This article contains spoilers for My Hero Academia

It's not uncommon to hear My Hero Academia fans say that they believe Endeavor is the best-written character in the whole series, and it's honestly not hard to see why. Despite being presented as one of the most vile and heinous heroes in the story when he first appears, by the end of the plot, it can be hard not to have at least some shred of sympathy for Endeavor, considering how much time and effort author Kohei Horikoshi put into humanizing him, while still emphasizing that he's far from a good person.

Endeavor's character arc is one that anime and manga fans will be talking about for many years to come, but it turns out that the fiery Pro Hero himself was seemingly created as a response to Horikoshi's previous manga, and the emotions he felt after being forced to wrap them up. If not for Horikoshi's canceled projects, it's highly unlikely Endeavor would have ever shown up in my Hero Academia at all, which would have been a real shame considering how crucially important he is to the wider story.

Endeavor's Complex Character Arc

Reaching The Top Hero Spot Turned Endeavor Into A Monster

Endeavor's obsession with being number one tore his family apart
The Pro Hero desperately seeks a way to atone for how he treated his wife and kids

Like most heroes in the world of My Hero Academia, Endeavor had long dreamed of reaching the number one spot in the Pro Hero rankings, but no matter how strong he became, he could never overcome the legendary All Might. As a result, the Pro Hero decided that he would partake in a Quirk marriage so that his offspring could be as powerful as possible by inheriting a mixture of fire and ice. However, in an attempt to train his kids to one day be even stronger than his rival, Endeavor would push his children far beyond their limits, to the point where he even started acting abusively towards them.

This would inevitably end up tearing the Todoroki family apart. While Toya would go on to become a villain after feeling rejected and neglected by his own father, Shoto would refuse to use the fire-side of his Quirk due to the amount of underlying hatred he still felt for Endeavor. Speaking of Shoto, the reason he got the giant scar on his face is also partly due to Endeavor, who pushed his wife so far that she eventually threw a jug of boiling water onto Shoto's face while in an emotional frenzy.

Clearly, Endeavor is far from a good guy, but once he reaches the number one spot at roughly the midpoint of the story, his demeanor begins to change. Endeavor goes through a long and grueling journey of trying to repent for his mistakes in any way he can, hoping to one day restore his family, despite knowing that he is the main cause of all their problems. It's a compelling character arc which contains a plethora of twists and turns to keep fans engaged the entire way through, but there's a deeper reason why this particular aspect of Endeavor was focused on in the first place.

How Did Horikoshi's Previous Manga Lead To Endeavor's Creation?

Horikoshi's Struggles Being A Manga Author Influenced Endeavor's Personal Story

A few weeks before the My Hero Academia: You're Next movie was officially released to the world, Horikoshi was given an opportunity to sit down and discuss not only the upcoming film, but also the story as a whole. While much of this discussion was based around the positive feedback and reception he had gained since he had been publishing the series, there was one question asked which seemed to hit a little closer to home, and it has to do with Endeavor.

The interviewer states that Endeavor is a character who does everything he can to try and be a good person, despite the amount of pain and suffering he had already caused when he was still trying to become the number one hero. They go on to say that there are multiple characters like this in My Hero Academia who are looking for a way to repent for their past mistakes in any way they can, and when Horikoshi was asked directly why he put such a focus on this aspect of the characters, his answer is pretty revealing.

"I drew My Hero Academia thinking that if this didn't work out, I would quit drawing manga. That is why I have drawn My Hero Academia with the intention of making it a story which will encourage people who have made mistakes in the past to try again" - Kohei Horikoshi

Horikoshi admits that after his second manga series was canceled, he began to doubt whether he would ever be able to draw manga again. Much to his surprise, his third series would quickly become a smash hit, and, with so many eyes now locked on to the story and its characters, the author states that he wanted to emphasize the idea that anyone who has lost hope and given up can still make something of themselves if they simply give it another shot.

Why Endeavor Matters So Much To The Story

Heroism Isn't Quite As Hopeful And Inspirational As It May Seem

It's clear that Horikoshi's own self-doubt and troubled experiences in the manga industry greatly contributed to the creation of Endeavor, but this begs the question of what the story would actually be like if Endeavor never showed up at all. One important aspect that Endeavor brings to the story is emphasizing that, despite seeming very hopeful and inspirational on the surface, hero society can actually be very cruel and vicious behind the scenes. In fact, this was shown in practice when Endeavor's abusive actions were broadcast to the entire world by Dabi late in the story, causing pretty much all of society to lose faith in heroes after it was revealed that the number one hero had been committing such heinous acts in his past life.

"I'm not looking for forgiveness. Just atonement" - Endeavor

On the other hand, Endeavor also acts as the perfect rival to All Might, and it's always fascinating to see these two interact considering how long they have been butting heads. Though Endeavor may have initially possessed a burning hatred for All Might, the two eventually become close allies by the end of the story, even though All Might himself is no longer anywhere near as strong as his arch-rival, given the fact that he loses his Quirk.

Of course, Endeavor's absence would also rid a lot of the emotional weight that comes from Todoroki's own character arc. Seeing Endeavor and Todoroki slowly rebuild their bond in the latter portion of the story is truly heartbreaking and one of the most emotional character arcs in the series, so it's definitely a good thing that Horikoshi decided to create Endeavor, even if it was due to his own negative feelings and emotions after his two previous manga were thrown to the side.

Source: ComicBook

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Release Date: 2016 - 2025-00-00
Network: TBS, MBS, Nippon TV
Directors: Shouji Ikeno, Tsuyoshi Tobita, Ikuro Sato, Takudai Kakuchi, Masashi Abe, Tetsuya Miyanishi, Kazuma Komatsu, Yoshifumi Sasahara, Masayuki Otsuki, Daisuke Tsukushi, Takayuki Yamamoto, Yohei Fukui, Takuro Tsukada, Masatoyo Takada, Naomi Nakayama, Sayaka Morikawa, Takanori Yano