My Hero Academia: Who is Toya Todoroki?

Toya Todoroki is a name that has been mentioned a lot in My Hero Academia. However, the viewers did not know his full backstory until recent seasons. It was finally revealed in season 6, episode 17, that Toya Todoroki was the eldest son of the Pro Hero Endeavor.

As a child, he was trained to fulfill Endeavor’s ambition of surpassing All Might, the number 1 hero in My Hero Academia. His quirk was similar to his dad's but had the potential to surpass him. Everything pointed to him being the perfect heir to carry on his father's legacy.

Due to the trauma he suffered from his father, he decided to get revenge against him and joined the League of Villains under the alias of Dabi. He became one of the main antagonists in My Hero Academia.

Although Toya’s quirk is called Cremation, his flames are blue and indicate his incredible power to incinerate anything he wants. The cost of his power is that prolonged use of this quirk leads him to bear serious physical harm.

Therefore, using this quirk caused him to have severe burns and physically hurt him. Despite this knowledge, his father, Endeavor, kept pushing him. Blinded by ambition, he let his son suffer for a long time and focused only on his potential.

It did not take long for Toya’s body to begin showing signs of damage. In addition, his mental health deteriorated. Endeavor decided it was time to give up on him and began focusing on this other child, completely neglecting him. Suddenly, from being the center of attention, Toya was nobody in the eyes of his father.

This led Toya to spiral into an obsession to make his father notice him again. So he continued using his quirk, which led to his condition worsening. And this time, no one from his family was in any position to console a child. Tension, isolation, and broken dreams filled the Todoroki household, eventually leading to Toya’s breakdown.

His body was burnt beyond recognition. He was able to survive because All for One, the main antagonist in My Hero Academia, recognized him. Dr. Garaki nursed him back to health. Toya’s misfortunes continued when they looked into his mental health and abandoned him, deeming him unfit to be a good vessel for All for One.

Continuously suffering physically and mentally broke him. It led him to let go of his identity as Toya and renamed himself Dabi. This new identity served as his alter ego. Dabi was not seeking love or approval. He was fueled by hatred, vengeance, and a burning desire to make his father suffer.

Toya became a symbol of pain in My Hero Academia. He secretly worked to build up his reputation as a criminal, and the League of Villains eventually brought him in. They later assigned him to lead a group of villains called the Vanguard Action Squad.

Themes of abuse, family, and redemption in My Hero Academia

The story of Toya Todoroki in My Hero Academia is more than just a character who was pushed till he became a villain. It explores the consequences of a hero society’s obsession with strength and image.

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Toya’s transformation into Dabi is a direct consequence of that abuse. His actions in the story are undoubtedly violent and destructive, but they stem from deep-rooted trauma. My Hero Academia forces the audience to think about who is responsible for Toya’s actions.

During the final arc, when he faced Shoto Todorki and his family intervened to support him, there was finally hope that maybe Toya could find peace. He reminds us what happens when society ignores the broken, when families prioritize ambition over care, and when they push children beyond their limits in the name of greatness.

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