Shoto Todoroki was never the same after the Sports Festival in My Hero Academia (and it's Horikoshi's biggest mistake)

In My Hero Academia, Shoto Todoroki initially stood out as a brilliant strategist, matching Midoriya and Bakugo in intellect and power. From the USJ incident to the Sports Festival, his tactical acumen was a defining trait. However, post-Sports Festival, the series sidelines his intellect and diminishes his role, reducing him to a supporting character.

This shift marks a major missed opportunity, undercutting the complex potential of a character once central to the story’s emotional and strategic core. Todoroki’s decline reflects a broader narrative misstep in an otherwise celebrated anime, leaving fans yearning for the depth he once embodied.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the opinions of the writer.

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The decline of Todoroki’s tactical brilliance in My Hero Academia

The Sports Festival represented Todoroki at his peak, both in quirk application and strategic thinking. His leadership qualities shone as he commanded his team with precision, while his battle with Midoriya showcased both power and adaptability.

However, season 3 marked a puzzling regression. In the training camp arc, the usually perceptive Todoroki suddenly displayed a surprising lack of situational awareness. The official fanbooks confirmed this shift wasn't merely subjective; they literally downgraded his intelligence classification by two tiers. This intellectual decline coincided with a diminished role in the narrative.

While Midoriya and Bakugo continued their rivalry with increasingly complex character development, Todoroki's arc stagnated, his appearances becoming less frequent and impactful. His emotional journey regarding his father received intermittent attention, but the sharp tactical mind that had been established disappeared almost entirely.

Perhaps the most frustrating was his reduced effectiveness in team scenarios. The boy who had once commanded a squad effectively in the Sports Festival became incapable of basic coordination with classmates. This inconsistency cannot be explained as intentional character development; it bears all the hallmarks of a writer simply losing interest in fully developing a character's established traits.

By choosing to sideline Todoroki's intelligence, Horikoshi missed the chance to show how various types of intelligence could compete and complement each other inside Class 1-A.

The combat dynamics between Bakugo's instinctual fighting style and Midoriya's analytical abilities would become even more captivating when combined with Todoroki's strategic thinking. Instead, Todoroki's role became increasingly one-dimensional, focused almost exclusively on power output rather than tactical application.

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Conclusion

The marginalization of Todoroki's character depth diminishes My Hero Academia's overall narrative complexity. What began as a promising exploration of trauma, redemption, and growth devolved into occasional moments of power display without the strategic foundation that made his early appearances so compelling.

For a series that prides itself on character development, this represents a significant narrative failing—one that left many fans wondering what might have been had Todoroki's intelligence remained consistent with his initial portrayal.

The Sports Festival wasn't just Todoroki's personal peak; it was the height of Horikoshi's character writing for one of his most intriguing creations, a benchmark of quality that subsequent arcs failed to match for this once-promising character.

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