Toya's fate in My Hero Academia isn't the Todoroki family's most tragic

Modified Nov 26, 2024 07:42 GMT

My Hero Academia has greater tragedies in the Todoroki family than Toya (Image via Bones). — My Hero Academia has greater tragedies in the Todoroki family than Toya (Image via Bones)

My Hero Academia had several popular subplots, but very few had the attention and critical acclaim like the Todoroki family's conflict with their estranged son, Toya, also known as the villain Dabi. While the character's ending is ultimately tragic, there is also an argument to be made that the fate of the rest of the family is even more painful when taking all things into consideration.

Toya was never confirmed to have died during the My Hero Academia epilogue but his medical condition seemed to suggest he was going to pass away soon, which would have huge ramifications for the Todoroki family. While some fans argue that Toya is a victim, there is no denying that he was responsible for the deaths of innocent people, with his ending feeling deserved because of his actions.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the series and reflects the author's opinion.

Explaining why there are greater tragedies than Toya in the Todoroki family in My Hero Academia

The Todoroki family as seen in the anime (Image via Bones)

While it is true that Toya Todoroki was pushed from birth to become a hero by his father Enji, mostly known as Endeavor, the truth of the matter is that his actions as the villain Dabi were his own. He stated he willingly killed more than forty innocent people and was willing to explode as a nuke during the final war arc, to take the lives of as many as possible out of spite toward his family.

His issues with his father were understandable but he chose to make it everybody's problem, which is why his ending as a cripple for the rest of his life seems like a fitting punishment. The ending does give him some closure with Endeavor, Shoto Todoroki, and the rest of his family, but they are the ones who are actually carrying the biggest burden for the rest of their lives.

Toya is very likely to have died a few days after he was put on life support, but Endeavor is the one who is going to deal with the guilt of being responsible for his son's death. As mentioned earlier, Toya was an adult when he chose to take innocent people's lives, but Enji did contribute to his trauma and had to fight him to the death and then see him die, which is something that no decent father wants to go through.

The tragedy of the other Todoroki family members

The Todoroki family as seen in Endeavor's vision (Image via Bones)

Rei, much like Endeavor, made mistakes as a parent in My Hero Academia, as evidenced by her not knowing how to handle Toya's issues as a child, and pouring hot water on Shoto when she was struggling with her marriage. Further, she and her husband had to deal with their son turning into a villain, killing innocent people, and the fact that they could have done things differently as his parents.

Meanwhile, Natsuo and Fuyumi did have memories with their sibling Toya but didn't get any meaningful moments with him in the series. However, considering they do remember their childhood with him, they are very likely to regret how things turned out, and someone like Natsuo is probably never going to forgive their father because of it.

Ultimately, there is the case of Shoto, whose arc in My Hero Academia was one of the most prominent ones. His growth with Deku and the other UA students allowed him to break away from his family but also make peace with them, so he is likely to carry some regret about Toya, while also being the one with the least regrets.

Final thoughts

Toya had some degree of tragedy in My Hero Academia but his villainous actions justify his suffering and conclusion by the end of the story. However, his family members are the ones who are going to deal with the consequences of his actions, knowing that they were somehow involved in the death of their son and brother.

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Edited by Janhavi Chauhan