With My Hero Academia wrapping up its anime adaptation in December 2025, longtime fans of the series have been taking the time to look back and reflect on all the series had to offer. The series found popularity for numerous reasons over its decade-long run, from its unique approach to the superhero genre to its memorable fight scenes, and everything in between. Largely, its characters were the reason it found such a strong footing in the world of anime, and its underdog story paired with its somewhat nuanced ensemble cast led to its incredible longevity. Fans each have their favorites, but one particular My Hero Academia character remains one of the most beloved, and not only because of his design or Quirk.
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When looking through both Japanese and Western popularity polls, Shoto Todoroki has remained in the top five My Hero Academia characters on the list since the anime premiered, with the A.C. Hero never falling out of favor with audiences. Despite first coming across as cold and unfeeling, Shoto slowly won fans over after his tragic background was revealed, with his subsequent growth over the show's many seasons cementing his story as one of the most poignant in My Hero Academia lore. The series may be over, but there's plenty to be gleaned from Shoto's personality and approach to life.
Shoto’s Appearance and Quirk Quickly Attracted Fans, but They Stayed for His Lore
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Shoto is a character who needs little introduction, having first appeared in the fifth episode of the My Hero Academia anime series and remaining a staple ever since. At first, fans of the series likely saw him as the standard brooding, unemotional addition to the cast, with his personality acting as a foil to Izuku's constant enthusiasm and Bakugo's more explosive and aggressive nature. This sold him short, however, as the truth was much heavier and fraught. Shoto's detached demeanor had less to do with his innate self and more to do with the abuse he had suffered as a child, which he is forced to overcome as the series progresses.
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The weight of family success can be a heavy one, and Shoto knew this more than most. His father, Endeavor, briefly became the #1 Hero following All Might's retirement, boasting the highest tally of resolved cases in history and seeking power above all else. Throughout the series, it becomes clear that bearing a child with a powerful Quirk is something to be desired, and this is how Shoto came be, with Endeavor only marrying the quiet and reserved Rei to combine his Hellflame quirk with her Frost quirk. If all went to plan, the combination of these powers would lead to a Hero more powerful than All Might. Shoto's burden was heavy from the moment he inherited his Half-Cold Half-Hot power.
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For most of his young life, Shoto was less of a person and more of an object, which Endeavor constantly sought to mold for his own purposes. Perfection was the goal, and any failure or refusal to train would result in severe punishments, which destroyed the young boy's sense of self and prevented him from using his fire power for many years, instead solely utilizing the power of ice he inherited from his mother. This trauma wasn't isolated, as Shoto's siblings and mother were also forced to deal with a great deal of mistreatment, leading many to wonder what kind of future awaited a character with so much baggage. Would Shoto ever be a Hero in his own right, or had his future already been dictated by the events of his past?
While Shoto cracked under the pressures of his youth in some way, he was, thanks to the help of a very close friend, able to put the pieces back together, and to overcome what could have easily been his end. Creating walls to keep oneself from harm is a common enough thing, but Shoto's growth in My Hero Academia reminds us of what miraculous things could happen if we took a chance and let others in, even for a moment.
Facing One's Past With Dignity and Acceptance Is Key to Forging a Bright and Meaningful Future
Unpacking the most painful moments in our pasts isn't easy work, and certainly not something that can be accomplished quickly. Through witnessing Shoto's struggle, many viewers likely saw themselves, juggling the self-hatred we feel for our perceived weaknesses with the determination and grit required to toss that victim mindset away. Shoto doesn't try his hardest because of the lessons his father beat into him, but rather because, deep down, he wants to become his own kind of Hero, and one that doesn't utilize hatred or needless violence to achieve his goals. That noble side to his character was there all along, and that's a hopeful prospect—that beneath our trauma is something beautiful waiting to emerge that has simply been covered up.
Perhaps the biggest shift in Shoto's character came following his battle with Izuku in Season 2. During the match, Izuku inspires the fire and ice user to put his hatred and resentment for his father aside, and to instead accept his full suite of abilities without shame or fear. This prompts Shoto to use fire in combat for the first time since his childhood, and while his difficult feelings remain after doing so, acceptance begins to blossom in his heart and the idea of cultivating his power starts to feel like less of an impossibility. It's a long road, but all journeys start with a single step, and oftentimes, it takes an outsider to show us how to proceed after spending too much time alone with our own thoughts and doubts.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
After eight long seasons, Shoto's incredible evolution as a character stands out as one of the most rewarding pieces of My Hero Academia canon. The importance of close relationships and the focus on cultivating self-love is a reminder that all viewers can use at one time or another, along with the painful truth that we are all equal parts strong and vulnerable. There's no shame in a painful past when the future can be so incredibly bright.
- 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
Cast
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Daiki YamashitaIzuku Midoriya (voice) -
Kaito IshikawaManga Fukidashi (voice)
WHERE TO WATCH
In My Hero Academia, some humans have superpowers called quirks. Izuku Midoriya, nicknamed Deku, is not one of them. Deku has always idolized heroes like the number one hero, All Might, and since he was a child, he has always wanted to be a hero. However, his lack of a quirk has always held him back, but a chance encounter with All Might after discovering a classmate in danger sets Deku on the path to becoming a true hero. My Hero Academia centers around Deku and a class of heroes-in-training at UA. This school shapes young quirk users into future heroes through fake rescue missions, combat training, and other hero-tempering tasks. With young Deku inheriting the "One-For-All" quirk, he will learn what it means to be a true hero while facing off with dastardly supervillains.
- Franchise
- My Hero Academia
- Based On
- Manga
- Creator
- Kōhei Horikoshi
- Number of Episodes
- 159
- Streaming Service(s)
- Hulu, Crunchyroll
- MyAnimeList Score
- 7.85 (Season 1)
