horikoshi took his time to conclude it with the story's epilogue.

However, there is reason for fans to believe that the Todoroki family plot point should have never taken the turn it did. Any manga fan would want Shoto Todoroki to have a pleasant family life, one where he wasn't at odds with his father. But after the manga revealed Enji's past, fans can no longer accept Endeavor's redemption arc, claiming it to be the most controversial plot point in the story.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the My Hero Academia manga.

Why Endeavor's redemption story was so controversial

Toya and Enji as seen in the My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

As fans must have seen in My Hero Academia's epilogue, the manga dedicated a good portion of a chapter to conclude Endeavor's redemption story. After the final war, he was no longer able to continue as a hero. Hence, he decided to spend the rest of his life talking to Toya Todoroki and getting to know him. This was his way of atonement for all the time he ignored Toya in the past.

Considering how Endeavor loved Toya and only started ignoring him to prevent him from getting hurt, it can be said that he never intended to affect his life in the way it resulted. This part of the redemption story was pretty unproblematic.

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However, that is not the case for the rest of Endeavor's redemption arc. One that stood out the most was the way he abused his wife Rei before Shoto's birth. As fans would know, Enji had arranged a quirk marriage with Rei to produce an heir who would inherit both of their quirks, i.e., fire and ice.

Unfortunately, they failed to produce a child with both quirks repeatedly. In fact, the only child who showed promise was Toya, but he had to stop his training to prevent harming his body. Therefore, Enji forced Rei to have his children, the last of which was Shoto, born with both of their quirks.

Rei Todoroki as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

The scene itself was disturbing considering how Rei was already exhausted after having three children one after another. Unfortunately, Rei's torment didn't stop with Shoto's birth as Enji abused her on multiple occasions for failing to keep Toya from training.

Despite all of such developments, the epilogue chapter showed Rei, an abuse victim, taking care of Endeavor, her abuser, after he became disabled.

Enji abusing Rei in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

If that wasn't enough, Endeavor's behavior in the past also shaped Shoto. As fans would know, Enji used to put Shoto through harsh training. Thus, it was quite natural that he was ruthless with him and must have left him all beaten up in several training sessions.

This changed Shoto's personality. One of the scenes from Enji's backstory revealed how emotional and loud Shoto was in the past. However, as fans would know, he seldom displayed such emotions after he grew up. Had he not gone through Endeavor's abuse in the past, he might have been very open about his feelings as a teenager.

Natsuo Todoroki as seen in My Hero Academia anime (Image via BONES)

Other people who were affected by Enji's past were his two middle children Fuyumi and Natsuo Todoroki. While Fuyumi was pretty much forced to act as a mother to his siblings from a young age, Natsuo never forgave Enji and left the house to live alongside his partner.

Therefore, while the manga may have given Endeavor a redemption story, it was never accepted by all fans, making it one of the most controversial plotlines from the anime.